By: Stacie Crowder, Ph.D., director of additive sales and technical innovation with Fortiva

In today’s swine industry, there are only so many dollars and so much space in the diet. This means the ration must do so much more than meet pigs’ nutritional needs. Every ingredient must box outside of its weight class in the return it can bring. And when it comes to return on investment (ROI), 1+1=3 doesn’t cut it anymore. The equation must now equal 4 or 5.

When used strategically, feed additives can deliver measurable improvements in animal health, performance and ROI. Here’s how to work with your nutritionist to make additives work effectively and efficiently:  

1 . Use feed additives strategically

Swine producers don’t have the luxury to slow down pig production so animals can reach target weights. In a wean-to-finish operation, you constantly have a new group of weaned pigs that need to come into the barn. If animals experience health challenges or performance issues, you can’t hold those pigs back to gain additional pounds before market. You must market those animals at a lighter weight and likely see a decline in profitability potential.

To combat this challenge, work with your nutritionist to identify feed technologies that can positively impact efficiency in the late-finishing diet.

Or if you are struggling to get pigs started on feed right after weaning, explore how you can use additive technologies to help get pigs on feed quicker in the nursery. Strategic investment in feed technologies can help you achieve fewer lightweights and get more pigs more consistently hitting target weights. Shifting the bell curve to the right, even by a fraction or two, can have a significant economic impact.

2 . Dig deep to identify challenges

Most times, you can’t walk into the barn and see inflammation or poor gut health that’s stealing pig performance. It’s important to dive in and get to the bottom of what the issues are. Ask yourself:

Once you’ve identified the issues, work with your nutritionist to find the right ingredients with the right mode of action. Every physiological response has a trigger, or receptor, in the gut lining of the animal. By knowing the physiological response you want to activate and which specific molecule will turn on that receptor, you can select the ingredient with the right response you’re looking for.

For example, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is the biggest challenge facing most swine producers year-round. If you’re struggling with respiratory health, search for a technology that creates an immune modulatory response to circulate more immune cells within the pig’s body, allowing it to be better prepared for and respond to disease faster.

3 . Identify what ROI means for your operation

Feed additives can bring significant value to your operation, but sometimes that value is hard to quantify and is different for each producer. Transitioning the focus on additives from a last-in first-out mentality, we have to look at what each additive delivers in the diet. To fully understand the value feed additives bring to your bottom line, identify what ROI means for your operation and how you want to track performance. Is it income over feed costs? Income over feed and facilities? Cost per pound of gain or days on feed?

Then, work with your nutritionist to strategically use ingredients that provide a bigger return. For example, technologies such as medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs), enzymes or probiotics can help you get more from the ration ingredients like corn and soybean meal, making your dollar work harder.

Whether tackling health challenges or raising benchmarks, strategic use of feed additives can transform challenges into opportunities. Learn more about ingredients for impact at fortivaimpact.com.