Table 3 contains the nutrient content of feed ingredients commonly used in swine diets. Table 4 contains the maximum limits for some ingredients. Normal feed ingredients for swine diets include grains, high protein feedstuffs, mineral sources, and several miscellaneous ingredients. Grains Grains provide most of the energy in a swine diet. Traditionally, the energy content of a grain determined its value.
Corn is the standard grain.
The requirements in Table 1 and Table 2 are based on diets containing corn. However, other grains can be part of an economical feeding program. Corn is an excellent source of energy, but it also supplies up to 50 percent of the protein and 30 percent of the lysine in swine diets. Corn contains low levels of calcium and trace minerals, but it can provide 40 percent of the total phosphorus in swine diets. This figure can be misleading, however.