Vitamin D in swine diets: What’s the scoop?

Posted on June 8, 2012 in Swine Performance
By Julie Salyer Over the past 20 years, vitamin D is not a topic that has gotten much attention in the swine industry – at least not until very recently. The industry has asked a lot of questions about vitamin D this past year and, depending on who you ask, you can get very different

We keep a constant eye on your ingredient costs. Why?

Posted on May 25, 2012 in Swine Performance
By Jim Garrison Formulating swine diets today varies a great deal by what price you may have ingredients booked at or by what you will be charged by your manufacturing mill.  Here at Vita Plus, we use our Nutrition Program Alternatives tool to evaluate your options and provide some answers that match your specific needs. 

How does oil extraction from DDGS impact nutrient and economic values?

Posted on March 28, 2012 in Swine Performance
By Jessica Boehm Following the annual Midwest Animal Science meetings in Des Moines, Iowa last week, NUTRIQUEST hosted a timely meeting to answer the question:  How is oil extraction impacting DDGS value in swine?  The event drew in nutritionists, producers and representatives from the ethanol industry, with a goal of soliciting different perspectives in the

Deciding what ingredients to use in swine diets: Using science as our guide

Posted on March 16, 2012 in Swine Performance
By Dr. Dean Koehler Swine producers are bombarded with dozens of possible ingredients that can be included in swine diets, such as various grains, plant and animal proteins, feed fats, amino acids, byproducts, minerals, phytases, energy enzymes, antibiotics, flavors, mycotoxin binders, probiotics...  The list is very long! And while you are confronted with a considerable

Ingredient price volatility and what it means for you

Posted on February 2, 2012 in Swine Performance
By Julie Salyer We all know it - feed ingredient markets are in a constant state of flux.  Recent trends have led to some interesting circumstances we haven’t seen in quite some time.  Diligently monitoring prices helps us recognize challenges and opportunities for your swine nutrition program.  The altered price relationships may even temporarily change