Nutrient Requirements of Swine
Courtney A. Boren and Marcia S. Carlson
Department of Animal Sciences
Feed is the largest single item among the costs of producing pork. Pork producers should adopt a comprehensive feeding program based on sound nutrition principles and tailored to a specific operation. This guide provides the basis for such a feeding program.
The nutrient requirements presented in Tables 1-6 are adapted from the 1998 edition of Nutrient Requirements of Swine compiled the National Research Council (NRC) [Board on Agriculture, National Research Council. 1998. Nutrient Requirements of Swine, 10th revised edition. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press]. The NRC values are thought of as minimum requirements without any safety allowances; therefore, the NRC requirements should not be considered as recommended allowances.
The recommendations for Missouri swine producers are similar to those made by professional swine nutritionists throughout the swine industry and are in close agreement with recommendations of other Midwest universities. All Missouri nutrient recommendations equal or surpass the NRC requirements (1998). These nutrient recommendations are influenced by cost, genetics or expected performance of pigs, herd health, facilities, and general management on a Missouri swine operation. Swine producers should keep in mind that while it is common practice to formulate diets on the basis of an amount per pound or per ton, pigs require given amounts per day. This becomes important where such animals as replacement gilts or gestating sows are fed limited amounts per day.
Table 1
Nutrient requirements for growing pigs fed ad libitum (90 percent dry matter).
| NRC recommendations | Missouri recommendations | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 to 10 | 10 to 20 | 20 to 45 | 45 to 110 | 110 to 180 | 180 to 265 | Live weight (pounds) | 6 to 10 | 10 to 20 | 20 to 45 | 45 to 110 | 110 to 180 | 180 to 265 |
| 0.35 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | Expected gain (pounds per day) | 0.35 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Percent in diet | Percent in diet | |||||||||||
| 26 | 23.7 | 20.9 | 18 | 15.5 | 13.2 | Crude protein | 27 | 26 | 22.5 | 18.5 | 16 | 14 |
| 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.50 | 0.45 | Calcium | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.70 | 0.55 | 0.55 |
| 0.70 | 0.65 | 0.60 | 0.50 | 0.45 | 0.40 | Phosphorus (total) | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.70 | 0.60 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| 0.55 | 0.40 | 0.32 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 0.15 | Phosphorus (available) | 0.60 | 0.55 | 0.40 | 0.30 | 0.21 | 0.21 |
| 0.59 | 0.54 | 0.46 | 0.37 | 0.27 | 0.19 | Arginine | 0.59 | 0.54 | 0.46 | 0.37 | 0.27 | 0.19 |
| 0.48 | 0.43 | 0.36 | 0.30 | 0.24 | 0.19 | Histidine | 0.48 | 0.43 | 0.36 | 0.30 | 0.24 | 0.19 |
| 0.83 | 0.73 | 0.63 | 0.51 | 0.42 | 0.33 | Isoleucine | 1.02 | 0.90 | 0.78 | 0.63 | 0.51 | 0.39 |
| 1.5 | 1.32 | 1.12 | 0.90 | 0.71 | 0.54 | Leucine | 1.5 | 1.32 | 1.12 | 0.90 | 0.71 | 0.54 |
| 1.5 | 1.35 | 1.15 | 0.95 | 0.75 | 0.60 | Lysine | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.05 | 0.85 | 0.65 |
| 0.86 | 0.76 | 0.65 | 0.54 | 0.44 | 0.35 | Methionine + Cystine | 0.94 | 0.83 | 0.72 | 0.58 | 0.47 | 0.36 |
| 1.41 | 1.25 | 1.06 | 0.87 | 0.70 | 0.55 | Phenylalanine + Tyrosine | 1.41 | 1.25 | 1.06 | 0.87 | 0.70 | 0.55 |
| 0.98 | 0.86 | 0.74 | 0.61 | 0.51 | 0.41 | Threonine | 1.11 | 0.98 | 0.85 | 0.68 | 0.55 | 0.42 |
| 0.27 | 0.24 | 0.21 | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.11 | Tryptophan | 0.31 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.19 | 0.15 | 0.12 |
| 1.04 | 0.92 | 0.79 | 0.64 | 0.52 | 0.40 | Valine | 1.04 | 0.92 | 0.79 | 0.64 | 0.52 | 0.40 |
Table 2
Missouri recommended nutrient additions per ton in grow-finish diets.
| Additions per ton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrient | Unit | Grower period, 10 to 135 pounds | Finisher period, 135 to 260 pounds |
| Salt (NaCl) | pounds | 3 to 6 | 3 to 6 |
| Iron | grams | 150 | 125 |
| Zinc | grams | 150 | 125 |
| Manganese | grams | 30 | 25 |
| Copper | grams | 15 | 12.5 |
| Iodine | grams | 0.27 | 0.27 |
| Selenium* | grams | 0.27 | 0.27 |
| Vitamin A | million international units | 6 | 5 |
| Vitamin D | thousand international units | 900 | 750 |
| Vitamin E | thousand international units | 25 | 20 |
| Vitamin K | grams | 2.5 | 2 |
| Riboflavin | grams | 5.4 | 4.5 |
| Niacin | grams | 30 | 25 |
| Pantothenic acid | grams | 18 | 15 |
| Vitamin B12 | milligrams | 25 | 20 |
*Maximum legal addition is 0.27g per ton (0.3 ppm)
Table 3
Nutrient requirements of breeding swine (90 percent dry matter).
