How can phase feeding improve feed efficiency throughout pig production?

Why feeding according to the animal's needs matters

A pig's nutritional requirements change throughout its life.

A newly weaned pig has very different needs from a growing pig. A finishing pig has different requirements again, while a gilt or sow needs a feeding strategy that follows her reproductive cycle.

This means that one feed composition is not necessarily the best fit for every stage of production.

Phase feeding is about matching the nutrient content and feed allocation as closely as possible to the animal's changing needs.

The objective is not simply to use more feed phases. It is to provide the right nutrients, in the right amount, at the right time – while avoiding unnecessary nutrient supply.

What is phase feeding?

Phase feeding means using different feed compositions or feeding levels during different stages of production.

The changes can involve:

• Energy concentration
• Protein
• Amino acids
• Minerals and vitamins
• Fibre
• Daily feed allowance
• Feeding frequency

The number of phases depends on the animal category and production system.

SEGES Innovation's current nutrient recommendations include specific feeding phases for several groups of pigs, including piglets, gilts, pregnant sows and lactating sows.

The principle is straightforward:

As the animal's requirements change, the feeding strategy can change with them.

Why do nutritional requirements change?

Nutritional requirements are determined by what the animal is using nutrients for.

For growing pigs, nutrients are primarily used for maintenance and growth. For gilts, feeding also needs to support appropriate development before entering the breeding herd.

For pregnant sows, nutrients are required for maintenance, pregnancy and body condition, while lactating sows have a much higher demand because of milk production.

The same applies to piglets. Their digestive system and nutritional requirements change considerably during the transition from milk to solid feed and through the growth period.

This is why feeding should be considered as part of the animal's entire production cycle rather than as one fixed recipe.

Phase feeding for gilts and sows

The benefits of phase feeding can be particularly clear in the breeding herd.

A gilt needs to develop appropriately without becoming unnecessarily large or over-conditioned before entering the breeding herd.

SEGES Innovation recommends phase feeding for gilts because it makes it possible to reduce growth without creating the risk of behavioural problems associated with excessively low protein and amino acid supply. The recommendations also distinguish between different nutritional phases for gilts.

For pregnant sows, the nutritional objective changes throughout gestation.

SEGES has developed separate amino acid recommendations for different parts of gestation. For example, the recommendations allow a lower lysine concentration in the earlier part of gestation followed by a higher concentration later in pregnancy. This makes it possible to support body condition early in gestation while increasing amino acid supply as farrowing approaches.

This illustrates the value of phase feeding:

The sow does not have exactly the same nutritional needs on day 20 of gestation as she does shortly before farrowing.

Body condition is an important part of the strategy

Feeding the correct feed is only part of the equation.

The amount of feed allocated to an individual animal also matters.

For sows, body condition can be used as an important indicator when deciding how much feed an individual animal needs. A sow entering gestation too thin may need a different feeding strategy from a sow already in good condition.

The aim is to avoid both excessive weight gain and excessive loss of body reserves.

This is particularly important because the different phases are connected.

How the sow leaves one phase affects the starting point for the next.

Phase feeding for piglets

Young pigs also go through major nutritional changes.

After weaning, the piglet moves from a diet based largely on milk to a solid diet. Digestibility, protein level and amino acid supply therefore need careful consideration.

Phase feeding can be used to adapt the diet to these changes.

SEGES research has demonstrated that different protein and amino acid strategies can influence both production and economics in the piglet period. In one study, an "inverse phase feeding" strategy, with a lower protein and amino acid level in the early period followed by a higher level later, resulted in fewer diarrhoea treatment days and better economics under the prices used in the trial.

The result is an important reminder:

The highest possible nutrient concentration is not automatically the most profitable feeding strategy.

The right balance depends on the animal's requirements, feed costs and production conditions.

Phase feeding for growing and finishing pigs

For growing and finishing pigs, phase feeding can be used to adjust the supply of energy, protein and amino acids as the animal grows.

However, more feeding phases do not automatically mean better performance.

A SEGES trial compared one-, three- and five-phase feeding for finishing pigs. The study investigated whether a more differentiated feeding strategy could improve production value through changes in lysine, amino acids and energy concentration.

The results demonstrate why phase feeding should be based on the actual production objective rather than simply increasing the number of feed phases.

More phases are only valuable when they provide a meaningful nutritional or economic benefit.

The optimum strategy can therefore differ between farms and production systems.

The value of supplying the right amount

Phase feeding is not only about changing the feed composition.

The amount of feed allocated is equally important.

This is particularly relevant for sows, where feed allowance may need to reflect:

• Stage of the reproductive cycle
• Body condition
• Parity
• Litter size
• Feed intake
• Health and production status

A feeding strategy that uses the right feed composition but delivers the wrong quantity cannot achieve the intended result.

For this reason, accurate feed allocation is an important part of precision feeding.

Reducing unnecessary nutrient supply

One of the potential benefits of phase feeding is better utilisation of nutrients.

When nutrients are supplied above the animal's requirements, the excess does not necessarily contribute to additional production.

Matching protein, amino acids and minerals more closely to requirements can therefore help reduce unnecessary nutrient excretion.

SEGES has documented the potential for phase feeding to contribute to reduced nitrogen and phosphorus excretion when feeding is appropriately matched to the animals' requirements.

This can have both environmental and economic value.

Efficient feeding means making better use of the nutrients already in the feed – not simply adding more nutrients.

Precision requires accurate feeding

The more precisely a farm wants to feed, the more important accurate dosing and feed distribution become.

A phase feeding strategy may involve several feed compositions and frequent changes between them. If the wrong amount is delivered or a feed change happens at the wrong time, the intended nutritional strategy is no longer being followed.

