Effects of dietary energy and lysine intake during late gestation and lactation on blood metabolites, hormones, milk composition and reproductive performance in primiparous sows

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The effects of energy and lysine intake during late gestation and lactation
on the reproductive performance of primiparous sows were evaluated using 36 gilts. Sows were allocated to six dietary
treatments according to a 32 factorial arrangement and each treatment had six replicates. Three energy levels [low (EL),
medium (EM) and high (EH)] and two lysine levels [low (LL) and high (HL)] were used. Gilts with HL intake had more
weight (P=0.004) and backfat thickness (P=0.047) gain during gestation. Similar changes in sow body conditions were
observed during lactation. HL intake resulted in higher litter birth weight (P=0.001), weaning weight (P=0.001) and
growth rate (P<0.001) and shortened wean-to-estrus interval (P=0.001). Energy intake influenced the fat and lactose content while lysine intake influenced the total solids and protein content in milk and colostrum. Gilts with HL had higher insulin and lower creatinine levels during postfarrowing and weaning, while triglyceride concentration at weaning increased with increasing of energy intake. The basal and pulses of LH were also influenced by lysine intake. In conclusion, higher lysine intake than those recommended by National Research Council (1998) could improve performance during late gestation and lactation in primiparous sows.

Canadian PRRS Eradication: A dream or a future reality?

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Cost of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is estimated to be about $100 millions Cdn per year. This represents $10 to $20 Cdn per pig produced in a PRRS positive system. Besides its impact on sow reproduction, pig mortality and treatment costs, PRRS has a direct impact on expression of diseases such as PCVAD (Porcine Circo Virus Associated Disease). This is why it is imperative to control this disease. In 2005, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) took a position that placed the AASV in the leadership role in a long term PRRS eradication project. Twenty-four members from Mexico, Canada and USA have been appointed to the North American PRRS Eradication Task Force (NAPETF). The main goals of the NAPETF are to define the needs concerning PRRS research as well as the educational and farm surveillance programs that must be put in place in order to control PRRS. The other action items coordinated by the NAPETF are the elaboration of a standard set of PRRS definitions and guidelines on good biosecurity practices, including transport vehicle management. PRRS eradication is the long-term goal, but the first step is PRRS stabilization of the herds. In order to stabilize a sow herd against PRRS, subpopulations of PRRS naïve animals must be eliminated and entry of PRRS viruses must be prevented. Semen must come from a PRRS negative boar stud, replacement gilts must come from a PRRS negative multiplication source, gilts must be acclimatized to PRRS virus before being introduced into a PRRS positive sow herd, and strict biosecurity measures must be respected. In general, when the sow herd has been stabilized to PRRS virus, then eradication can be an option. The different techniques of eradication are: depopulation / repopulation, herd closure and roll over, gilt acclimatization and roll over, as well as test and removal. After the sow herd has been stabilized to PRRSV and an eradication program has been completed, it is imperative that the health status be maintained. The maintenance of a PRRSV negative herd status depends on the biosecurity practices and the cooperative work. Biosecurity is pre-eminent to prevent reintroduction of the PRRS virus. The regular rules regarding biosecurity are to change boots, coveralls and wash your hands when entering a herd; materials to be introduced into the herd, must be free of feces and dust; it must be ideally double bagged and disinfected at entry. Control insect introduction through efficacious screens and insecticides.
PRRSV can travel 2.4 km through insects. Transport vehicles must be well washed, disinfected and dried (>8 h) between transport of PRRS positive and PRRS negative animals. Air filters are a new avenue in prevention of airborne transmission. This tool is now being used to protect boar studs all over the world. Long term PRRS control will rely on cooperative work between all the people from the industry; producers, veterinarians, transporters, researchers, etc. Each of us is sharing a role in PRRS control. To achieve these goals, sharing of information between veterinarians and producers is essential. PRRS status of the herds, PRRS virus sequence homology data and epidemiological studies are steps conducive to a better PRRS control. In conclusion, different PRRSV eradication techniques are available. However, before proceeding to eradication, herds must be PRRSV stable. Thorough follow up of the biosecurity measures will help to maintain the PRRSV negative status of the individual herds. Cooperative work is essential for long-term PRRS negative status of a whole region.

