Feed makes up the largest portion of a swine operation’s cost, but it’s not always managed as precisely as it could be, especially in the sow barn.
While most producers closely monitor nursery and finisher performance, sow feed usage and efficiency often get less attention. This can lead to missed opportunities in cost savings and herd productivity.
More producers are taking a closer look at their feeding strategies, asking not just what they’re feeding, but how much, when and why. Are sows eating the right amount during gestation and lactation? Is feed intake translating into better litter performance?
And are diets being adjusted when ingredients change or intake drops?
Getting those answers starts with the right data, and the tools to turn that data into action.
How to Measure Sow Feed Intake More Accurately
One area that often gets overlooked is sow feed intake, and how it connects to overall performance. Tracking intake during gestation and lactation can offer valuable insight into sow condition, milk production and piglet growth, but not every operation has the tools or time to monitor it consistently.
As a starting point, it helps to know a few key benchmarks:
Gestation: A sow in good post-weaning condition typically needs around 5,500–6,000 kcal of net energy (NE) each day. That works out to roughly 5.3 pounds of a standard corn-soy diet, though ingredient changes (such as adding soy hulls) can affect that total. For example, a corn-soybean meal gestation diet with 200 pounds of soy hulls will decrease the NE content of the diet by about 70 kcal and will increase the feeding rate to 5.6 pounds to achieve 6,000 kcal of NE per day. So, if you change ingredients in the gestation diet, like adding soy hulls, it’s important to adjust the feed boxes to account for changes in how dense the feed is since feed boxes are typically measured by volume not weight.
Lactation: The amount of feed consumed during lactation varies, but for a 20-day lactation period, intake above 13 pounds per day is often a sign of strong performance. Below 12 pounds per day may be a sign that you need to review sow health, barn environment or feeding strategy.
Sow feed per weaned pig: Many operations aim for 90–100 pounds of feed per weaned pig. Even small changes in pigs per sow per year or daily gestation intake can shift this number significantly. For example, increasing pigs per sow per year by 1 pig may reduce sow feed per pig by 5 pounds. Likewise, overfeeding in gestation by 1 pound per sow per day will increase sow feed per weaned pig by 10-15 pounds.
At Ralco, we help producers monitor actual sow feed consumption and track trends over time. When paired with sow and litter records, this data makes it easier to spot inefficiencies and fine-tune feeding strategies.
In-House Swine Feed Testing That Helps You Stay Ahead
Even the best diets can fall short if ingredient quality shifts. Mold, grind inconsistencies or nutrient variations can all impact feed performance, especially during high-risk times like harvest or hot-weather storage.
Ralco offers fast, in-house testing to help producers catch issues before they affect the barn. Our services include:
Mycotoxin screening – to detect harmful toxins before they enter the ration.
Particle size analysis – to ensure proper grind for digestibility and feed flow.
With results available in just one to two days, producers can make timely adjustments without waiting weeks for outside lab reports. It’s a practical way to maintain feed quality and prevent setbacks before they start.
Turning Data into Action
Once intake data and feed quality results are in hand, the next step is using that information to make meaningful improvements. That’s where experience, and the right nutrition strategy comes in.
Ralco’s swine team includes nutritionists, researchers, geneticists, lab technicians and field experts who work across all phases of production. Our recommendations are backed by decades of research, including trials conducted at Ralco-owned swine research barns and on-site commercial partners. This research approach ensures the strategies we bring to producers are tested under real production conditions, not just in a lab or on paper.
We know every barn is different. Genetics, management practices, herd health and marketing goals all influence what pigs need from their nutrition plan. That’s why we don’t use standard diets. Instead, we build custom formulations based on your specific system and data.
Our goal is simple: Take the right data and turn it into a nutrition program that fits your barn and delivers results.
Staying Consistent from Start to Finish
Nutrition planning doesn’t stop with the sow herd. Feeding decisions made during gestation and lactation set the tone for nursery performance and impact how pigs move through the entire system. Having a consistent approach across phases, supported by data and customized to the barn, helps reduce variation, manage costs and improve overall pig health.
Bottom line, good nutrition is more than a balanced diet. It’s knowing how feed is being used, measuring the right metrics and making informed decisions that support both sow performance and operational efficiency. With the right information, and a plan to act on it, producers can take more control over feed costs and sow productivity, one adjustment at a time.
Join the Ralco swine team at World Pork Expo 2025
Join us for a casual meet and greet on Wednesday, June 4 from 3–4 PM at Tent SV1704. It’s a chance to get to know our team, ask questions and see if our swine nutrition approach aligns with your goals.
Grab a quick bite while you’re there! Our competition BBQ team will be serving up some great pork!
Request a Free Custom Diet Evaluation & Sow Intake Monitor
Interested in improving sow performance or managing feed costs? Contact us for a free, confidential review of your current diets. We’ll help identify opportunities and better align your nutrition program with your herd’s needs.