Barley In Rations For Early-Weaned Pigs

The article discusses the usage of barley as the major, if not the only, grain in rations for growing-finishing swine and breeding livestock. Evaluations at this time of various North Dakota grains indicated that both barley and oats were the most economical feed choice for use in swine rations. When considering the use of barley or oats in rations for young pigs, barley is the more logical choice because of its lower fiber and generally higher energy content. A series of five experiments designed to evaluate the acceptability of up to 40 per cent barley is reviewed in this article. It was concluded that barley may comprise up to 20 per cent of well-formulated semi-complex rations for early-weaned pigs without reducing weight gain or increasing feed required per pound of gain