🐖 Swine Ration Calculator
Estimate feed intake, corn-soy or custom ration fit, lysine and protein supply, waste allowance, phase totals, bags, and bulk tons for pigs.
Use farm records, feed tags, and local nutrition advice for final diet decisions. This calculator is a planning tool for phase feed needs and nutrient checks.
Swine Ration Results
Phase feed plan is ready.
Detailed Breakdown
| Stage | Weight range | Daily intake | Intake % BW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early nursery | 15-25 lb | 0.8-1.4 lb | 5.0-7.0% |
| Late nursery | 25-50 lb | 1.4-2.6 lb | 4.5-6.0% |
| Light grower | 50-90 lb | 3.0-4.2 lb | 4.0-5.0% |
| Heavy grower | 90-140 lb | 4.2-5.8 lb | 3.5-4.5% |
| Finisher | 140-280 lb | 5.8-8.5 lb | 2.8-3.8% |
| Stage | Crude protein | Total lysine | Energy target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early nursery | 21-22% | 1.25-1.35% | 1500-1550 kcal/lb |
| Late nursery | 19-21% | 1.10-1.25% | 1490-1540 kcal/lb |
| Grower | 16-18% | 0.85-1.05% | 1480-1530 kcal/lb |
| Finisher | 13-16% | 0.60-0.82% | 1470-1520 kcal/lb |
| Sow or boar | 12-16% | 0.50-0.90% | 1450-1520 kcal/lb |
| Class | Typical FCR | ADG range | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 1.4-1.8 | 0.7-1.2 lb | Diet density matters |
| Grower | 2.0-2.5 | 1.4-1.9 lb | Lean gain focus |
| Finisher | 2.8-3.5 | 1.6-2.1 lb | Higher feed pounds |
| Gilt | 2.6-3.2 | 1.3-1.8 lb | Manage condition |
| Sow | N/A | Condition | Limit or demand fed |
| Phase | Start weight | End weight | Common days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery 1 | 15 lb | 25 lb | 10-14 |
| Nursery 2 | 25 lb | 50 lb | 18-24 |
| Grower 1 | 50 lb | 90 lb | 22-28 |
| Grower 2 | 90 lb | 140 lb | 25-32 |
| Finisher | 140 lb | 280 lb | 55-80 |
Feeding pigs require the management of several factors that can impact the amount of feed that you have to purchase for your swine operation. Small change to any of these factors can impact the total amount of feed that is purchased for the pigs. A swine ration calculator allow you to manage these changes and perform the mathematics necessary to ensure that the pigs receives the feed that is required for there specific operation.
The requirements of the pigs change with the weight of the pigs and the growth stage of the pigs. For instance, younger pigs has a much lower intake rate of the feed necessary to provide them with the nutrients that their bodies requires. However, the nutritional density of that feed must be higher for these young pigs because they require more protein and more lysine to allow for muscle growth than the pigs of later stages.
How to Use a Pig Feed Calculator
As pigs grows in weight, the amount of feed that they consume each day increase. As a result, the percentage of nutrients that is required in the feed can decrease. The intake percent of body weight can be used to calculate the amount of feed that each pig will consume.
For instance, an 70-pound pig that consumes 4% of its body weight will consume approximately 3 pounds of feed per day. The amount of feed that each pig will consume will change with the weight of the pigs, the health of the pigs, and the design of the feeder on the pig farm. Additionally, some of the feed may be wasted.
Many people dont account for the amount of waste that the pigs create, especially in well managed barns where 5-8% of the feed can be wasted. To account for this, a waste allowance are added to the amount of feed that is offered to the pigs. The swine ration calculator will account for this waste allowance so that the total amount of feed that is fed is reflected in the total amount of feed that is calculated for the pigs.
The length of each feeding phase and the average daily weight gain of the pigs indicates the total weight that the pigs will reach during a given phase. The swine ration calculator will calculate the total gain that will occur within the pigs within the feeding period. Additionally, the calculator can calculate the feed conversion rate.
For example, if the feed-to-gain ratio that is calculated for the pigs is higher then the reference ratio for that stage of the pigs’ lives, then the problem is not a lack of protein in the feed. The issue may be with the health of the pigs, feeders, or the temperature within the barn. The corn-soy solver within the swine ration calculator can be used to calculate the amount of corn and soybean meal that is required to provide the pigs with the amount of protein and lysine that is targeted.
The soybean meal and corn portions of the solver can be adjusted to account for the amount of minerals and premix that is provided to the pigs. Additionally, you can use the custom mode if the pigs are feed a feed that has been analyzed for its contents. The output of the swine ration calculator will indicate whether or not the amount of protein and lysine that is provided to the pigs meet the lysine and crude protein targets that is set for their diet.
If the outcome of the calculator indicate that the feed is short of the lysine and crude protein targets, then changes must be made in the feed. A variety of issue can occur within the pigs’ barn that cannot be accounted for in the calculator. The quality of the ingredients can change.
The pigs may consume varying amounts of water. The pigs may not be of uniform weight. To account for these issues, you can use the reference tables to check the outcome of the swine ration calculator.
By comparing the outcome of the calculator with the reference tables, it is possible to determine whether the outcome of the calculator is within the normal ranges of the pigs feed and conversion. It is recommended that you use the swine ration calculator once each week. During each visit to the barn, it is possible to adjust the average weight of the pigs and to account for any additional waste of feed to the pigs.
Any adjustments to the amount of feed that is provided to the pigs will allow for the feed costs and the performance of the pigs to remain within the targets that are set for the swine operation.
