This month, the swine nutritionist team at the University of Minnesota share in the National Hog Farmer, how to cope with the shortage of vitamins A and E in swine diets.
Usually, vitamins A and E are added to swine diets at up to 4 times the recommendation made by the National Research council. This is due in part to the variability of requirements in swine. However, a system-wide approach could help the industry to cope with the increase in price and the limited supply.
A wide range of alternatives are proposed to make up for the shortage:
- Rely on body reserves
- Add ingredients with high levels of vitamins
- Remove vitamins A and E from finishing diets 35 days before harvest (it has no effect on their performances)
- Minimize storage time to avoid degradation
- Avoid low-quality oils to increase vitamin E absorption by the liver
- Polyphenols and carotinoids can be used as alternatives
- Strategically use injectable form
In addition to those strategies, farm personnel needs to be vigilant and look for signs of deficiency like impaired reproductive performances and Mulberry Heart Disease.
