Effects of withdrawing high-fiber ingredients prior to market on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economics in commercial finishing pigs (2013)

Authors

Kyle F. Coble
Joel M. DeRouchey
Steven S. Dritz
Michael D. Tokach
Robert D. Goodband

Keywords

Swine day, 2013; Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station contribution; no. 14-044-S; Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 1092; Finishing pig; Fiber withdrawal; Growth performance

Abstract

A total of 1,089 mixed-sex pigs (PIC 337 × 1050; initial BW 98.2 lb) were used in a 96-d study. The two diet types fed during the study were a corn-soybean meal control diet with low NDF (9.3%) and a high-fiber diet with high NDF (19%) that contained 30% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) and 19% wheat middlings (midds). Pens of pigs were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 dietary feeding strategies with 25 to 27 pigs per pen and 7 replications per treatment. The six dietary strategies consisted of the corn-soybean meal control diet or high-fiber diet fed for the duration of the study, or the high-fiber diet fed until 24, 19, 14, or 9 d prior to harvest, at which time the pigs were switched to the corn-soybean meal control diet for the remainder of the study. Overall (d 0 to 96), pigs fed the high-fiber diet through the entire study compared with the corn-soy control diet had lower (P<0.01) ADG and poorer F/G. This reduction in growth performance led to a trend for poorer (P<0.10) caloric efficiency and lower (P<0.01) final BW in pigs fed the high-fiber diet throughout compared to the control. For pigs fed the high-fiber diet then switched to the corn-soy control, ADG and ADFI were not different between withdrawal days, but F/G tended (linear; P<0.07) to improve as withdrawal days increased from 0 to 24 d. Pigs fed the high-fiber diet throughout had a 9.5-lb lighter (P<0.01) HCW compared to those fed the corn-soy control. Neither percentage yield using the farm live weight or plant live weight were significantly influenced by withdrawal days from the high-fiber diet; however, HCW increased linearly (P<0.05) as withdrawal days increased. Backfat and loin depth both decreased (P<0.02) in pigs fed the high-fiber diet throughout compared with those fed the corn—soybean meal diet. Loin depth increased, then decreased (quadratic; P<0.04) as high-fiber diet withdrawal time increased. Total feed cost per pig and feed cost per lb of gain was lower (P<0.01) for pigs fed the high-fiber diet until harvest, but carcass gain value per pig also decreased (P<0.01) by $7.34. Total feed cost tended (P<0.10) to increase and carcass gain value increased (P<0.05) as high-fiber diet withdrawal time increased. Although no significant differences were observed in income over feed cost (IOFC) between treatments, switching pigs from the high-fiber diet to the corn-soybean meal diet at 14 to 19 d before market numerically increased IOFC by $1.42 to $2.30/pig over pigs fed the high-fiber diet continuously and $2.04 to 2.92/pig over pigs fed the corn-soybean meal diet throughout. These data indicate that much of the benefit in lower feed cost from feeding high-fiber diets can be captured while minimizing the reduction in revenue by switching pigs to a low-fiber, high-energy diet for 14 to 19 d prior to market.; Swine Day, Manhattan, KS, November 21, 2013

Recommended Citation

Coble, Kyle F.; DeRouchey, Joel M.; Dritz, Steven S.; Tokach, Michael D.; and Goodband, Robert D. (2013) "Effects of withdrawing high-fiber ingredients prior to market on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economics in commercial finishing pigs (2013)," Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 0: Iss. 10. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7033