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A survey of added trace mineral concentrations used in the U.S. swine industry
Swine producers and nutritionists representing production systems across the U.S. were surveyed about added trace mineral concentrations in swine diets used from March to June of 2014. Respondents were asked to provide trace mineral premix concentrations, and inclusion rates to calculate complete diet added trace mineral concentrations. Additionally, weight ranges associated with feeding phases were collected. In total, 18 production systems participated in the survey representing approximately 2.3 million sows (40% of the U.S. industry). Data were compiled into weight ranges that were relatively consistent across all producers who participated in the survey. There were 3 nursery phases (phase 1, 5 to 7 kg; Phase 2, 7 to 11 kg; and Phase 3, 11 to 25 kg), 4 finishing phases (early, 25 to 50 kg; mid, 50 to 100 kg; late, 100 to 135 kg; and late with ractopamine, 100 to 135 kg), and 4 breeding herd dietary phases (gilt development, gestation, lactation, and boar). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey results including: mean, median, minimum, maximum, 25th percentile (lowest quartile), and 75th percentile (highest quartile) and standard deviation. In phase 1 nursery diets, supplementation rates were 18.6, 3.7, 1.0, 9.1, 1.0, and 30.3 times the 2012 NRC requirement for Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn, respectively. The elevated Zn and Cu in phase 1 diets indicate pharmacological concentrations added for growth promotion. Meanwhile for late finishing pigs, supplementation rates were 22.0, 2.4, 1.7, 9.3, 1.5, and 1.5 times the NRC requirement for Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn, respectively. On average, producers supplemented high concentrations of Cu in late finishing but there was variability in the concentration added (standard deviation, 71.0 mg/kg). One respondent indicated Co supplementation in late finishing diets. In lactation diets, supplementation rates were 0.8, 3.8, 1.3, 1.5, 1.9, and 1.2 times the NRC requirement for Cu, I, Fe, Mn, Se, and Zn, respectively. Additionally, five respondents supplied partial or complete added levels of Cu, Mn, and Zn from organic sources. Ultimately, evaluating current supplementation practices can be used to develop future experimental designs to test trace mineral supplementation practices.
|
Nursery phase 1 |
Late finishing |
Lactation |
|||
Trace minerals, ppm |
Mean |
SD |
Mean |
SD |
Mean |
SD |
Cu |
111.4 |
96.9 |
65.9 |
71.0 |
16.1 |
6.0 |
I |
0.52 |
0.21 |
0.34 |
0.24 |
0.53 |
0.30 |
Fe |
103.5 |
15.9 |
66.5 |
25.2 |
102.2 |
28.8 |
Mn |
36.6 |
7.7 |
18.6 |
9.8 |
37.6 |
13.2 |
Se |
0.30 |
0.004 |
0.22 |
0.08 |
0.29 |
0.04 |
Zn |
3,032 |
599.5 |
73.8 |
26.8 |
123.0 |
28.3 |
Keywords: survey, swine industry, trace minerals