Field News | Three Hot Topics in Swine Nutrition in the Year 2021

Key words in animal nutrition field in 2021:

• Normalization of ASFv and AGP-free

• Grounding of pig price

• Tremendous rising of raw material price

• Performance-increase-and-cost-decrease of animal husbandry

Corresponding measures taken:

• Increasing of biosecurity measures

• Innovation of feed formulation technology

• Development and innovation of raw materials and feed additives

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Under this situation, field seminars proposes the three hot topics:

Topic 1. How to improve competitiveness of piglet feed under AGP-free?

Background

From 2020 to 2021, piglet feed had undergone the market test and pass the first year of AGP-free smoothly.

New problems arouse in 2021:

1. Use of various functional component and solve the possible risk of diarrhea after AGP-free, which cost increased a lot

2. Diarrhea has been well controlled with decreased formula protein level, whicl production performance decreased

3. Effect of comprehensive measures on formulation is not ideal on resistance of diarrhea in certain breeding environment or season

How to optimize AGP-free piglet feed in a comprehensive way is one of the hot topics!

Core technical points

• Optimize protein nutrition: protein level, especially amino acid level and ratio, supply structure, selection on the raw materials

• Optimize combination between protein and energy: energy-nitrogen ratio and supply structure

• Optimize intestine healthcare measures: including structural integrity (inflammation) and bacteria flora balance

Study trends

Protein level: Refer to PIC 2021 and Chinese Pig Nutritional Needs (2020), mainly considering the content of SID Lys, and the ratio between Lys and Met+Cys, Trp, Thr

Protein supply structure: through pyramid supply structure with the protein, peptide, amino acid to improve protein digestion speed and digestibility

Energy and protein combination: through the combination of fast, medium and slow digestion rate of protein and energy to ensure the synchronization of digestion and absorption

Protein source selection: raw material combination by digestion rate, for example, enzymatically hydrolyzed protein + fish meal + fermented soybean meal + soybean meal + extruded soybean

Energy source selection:

starch: consider the ratio of amylopectin and amylose, for example, corn + flour + broken rice

lipid: consider the ratio of long-chain fatty acid and short-chain fatty acid, for example, soybean oil + coconut oil

fiber: considers the ratio between soluble and insoluble fiber, for example, bran

Reduce intestinal structure damage and intestinal flora destruction: control the adverse effects of harmful components such as antigens from plant proteins, histamine from animal proteins, acid values from energy materials, and mycotoxins on the health of intestine

Protect the intestinal cell structure: promote the development of intestinal villi, strengthen the tight junctions among intestinal cells, and repair the damaged intestinal structure (anti-oxidation/anti-inflammatory). Ingredients to consider: zinc preparations (coated zinc oxide, etc.); plant extracts (essential oils, tannins, etc.); short-chain fatty acids (butyric acids), etc.

Adjust the balance of intestinal flora: through sterilization and bacteriostasis to adjust the balance of intestinal flora structure. Ingredients to consider: acid preparations; microecological preparations, etc.

Study conducted by

• China Agricultural University

• Feed Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

• Sichuan Agricultural University

• South China Agricultural University

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Topic 2. How to make grower feed of high cost-performance when raw materials rising high?

Background

Current situation in 2021:

the prices of soybean meal, corn, premixes, etc. hit new highs

the feed consumption and cost of the grower pigs account for 80% of the whole period of commercial pigs. When price of raw materials increase by 20-30%, the price of feed can only increase by 10-20%. Thus, the average profit of per ton feed fell by more than 10%.

How to optimize the formula cost of grower pig feed while ensuring quality is a hot topic!

Core technology points

Reduce protein levels appropriately: optimize protein supply structure, protein raw materials selection, and amino acid balance

Protein and energy matching: the source and structure of energy raw materials, such as starch, fiber, and fat; the determination of net energy value of raw materials

Protein and energy source substitution technology: guarantee the same feeding effect at a lower cost

Study trends

Protein nutrition:

• decrease protein level and supplement essential amino acids will not affect production performance;

• selection and use of by-products as protein source, for example, rice bran meal, rapeseed meal, cottonseed protein, DDGS, etc.

Energy nutrition:

• accurate evaluation of energy value and adopt net energy system

• consider unconventional raw materials, such as rice, wheat, barley to supply energy, using aged corn, wheat in an appropriate proportion with NSP enzymes, antioxidants, etc.

Study conducted by

• Beijing Institute of Animal Husbandry, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

• Subtropical Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences

• Jilin Agricultural University

• Sichuan Agricultural University

• ...

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Topic 3. How to realize the production potential of sows of high-yielding breeds?

Background

Current situation in 2021:

• Total amount of sow has reached a historical high, and the oversupply has led to a cliff-like decline in pig prices.

• Low-yielding sows are eliminated, and high-yielding sows are introduced. The littering potential is greatly improved, but survival less (stillborn, weak borns increase), grows slowly (milk shortage), and weaning litter weight is not ideal.

How to improve the reproductive performance and health of sows, increase the number and body weight of weaned pigs, improve breeding performance through feed nutrition and feeding management is another hot topic!

Core technology point

The sow reproduction cycle is integrated, the perinatal nutrition should be the breakthrough.

Sow backfat thickness regulation technology: The prenatal backfat thickness has a greatest impact on the litter size, weaning weight, and feed intake of a sow.

Perinatal nutrition control technology for sows:

On the one hand, the systemic inflammation, progressive oxidative stress, and insulin resistance directly affect the farrowing process and postpartum feed intake, and ultimately affect the number of piglets survive and milking of sow.

On the other hand, it regulates the intestinal flora of sows, improves placental function, and increases the birth weight of piglets; regulates the intestinal health of fetal pigs and increases the number of newborn healthy live piglets.

Newborn piglet nutrition control technology (limited effect): use of artificial milk developed with consideration of nutritional level, nutrients, and functional additives. Although it can provide better nutrition to weak pigs after birth, it is difficult to catch up with normal piglets.

Study trends

Feeding technology for regulating the backfat thickness of sows: confirm the appropriate prenatal backfat thickness --> optimize the feeding mode --> dynamically measure the fat --> optimize the formula nutrition accordingly --> real-time effect analysis

Regulation of sow nutrition during the perinatal period: appropriately increase energy and fiber levels, and supplement functional ingredients

• Increase energy level before farrowing and shorten the farrowing time (90d-parturition of multi-parity sows: diet NE 8.1 --> 6.8 Mcal/d)

• Increase the fiber level before farrowing and improve the birth weight of piglets (90d-parturition of multi-parity sows: diet DF 16% --> 30%)

Use functional ingredients:

• regulate the intestinal health of newborn piglets, promote the development of intestinal villi (short-chain fatty acids, somatic-antioxidant substances)

• regulate the oxidative stress and health basis of sows and newborn piglets (linoleic acid/linolenic acid ratio, soy isoflavones, bioactive peptides, organic selenium, yeast, oligosaccharides, etc.)

Study conducted by

• Sichuan Agricultural University (refer to systematic sow nutrition technology of Prof. Wu De)

• Huazhong Agricultural University (refer to pig's "integrated" breeding technology of Prof. Peng Jian)

• South China Agricultural University

• Northeast Agricultural University, etc.

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Summary

Combining the key issues in the three stages of pig production and focusing on the core points of feed nutrition design at each stage will definitely improve the production performance, reduce the cost of breeding per kilo, and highlight the characteristics of feed products.