Explore all the information on
Swine nutrition
Pigs require a number of essential nutrients to meet their needs for maintenance, growth, reproduction, lactation, and other functions. However, factors such as genetic variation, environment, availability of nutrients in feedstuffs, disease levels, and other stressors may increase the needed level of some nutrients for optimal performance and reproduction.
Swine require six general classes of nutrients: water, carbohydrates, fats, protein (amino acids), minerals, and vitamins. Energy, although not a specific nutrient, is an important nutritional component and is primarily derived from the oxidation of carbohydrates and fats. In addition, amino acids (from protein) that exceed the animal’s requirements for maintenance and tissue protein synthesis provide energy when their carbon skeletons are oxidized. Antibiotics, chemotherapeutic agents, microbial supplements (prebiotics and probiotics), enzymes, and other feed additives are often added to swine diets to increase the rate and efficiency of gain, to improve digestibility, and for other purposes, but they are not considered nutrients.
Pigs require a more concentrated diet and should be fed a less-fibrous feed than cattle, sheep, or horses. As they grow, their nutritional requirements change and the diet should meet their needs in various phases of growth and stages of production.
Introduction: Pork and pork products are recognised as vehicles of Salmonella Typhimurium ( S . Typhimurium) infection in humans. In recent years, galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and seaweed extracts (SWE) have been explored as novel sources of bioactive compounds that contain antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. The main bioactives in seaweed are the polysaccharides laminarin and fucoidan, which have antimicrobial, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Michael Joseph, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist at NC State University, discusses the potential and caveats of using alternative protein sources in animal production during this Engormix interview. ...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
1. Introduction Global meat protein consumption is expected to increase by 14% by 2030 compared to the 2018–2020 baseline average, with pigmeat accounting for 33% of this growth and total consumption projected to reach 127 million metric tonnes [1]. Given the rising demand, optimising animal performance and feed conversion efficiency is essential for ensuring both economic sustainability and productivity in commercial pig production. During suckling, sow colostrum...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Within the digestive system, the liver is the primary organ for nutrient transformation and distribution, as well as the elimination and excretion of metabolites. The quality of nutrition has a direct impact on liver health, as the liver performs vital functions. A balanced diet supports liver function and prevents diseases. In contrast, imbalanced or contaminated diets can damage the liver, increasing the risk of diseases. ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Respiratory diseases hurt swine operations on both the input and output side of the equation: feed costs rise as performance plummets. New research suggests that by using soybean meal, you can mitigate these challenges as a cost-effective tool for maintaining pig health and performance during outbreaks. Respiratory Diseases Present Challenges When pigs are infected with respiratory diseases such as swine respiratory disease (SRD) and porcine...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
Magicoh Pellet Binder provides a cost-effective solution to solve your binding problems. In fish/shrimp/prawn feed, it’s used to improve water stability and durability, and in poultry and piglet feed, it can enhance PDI and reduce the production of dust. It helps you produce a pellet rather than dust. Contact me for more information: Email: jzfong@de-mark.com WhatsApp: +8613588089289 WeChat ID: a97896085a ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
1. Introduction Reducing the particle size of cereal grains increases the digestibility of starch and energy by pigs (Huang et al., 2015; Rojas and Stein, 2015; Lee et al., 2024) and it is likely that surface area of grain particles and interactions between particles and digestive enzymes are increased by reducing particle sizes. In contrast to the demonstrated improvement in the digestibility of starch and energy, effects of particle size reduction on digestibility of amino...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
In this Engormix interview, Michael Joseph, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist at NC State University, discusses the use of various combinations of feed additives to maintain gut health and how technology and precision nutrition can contribute. ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Michael Joseph, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist at NC State University, explains how the food and feed industries are producing more with less, finding strategies to become more adaptable and efficient, in this Engormix interview. ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
In the world of animal feed manufacturing, some parameters shout: protein levels, energy values, additive profiles. Others whisper, quietly shaping performance from behind the scenes. Particle size is one of those silent drivers. And yet, for monogastric species like pigs and poultry, it can be the difference between optimal feed conversion and costly inefficiencies. I’ve spent over three decades in feed process technology, and if there’s one...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 3
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
1. Introduction Consistent information on animal nutrient requirements and feedstuff characteristics is non-negotiable when proposing precise feeding programs [1]. This information allows nutritionists to determine a given amount of feedstuffs that will provide a diet that will allow production goals to be achieved at an optimized feed cost. Feed formulations can be established using published values of ingredient composition, such as the NRC [2] and Rostagno et al. [3]....
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Effective sow management is a cornerstone of modern pig production, directly impacting herd productivity and overall farm profitability. Proper care and nutrition of sows not only improve reproductive performance, but also enhance piglet health and survival rates. As swine production becomes more intensive and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 1
1. Introduction Weaning is recognized as a highly stressful period for young pigs, during which they experience maternal separation, new social and dietary conditions, and critical physiological changes. These stressors, often compounded by suboptimal sanitary conditions on farms, can lead to severe outbreaks of diarrhea, typically linked to the proliferation of specific pathogens. The most commonly implicated bacterial pathogen is Escherichia coli [1]. However, once dysbiosis and...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
Modern animal production, optimal health is rooted in gut integrity. The gastrointestinal tract serves not only as the center for nutrient absorption but also as a critical regulator of immune function, neuroendocrine signaling, and overall physiological balance via the gut-brain axis. Any disruption within this system can result in widespread systemic impacts, affecting performance, disease resilience, and welfare outcomes. The most advanced feeding strategies and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 1
1. Introduction Contamination of feed ingredients or complete feed has been shown to be a potential route of pathogen transmission [1,2]. To control this potential route of disease transmission, efforts can focus on the prevention of the contamination step from occurring or implementing strategies to reduce the survival of the bacteria or virus in the material, and thus reduce the likelihood of causing clinical disease when presented to a naïve animal. Prevention...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Ronnick Fong, Executive director at Hangzhou De Mark Industrial, talks about the florfenicol market nowadays....
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 1
1. Introduction The lipid oxidation of pork and meat products is a problem that can affect different aspects of meat quality, with a negative impact on sensory and technological aspects. The adipose tissue of pigs fed corn-based diets contains approximately 45% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and 15% polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Of these, approximately 95% is linoleic acid [1]. As fatty acids increase in their degree of unsaturation, their susceptibility to lipid...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
1. Introduction Dietary levels above 5% of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) can reduce pig performance due to deleterious effects (such as greater digesta viscosity and lower digestibility) in the gastrointestinal tract of these animals [1]. Corn and soybean meal are the most common ingredients in pig diets but contain 6 to 17% of NSP [2]. Furthermore, higher concentrations of NSP may reduce total tract digestibility while increasing endogenous amino acid loss [3], mucosal cell...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
In low-protein diets, isoleucine often becomes a limiting amino acid due to excessive leucine or free valine. Appropriate isoleucine supplementation promotes protein synthesis, improves feed conversion efficiency, and enhances animal growth performance. Research demonstrates that 28-day-old...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Brief project summary Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a virus that greatly affects the swine industry and is the leading cause of economic losses of this industry in Canada (Rosendal et al., 2014; Schweer et al., 2016). This is due to increase mortality and major declines in growth performance of affected animals (Schweer et al., 2017). Thus, strategies to mitigate the impacts of PRRS are necessary to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the swine...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
