In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. R. Dean Boyd explores the principles behind soybean meal net energy in swine diets. He explains why traditional book values may underestimate their actual energy contribution and highlights how recent estimates can better reflect modern pig performance. This discussion breaks down the science behind energy systems and explains why updating these values is important for today’s production. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The story of soybean net energy is really the tale of two sides of the same coin. Book values, which are equation-based, underestimate what the pig’s response actually is."

Meet the guest: Dr. R. Dean Boyd, Ph.D., is the head of Animal Nutrition Research, LLC, and serves as an adjunct professor in Animal Science at both North Carolina State and Iowa State Universities. Dr. Boyd has held key academic positions and led large-scale nutrition programs for the Hanor Company and Triumph Foods group. His research focuses on energy systems, amino acid nutrition, and ingredient evaluation in swine production.

Connect with our guest on Social Media:

LinkedIn: Dr. R. Dean Boyd

Email: dboyd@cinet.net

Click here to read the full research articles:

Soybean meal NE value for growing pigs is greater in commercial environments

Amino acid levels and energy specifications in SBM for poultry and pigs

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:34) Introduction
• (01:14) Guest background overview
• (02:56) Soybean meal energy
• (04:47) Differences between estimates
• (05:38) Pig body changes
• (07:48) Comparing public estimates
• (10:02) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

- Kemin

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Robert Goodband from Kansas State University and Dr. Omarh Mendoza of The Maschhoffs discuss the results and commercial implications of a collaborative study that focused on determining the minimum soybean meal inclusion with and without DDGS to optimize growth, performance, and carcass characteristics in both growing and finishing pig diets. Listen and watch!

"As we increased soybean meal in the diet, we saw improvements in average daily gain and feed efficiency, particularly in late finishing. The data suggests that soybean meal has a greater net energy content than what we have used for book values in the past.” – Dr. Goodband

“Even though a formulation on paper makes sense, the pigs are telling us that something is missing. As nutritionists, we need to be careful when formulating our diets and make sure we are considering information like this.” – Dr. Mendoza

Meet the guests:

Dr. Robert Goodband is a distinguished professor and swine extension specialist at Kansas State University. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Penn State and his master's and doctorate in swine nutrition at KSU. Bob teaches swine science and nutrition courses and serves as an academic advisor. He has mentored hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students and published 450 refereed journal papers, 11 book chapters, and over 1,000 extension publications.

Dr. Omarh Mendoza, originally from Sonora, Mexico, holds a bachelor’s in animal sciences from the University of Sonora. He earned his master’s and doctorate in animal sciences with a focus on swine nutrition and production from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He is currently the director of nutrition at The Maschhoffs, LLC, where he oversees nutritional programs, quality assurance, and nutrition research. He has also co-authored numerous scientific publications.

Connect with our guests on Social Media: Dr. Goodband & Dr. Mendoza

Dr. Rosero & Dr. R. Dean Boyd: Overcoming Summer Dip: Use of Soybean Meal to Maximize Carcass Weight | Ep. 131

Dr. Gaines & Dr. Borg: Soybean Meal Net Energy Higher in Commercial Settings | Ep. 141

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:54) Introduction
• (02:06) Soybean meal trial overview
• (03:04) Feed efficiency results
• (04:22) High protein trade-offs
• (06:16) Value to production systems
• (08:36) Applying results commercially
• 09:30) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by:

U.S. Soy

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Andrew Yersin from Kemin Industries discusses the key differences between antibiotics and probiotics in swine health management. He explains the practical considerations for choosing between them, the importance of performance data, and how to evaluate product efficacy under field conditions. Learn how to optimize decisions based on farm-specific needs and outcomes. Listen now on all major platforms!

"An antibiotic is a substance. It kills bacteria. A probiotic is a living organism. It changes the gut environment."

Meet the guest: Dr. Andrew Yersin earned his Ph.D. in Path-physiology from North Carolina State University and holds an M.S. in Reproductive Physiology and a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Maryland. Currently the Senior VP of Worldwide Quality Assurance and Monogastric Technical Services at Kemin Industries, Dr. Yersin focuses on swine nutrition quality systems, alternative health strategies, and operational metrics.

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Dr. Jerry Spears: Chromium in Swine Feed | Ep. 123

Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets | Ep. 143

Dillon Mellick: Nutrition in Pathogen Control | Ep. 148

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:15) Introduction
• (00:30) Guest background
• (01:39) Antibiotics vs probiotics
• (04:15) Label and mode function
• (05:53) Decision-making factors
• (08:22) Setting KPI in trials
• (09:52) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

Kemin

- Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Barentz

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast