A new study caught the attention of Berkshire swine breeders during the 2023 Iowa Pork Congress. Jim Smith, Ph.D., a senior technical swine nutritionist with Kent Nutrition Group (KNG), shared the results of a recent study with an optimized feed plan for Berkshire hogs.
“One of the challenges we have with Berkshire swine and other heritage breeds that haven’t been selected for leanness is feed efficiency,” Smith explained.
During the study, 450 Berkshire pigs were fed from weaning to finish to determine the optimal diet for this breed that would improve growth without impacting meat quality. The average starting weight in the control group fed KNG’s typical commercial diet was 34.5 lb. and the average starting weight in the specialized Kent program was 33.7 lb.
After 161 days on feed, the data showed a 1.58 average daily gain (ADG) for the control group and 1.66 for the Kent program, resulting in a 5% faster ADG versus the control.
“We found a better way to feed a Berkshire pig that’s different than how we feed typical commercial pigs,” Smith explained. “The precise balancing of nutrition via Kent research resulted in very significant improvements in growth and feed efficiency with marked reduction in cost per pound of gain.”
The feeding program targeted to Berkshire pigs also resulted in carcass quality improvements, the study revealed. Kent partnered with Iowa State University to measure the carcass quality effects of color, marbling, tenderness, purge, flavor, juiciness, etc., on a random sample of pigs from the four test pens.
“While visual marbling did not stand out, many other measurements did,” Smith said. “The pigs fed the special diet had better values for color score via both Visual Color and L* Color scoring. They also had numerically better juiciness and tenderness scores as well as a lower chewiness score.”
In addition, these pigs fed the Kent program had a larger loin eye area – over 9 square inches. Comparatively the 2022 Berkshire Progeny Test Ranking was 7.22 square inches based on 290-lb. live weight hogs.
Smith said the study opened doors for further investigation into ideal weights to market these purebred swine for maximum efficiency and profitability. At this point, he said 260 lb. to 280 lb. appears to be the ideal range.
“When we compared our control with the best performing treatment in this trial, and we sold those pigs at an average price that a Berkshire commercial producer would sell them, Berkshire producers would see a $14.67 greater net return at a live price of $1 per pound,” Smith said.
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