Strategic use of soybean meal to maximize hog carcass weight during summer

During summer months, pig producers often face a decline in carcass weight due to the adverse impact of heat stress on pigs and the replacement of soybean meal with intake-reducing ingredients. This situation presents a significant financial hurdle for producers, especially as it usually coincides with peak hog prices, thereby missing potential revenue opportunities.

The prohibitive cost of fats makes the frequently used high-energy density diets economically unfeasible. Leveraging on extensive research that highlights the critical role of soybean meal in enhancing the growth performance of pigs, we propose a summer nutrition program that uses high levels of soybean meal and excludes feed intake-reducing ingredients. Dr. David Rosero, assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University, joins us to discuss.

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