Feed cost make up 75% of the cost of raising hogs, and traditionally pork producers have used corn and soybean meal (SBM) as the basis of their feeding programs.  However, with high corn and soybean prices, pork producers are looking at alternate ingredients to lower their cost of production.

While that’s a good idea, the prices for most other feedstuffs have already made a market correction when corn and SBM prices went up.  Therefore, there are typically only small windows of purchase time when alternate ingredients are feasible. However, before a producer buys a semi-load of a feedstuff, there are some questions they need to ask themselves that has nothing to do with nutritional value.  Things like adequate bin space, special handling & processing issues, and trucking costs all need to be considered.

Of all the alternate feedstuffs available, the ones that make the most sense in SD are DDGS, barley, wheat, milo, and field peas.  All of these ingredients can work well in swine diets as long the diets are properly formulated.  Depending on the quality, even weather-damaged grains can work well for pigs.  However, each feedstuff has unique characteristics that need to be accounted for

For more information on alternate feedstuffs, watch the attached podcast, or contact Dr. Bob Thaler, SDSU Swine Extension Specialist, or your local Extension representative.