July 13, 2006

 

Research shows pigs do not take to DDGS
 

 

The proliferation of ethanol plants, which uses a significant amount of corn for production, is bad news for the swine industry, according to a University of Missouri animal scientist.

 

Allee said the pig and poultry industry, used to feeding corn and soybean meal to their animals, may be forced to change their feeds due to the current energy policy, Gary Allee said. One such alternative is DDGS (distiller's dried grains with solubles), a byproduct from ethanol plants.

 

The researcher is currently working on ways to use DDGS in swine diets.

 

DDGS production is expected to exceed 7 million tonnes this year. About 80 percent of it is used by the beef and dairy industries, but very little in the swine industry, partly due to the high fibre content.

 

While DDGS do not pose problems for ruminants as they have four stomachs to digest the fiber, pigs, which have a single stomach, would not take too well to the diet. A DDGS diet would lower the level of energy available to the pigs, Allee said.

 

The protein in DDGS is also deficient in certain amino acids, such as lysine.

 

Allee said that in the face of more competition for corn, it is important that a DDGS be developed that is more swine friendly.

 

In his research, Allee fed pigs weighing 25 to 55 pounds diets of corn and soy meal with DDGS added in amounts ranging from 5 to 40 percent.

 

Allee's research found that the diet could consist of up to 20 percent of the DDGS without detrimental effects.

 

For pigs weighing 55 pounds to 280 pounds, only 10 percent DDGS could be fed in the diet.

 

In addition, pigs, unlike ruminants, do not seem to take too kindly to DDGS, which meant reduced feed intake for the first two or three weeks after the pigs are switched to the diet.