The executive director of the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative says many of the strategies that can help pork producers reduce their feeding costs will also reduce the levels of nutrients entering the environment through manure.
New environmental rules due to take effect in Manitoba in November 2013 will limit the amount of manure that can be applied to the land based on the level of phosphorus in the manure and the level of phosphorus in the soil.
John Carmey, the executive director of the Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Imitative, says the high feed costs have been a total game changer when it comes to managing nutrition.
Every time I see an article on reducing feed costs I always think to myself I know that’s great that that’s being focused on, it has to be.
But frequently, when I think about it, there’s also an environmental benefit that goes along with the economic improvement.
What ever nutrients the pig consumes that are in excess of their biological requirements are excreted, so if we can improve the pigs ability to digest their feed, and frankly we’ve been doing that for years whether it’s through finely ground rations, pelletizing, phase feeding, using phytase, using paylean.
All those different strategies that help the animal better digest their feed and get the most nutrient value out of it, in general there’s less nutrient then excreted per ton of feed consumed.
That really becomes a win win proposition where you get more efficiencies and better results, feed conversion from the feed you’re buying and fewer excess nutrients excreted that come back onto the land.
Carney says if pork producers can find ways to get more nutritional value out of their feed dollar, by and large there’s often environmental benefits that comes along with it that may not be readily recognized but that are there.
