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Industry Partners
Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Using Dried Distillers Grain with Solubles (DDGS) in Swine Diets
Posted in: Nutrition, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 1, 2008 | No Comments
Dried Distillers Grain with Solubles (DDGS) is a co-product that can be used in feed to reduce costs, and can come from corn or wheat processing. Corn DDGS is higher in fat and wheat DDGS is higher in crude protein. The nutrients from DDGS can vary with the source, as the parent grain’s original nutrients can vary and the drying process can reduce nutrients in the final DDGS. A lysine to crude protein ratio of 2.8% or greater indicates a good quality DDGS product. DDGS has increased digestibility of phosphorous compared to the parent grain, so substitution of inorganic phosphorous may not be needed in the diet. Producers should always check for mycotoxins before including DDGS into their diet. Up to 25% corn DDGS has been fed to grow-finish pigs with no reduction in growth performance, but dressing percent may be lowered. Research is still lacking on the nutrients and feeding recommendations for wheat DDGS, although preliminary studies have included up to 15% in diets with maintained performance. When choosing to include DDGS in feed, having a reliable and consistent quality source is important.
Risk Management for Farms
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Regular barn maintenance is a key part of risk management. Electrical systems should be checked at least annually, and when replacing parts it is a good idea to use corrosion resistant and surge protected material. An alarm system should be used to monitor for temperature and power failure, and should be tested regularly. Generator and heating system maintenance should be done regularly. All barns should have a rodent program, fire extinguishers, and fire walls. Any welding should be done outside of the barn whenever possible.
Insurance Based Risk Management for Swine Facilities
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The cause of a barn fire is often unknown, which makes preventing fires in other barns difficult. However, there are preventative measures that all barns should have in place, like working fire extinguishers and spec-grade electrical receptors. Maintenance is also very important and structure, the attic, plumbing, electrical, and heating systems should be inspected at least yearly. Other maintenance ideas are having a hot work permit before welding or cutting inside the barn, and fire separation walls in the attic. Exposed polyeurethane insulation is a fire risk, and should be covered up or coated with fire retardant. One of the reoccurring causes that can be determined is the buildup of methane gas, especially in closed up barns with manure pits. Speaking to a risk management staff at your insurance company will help to identify any additional risk areas in your barn.
Optimum Pig Flows
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Producing the right number of pigs will optimize performance, but the number varies from barn to barn. Producing the maximum number of pigs possible is not always the most profitable strategy, as lighter nursery pigs are not desirable when feed costs are high. As well, the temperature and season will affect reproduction and weight gain, and numbers might need to be altered. Maintaining good herd health helps keep good growth and mortality rates, and can be achieved by strict biosecurity protocols and monitoring gilt and semen sources. A decision on what to do with a sick pig should be made quickly, and in some cases it might be more cost effective to destroy it rather than culling.
Managing Pig Flow – Considerations as a Buyer of Weaned Pigs
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The US has increased its purchasing of Canadian weaned pigs, so understanding what wean-finish producers want from a supplier is necessary to maintain or increase the demand. The producers want pigs of a known genetic source, known health, older age, large lot sizes, minimum defective and rejected pigs on arrival, and possible a more flexible arrival time.
Border Closure: Effects on the Ontario Feed Industry
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It is nearly impossible to plan for all possible outcomes and reasons for a border closure, but stakeholders should be aware and a contingency strategy should be developed. The feed industry is also impacted by any border closures or restrictions on animal exports. When a case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was found in Alberta, feed exports to the US had to be inspected by CFIA Inspector, suffered longer delays, could not contain any unlisted ingredients, and many other restrictions that made exporting feed very cumbersome. In an outbreak of foreign animal disease (FAD) feed could be a vector of transmission. The feed industry has SOPs and food safety principles already in place, so developing strategies to prevent transmission through feed should be possible. Creating a strategy will depend on the border closure definition (cause, location, duration), the species(s) affected, how production feeding programs change, feed ingredients used, if there is restricted feed truck movement, insurance programs for feed companies, the human toll, and a risk analysis.
Preparing for a Border Closure
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Canada exports 1/3 of its live pigs and additional pork products, so a border closure would have a huge impact on the industry. Many of the live exports are nursery age pigs sent to the US. In the event of a border closure, quick decisions would have to be made on what to do with the surplus animals. There is no current strategy for managing a border closure, but the Canadian Pork Council is working on addressing several of the issues.
Livestock Border Closure Contingency Plans
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After the border between the US and Canada closed in response to an Alberta case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, OMAFRA is examining the economic impact if one of the major borders closed again. After, they will attempt to create a strategy to mitigate the effects. The first part is prevention, and biosecurity and traceability can help accomplish this. A communication strategy should be developed for industry, government, international, and public communication in the event of a closure. The strategy will also address managing the surplus of product and live animals on farm and at rendering facilities, and create support programs for individuals and businesses.
Control of Salmonella in the Pork Production Chain
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Salmonellosis is a prevalent food borne illness in North America, and can be spread through pork products. Slaughter and processing plants have decreased the risk of contamination, and this may soon be true for processors and packers as well. There are still few practical solutions for controlling Salmonella in live swine herds. One way to reduce Salmonella is to reduce human entrance, and to improve hygiene/biosecurity for those that do enter the barn. Environmental contamination can be improved by more stringent cleaning and sanitizing protocols. It has been suggested that an all-in all-out system should reduce contamination, but studies on the subject show contradictory results with no clear answer. Feed can be contaminated with Salmonella as well, however the contamination strain often isn’t the one associated with human illness, or even swine seropositive results. Season and temperature can impact Salmonella prevalence, and cold-stressed nursery and heat-stressed market pigs are at higher risk to carry Salmonella. Use of a vaccine and therapeutic levels of chlortetracycline appear to have little effect. Overall, no clear method for controlling on-farm Salmonella has been documented yet.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV): the Disease That Keeps Bugging Us
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This paper gives an overview on the current PRRSv situation. The global distribution of PRRSv has changed, with new cases spreading over Africa, but Chile being close to eradicating the disease. There has also been a new recognition of the economic impact PRRSv has on finisher pigs. The impact is only expected to grow, as feed costs have risen and PRRSv can have a large impact on ADG and feed efficiency. As well, PRRSv can affect import and export of raw pork and live pigs. There have been advancements in prevention methods including biosecurity protocol for people and transport trucks, and air filtration system evaluations. Control of the virus involves developing herd immunity and depopulation, although a vaccine is available it is still not fully effective. The infection dose has been calculated for various transmission methods, and knowledge on transmission methods and virus tolerance have been increased. Research on transmission through aerosols is still ongoing. Diagnostic procedures for collecting samples have improved, and PCR diagnostics will continue to improve as well. Understanding PRRSv will help us identify, control, and eventually eliminate it from our herds.