Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/04
Outputs
Studies were conducted to determine the economic viability of several feedstuffs as alternatives to corn or soybean meal in the diets of swine. Cottonseed meal, pearl millet, soldier fly larvae and canola meal were all evaluated as possible ingredients in swine diets. Data from these trials indicates that cottonseed meal can be added to swine diets at levels up to 10% without having an adverse effect on growth performance. Data also indicates that the quality of the cottonseed meal and the gossypol level were extremely variable and could be an issue for the long term use of cottonseed meal in swine diets. Pearl millet was evaluated as an energy source is swine diets. The addition of pearl millet has little effect on swine growth performance when millet was included in the diet up to 15%. There was some concern over the particle size of diets containing pearl millet. Dried soldier fly larvae are high in fat and high in protein. The protein appears to be easily
digestible and highly available to nursery swine. Pigs fed diets containing up to 5% soldier fly larvae in place of plasma protein performed similarly to the control pigs. Canola meal was used in the diets of finishing pigs and found to have no effect on performance when included in the diet up to 10%. Data indicated that canola was a viable alternative to soybean meal.
Impacts
Feed costs account for up to 75% of the production costs of swine. Studies have been conducted to try to identify alternatives to corn and soybean meal that are available in the local region. These studies have indentified several possible feed ingredients that can be included in swine diets at considerable cost savings to producers. These ingredients can be used without having an effect on performance of the animals.
Publications
- Sheppard, C., G. Burtle, and R. Dove. 2003. Black Soldier fly prepupae replace high value ingredients in fish, swine diets. Proceedings 47th Annual Livestock Insect Workers Conference, Atlantic City, NC. June 25, 2003.
- Newton, G. L., D. C. Sheppard, D. W. Watson, G. J. Burtle, C. R. Dove, J. K. Tomberlin, and E. E. Thelen. 2005. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, as a manure management/resource recovery tool. Proceedings of the symposium on the state of the science: Animal Manure and Waster Management. San Antonio, TX. Jan. 5-7, 2005.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
The inclusion of canola meal to the diets of nursery pigs in place of soybean meal had little effect on growth performance during the first 11 days of the nursery period. However, over the entire 35 day nursery period, the addition of canola meal tended to decrease daily gain. Canola meal tends to be then soybean meal, offering swine producers an alternative to the higher priced soybean meal in swine rations. Pigs fed the canola meal showed no gross adverse effects and no toxicity symptoms were observed. Data from these studies indicate that canola meal may be a viable alternative to soybean meal in swine diets. Soldier fly prepupae meal was fed to nursery pigs in phase 1 and 2 diets as a replacement for plasma protein. Pigs fed 3% or 6% soldier fly prepupae meal (50 or 100% replacement of plasma protein) had daily gains, daily feed intakes and feed effeciencies similar to pigs fed the control diet. Pigs fed the prepupae meal showed no indication of any adverse
effects. Prepupae meal is a by product of manure digestion by the larvae of the soldier fly. The prepupae meal is 37% crude protein, 2.3% lysine and 25-30% fat. Studies feeding a mixture of lactic, caprylic, capric, and glycerol monolaurate to nursery pigs found that the addition of these fatty acids to diet had no effect on growth performance or feed efficiency. A survey of poultry by-product meal showed that the compostion of the meal varied with source and type and that producers would need to be very careful when purchasing poultry by-product meal to carefully specify protein and lysine content.
Impacts
Development of feeding systems that will decrease the costs of diets would have a significant economic impact on swine producers. Canola meal appears to be a viable substitute for soybean meal at a considerable cost savings for producers.
