Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
price increases, in most cases over 50%. This
resulted in large increases in feed prices and
it was therefore necessary to re-examine
whether the current nursery feeding pro-
gramme was providing the maximum finan-
cial return for the producer. This process
entailed running multiple optimizations us-
ing different feed pricing and pig payment
scenarios. The outcome of the optimization
process was to feed diets higher in amino
acids (9% and 12%, Phase
3
and
4,
respect-
ively) to improve feed efficiency and reduce
overall feed costs
. Table 11.3
s
ummarizes the
predicted and actual performance and eco-
nomic responses associated with the change.
The optimization process predicted
that by the end of the nursery phase, the
producer should have a reduction of 0.09 in
feed:gain and $0.031/kg in cost/kg gain. In
reality the producer returned a 0.08 reduc-
tion in feed:gain and a $0.024/kg reduction
in feed costs/kg gain.
Production system change
(health and genetics)
A producer was having significant health
challenges and was unhappy with the
growth performance of his current genetics.
He wanted to know what performance he
could expect if he improved the health sta-
tus of the herd by depopulating the barn,
leaving this empty for a period of time and
then repopulating the barn with pigs from
Table 11.2.
The predicted potential improvements in margin over feed cost (MOFC) for different shipping
strategies, identified by the optimization process, relative to the shipping pattern used in a commercial trial.
(From Nutreco Canada, 2012, unpublished data.)
% of pigs shipped each week
Improvement
Week
12
Week
13
Week
14
Week
15
Week
16
in MOFC ($)
a
Trial
16
30
32
0
22
Optimum
1
0
16
50
0
34
+$2.60
Optimum
2
0
32
30
0
38
+$2.57
Optimum
3
0
24
40
0
36
+$2.54
Optimum
4
0
40
30
0
30
+$2.52
a
Improvement in MOFC relative to trial shipping strategy - actual improvement values will depend on the grading payment system.
Table 11.3.
Summary of the predicted (Watson) and actual (on-farm) performance and economic responses
for the whole nursery period, to changes in Phase
3
and
4
nursery diets derived from the optimization
process. (From Simard, 2012, unpublished data.)
Watson simulations
On-farm results
Original
Optimized
Difference
Original
Optimized
Difference
Phase
3
diets only (
8-
12 kg)
End weight, kg
28.5
29.3
+0.75
28.6
29.0
+0.38
ADG, g/day
450
468
+18
449
458
+9
Feed:gain
1.51
1.49
-0.02
1.56
1.54
-0.02
Cost/kg gain, $/kg
0.99
0.98
-0.01
0.99
0.99
-0.01
Phase
4
diets only (
12-
28kg)
End weight, kg
28.3
28.1
-0.20
28.5
29.1
+0.61
ADG, g/day
444
440
-
4
447
460
+13
Feed:gain
1.57
1.50
-0.07
1.58
1.52
-0.06
Cost/kg gain, $/kg
a
0.872
0.848
-0.024
0.997
0.980
-0.017
a
There was a large increase in feed ingredient prices between the time of simulation and on-farm feeding, which caused the
differences in cost/kg.
ADG = average daily gain.
