"The Porcheck service was developed to help feed producers improve the nutritional value of diets based on wheat, rye, triticale or barley, and containing grain by-products," explains Dr Gary Partridge, Technical Services Director, Danisco Animal Nutrition. "Wheat is used extensively in pig feeds, but can be a very variable feed ingredient. Variations in its feeding value will result in variable pig performance, which can cost the pig producer around €1.50 per pig in reduced net margin."

Fibres
Fibre is one of the main factors affecting wheat’s feeding value. Soluble fibres in the wheat dissolve in the pig’s gut, forming viscous gels which trap nutrients, and slow the rate of digestion and the passage of feed through the gut. Insoluble fibres can also hold water and bind water-soluble nutrients, as well as enclosing them so that they are less available for digestion. Both types of fibre create more bulk in the pig’s gut, which can reduce feed intake and subsequent growth.

Specific enzymes
Adding specific enzymes which break down fibre alleviates its negative effects on nutrient availability, feed intake and growth. Danisco’s Porzyme 9300 contains a highly effective fibre-degrading enzyme. An average of 22 trials with grower/finisher pigs fed wheat-based diets showed that Porzyme improved daily liveweight gain by more than 5% and feed conversion by 4.5% compared to pigs fed diets containing no enzyme.

Most effective dose
The magnitude of response to enzyme addition largely depends upon the fibre characteristics of the wheat. Some wheats are more responsive to enzyme addition than others, and this is the basis for the Porcheck service. Porcheck combines a measurement of wheat’s response to enzyme with a unique software program to calculate the most cost-effective dose of Porzyme. For the first time, pig producers and feed manufacturers can optimise enzyme dose according to specific measured wheat parameters.

Related website:
Danisco Animal Nutrition