Publications
- Dozier,III. W. A., N. Dale and C.R.Dove. 2003. Nutrient composition of feed-grade and pet food-grade poultry by-product meal. J. Applied Poult. Res. 12:526-530
- Dozier,III. W. A., N. Dale and C.R.Dove. 2003. Nutrient composition of feed-grade and pet food-grade poultry by-product meal. J. Applied Poult. Res. 12:526-530
- Dove, C. R., G. L. Newton, and D. C. Sheppard. 2003. The use of soldier fly prepupae as a replacement for blood plasma in phase 1 and 2 nursery diets. J. Anim. Sci. 80(suppl. 2):68
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Soldier fly prepupae meal was fed to nursery pigs in phase 1 and 2 diets as a replacement for plasma protein. Pigs fed 3% or 6% soldier fly prepupae meal (50 or 100% replacement of plasma protein) had daily gains, daily feed intakes and feed effeciencies similar to pigs fed the control diet. Pigs fed the prepupae meal showed no indication of any adverse effects. Prepupae meal is a by product of manure digestion by the larvae of the soldier fly. The prepupae meal is 37% crude protein, 2.3% lysine and 25-30% fat. Studies feeding a mixture of lactic, caprylic, capric, and glycerol monolaurate to nursery pigs found that the addition of these fatty acids to diet had no effect on growth performance or feed efficiency. A survey of poultry by-product meal showed that the compostion of the meal varied with source and type and that producers would need to be very careful when purchasing poultry by-product meal to carefully specify protein and lysine content.
Impacts
Soldier fly larvae appear to be a cost effective way to reduce the solid volume of manure in swine operations. The by product from this process is a prepupae that can be ground into a meal and used as a feed ingredient for nursery pigs. The prepupae can be procuced at significanly lower cost then plasma protien. Reducing manure volume and lowering feed costs would have significant effects on the profitablity of swine production, particularly in the southeastern U.S.
Publications
- Dozier, III, W. A., N. Dale, and C. R. Dove. 2003. Nutrient Compiostion of feed-grade and pet food-grade poultry by-product meal. J. Poult. Sci. 83:(In Press).
- Dove, C. R., G. L. Newton, D. C. Sheppard. 2003. The use of soldier fly prepupae as a replacement for blood plasma in phase 1 and 2 nursery diets. J. Anim. Sci. 81:(In Press).
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Swine wash was applied to the udders of sows on day 110 of gestation in an effort to reduce bacterial contamination of the udder. Sows treated with swine wash had lower udder bacterial counts for the first 2-3 days following application of the wash. Pigs nursing sows that were treated with swine wash tended to have increased weaning weights. Oral supplementation of neonatal pigs with swine wash had no effect on weaning weight or growth performance. A factorial study indicated that there was no interaction between washing sows and giving an oral dose of swine wash to neonatal pigs on growth performance prior to weaning. A series of studies was initiated to determine the value of soldier fly larvae in weanling pig diets. Studies, to date, indicate that the inclusion of up to 6% of the larvae in the diets of weanling pigs has no effect on growth performance.
Impacts
Using specialty products to improve the management and overall health of neonatal pigs can improve the growth performance of pigs all the way to market. Alternative protein sources to be used in swine diets fed in the southeastern United States will help to decrease feed cost and improve producer profitability. Using soldier fly larvae to replace plasma protein in nursery diets can result in a large decrease in feed costs. Additional studies are needed to determine the optimal formulation of diets containing soldier fly larvae.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Studies were conducted to determine the effects of feeding up to 15% cottonseed meal in the diets of developing gilts. The cottonseed meal used in these studies averaged 41% crude protein, 1.2% total gossypol and 0.09% free gossypol. Gilts fed the diets containing cottonseed meal had a linear decrease in days to first estrus compared to the control animals fed soybean meal. Gilts fed 0, 7.5 or 15% cottonseed meal experienced first estrus at 186, 181 and 177 d respectively. There were no differences in body weights, 10th rib backfat or loin eye area at first estrus. The addition of cottonseed meal to the diets had no effect on estrogen or progesterone levels at first estrus. These data indicate that high quality cottonseed meal can be used in the diets of developing gilts without having an adverse effect on gilt development or growth. Increased use of cottonseed meal by swine producers in cotton producing areas will help to decrease feed costs and improve
profitability.
Impacts
Using alternative protein sources in swine diets fed in the southeastern United States will help to decrease feed cost and improve producer profitability. Using cottonseed meal in place of soybean meal is one way that producers can lower the cost of protein fed to swine. However, only high quality cottonseed meal can be used, as gossypol concentrations must be kept very low.
Publications
- Schell, T. C., Dove, C. R. and Bishop, D. K. 2000. Growth rate, carcass composition and onset of estrus in developing gilts fed cottonseed meal. J. Anim. Sci. 78(Suppl. 1):191.
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