Containing Feed Cost Using Biofuel Co-products

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2007 was one of the most difficult years for swine producers in western Canada. Grain prices were record high and feed remains the single, most important cost of hog production. This paper briefly summarizes some recent research findings and reviews some feeding strategies to optimize the inclusion and utilization of biofuel co-products in Prairie hog diets. The primary feed issue with DDGS is what “truly” its dietary energy value is. The grain stock used to ferment has the greatest impact on the dietary energy value of DDGS. If a hog diet has a higher crude protein because that’s what has been least-cost formulated on using a DDGS mix, the nutritionist may not have a proper estimate of dietary energy. The only manner in which a nutritionist can predict animal growth when juggling such wide variation in ingredient nutrient provision is by utilizing the net energy system. Major contributors to DDGS variability are the amount of concentrated solubles added back and the drying process. Adding back the solubles creates lumps when a viscous liquid comes in contact with the drying, mash distillers’ grain. A way to dissolve the lumpiness of DDGS and prevent caking in storage bins thereafter is overdrying. The intensity of heat, the duration of heating, the speed of heating, and the equipment used for drying can cause amino acid (building blocks of protein) damage (i.e. reduced bioavailability); however, overheating at drying will increase the phosphorus availability (Batal 2006). Thus, the larger the inclusion level of DDGS in the diet, the lower the consequential need to supply phosphorus from inorganic sources (e.g., mono/dicalcium phosphate), resulting in feed cost savings. Assuming no detrimental effect on feed intake, the next concern with high inclusions of DDGS is the effect on carcass and pork quality. Feeding DDGS resulted in a marginal decrease in carcass dressing percent (Thacker 2006). Regarding pork quality, high corn DDGS inclusions are a greater concern than high wheat DDGS inclusions would be because corn DDGS contains nearly twice the fat content. Feeding unsaturated fats to hogs is known to cause soft or “fluffy” bellies. Bacon slabs don’t slide well and bacon strips tend to stick together at cooking. The taste and texture of lean pork become oily and mushy at chewing. Sausage quality is compromised, increasing the oily sweat off and reducing wiener firmness. Feeding decreasing levels of DDGS as hogs approach market weight is a strategy that should reduce feed cost and mitigate the negative effects on pork quality. Almost no research results are available yet for feeding canola press cake. It is an even more novel biofuel co-product in comparison to DDGS. The main issue with this co-product will be the variability in residual oil content after pressing. If cost were low, as per the DDGS trend, the two main issues restricting canola press cake inclusion rates in hog diets would be palatability (feed intake) and the effect on carcass and pork quality. We view the feeding of biofuel co-products as the way of the future as we enhance the food, feed and bio-industrial multi-use of raw agricultural commodities. The issues surrounding the nutrient variability of DDGS are a barrier to reliably predicting animal performance. Knowing the main grain stock, some processing details, adopting rapid scanning (NIRS) technology and formulating hog diets using the net energy system, should go a long way to containing feed cost for hog producers. But as the availability increases and co-product cost decreases, pork quality -if not voluntary feed intake first-, may be what will ultimately determine the highest levels of dietary inclusion of biofuel co-products.

