The price of soybean meal is soaring but in short supply!

Precautions for replacing soybean meal with miscellaneous meal!

From the perspective of different regional markets in China (Sichuan-Chongqing, Yunnan, Henan, Shandong, Anhui, Northeast, etc.), the technical personnel of some feed companies are facing the current situation of soaring price of soybean meal and short supply, and currently they generally take the following measures:

• Measure 1: Reduce the protein level, reduce the amount of soybean meal, and reduce the formula cost by 7.8-15.7 USD/T.

• Measure 2: Replace high-priced raw materials with low-priced raw materials, such as fishmeal replaced by nursery feed, use peanut meal, cotton meal, rapeseed meal, sesame meal, corn germ meal, etc.to replace soybean meal in growing-finishing pig meal, reducing the formula cost by 7.8-15.7 USD/T.

Whether it is protein reduction or miscellaneous meal replacement, there are actually some concerns...

Concerns about low-protein feeds: low-protein feeds have generally been adopted after the antibiotics are banned. At present, the protein level can be reduced to a limited extent (0.5-1%), and the cost space that can be saved is also very limited!

Concerns about miscellaneous meal replacement: How to ensure quality? For example: Does miscellaneous meal affect feed intake? How to ensure the digestion and absorption of miscellaneous meal amino acid imbalance and low protein digestibility? Mycotoxins and natural toxins in miscellaneous meal adversely affect the health of pigs? How to ensure the supply and quality stability of miscellaneous meal?

In this issue, we will think about the plan of "substituting soybean meal with miscellaneous meal" from the whole nutrition point of view of feeding, digesting, absorbing and utilizing feed for young, growing-finishing pigs!

Technical Points of Replacing Soybean Meal with Miscellaneous Meal

• First: Ensure the same feed intake (feed intake)

Control of undesirable components that affect palatability (reduce adverse effects on feed intake)

Supplement with ingredients that improve palatability (increase feed intake)

• Second: Provide the same total amount of absorbable protein (digestion, absorption)

Ensure the amino acid balance of feed ingredients (supplement essential amino acids)

Provides equivalent total digestible protein (improves digestibility, improves digestibility of raw materials)

• Third: reduce animal intestinal, body damage and enhance post-injury repair (utilization)

Control the harmful components of raw materials such as mycotoxins and natural toxin components (reduce damage to the intestine, liver, body, etc.)

Strengthen the role of functional substances (maintain the normal structure and function of tissues and organs)

Key measures to replace soybean meal with miscellaneous meal

1 The effect of improving miscellaneous meal on feed intake

（1）Components in miscellaneous meal that affect palatability

【Source】 Yu Jiying et al., Importance and main influencing factors of feed palatability

（2）Key measures

• Control the amount of miscellaneous meal used

• Use flavorings to improve feed palatability (sweeteners can mask bad taste and keep feed sweetness at 2-3% sucrose sweetness)

2 Guaranteed mixed meal provides the same protein and amino acids

（1）Requirements for the ratio of protein and amino acids for growing-finishing pigs

(2) Key measures

• To replace soybean meal with miscellaneous meal, it is necessary to supplement the essential amino acids. First, supplement Lys, and then appropriately supplement the other three amino acids according to the requirements of the ratio of Lys:Met:Trp:Thr. Other nutrients need to be considered when formula adjustment, according to raw material database parameters, under the premise of reaching the same amino acid level and ratio, adjust net energy, minerals, fiber, etc.

Table Protein and amino acid composition of soybean meal and mixed meal

3 Increase the total amount of protein that can be absorbed throughout the feed

(1) The requirements of growing-finishing pig feed on protein digestibility

• The apparent digestibility of terminal ileal protein in growing-finishing pigs (over 30kg) is 85% (Yun et al. 2005)

(2) Key measures

• Miscellaneous meal pretreatment to improve digestibility (hulling, fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, etc.)

• Improve the pig's own digestive ability (acidifiers improve the stomach's ability to digest proteins; bioactive peptides improve the intestinal digestion ability, etc.)

Table Protein digestibility of soybean meal and Mixed meal for growing-finishing pigs

4 Controls harmful components of miscellaneous meal and enhances post-damage repair

（1）Control of harmful components in growing-finishing Pig Feed

A、Mycotoxins Restriction Requirements

【Source】"Feed Hygiene Standard GB13078-2017",New version implemented on May 1, 2018

【Source】Wang Juan et al. Investigation on mycotoxin contamination status of feed raw materials in 2019 [J]

B、Natural Toxins Restriction Requirements

【Source】"Feed Hygiene Standard GB13078-2017",New version implemented on May 1, 2018

(2) Key measures

• Control the quality of miscellaneous meal (procurement source control, quality process monitoring)

• Shorten the use cycle as much as possible (to prevent mildew from aggravating during use)

• Reduction of harmful components (raw material pretreatment)

• Increase functional components to repair body damage (repair function of bioactive peptides, etc.)

Table Actual content of toxins in miscellaneous meal

【Source】China-Europe Aquaculture Alliance (Report on Mycotoxin Contamination from January to June 2019), Ding Li, 2014; Wang Xiaoling, 2021]

Table Actual content of natural toxins in miscellaneous meal

Recommended scheme for replacing soybean meal with miscellaneous meal

1 Results from scientific research

• Pretreated cotton meal, rapeseed meal and peanut meal can replace 4-10% of the absolute amount of soybean meal without affecting production performance.

2 Recommendations for actual production

In actual production, the proportion of soybean meal replaced by miscellaneous meal often exceeds 10% or even all of it, and the quality of raw materials is difficult to control. Therefore, to replace soybean meal with a large proportion of miscellaneous meal, it is necessary to pay more attention to the three key points of animal feeding, digestion and absorption, and utilization:

• Improve feed palatability: use sweeteners to increase feed intake.

• Improve protein digestibility: Use acidulants (function in the stomach), bioactive peptides (function in the gut) to improve digestion and provide more total absorbable protein.

• Improve protein utilization: Use bioactive peptides to improve the intestinal/organic health of pigs and improve feed conversion efficiency.

Mytech functional protein Fortide-C is rich in small molecule active peptides, which has the functions of anti-oxidation and repair of intestinal/liver damage, and improves the digestion and absorption capacity and disease resistance of animals. Therefore, the use of 0.5-0.8% Fortide-C in the soybean meal diet with miscellaneous meal can improve the overall protein digestibility, maintain the overall health of the pig herd, and effectively control the formula cost on the basis of stable production performance.