Fat inclusion level
Fats are typically added at 3-6% in swine diets. In lactation, fat is used to increase dietary energy density. In the nursery, the addition of 3-6% fat is mainly used in pellets to improve pellet quality in initial diets with high levels of lactose. In the grow-finish, fat is used to improve growth performance, with generally an improvement of feed efficiency by 2% and average daily gain by 1% for every 1% added fat. The addition of fat above 5-6% in meal diets normally leads to handling issues due to bridging of feeders and caking of mixers. Also, diets containing added fat may become rancid during prolonged storage or exposure to high temperatures.
The fat inclusion level should be based on an in-depth analysis to determine the most economical level considering the value of incremental changes in energy on production indicators and market price (Economics of Using Fats or Oils). A production tool has been developed to aid in determining the dietary energy level in the grow-finish phase (Net Energy Model).