Effect of floor cooling and dietary amino acids content on performance and behaviour of lactating primiparous sows during summer

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This study evaluated the effects of floor cooling and the use of two dietary amino acid (AA) contents on the performance and behaviour of lactating primiparous sows in summer under Brazilian climatic conditions. It was found that the dietary AA content had no effect on the performance and behaviour of the sows and their litters.
The cooling of the floor under the sows increased daily feed intake, and as a consequence, increased lysine intake.
This fact leads to a lower body weight loss and a lower weaning-to-oestrus interval. The floor cooling also
improved the nursing behaviour of the sows, leading to a higher milk production and, consequently, higher weight gains for piglets and litter during the lactation period. The detrimental effect of exposure to high ambient temperature and humidity fluctuations on voluntary feed intake and lactation performance of lactating primiparous sows can be reduced by using the floor cooling system.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci

It’s in the details

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An award-winning Minnesota hog operation finds the most
effective manure management approach includes a strong focus on
records and taking care of the details. The Braun Farms’ efforts in manure management, and their high standards
in general farm management, were recently recognized by the
Pork Checkoff of the National Pork Board. The Brauns were one
of four pork production operations to receive the 2006 Pork
Industry Environmental Steward Awards. Working off a FarmWorks software program, they use tracking
software and have an account of what they have done in every
field, right back to 1998.

Recruiting & Retaining Staff the Hytek Way

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I am fortunate for being able to work for a company that truly believes and
values their employees. Hytek owners and executives acknowledge that they
wouldn’t be where they are today without their employees. If you choose to
wholeheartedly support this mind set and truly put employees first it won’t take
long before the word gets out and you will be more successful recruiting and
retaining employees.

Threonine requirement of sows in early, mid and late gestation

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The THR requirement in early (35–53d),mid- (63-70d) and late (92–110d)
gestation was determined by indicator amino acid (IAAO) oxidation in six
second parity sows fed THR from 60 % to 150 % of NRC (1998) estimated
requirements. L[1-13C]phenylalanine was given orally at 30 min intervals for 8
meals and expired 13CO2 was quantified. The nonlinear Mixed model in SAS
was used to determine the THR requirement for each period by breakpoint
analysis. Plasma THR was also used to estimate requirement.
Sows responded differently to increasing levels of dietary THR in early and
late gestation. Preliminary breakpoint analysis resulted in a THR requirement
of 6.1 g/d in early gestation (R2=0.59), 7.0 g/d in mid gestation (R2=0.55) and
13.6 g/d in late gestation (R2=0.56). The THR requirement based on plasma
THR was 7.2 g/d (R2=0.90) in early gestation and 14.0 g/d (R2=0.76) in late
gestation. The current recommended THR intake during gestation is 10 g/d.

Hyaluronic acid in the female reproductive tract of the pig

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Uterine and oviductal samples were collected from twenty two primiparous
sows on their second estrus following weaning. Based on the timing of
ovulation determined by real-time ultrasound, samples were collected from a
minimum of three sows whose temporal reproductive status corresponded to
the germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase two (MII) stages of oocyte
maturation, and the 2-cell, 4-cell, early morula (8- to 16-cell), morula and
blastocyst stages of embryonic development. Each uterine horn was divided
into three equal length sections by ligature to represent the lower- (cervical),
mid- and upper (oviductal) sections of the horn. Warm PBS was then used to
flush each oviduct (5ml) and each section of the uterine horns (20 m).
Hyaluronic acid concentrations in flushings were determined using an HA
specific ELISA (Hyaluronan Duo Set, R&D systems) and the volume of each
flush was used to estimate total HA content (ng per flush). No differences
(P>0.05) in HA content were found between uterine sections at any stage of
gestation. HA content of uterine flushings decreased (P<0.0001) between the GV and 2-cell stages, and then steadily increased (P<0.001-0.01) through the morula and blastocyst stages of development.

Quarterly Hogs and Pigs 2009

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U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2009 was 66.1 million head. This was down 2 percent from June 1, 2008 but up 1 percent from March 1, 2009. Breeding inventory, at 5.97 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was down 2 percent from last year
but up 1 percent from last quarter. The March-May 2009 pig crop, at 28.5 million head, was down slightly from 2008 but up 2 percent from 2007. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.97 million head, down 3 percent from 2008 and down 2 percent from 2007. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.61 for the March-May 2009 period, compared to 9.38 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.40 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 9.70 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

Normal profiles for deciduous dental eruption in domestic piglets: Effect of sow, litter, and piglet characteristics

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The purpose of this study was to examine dental development in commercial swine and identify maternal, litter, and piglet factors. Sequence of tooth eruption and reversals in eruption order (i.e., polymorphisms) were also examined. this is the first study to examine deciduous tooth eruption and the key factors influencing eruption times in domestic large breed commercial pigs. The study found that considerable variation in eruption times exists among individuals and litters. As well, substantial differences in the timing of molar eruption were found between the current study and earlier studies, indicating the need for current knowledge regarding the developmental physiology of our domestic animals. Further research investigating the relationship between tooth eruption and feeding behavior in the young pig is needed to provide a more comprehensive picture of feeding ability and feeding potential. As well, additional research is needed to determine how dental integrity and dental health influence feeding ability and overall health in the herd.

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/

Reducing Transport Losses

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Drawing on the collective studies noted, ISU researchers and a commercial pork integrator teamed up to take a
closer look at the factors associated with fatigued, injured and dead pigs during transport to a processing facility.
Factors contributing to transport losses, such as pig density in trailers (pig weight/transport square feet), sort
from the barn, season, temperature, management and others, were studied. It was found that there are many ways to reduce transport losses. 1) Periodically check the transport losses from your hog operation and/or sites 2) Be sure your truck drivers are certified under the Transport Quality Assurance to ensure they understand and follow the guidelines. 3) Calculate the usable square footage of the transport trailer and develop a loading plan for the number
of pigs being transported. 3) Check ventilation in the trailer to ensure it is appropriate for current weather conditions. 4) Develop written standard operating procedures and checklists for loading and transporting pigs.

Mapping for manure management

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By employing new manure mapping technologies and through their own progressive initiatives, Iowa’s Van Gilst brothers are keeping their hog farm ahead of the curve on the manure management front. The barns at the Van Gilst operation are all slatted, with eight-foot cement pits under each. The pits can hold enough manure for up to a year, though they try to pump the barns in both the spring and fall, depending on weather conditions. They are working to incorporate technology—in the form of mapping software that would record manure hauls—into their operation,
which will tell them easily and quickly what areas of the fields have been covered.

Fatty acid composition and meat quality traits of organically reared Korean native black pigs

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In recent years, organic animal products have received a significant attention in most developed countries, as the environmentally friendly products are considered to be a healthier and safer than those produced by intensive
production system. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of free-range outdoor and conventional confined-indoor feeding systems on growth performance, meat quality and fatty acid compositions. It was found that that the organic rearing system significantly influence meat quality of longissimus muscle for Korean native black pigs (KNPs). The organic system resulted in significantly highermyoglobin content, and consequently higher redness value (CIE a*) than the conventional one. The current study also identified that the organic system changed fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat, resulting in significantly higher levels of PUFA,USFA and PUFAn-3. In this respect, the quality of meat can be proved to benefit from the organic system for pig production.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci