C2-Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, September 5, 1992 PRork Prose \ * y. Penn State Extension Swine Specialist LIMESTONE Rumors are flying that a com pany (the same one that brought us Aerogen) is promoting a vitamin mineral premix in Pennsylvania on the basis of high nutrient content and bioavailability. Well, that’s nothing new. But this premix is reportedly special because it contains midwestem limestone, unlike many of the pre mixes and feeds manufactured in the Northeast. The midwestern limestone reportedly has lower levels of impurities, especially aluminum and magnesium, which might interfere with the uptake of other important nutrients. Does midwestern limestone really have fewer impurities? Are the levels of impurities high enough in eastern limestone to lim it performance in pigs? Read on. All Limestones Are Not Created Equal Limestone is composed of a mineral called calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ). This is basically the same material found in sea shells, marble, and the white deposits found in your sink if you have hard water. The type of crystal and the amount of impurities will dictate what the final product looks like and how it can best be used. The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) categorizes limestone based on calcium content. Limestone sour- DATE 28-Aug 31-Aug 2-Sep 4-Sep 7-Sep 9-Sep Course overview, industry structure Facility design and animal welfare Lab - Field trip Ventilation systems Labor Day Holiday Lab - Ventilation demonstration Basement of Ag Engineering Bldg Pit and polytube ventilation Manure Handling Lab - Field Trip QUIZ. Mgt during farrowing Baby pig management Lab - Baby pig processing Swine Center Nursery, grower, finisher mgt Breeding and gestation mgt Lab - Heat detection; Al Swine Center Artificial Insemination Feeding the breeding herd Lab - Castration/SPI Swine Center Feeding the growing pig Exam Lab - Feeds and Feeding Swine Center 11-Sep 14-Sep 16-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 23-Sep 25-Sep 28-Sep 30-Sep 2-Oct 5-Oct 7-Oct 9-Oct 12-Oct 14-Oct Nutritional problems, feed additives Feed Processing 16-Oct 19-Oct 21-Oct Lab - Allot pigs to research trial Swine Center QUIZ Breeds, important traits Testing programs 23-Oct 26-Oct Lectures and laboratories may be attended free of charge, by calling one week in advance. For more information contact Ken Kephart 814-863-3671, 324 Henning Building, University Park, PA 16802 by Kenneth B. Kephart ccs high in calcium (38-40 per cent) qualify as calcium carbonate. If the limestone contains 33-37 percent calcium, then it’s called ground limestone. Two other types of limestone are popular for agronomic use, but less practical for swine diets. One is dolomitic limestone which con tains 20-23 percent calcium and at least 10 percent magnesium. The other is high magnesium limes tone, and contains about 30 per cent calcium and 5-6 percent magnesium. Both calcium level and magne- mix mentioned in the first sium level are important aspects of paragraph. And he confirmed that limestone quality. Another con- the product uses a “unique combi cept that’s just as important is nation of minerals because of low bioavailability. This term charac- aluminum and magnesium in mid terizes how well an animal digests western limestone.” Lthen asked if and absorbs nutrients. our limestone was really that diffe- A nutrient bioavailability of 100 rent from what is mined in the mid percent is ideal. Research clearly west. He told me that midwestern shows that the higher the calcium limestone generally contains about level in the mineral source, the .1 percent magnesium and a simi hieher the bioavailability: lar amount of aluminum, while Table 1: Bioavailability of Calcium Sources Source Ground limestone Marble dust Oyster shell flour Aragonite High magnesium limestone Dolomitic limestone Impurities Magnesium. Impurities such as heavy metals can affect the value of limestone sources, but no ele ment has more impact on calcium availability than magnesium. When magnesium replaces cal ANIMAL SCIENCE 406 SWINE PRODUCTION AND MANAGEMENT TOPIC cium in the limestone, the result is a much tighter crystal, one that is more resistant to attack from digestive acids. In high-calcium limestones, magnesium levels range from .1-1.0 percent. Inciden tally, the magnesium in limestone has a low bioavailability. Aluminum. This element, when in the right form, can limit pho sphorus absorption. But the form that we find in soil and in limes tone cannot be digested by the pig. So, yes, aluminum is a contamin- ant of limestone. But because it’s in an undigestible form, it’s o. little consequence. In high calcium limestones, aluminum levels range from 50-1,000 parts per million (ppm). Iron. Another major impurity, iron, can be found at levels of 1,000-2,000 ppm in high calcium limestone. But it is only about SO percent available. So it’s also of little concern. Northeastern Limestone I recently contacted an individu al involved in marketing the pre- Calcium Level 33-37% 39% 38% 39% 30% 23% f' »♦ • vf - f >*■i • ‘ rVI v t FALL, 1992 TOPIC Lab - Gilt/boar selection Swine Center Breeding systems Biosecurity programs Lab - Necropsy Animal Disease Laboratory Respiratory problems Diarrhea and parasite control Lab - Trouble Shooting Animal Disease Laboratory Selling feeder pigs & market hogs QUIZ Grading programs Lab • Marketing alternatives 109 Ag Sciences and Ind Bldg EXAM DATE 28-Oct 30-Oct 2-Nov 4-Nov 6-Nov 9-Nov 11-Nov 13-Nov 16-Nov 18-Nov 20-Nov 23-Nov Selling cull sows & boars, seedstock; Packers & Stockyards regs Lab - Finish research trial Swine Center 25-Nov 27-Nov 30-Nov 2-Dec Thanksgiving Holiday Using records Lab - Budgets and cash flow 109 Ag Sciences and Ind Bldg. Budgets and cash flow Review of records, goals Contracts, hedging forward contracts (Meet in 110 CO B) QUIZ 4-Dec 7-Dec 9-Dec 11 -Dec Bioavailability 70-90% 98% 98% 98% 82% 51-73% J-f t 'i» \r«' r »», |,i n i ttv t* *i(t' *«'< '? *i f r » * Compact and Powerful attd Iteht- ■ > *MF 1246 Qttttk&ttftfch loader industrial work ■ 4 w h ee l drive ■ Powerful lift ca I‘T I* Tf ARNETTS GARAGE SCHREFFLER EQUIPMENT TRIPLE H EQUIPMENT Rt. 9 Box 125 Pitman, PA 17964 Poach Bottom, PA 17563 Hagerstown, MD 21740 (717) 648-1120 (717) 548-3775 (301)733-0515 LEBANON VALLEY IMPLEMENT CO. 700 E. Lindon St. Richland, PA 17087 (717) 866-7518 M.M. WEAVER & SON N. Groffdala Rd. Leola, PA 17540 (717) 656-2321 N.H. FLICKER & SONS, INC. Maxatawny, PA 19538 (215) 683-7252 MASSEY FERGUSON WORLD'S BEST-SELLING TRACTOR BRAH| J ■ - - ■ —- limestone from our area typically has S-8 percent of both magnesium and aluminum. Then I called four major feed companies in Pennsylvania to find out where they buy their limestone and learned that nearly all of it originates from the Bellefonte reg ion, parts of the Shenandoah Val ley in Virginia, and the York area. The limestone deposits in all of these regions contain 95-98 per cent calcium carbonate, which make them high-quality deposits. After contacting the limestone suppliers I learned that they sell a variety of products or “grades” depending on calcium level, etc. The names of the grades don’t necessarily conform to the terms used Table 1, so I’ve simply grouped them into high calcium and low calcium limestone in Table 2: Table 2: Average Composition Feedgrade Limestone from Northeast U.S. High calcium limestone Low calcium limestone 34% Nearly all of the limestone fed to Particle Size pigs (and livestock) is of the high Particle sizes for feedgrade calcium variety. But you can see limestone range from 5-5,600 that even the low calcium limes- microns. The optimum size for tone (based on one product that I swine appears to be in the could locate) contains far less 300-1,000 micron range, magnesium than what our premix _ . _ maFketer claims. (Turn to P. fl . C 3) Table 3: Average Composition Feedgrade Limestone from from Midwestern U.S. High calcium limestone LOADED WITH EXTRAS tacit; PEOPLE'S SALES & SERVICE Oakland Mills, PA 17076 (717) 463-2735 GUS FARM EQUIPMENT Seven Valleys, PA 17360-0065 (717) 428-1967 Having talked with the lowa Limestone Company, and an indi vidual in the east that’s familiar > with those deposits I have found that it’s almost identical to ours; One exception to this is a depo sit near St. Genevieve, Mo. which contains about 99 percent calcium carbonate. That’s a percent or two higher than what we have in the Northeast. The purest calcium carbonate deposit in North America is appa rently found in the Bahamas, and is called Aragonite. But if you check Table 1, you’ll see that the bioa vailability of Aragonite is no better than that of high calcium limestone (listed as calcium carbonate in the table). Calcium Magensium Aluminum 38-39% .40-1.5% 1-3700 ppm Calcium Magnesium Aluminum 38-39% .l-. 4% 1000 ppm "■LS 1 ™, 8^8 (215) 257-0101 “syajra."* Wycombe, PA IS9BO (215) 598-7157 S.G. LEWIS AND SON Wait Grow, PA 19390 (215) 869-9440 869-2214 Midwestern Limestone 3.6% LAWN CARE OF PA Martindale, PA 17549 (215) 445-4541 imauiy ranauaoM
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers