source: Farm and Food Report
The fundamentals of animal nutrition are all about allowing livestock to achieve their genetic potential, but what seems simple on the surface is a rather complex chain of efficiencies.
For instance, phosphorus, an essential element of our diet contained in barley, wheat or oatmeal, plays a key role in allowing all creatures to metabolize the energy contained in food to grow a proper bone structure and live healthily - like calcium does. Phosphorus, however, is not absorbed equally well by all creatures.
At the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon, scientists working specifically on hogs are concerned with just how much phosphorus contained in rations is simply wasted. Dr. Denise Beaulieu is a Research Assistant there.
“About 70 per cent of the phosphorus contained in hog rations is simply evacuated without being processed,” Beaulieu says. “It ends up in manure and eventually in the field. Fortunately, in Saskatchewan, our soils tend to be phosphorus-deficient, so this doesn’t pose an environmental risk, but it does impose an additional cost for hog producers.”
In fact, pork producers must add artificially produced phosphorus from a mineral source in Florida, which is expensive. Beaulieu and her colleagues have been working on the use of an enzyme, which, when added to the feed, helps animals digest the naturally occurring phosphorus contained in their diet.
“The beauty of the enzyme is it allows the animals to fully take advantage of available phosphorus. We tried integrating the enzyme to barley — specifically the phytase enzyme — that was fed to chickens and hogs with promising results. By feeding closer to requirements, you don’t have to over-apply phosphorous. Our results indicate that we can get the same performance in animal nutrition with the enzyme, without adding phosphorus.”
Economical use of the phytase enzyme is dependent on current market prices. Over the past six months, as grain and protein prices have fallen, the economic benefit has declined somewhat. However, there is still a net benefit of at least $0.33 per pig.
“Put another way, a farm with 3,000 sows would save over $24,000 annually by making use of this enzyme,” concludes Beaulieu. “The economic benefits are substantial. Moreover, it provides producers with more options for where to incorporate their manure in their nutrient management farm plan.”
Located in Saskatoon, the Prairie Swine Centre Inc. is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. It is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science in pork production in the disciplines of nutrition, engineering and animal behaviour.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Denise Beaulieu
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
(306) 667-7441
or
Lee Whittington
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
Phone: 306-667-7447
The fundamentals of animal nutrition are all about allowing livestock to achieve their genetic potential, but what seems simple on the surface is a rather complex chain of efficiencies.
For instance, phosphorus, an essential element of our diet contained in barley, wheat or oatmeal, plays a key role in allowing all creatures to metabolize the energy contained in food to grow a proper bone structure and live healthily - like calcium does. Phosphorus, however, is not absorbed equally well by all creatures.
At the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatoon, scientists working specifically on hogs are concerned with just how much phosphorus contained in rations is simply wasted. Dr. Denise Beaulieu is a Research Assistant there.
“About 70 per cent of the phosphorus contained in hog rations is simply evacuated without being processed,” Beaulieu says. “It ends up in manure and eventually in the field. Fortunately, in Saskatchewan, our soils tend to be phosphorus-deficient, so this doesn’t pose an environmental risk, but it does impose an additional cost for hog producers.”
In fact, pork producers must add artificially produced phosphorus from a mineral source in Florida, which is expensive. Beaulieu and her colleagues have been working on the use of an enzyme, which, when added to the feed, helps animals digest the naturally occurring phosphorus contained in their diet.
“The beauty of the enzyme is it allows the animals to fully take advantage of available phosphorus. We tried integrating the enzyme to barley — specifically the phytase enzyme — that was fed to chickens and hogs with promising results. By feeding closer to requirements, you don’t have to over-apply phosphorous. Our results indicate that we can get the same performance in animal nutrition with the enzyme, without adding phosphorus.”
Economical use of the phytase enzyme is dependent on current market prices. Over the past six months, as grain and protein prices have fallen, the economic benefit has declined somewhat. However, there is still a net benefit of at least $0.33 per pig.
“Put another way, a farm with 3,000 sows would save over $24,000 annually by making use of this enzyme,” concludes Beaulieu. “The economic benefits are substantial. Moreover, it provides producers with more options for where to incorporate their manure in their nutrient management farm plan.”
Located in Saskatoon, the Prairie Swine Centre Inc. is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan. It is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science in pork production in the disciplines of nutrition, engineering and animal behaviour.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Denise Beaulieu
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
(306) 667-7441
or
Lee Whittington
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
Phone: 306-667-7447
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