In a Nutshell
Hogs were fed one of two rations to determine if an alternative ration could reduce input costs while maintaining acceptable growth rates and carcass quality. Thirty hogs from each group were selected for evaluation of carcass traits at slaughter. Hogs on the alternative diet consumed less feed, gained less weight per day, and therefore required more days to reach market weight. Despite lower intake, the feed-to-gain ratio was greater in alternative hogs. Costs per pound of feed and cost per pound of gain were lower for the alternative group. Results suggest that replacing corn in swine finishing diets with less-expensive small grains and alternative feeds results in a slight reduction in pig gain and feed efficiency, but reduces the overall costs.