The effects of diet blending and feed budgeting on finishing pig growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic return1

Three experiments were conducted to compare different phase-feeding regimens with blending diets using an automated feed-delivery system (FeedPro; Feedlogic Corp., Willmar, MN) for finishing pigs on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic return. In Exp. 1 and 2, a total of 1,091 pigs and 19 replicate pens per treatment were used to compare phase feeding 4 diets to blending a high- and low-Lys complete diet to a set Lys curve and blending ground corn and a complete supplement to match diet composition within phases. Blending corn and a complete supplement resulted in poorer (0.338 vs. 0.348; P < 0.04) G:F than in curve-fed pigs in both experiments and reduced (92.5 vs. 95.4 kg; P < 0.03) HCW compared with standard phase feeding during Exp. 2. Pigs fed to a Lys curve had decreased (P < 0.05) ADG and ADFI in Exp. 2 compared with standard phase-fed pigs, but overall feed costs were also the lowest (P < 0.01) for curve-fed pigs. However, no differences in income over feed cost were detected between treatments. In Exp. 3, 252 pigs with 9 replicate pens per treatment were used to evaluate phase feeding 4 diets compared with feeding diets blended on a Lys curve or phase feeding diets over- and under-budgeted by 20% in each phase. Growth and carcass characteristics were similar across treatments, but curve pigs had the lowest feed cost ($81.03 vs. $85.59; P < 0.03). These studies show that feeding a corn-supplement blend resulted in poorer performance, feeding to a Lys curve resulted in lower feed costs, and over- and under-budgeting feed by 20% did not influence overall growth rate or economic return.