Prediction of digestibility of organic matter and energy in the growing pig from an in vitro method

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Important roles for the arginine family of amino acids in swine nutrition and production

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Colostrum – the piglet’s first key line of defence

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Farmers should ensure that all newly born piglets in a litter get some of their sow’s first-milk, called colostrum, within the first 24 hours after birth. This ensures that the piglets receive protective antibodies to fight off diseases and is particularly important for weaker ones that may
not otherwise get a chance to suckle. “You always have some piglets that are so strong that they get more than they need,” explains Associate Prof. Min Fan at the University of Guelph’s Department of
Animal and Poultry Science. “They’re always suckling and then some of the weak ones don’t get a chance.” During the first three weeks of life, piglets’ intestinal tracts are immature. Their intestinal tract is the biggest immune response system in their bodies. But, with an immature system,
their intestinal tissue cells aren’t ready to produce a lot of protective immune cells and antibodies.
“They are very vulnerable to infection,” says Fan, who has been studying piglets’ intestinal tract development. Piglets don’t receive any protective immunoglobulin against diseases from their sows during gestation. (Immunoglobulins are plasma proteins that immune cells produce to fight against infectious diseases.) But, during the one or two days after birth, by drinking the colostrum, they
get a “passive immunity” to fight against infectious disease and toxins from infectious bacteria. This passive immunity stays in the piglets’ bodies for two or more weeks. Two days after farrowing or birth, the sow’s colostrum production stops. By then, a piglet’s intestinal tract has changed
and it can’t absorb immunoglobulin to obtain the passive immunity from the sow. Starting suckling piglets on a creep diet helps their intestinal system to develop starch digestive capacity. The creep feed should include some starch ingredients, such as finely processed corn meal, Fan says.
He recommends starting creep feed as early as possible. These diets are expensive, but the piglets don’t eat a lot. “All they need is a little bit of it to induce gut adaptation,” Fan adds. “Maybe a simple way a farmer can do it is to add some finely ground corn meal or corn starch.”
These starchy carbohydrates help induce the piglets’ starch-digestion enzymes. It also assists the enzyme system in developing more quickly. And feeding creep feed helps piglets adapt to solid diets when they’re weaned. Farmers usually use antibiotics to curb pathogenic bacteria existence and growth. But, with the growing concerns about anti-microbial resistance, this approach has been
challenged. “Alternative ways are being explored,” Fan says. There are other strategies farmers can use, such as using lactic acid, prebiotics and probiotics to prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria in piglets during the transition from suckling sow’s milk to weaning diets.

ERS Bioenergy Information and Research

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The Economic Research Service (ERS) is a primary source of economic
information and research in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The
agency’s research program is aimed at the information needs of USDA,
other public policy officials, and the research community. ERS information
and analysis is also used by the media, trade associations, public
interest groups, and the general public.
ERS has a broad range of research on how agricultural markets and
natural resources might be affected by the increased demand for bioenergy.
ERS research on bioenergy encompasses all aspects of the ERS
research mission, including economic and policy issues involving food,
farming, natural resources, and rural development. The ERS Bioenergy
Briefing Room [http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Bioenergy/] disseminates
existing research and information sources and incorporates new
research results as they emerge. Ongoing bioenergy research focuses
on domestic and global agricultural markets; economywide, regional,
and household effects; natural resource, environmental, and rural community
impacts; and implications for food prices. Current research
areas include:

Mapping technology drives new knowledge of wildlife habitat

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Developments in mapping technology offer producers a more precise and bigger picture
of how wildlife habitat adds value to their land. Harry Stelfox, a biologist and habitat classification specialist with 35 years experience
studying this dynamic interaction between species and their habitats, has a word for it:
connectivity. It’s a concept that has been brought into more practical application by
technological advances in the field of habitat mapping and assessment, with the evolution
of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology a prominent example.
“This is a field of science that has rapidly grown from one that measured a small set of
basic components to one with almost limitless opportunities to study how wildlife, insects
and micro-organisms, vegetation, water, soil and a number of other factors interact with
each other,” says Stelfox. “In the process, it is offering producers more opportunity than
ever to understand their habitat assets and the long-term contribution they make towards
their farming operations.”

Use of Anaerobically Digested Swine Manure as a Nitrogen Source in Corn Production

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STABILIZATION POND SYSTEMS: COST ESTIMATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF PIGGERY WASTE

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