| NRC recommendations | Missouri recommendations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boars (sexually active) | Gestation (440 pounds with 12 pigs) | Lactation (385 pounds with 0.44 pounds per day gain) | Nutrients | Boars (sexually active) | Gestation (440 pounds with 12 pigs) | Lactation (385 pounds with 0.44 pounds per day gain |
| Percent in diet | Percent in diet | |||||
| 5.0 | 4.0 | 12.0 | Daily feed intake (pounds) | 5.0 | 4.0 | 12.0 |
| 13 | 12 | 17.5 | Crude protein | 20 | 13.5 | 19 |
| 0.75 | 0.75 | 0.75 | Calcium | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.90 |
| 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.60 | Phosphorus (total) | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.80 |
| 0.35 | 0.35 | 0.35 | Phosphorus (available) | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| 0.48 | Arginine | 0.48 | ||||
| 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.36 | Histidine | 0.19 | 0.16 | 0.36 |
| 0.35 | 0.30 | 0.50 | Isoleucine | 0.35 | 0.30 | 0.50 |
| 0.51 | 0.42 | 0.97 | Leucine | 0.51 | 0.42 | 0.97 |
| 0.60 | 0.52 | 0.91 | Lysine | 1.05 | 0.65 | 1.0 |
| 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.44 | Methionine + Cystine | 0.42 | 0.36 | 0.60 |
| 0.57 | 0.49 | 1.0 | Phenylalanine + Tyrosine | 0.57 | 0.49 | 1.0 |
| 0.50 | 0.43 | 0.58 | Threonine | 0.55 | 0.48 | 0.72 |
| 0.12 | 0.10 | 0.16 | Tryptophan | 0.14 | 0.13 | 0.20 |
| 0.40 | 0.34 | 0.76 | Valine | 0.40 | 0.44 | 1.0 |
Table 4
Missouri recommended nutrient additions per ton in gestation, lactation, and boar diets.
| Nutrient | Unit | Breeding Stock |
|---|---|---|
| Salt (NaCl) | pounds | 10 |
| Iron | grams | 150 |
| Zinc | grams | 150 |
| Manganese | grams | 36 |
| Copper | grams | 15 |
| Iodine | grams | 0.27 |
| Selenium* | grams | 0.27 |
| Vitamin A | million international units | 10 |
| Vitamin D | million international units | 1.5 |
| Vitamin E | thousand international units | 40 |
| Vitamin K | grams | 4 |
| Riboflavin | grams | 9 |
| Niacin | grams | 50 |
| Pantothenic acid | grams | 30 |
| Vitamin B12 | milligrams | 40 |
| Biotin | milligrams | 200 |
| Folic acid | grams | 1.5 |
| Choline | grams | 500 |
| Pyridoxine | grams | 13.75 |
*Maximum legal addition is 0.27g per ton (0.3 ppm)
Table 5
Partial composition of feeds commonly used in swine rations (90 percent dry matter).
| Feedstuff | Crude protein percent | Energy (ME) Kcal per pound | Calcium percent | Total phosphorus percent | Amino acids | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lysine percent | Methionine + Cystine percent | Tryptophan percent | |||||
| Corn U.S. #2 | 8.3 | 1,554 | 0.03 | 0.28 | 0.26 | 0.36 | 0.06 |
| Grain sorghum | 9.2 | 1,518 | 0.03 | 0.29 | 0.22 | 0.34 | 0.10 |
| Wheat | 11.5 | 1,500 | 0.04 | 0.39 | 0.38 | 0.49 | 0.26 |
| Oats | 11.5 | 1,232 | 0.07 | 0.31 | 0.40 | 0.58 | 0.14 |
| Soybean meal (44 percent) | 43.8 | 1,445 | 0.32 | 0.65 | 2.83 | 1.31 | 0.61 |
| Soybean meal (48 percent) | 47.5 | 1,536 | 0.34 | 0.69 | 3.02 | 1.41 | 0.65 |
| Meat and bone meal | 51.5 | 1,011 | 9.99 | 4.98 | 2.51 | 1.18 | 0.28 |
| Fish meal (menhaden) | 62.3 | 1,527 | 5.21 | 3.04 | 4.81 | 2.34 | 0.66 |
| Alfalfa meal | 17 | 832 | 1.53 | 0.26 | 0.74 | 0.43 | 0.24 |
| Dicalcium phosphate* | 20 to 24 | 18.5 | |||||
| Monocalcium phosphate* | 17 | 21.1 | |||||
| Limestone* | 35.84 | 0.01 | |||||
*Check actual values on feed tags
Table 6
Energy composition of selected fats-oils-carbohydrates.
| Feed | Dry matter percent | Ether extract percent | Linoleic acid (18:2) percent | Digestible energy (Kcal per pound) | Metabolizable energy (Kcal per pound) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lard | 100 | 100 | 10.2 | 3,766 | 3,614 |
| Poultry fat | 100 | 100 | 19.5 | 3,873 | 3,718 |
| Beef tallow | 100 | 100 | 3.1 | 3,636 | 3,490 |
| Choice white grease | 100 | 100 | 11.6 | 3,768 | 3,616 |
| Corn oil | 100 | 100 | 59 | 3,980 | 3,820 |
| Soybean oil | 100 | 100 | 51 | 3,977 | 3,818 |
| Corn starch | 99 | 0.22 | 0 | 1,818 | 1,811 |
| Sucrose | 99 | 0 | 0 | 1,725 | 1,652 |