Modern feeding systems can therefore help make phase feeding practical by controlling:

• Feed quantity
• Feed composition
• Timing
• Distribution
• Feed changes
• Individual feeding curves

For individual animals or groups, this can make it easier to follow a planned feeding strategy consistently.

Feeding the animal – not just the average

Animals within the same production group are not identical.

They can differ in:

• Weight
• Age
• Parity
• Body condition
• Growth rate
• Litter size
• Feed intake
• Production level

This is particularly important in sow production, where individual feeding can help compensate for differences in body condition and reproductive stage.

The closer the feeding strategy can come to the actual needs of the animal, the greater the potential for avoiding both under- and over-supply.

Is more phase feeding always better?

No.

The value of phase feeding depends on the animal category, the production system and the economics.

For some groups, additional phases can provide a useful opportunity to better match nutrient supply to requirements. For others, the additional complexity may not result in a measurable production benefit.

The SEGES trial with finishing pigs is a good example: three- and five-phase feeding did not automatically provide a superior production result compared with a single feed mixture.

The right question is therefore not:

"How many feed phases can we use?"

It is:

"How closely can we match the feeding strategy to the animal's needs in a practical and profitable way?"

One strategy across the whole production cycle

The value of phase feeding becomes particularly clear when looking at the complete production cycle.

Gilts

Feed for appropriate growth, development and preparation for the breeding herd.

Pregnant sows

Adjust nutrient supply to body condition and the changing requirements of pregnancy.

Lactating sows

Support high feed intake, milk production and recovery while limiting unnecessary loss of body reserves.

Piglets

Adapt nutrition to the changing digestive and growth requirements after weaning.

Growing pigs

Adjust nutrient supply as growth and feed requirements change.

Finishing pigs

Balance growth, feed efficiency, carcass quality and feed cost.

The number and timing of phases should be adapted to each of these situations.

Economic and environmental value

Feed is one of the most significant variable costs in pig production.

A well-designed feeding strategy can therefore have a direct impact on profitability by improving the use of feed ingredients and avoiding unnecessary nutrient supply.

There can also be an environmental benefit.

When protein and minerals are supplied more closely according to requirements, less excess may be excreted. SEGES research has documented the potential for feeding strategies, including phase feeding, to reduce nutrient losses.

The benefit is greatest when the feeding strategy is properly controlled.

Precision feeding is not about using the most expensive feed. It is about using the right feed where it creates the most value.

What makes a good phase feeding strategy?

A successful phase feeding strategy combines several elements:

1. Know the animal's requirements
   Nutrient needs change with age, growth, reproduction and production level.
2. Match feed composition to those requirements
   Energy, protein, amino acids and minerals should be balanced appropriately.
3. Adjust the quantity
   The right feed is only effective when the right amount is delivered.
4. Monitor the animals
   Body condition, growth, feed intake and production results provide important feedback.
5. Keep the system practical
   Additional feeding phases should provide a real nutritional, economic or environmental benefit.
6. Use accurate feeding technology
   Precise dosing and reliable feed distribution help turn the feeding strategy into consistent daily practice.

The goal is precision – not complexity

Phase feeding does not have to mean a complicated feeding system with as many phases as possible.

The best strategy is the one that provides a meaningful improvement in the relationship between:

animal requirements + feed composition + feed quantity + production results

For one group of animals, that may mean two distinct diets. For another, several phases may be justified. In some situations, a well-formulated single diet may remain the most practical solution.

The important point is to make the feeding strategy fit the animal and the production system.

Feeding for the whole production cycle

From the first days after weaning to the final days before slaughter – and from gilt development through several reproductive cycles – nutritional requirements change continuously.

Phase feeding provides a way to respond to those changes.

When feed composition and feed allocation are matched to the animal's needs, producers can aim for efficient feed utilisation, appropriate growth and body condition, good production results and reduced unnecessary nutrient supply.

The goal is simple: give the right animal the right feed, in the right amount, at the right time.

Designing feeding systems around the feeding strategy

A feeding strategy only creates value when it can be implemented accurately in the daily operation.

That means the feeding system, feed storage, dosing, distribution and management software all need to support the strategy chosen for the farm.

For SKIOLD, feeding is therefore part of a complete production solution. The equipment and control systems should make it possible to translate the nutritional plan into reliable daily feeding – whether the farm uses dry feeding, liquid feeding, individual feeding or group feeding.

Good feeding starts with understanding the animal's needs – and designing the system to deliver them precisely.

Contact SKIOLD

Need to know more about optimal feeding of pigs?

Contact us today for a non-binding conversation about how optimal feeding of pigs can support efficient and healthy pig production.

👉 Contact SKIOLD | Find dealers and locations

Read more about our pig farm solutions:

Explore SKIOLD's complete solutions for modern pig production, including penning, feeding, climate and digital management.
👉  Pig Farm Solutions | SKIOLD

Follow us and get inspired on social media:
😊 Facebook     LinkedIn

Sources and further reading

EU CAP Network – Phase feeding for growing and finishing pigs
EU CAP Network – Phase feeding for growing and finishing pigs

EU CAP Network – Precision Production: Nutrient efficiency – feed
EU CAP Network – Precision Production: Nutrient efficiency – feed

FAO AGRIS – Improvement of feed and nutrient efficiency in pig production through precision feeding
FAO AGRIS – Improvement of feed and nutrient efficiency in pig production through precision feeding.

FAO AGRIS – The impact of daily multiphase feeding on growing-finishing pigs
FAO AGRIS – The impact of daily multiphase feeding on growing-finishing pigs

FAO AGRIS – Modelling feed requirements for pigs to optimize feed efficiency
FAO AGRIS – Modelling feed requirements for pigs to optimize feed efficiency