Changing Hog Feed Formula (Continued from Page A 1) that can be switched in feed rations are the protein, fat, and vitamins. Or, substitutions can be made. Kephart doesn’t recommend changing the protein level. “Stay pat with the recommended levels,” he said. “Don’t follow your urge to lower protein. Reducing protein levels will cause the cost per pound to rise because you’ll have less feed conversion.” Because fat prices follow the price of com, Kephart doesn’t advise adding extra fat to the feed, unless it is to be used to keep dust down. “Using it in small amounts will help keep dust down and improve feed conversion slightly,” he commented. Vitamins are provided in suffi cient amounts in pre-mixes, so a farmer adding vitamins would be spending more money. Substituting ingredients is the fourth way to change the feed. Kephart recommends before doing so to ask three questions: What are my feed costs now? What will the new feed ration cost? and What will be the change in performance? For example, a farmer wishing to substitute the com in his grower diet should look at the price of com per ton versus the price of wheat. ENERGY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME JrW - Get the most out of your dairy cows with Purina’s High Energy Team of Maxi-Tech™ Products: MT 40% MT 28% FF MT 32% FF MT 14% MT 16% MT 18% MF 20% MT 22% MT 30% FF All the above high energy products are formulated to help you put more milk in the tank! Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help you make more milk. 6 S. Vintage Rd. Paradise, PA 17562 (717)442-4183 % (717)768-3301 Registered trademark of Ralston Purina Company oats, ear com, or by-products and how much the feed conversion would change. (See table 1) Replacing com at 5172 per ton for wheat isn’t advisable because wheat would cost about $l5 per ton more and the performance is about the same, said Kephart. Oats only cost about $4 per ton more than com, but the feed con version is poorer, so a farmer would pay much more for the same performance. Ear com would cost about $156, but according to Kephart, feed efficiency drops when it is fed. By-products can cost a substan tial amount less, but feed conver sion changes depend on the by products. “If you can find a rela tively dry by-product that’s not too different than com, it would be worth looking at,” Kephart stated. Two by-products thatone fanner is feeding are granola and pizza, although the pizza dough has to be watched carefully as it grows mold easily. “Does it pay to fool with the for mula?” Kephart asked. “Some times. Local hay may help reduce prices as can by-products. Look at your starter ration, particularly if your feeders are weaned quickly. Try to get them off the starter feed TM - Registered trademark of Purina Mills. kssMhis H | PURINA CHDWS [ as soon as possible and get them on feed.” Protein levels can be cut in the middle of gestation. “For those that can (separate group feedings)* you can pull your soybean meal out of the sow’s feed during the middle of gestation so long as you take care of her at the end of gesta tion and during lactation,” he said. Changing management prac tices Farmers can cut feed costs by practicing careful feed manage ment. For instance, much feed is lost through waste such as in the farrowing house floor. When you feed the sow, have something under the feeder to catch spills rather than let it fall into the man ure pit. Keeping the proper temperature helps feed conversion. The colder the temperature, the lower the feed conversion, and the hotter the temperature, the lower the feed conversion. The optimum temper ature for finishing hogs is 60 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. When the temperature is at 32 degrees, the cost for feeding increases $53 per hog. When the temperature is between 85 and 95 degrees, the cost of feeding goes up $lO per hog. Rt.B2 Unionville, PA 18375 (215)347-2377 For hogs finished in an outdoor lot during cold weather, bedding and hovers can keep hogs comfort able, while drip coolers and shade work in the summer. “Antibiotics are a better idea as the price of feed goes up,” said Kephart. Normally antibiotics don’t help a great deal if the herd is healthy, but when feed prices are high, they help decrease costs. Pelleting feed can help elimi nate waste and reduce feed costs. “It’s a good deal,” stated Kephart. “It improves feed efficiency about 5 percent, and you could save about $1.50 per hog.” Potato Production Meeting Scheduled CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin) ot Commerce. The meeting, —Farmers from southcentral Pen- “Potatoes—An Alternative Crop”, nsylvania and Washington County s * ar * a.m. and con in Maryland will be gathering c * ude a t noon, together February 3to explore the r - Richard Cole, Penn State feasibility of increasing the area’s P Ol2lO specialist, will discuss key agricultural economy through requirements for commercial pota commercial potato production, to production. David Rank and The exploratory meeting, to be William Dougherty of Nibble held at the Franklin County Admi- With Gibble s Inc. will talk about nistration Building on Franklin the market for chipping potatoes. Farms Lane, is being co-sponsored Ceinbach of Leinbach s Pro by Penn State Cooperative exten- duce Auction in Shippensburg will ions of Franklin County and the speak on . wholesa l e marketing Greater Chambersburg Chamber opportunities for table-stock potatoes. PROBIOTICS - Nature’s way to herd health and profits Pennstar Veterinary Service of Quarryville, Pa. and Conklin Company of Shakopee, Minnesota will combine to present an educa tional and promotional meeting on the need for and use of natural probiotics in the dairy ration to increase milk, fat, protein, and profits, and improve overall herd health. Place: Solanco Sr. Citizens Center - next to the Hoffman building at the Solanco fairgrounds Time: Friday, Feb. 3, 7:30 PM There will also be information presented on the use of “natural” hay and silage preservatives in place of the commonly used “acid” preservatives. Speakers; Ron Buffington, Dublin. Ohio Boone Logan, Harrodsburg, KY Refreshments All Are Welcome For info, contact Dr. Carl Troop at 717-786-1304 HORSEHIDE H GENUINE HORSEHIDE Barnyard Acid Resistant AMERICAN MADE Made of tough, long wearing horsehide, these shoes stand manure, silage, oil and grease better than cowhide. Shoes feature a Goodyear welt, nitro cork sole that will track, steel shank, padded collar, cushion Insole support. for barn 'A I quality. Our experience shows I that horsehide outlasts good cowhide by 50% or more for farm use. I STYLE WIDTH 6 Inch D, EE, EEE 0, EE, EEE 8 Inch 8" Steel Toe EE Onl 8” Insulated. snow grip sole $60.95 We ship In 24 hours We pay shipping W-R SUPPLY CO. Lake Cralne Rd. Box 3f}B Earlvllle, N.Y. 13332 1-800-533-1675 STATE ZIP VISA Phons orders shlppsd sams day Mastercard Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 28,1989-Al9 Changing your hogs’ feed for mula to cut production costs may be tempting, but is not always the right answer. Many farmers would be better off looking at their man agement practices first. Cutting comers doesn’t always cut costs. Product Com Wheat Oats Ear Com By-Products PRICE SIZE TOTAL 150.95 152.95 57.95 NY Add 6% Tax Grand Total CUSTOMEI ADDRESI TOWN— Cost $172 $lB7 $179 $156 $143
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