They may or may not include on the tag actual amounts of vitamins present. Where actual ingredient amounts are not listed, the producer again must depend on the reliability of the company, past experience with this product, and the current cost compared to other sources. Where vitamins are listed and concentrations given, an evaluation of amounts present can be checked against the requirements of the pig to see if requirements are met. This source of supplementation generally is a slightly more expensive way to provide vitamins, and it is considerably more expensive to provide calcium and phosphorus compared to actual ingredient costs bought and mixed. Again, some of the detail of formulating and mixing these ingredients has been done for the producer and this may have some value.
Several companies market vitamin premixes in Missouri.
The most common variations in these are in concentrations, amounts recommended to mix per ton of feed, levels of antibiotics or medications present, and price. The cost that vitamins add to a ton of swine feed can vary significantly depending on these variations. How to evaluate vitamin premixes The basic goal of producers should be to meet the vitamin requirements of different weights and classes of swine. This is essential for top production. The second goal, of course, is to meet these needs as economically as possible.