Holdings Sustainability Report 2022 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 33
PLANET
Alternative Feed Ingredient
Hybrid Rye
Hybrid rye has been gaining traction as an alternative feed
stuff in the upper Midwest. Compared to conventional rye,
the hybrid varieties have shown to be better yielding, less
susceptible to ergot (a grain fungus) and more drought tolerant.
From the agronomic standpoint, hybrid rye can reduce the
carbon footprint of the crop land due to lower water and
pesticide use, and having lower drying requirements due to its
harvest in mid-summer. As swine producers, it also allows for
earlier spreading of manure compared to tillable land harvested
in the fall.
From a feeding value, hybrid rye is categorized as an energy
ingredient similar to corn, but has a higher fiber component like wheat or barley. With increasing interest
from producers to plant hybrid rye, determining if hybrid rye can partially or fully replace corn in the diet
was needed.
We conducted an experiment where we replaced 0, 40, 70 or 100% corn with hybrid rye to determine the
energy value relative to corn, and evaluate impacts on growth and carcass fat quality. Increased hybrid rye in
the diet decreased the energy content of the diet, which lowered average daily gain and hot carcass weight.
This indicates that if feeding hybrid rye, fat will need to be added to the diet to achieve similar caloric
intake as a corn-soybean meal-based diet, or the inclusion level will need to be at a lower concentration if
the producer wants to maintain similar growth performance. This data demonstrated that hybrid rye can be
valued at 93% the energy of corn.
When evaluating a feed ingredient from a sustainability lens, we can calculate a carbon dioxide equivalent
(CO2e) value for each ingredient. As we look at the amount of CO2e per diet, we can calculate the amount
of CO2e per pound of gain. In this trial, we show that even with the slower growth, each pig took less CO2e
per pound of gain, demonstrating the hybrid rye is a more carbon friendly feed ingredient.
As we look to the future and continue to improve the database of feed ingredient CO2e factors, our goal is
to help producers find the right combination of growth performance, carcass quality and sustainability that
fits their operation.
2022 Annual and Sustainability Report
33