Energy requirements for pigs
Everything a pig does uses energy. If energy supply (food) is limited, a pig's body will use energy for basic survival functions and this can limit reproduction and growth. If there is too much energy, a pig's body will store extra energy in its body as fat.
In Australia, the mega joule (MJ) is the unit that describes feed energy.
Energy levels in common feeds
This table shows the typical digestible energy (DE) content of Australian feeds.
| Feedstuff | DE average (MJ/kg) | DE range (MJ/kg) | No. of measurements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 12.7 | 11.5–13.7 | 16 |
| Barley (Queensland) | 13.6 | 12.87–14.29 | 30 |
| Sorghum | 14.4 | 14.1–14.9 | 8 |
| Triticale | 14.2 | 13.8–14.6 | 6 |
| Wheat sound | 14.3 | 13.8–15.0 | 21 |
| Wheat (Queensland) | 14.6 | 14.23–15.9 | 31 |
| Wheat (weather-damaged) | 14.1 | 12.9–14.9 | 18 |
| Wheat bran | 12.0 | 10.9–13.7 | 3 |
| Wheat (mill-run) | 11.9 | 11.5–12.3 | 2 |
| Wheat pollard | 13.1 | 12.0–14.1 | 3 |
| Blood meal | 19.1 | 18.3–19.8 | 2 |
| Lupin seed meal L. angustifolius | 14.1 | 13.1-15.3 | 5 |
| Lupin seed meal L. albus | 15.4 | 14.3–16.7 | 3 |
| Meat meal and meat-and-bone meal | 11.3 | 9.4–13.9 | 14 |
| Chick pea meal (Cicer arietinum) | 15.6 | 14.9–16.2 | 2 |
| Field pea meal (Pisum sativum) | 13.5 | 13.0–13.9 | 2 |
| Pigeon pea meal (Cajanus cajan) | 15.1 | – | 1 |
| Rice | 15.8 | – | 1 |
| Rice pollard | 15.2 | – | 1 |
| Soya bean meal | 15.3 | 14.8–15.9 | 4 |
Source: Feeding standards for Australian livestock pigs (CSIRO)