Feeding modest amounts of wheat middlings can reduce feed cost, phosphorus excretion, and lactation weight losses of pigs

Recipient Organization
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY
820 CHESTNUT ST
JEFFERSON CITY,MO 651023537

Performing Department
AGRICULTURE

Non Technical Summary
The inclusion of wheat middlings (WM) in the diet of pigs have multiple advantages. Addition of WM in the diet can result in lower feed cost. Also,WM has the potential to selectively promote the growth of fiber digesting microorganisms and increase short chain volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the hindgut. Short chain VFA produced in the hindgut can cause an increase in the absorptive surface of the large intestine and change the nature of manure in terms of lower phosphorus content.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

100%

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
302	3510	1010	100%

Knowledge Area
302 - Nutrient Utilization in Animals;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal;

Field Of Science
1010 - Nutrition and metabolism;

Goals / Objectives
The main objectives of this study are to determine the additive effects of natural and microbial phytases on: 1)Manure P concentration, and 2) Gestation and lactation weight gains and weight losses of a sow, respectively.

Project Methods
Ten(10) gestating sows at a time will be used in the study until the total number of sows in the study gradually reaches 40. In 30 d after breeding each sow will be palpated for early stage pregnancy. Sows conformed pregnant will be randomly assigned to dietary treatments. This process will continue until 10 sows are assigned to a treatment diet. Live body weights will be taken monthly for the first three months and weekly there after until farrowing. Litter weights will be taken within the first hour, 24 h after birth, and at weaning. Feed intake of sows will be recorded for the first 21 d and samples collected will be used for laboratory analysis. Fresh fecal samples will also be collected from as many pigs as possible and pooled by week by treatment. The sample will be stored in Hcl (6N)-rinsed containers and stored frozen for later analysis. Data collected will be analyzed using appropriate statistical models. Addition of WM in the diet has the potential to totally/partially replace the alfalfa meal/ pellets and a proportion of the corn in the diet. Addition of WM in the diet could also change the microbial population in the hindgut of the pig resulting in totally different fermentation end products in the manure. When the manure is applied to the soil, 1) the organic content of the soil will increase, 2) water infiltration rate of the soil could improve, and 3) water run-off, and the contaminants in the run-off will be substantially reduced. These manure application rates could also have the potential to reduce P-build up in the soil, and the concentration of contaminants (sediments, nutrients, and organisms) in the runoff.

Progress 10/01/03 to 06/30/04

Outputs
This project was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding wheat-midling(WM) on fecal-Phosporus excretion, feed intake patterns and body weight changes of lactating sows. Twenty sows were used in each treatment(control and WM-diet)group. This study extended over a three year period. Differences between the control group and experimental diet fed sows were not statiscally significant (P >.05) in terms of weight changes. This finding of no treatment effects between the two groups indicates the potential replacement value of wheat-midlings for the more expensive feed ingredients in the diet of swine. Work also revealed that the modified diet allowed improved nutrient utilization in the digestive process and influenced the makeup of the microbial population in the hindgut which resulted in fecal samples with reduced phosphorus content.

Impacts
Impact: Feed cost account for a large component of the total costs per pig sold by swine producers. Another concern of swine operations is the impact of swine waste released into the environment in terms of increasing the phosphorus content of soil or bodies of water receiving swine waste. An increase in phosphorus and other nutrient content can result in poor soil quality, eutrophication in lakes and streams or poor water quality reports. Results of this work indicate that wheat-middlings can be used to replace more expensive feed ingredients such as alfalfa and a portion of corn(one-fourth)that are traditionally used to feed sows with no effect on weight gain. Diet modifications with wheat middlings can cut feed cost for the producer while also reducing the phosphorus content of waste. Swine producers implementing the modified diet could experience cost savings and increased economic returns through reduced feed costs. Additionally,swine waste with lowered phosphorus content,when applied to soils, could increase organic matter and water infiltration rates resulting in significantly reduced water run-offs, and reduced build up of phosphorus in soil and water.

Publications

No publications reported this period