University’s swine nutrition team says tool will help producers increase profitability
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State University swine experts have created a new swine calculator that they say can help producers increase profitability on their farms. The tool, which can be found online at https://www.asi.kstate.edu/extension/swine/calculators.html, will be highlighted during the university’s annual Swine Day, which will be held Nov. 20 in Manhattan.
The calculator predicts pig growth performance and carcass yield based on dietary nutrient composition and user provided ingredient prices to determine the optimal level of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in the diet.
Corn dried distillers’ grains with solubles are commonly used in livestock feed as a source of high energy and protein. According to the K-State swine team, DDGS replace corn and soybean meal in the diet, creating economic value depending on its price relative to the two grains.
The high phosphorus content of DDGS also reduces the need for supplemental inorganic phosphorus.
“Corn DDGS are a by-product of ethanol production and a commonly used feed ingredient in swine diets as they are widely available in states with high swine production,” K-State swine nutrition doctoral candidate Mikayla Spinler said. “However, in recent years, ethanol plants have been extracting more starch during the production of ethanol and oil during the production of DDGS, altering the energy value and nutrient composition.”
Spinler said traditionally it was believed that DDGS can be used in the grow-finish diet at an inclusion rate of 30%. With different compositions depending on the ethanol plant, calculating the nutritional value can be challenging because it is not uniform.
Recent trials conducted by the K-State’s Applied Swine Nutrition team used lower oil DDGS, resulting in reduced growth performance compared to corn-soy diets.
“Because of these changes in DDGS nutrient composition and the subsequent changes in pig growth performance, the K-State Applied Swine Nutrition Team updated the DDGS calculator developed in 2013 to help producers determine the most economical levels of DDGS in finishing pig diets,” Spinler said.
The calculator’s recommended inclusion level of DDGS for each grow-finish phase was determined based on feed cost savings and income over feed cost on a live and carcass weight basis.
“The composition of DDGS has changed, and therefore the growth response of pigs fed DDGS has changed,” Spinler said.
The calculator accounts for these changes to determine the most economical inclusion level of low oil DDGS in the grow-finish diet, helping producers decide whether to include or remove DDGS from the diet to maximize economic returns.
“The goal of the DDGS calculator is to combine feed cost, growth performance, and carcass yield to help producers determine the most economical inclusion level of DDGs in the grow-finish diet to increase producer profitability,” Spinler said.
A detailed user guide that provides more information on the development and use of the calculator is embedded in the tool.
More information and registration for the 2025 K-State Swine Day is available online.
