April 11, 2013
Trails show on-farm feed blending improves livestock producers'' profitability
Press release
Feedlogic Corporation, a leading supplier of intelligent solutions for livestock production, has released results from a three-year trial which show an improvement in profitability by blending feedon farm to more closely match the dietary requirements of the animals.
The results of the trial confirm previous theories that altering diets more frequently than the standard industry practice can improve feed conversion and lower feed cost per pound of gain. They also provide strong evidence that the blending does not come at the cost of carcass premiums.
Aside from improving producer profitability, the blending concept demonstrated in the trial also has benefit to feed mills since it reduces the number of diets that need to be manufactured and simplifies the feed delivery process. The same diet can be stored in a feed bin for a longer period of time, making it easier for truck drivers to manage.
The trial was conducted at a 1,200-head commercial hog finishing site in Minnesota, USA and showed a net improvement in profitability of over US$3.75 per marketed pig by blending feed versus feeding standard phase diets. The savings came primarily from a reduced feed cost per pound of gain.
More than 12,000 pigs were involved in the trial over a total of 10 turns. The trial facility was set up with a FeedSaver blending system which allowed half of the pigs (approximately 600 head) to be fed the standard phase diets and the other half to receive a blend of two standard diets- typically the first and fourth diets used in the standard phase program.
Feed for both groups was weighed through the FeedSaver system, allowing an accurate comparison of feed consumption between the groups. The blended diets were changed with every 10 pounds/head of consumption; the phase diets as per the standard feed budgets.
Key results include: deed conversion for the blend-fed group was 5% better than the control group (2.56:1 vs. 2.69:1); blend-fed pigs averaged slightly better average daily gain (1.92 pounds vs. 1.89 pounds for the control group); and feed cost per pound of gain averaged $0.27 for the blend-fed group vs. $0.29 for the control group.
Willmar, Minnesota-based Feedlogic Corp. is a pioneer in the development of intelligent feeding solutions which can provide livestock producers with real-time monitoring and management of feed. It offers a suite of products which combine patented hardware and software to measure production processes and execute more precisely.