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Producers and industry representatives discussed the feasibility of the U.S. swine industry reaching 30 pigs per sow per year at the Feeding for 30® Forum at World Pork Expo on June 5. Discussions on management strategies, ongoing research and sow nutrition were included in the second annual Feeding for 30® Forum, hosted by Purina Animal Nutrition, DSM Nutritional Products and Zinpro Corporation.
“The Feeding for 30® Forum provided an opportunity for producers from across the globe to learn from leaders in the swine industry,” says Elena Lindemann, lactating livestock marketing director with Purina Animal Nutrition. “Swine producers continue to move forward in productivity because they are sharing their experiences and learning innovative management strategies.”
The Feeding for 30® Forum panel of industry members and producers first discussed their experiences in moving toward 30 pigs per sow per year (psy) and the forum was then opened to questions from the audience. The panel was comprised of three producers nearing 30 psy and three industry representatives involved with sow nutrition and management.
Panelists of the Feeding for 30® Forum included:
- Dan McManus, DVM, young animal specialist-swine for Purina Animal Nutrition
- Jon Bergstrom, Ph.D., market development manager-swine for DSM Nutritional Products
- Derald Holtkamp, DVM, associate professor of veterinarian diagnostic and production animal medicine for Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Steve Huegerich, national director of swine operations for GSC Agribusiness in Coon Rapids, Iowa
- Dave Hansen, owner/operator of Hansen Haven and Hansen Hog West in Coleridge, Nebraska
- Steve Stitzlein, production supervisor at Heimerl Farms in Johnstown, Ohio
The producer panelists highlighted areas that have helped them move closer to 30 psy on their operations. Areas of focus include: full-feeding sows through lactation, increased attention to birth weights and colostrum, and piglet care immediately after farrowing. The producer panelists have current psy rates between 26 and 30.4 and together manage close to 30,000 sows.
“The panel discussion and the success of these panelists in the field show that 30 psy is a goal that we can achieve,” McManus says. “When you’re trying to hit that goal, it’s a package deal. You need good genetics and you need good nutrition. Beyond those pieces, the farms that are the most successful also have a very good, motivated team of people through all stages of production.”
June 20, 2013 - Feeding for 30®
