Alternative Feed Ingredients in Swine Diets II:Use, Advantages and Disadvantages of Common Alternative FeedstuffsHistorically, feed costs have represented 65 -75 percent of the variable costs of pork production, but for many producers this figure is now higher. Increased grain and supplement costs have pork producers seeking alternatives to traditional ingredients in swine diets. Feed costs are, and will continue to be, an ever increasing factor in determining the profitability of a swine enterprise.Adopting ingredient alternatives seems like a logical step for pork producers, however, availability, cost competitiveness, handling, and accurate formulation are often obstacles that must be overcome before an alternative can be utilized successfully. Producers must recognize that alternatives may not be economical or may not complement the goals of their production system when used in the diet. Pro-ducers must continually evaluate the economics of using alternative ingredients as they may price into diets when corn or soybean meal are high, but may fail to be economical if demand or other factors change the price significantly. Understanding these factors is critical to determine if the use of alterna-tive ingredients is a long term option for lowering diet costs or simply a short term price advantage. Historically, corn has been the swine industry standard for supplying energy in a diet. but many other alternatives can easily meet the pigs’ dietary nutritional requirements with proper formulation. The most common cereal grain substitutes used are grain sorghum (milo), wheat and barley. Bakery by-product also can serve as a primary energy source in swine diets. On the protein side, soybean meal has been the standard for supplying amino acids. Ingredients used as alternatives to soybean meal include meat and bone meal and canola meal. The use of synthetic amino acids also can greatly reduce the protein source needed in a diet. Finally, ingredients that can replace a portion of both corn and soybean meal include distillers grains with solubles, field peas, wheat midds and soybean hulls. These ingredients provide a variety of ben-efits to a swine ration including energy, protein and fiber.Important considerations to take into account when using alternative ingredients are determining accurate nutrient values; accounting for ingredient variation; formulating on a digestible amino acid basis; and, valuing the energy impact on the diet. These factors must be accurately determined to predict growth performance changes that may impact the economic analysis. The feed ingredients suggested in this publication have been used successfully to feed swine and can be used with confidence with proper sourcing and diet formulation. However, locating the right source for the alternative ingredients can be challenging. A basic knowledge and understanding of alterna-tive ingredients and suppliers not only in times of high corn and soybean prices, but on an on-going basis will help to provide current pricing data and identify opportunities to develop long-term pricing advantages.Contact the Pork Checkoff, your local or state extension specialists for more information.IntroductionUse, Advantages and Disadvantages of Common Alternative FeedstuffsWheAt MIDDlIngstypical nutrient composition (as-fed)Dry matter, % 89.0Energy, kcal/lb Digestible 1,395 Metabolizable 1,372 Net, INRA 849 Net, NRC 708Crude protein, % 15.9Calcium, % 0.12Phosphorus, % 0.93Available P, % 0.38Crude fat, % 4.2Linoleic acid, % 1.74Crude fiber, % 8.5Neutral detergent fiber, % 35.6Acid detergent fiber, % 10.7Amino acids, % total sID1 Lysine 0.57 89% Isoleucine 0.53 92% Leucine 1.06 93% Methionine 0.26 93% Cysteine 0.32 91% Threonine 0.51 88% Tryptophan 0.20 91% Valine 0.75 90%1Standardized ileal digestibilityBackgroundDuring the wheat milling process, about 70 to 75 percent of the grain becomes flour, leaving 25 to 30 percent as wheat byproducts. The identification of the different wheat byproducts is based on the crude fiber concentration. One of these byproducts is wheat middlings or wheat midds. Wheat midds are relatively higher in fiber than feed grains. AdvantagesWheat midds are valuable to swine diets because of their energy and protein content. Wheat midds are commonly added to pelleted feeds because of their beneficial effects on pellet quality. Because of their low bulk density, it is recommended to use pelleted wheat midds and then regrinding them to incorpo-rate into the diet. Typically, 100 lb of wheat midds will replace 86.5 lb of corn, 12 lb of high protein soybean meal, and 1.5 lb of monocalcium phos-phate. This will replace the lysine and phosphorus provided by corn and soybean meal. It will also have little effect on the energy content of the diet and only lower dietary energy content by approximately 15 Kcal metabolizable energy per ton, the equivalent of 0.50 percent added fat.DisadvantagesWheat midds contain between 7.0 and 9.5 percent of fiber. In addition to the fiber content, the low bulk density (anywhere from 18 to 24 lb/cubic ft.) increases the volume of the feed unless the wheat midds are pelleted at the flour mill. Thus, capacity of mixers, trucks, feed bins, and feeders must be considered when adding unpelleted wheat midds to the diet, particularly at relatively high inclusion rates.Wheat midds should be stored away from contact with cement floors or soil. High relative humidity or water from leaks in the storage bin completely destroy wheat midd pellets. Make sure to level the surface of the midds in storage, this allows for better distribution of air. Lastly the goal of air circulation is to dry the midds, not to cool them. Therefore, air used for aeration should contain less than 65 percent relative humidity.Feeding and handlingThe low bulk density of wheat midds will decrease the bulk density of the final diet. To increase bulk density, wheat midds are often sold in a pelleted form. When purchasing as a pellet, grinding will reduce handling issues in the mill and sorting in feeders.Gestating sow feeding levels will need to be increased if high levels of wheat midds are included in the gestation diet without adjusting the energy level of the diet.nutrient Profiles and Feeding RecommendationsWheat midds can be added up to 5 percent of the diet for nursery pigs and lactating sows. It can be added up 25 percent of the diet for growing and