When a sow is in the farrowing crate, performance boils down to feed intake.

Sows need to eat, and if they eat, they will milk and produce healthier litters, and they will breed back better and that's what you need," Dr. Jim Hedges, vice president swine technical groups for Ralco Nutrition said.

Hedges spent decades developing and perfecting net energy formulation. Ralco has implemented the EnMax™ feed program, which uses precision technology to lower costs and increase performance, in nursery and finishing barns for some time. However, when the idea to transfer some of that same technology to sows there were a few more unknowns. The scientists at Ralco believed in their concept and moved forward with trials. The same principles of reduced heat increment and improved digestibility of the diet have resulted in improved feed intake during lactation in every case.

"We have had no negatives. Everyone feels the sows are doing better," Hedges said. "It was just a natural progression. We said if this works so well in the late nursery and finisher, why not on the sow side. We are pushing the envelope with the crystalline amino acids with sows. We were conservative until now."

By pushing that envelope, the scientists at Ralco have developed the EnMax™ Sow feed program for sows. Precision formulation allows for less soybean meal per ton of feed. Less soybean meal means feed rations have a lower heat increment and intake is boosted.

"Bean meal is not an intakeenhancer. When you use less bean meal the heat increment is lower and consumption goes up," Hedges said.

In addition to increased performance and a lower cost, the EnMax™ sow program provides other important benefits. The EnMax™ is more environmentally friendly because livestock excretes less ammonia, which means fewer odors, because supplemental enzymes improve nutrient digestibility and feed conversion. Improved feed utilization helps feed intake and ultimately more pigs.

"This is so important to the overall viability of an operation. If your sows don't eat well during lactation and they come out of farrowing in poor shape, they don't breed back and then you just don't have the pigs. That is a train wreck for an operation," Hedges said.

Producer Feature: Pam Oleson

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