The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast - Dr. Rosero & Dr. R. Dean Boyd: Overcoming Summer Dip: Use of Soybean Meal to Maximize Carcass Weight | Ep. 131

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. Listen and watch! 

What will you learn: 

• The persistent inferior carcass weight during the summer months remains a critical issue in the industry
• Summer-related low carcass weight has huge economic implications for producers as it typically coincides with peak revenue capture
• The decline of carcass weight during summer can be minimized with the strategic use of high levels of soybean meal in grow-finish diets
• Review the implications of the use of feed intake-reducing ingredients when attempting to maximize carcass growth

Meet the guests:

Dr. David Rosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.

Dr. R. Dean Boyd with Nutrition Research, LLC, is the former technical director and nutrition leader for the Hanor Company and its Triumph Foods group (2002–2020). His team managed the nutrition program for 85,000 sows and 2.35 MIL pigs. He is an adjunct professor at North Carolina State and Iowa State Universities in animal nutrition. 

Connect with our guests on Social Media: Dr. David Rosero & Dr. R. Dean Boyd