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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:
Behaviour of pigs with viral and bacterial pneumonia
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2007 | No Comments
In the United States, 99% of the swine herds are infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Mh) and the prevalence of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) in U.S. swine herds is estimated at 60–80% (Zimmerman et al., 1997). These microorganisms are the two most common pathogens isolated from pigs with porcine respiratory disease complex (Thacker, 2001), and infectious disease is arguably the single most important factor affecting the performance and welfare of growing pigs. Although the growth performance and welfare of pigs with an acute infection is diminished, they can be improved by (1) reducing the severity of infection; (2) treating the symptoms of infection with, e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; and/or (3) facilitating recovery to shorten the duration of time spent clinically ill. One strategy to achieve the third aforementioned goal is to facilitate convalescence. It has been suggested that sickness behaviours including inappetence, increased sleep, and lethargy, and are part of an organized host defense strategy (Hart, 1988; Johnson, 2002). The decreased activity may better enable animals to redirect nutrient resources to support immunological defenses; it also facilitates heat conservation, which is critical for producing the beneficial febrile response. Determining how infection alters behavioural patterns is a prerequisite to assessing how current swine management practices influence convalescence. Rest is presumed to be an important part of the recovery process, but resting behaviour of pigs with an acute respiratory infection has not been assessed. Therefore, the present study reports the behaviour of pigs inoculated with Mh and PRRSV, alone or in combination. This study was part of a larger one that also determined the effects of Mh and PRRSV on growth performance, whole-body composition, and circulating inflammatory cytokines (Escobar et al., 2004). Sixty-four pigs were subjected to one of four treatment combinations (2 X 2 factorial) of Mh (inoculated at 4 weeks of age) and PRRSV (inoculated at 6 weeks of age). The four treatments were (1) control, (2) inoculation with Mh, (3) inoculation with PRRSV, and (4) inoculation with both Mh and PRRSV. Pigs that were included were video recorded during the 18 h light phase for 13 days beginning the day of PRRSV inoculation. Food intake and time spent feeding, active (standing, including walking, sitting, or feeding) and lying were determined. When pigs were lying a determination was made as to whether they were lying ventrally or laterally, and in contact with a penmate. Body temperature was measured 7 and 14 days after PRRSV inoculation. After inoculation with PRRSV, there was no significant main effect of Mh or interaction between Mh and PRRSV for food intake, body temperature, or any behaviour measured. Thus, the four treatments were pooled to form two treatments designated PRRSV negative (control and Mh; PRRSV-) and PRRSV positive (PRRSV and Mh with PRRSV; PRRSV+) and analyzed. Each day after PRRSV inoculation, PRRSV+ pigs spent less time (P = 0.005) feeding compared to PRRSV- pigs, and the decrease in feeding time was associated with a decrease in food intake (P < 0.001). PRRSV+ pigs decreased (P < 0.001) activity after inoculation with PRRSV compared to PRRSV- pigs and the amount of time spent lying was greater (P < 0.001) in PRRSV+ pigs compared to PRRSV- pigs. Furthermore, PRRSV+ pigs spent more of their total lying time in a ventral position (P = 0.06) and in contact with a penmate (P < 0.001) compared to PRRSV- pigs. Body temperature was increased (P < 0.001) in PRRSV+ pigs 7 days after PRRSV inoculation. Since sickness behaviour and fever are adaptive responses to infection, these data indicate that pigs with an acute PRRSV infection evoke a behavioural strategy that may support recovery.
How to Get the Support of Your Banker
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The world market for pork meat has been more difficult for the Canadian industry in 2005 and 2006. The world exports of pork meat that had an annual growth exceeding 10% since 1993 have now plateaued. Canadian production represents only 2% of the production worldwide; however, Canada is a very large exporter with 21.8% of the world exports in 2004. We are extremely dependent on the export market. 50% of the Canadian pork production is exported; since Canadian consumption of pork is relatively stable, most of the increases in production are directed toward the export market. As a result of the decrease of the US dollar relative to international currencies, Canada becomes less competitive on the American and Japanese markets. Canadian exporters had to turn to other markets (Australia, Mexico, Taiwan, Russia, etc). We have also been the arrival of new international competitors (e.g. Chile). In addition, our traditional opponents (e.g. United States) seem to do better and the markets are always more demanding. The number of producers and pork production itself has diminished, thus producers are in financial crisis. The implementation of strategies to control disease is essential. The producers and meat processors will have to lower their production costs to improve their competitiveness, to better coordinate different aspects of the industry and to better serve specialty markets (which are less sensitive to market prices). Even with all the unfavourable events affecting the swine producer’s earnings and although the risk rating of this portfolio is deteriorating slightly for the last 2 years, the National Bank of Canada remains confident that the majority of our best clients will overcome the current crisis. Historically, our swine producers, processors and exporters have overcome the challenge of that competitive market. What is a good business plan in today’s pork market? A good business plan explains to your partners why the company will succeed in the context of the actual swine industry market. This written document must describe the future orientation of your company and demonstrate your strategies to minimize the risk associated with your industry. Agricultural bankers expect regular business plan updates from the biggest borrowers. However, small farm owners generally prepare a brief business plan at startup, when transferring the company or when a major change occurs within the business (very often when a new investment or an additional loan is required). Your banker’s evaluation of your business is a mix of objective factors (financial ratios) and subjective factors (your integrity, your entrepreneurship and your management qualities). In difficult periods your integrity, your management aptitudes and your previous accomplishments will make all the difference for your banker’s confidence. Make sure that your account director knows your company and your team well. Be transparent and require the same transparency from your banker. Have a good analysis of the situation and an accurate estimate of your financial needs. At the beginning of a low cycle, be certain to have the liquid assets to survive the crisis: A cash flow budget to the best of your knowledge according to your production costs and the anticipated prices (for pigs and grains) by the analyst remains the best tool. The pork market continues to have price cycles. A good business plan is necessary in all parts of the cycle. It will help your business thrive during good times, prepare for poor times and help keep your banker and investors confident throughout.
Global Growth in Pork Production
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The global pork industry is evolving at a rapid pace. It is characterised by increased levels of global competition, expansion of industrialized production, vertically integrated supply chains and production of differentiated products to meet the needs of increasingly demanding consumers. For Canadian hog producers, gaining an appreciation of the global operating environment, especially the emergence of new hog production regions, is important in assessing the future direction and profitability of the industry and their own enterprises. This knowledge becomes even more acute when considering the current operating environment in Canada; an appreciating currency, high feed costs, labor shortages, processing sector restructuring and ever-increasing government regulation. World pork production has increased more than 37% since 1997, from 74.4 million tonnes to 101.9 million tonnes in 2007. China continues to completely dominate global pork production, whereas the European Union’s (EU) share of total production has fallen from close to 25% in 1997 to 21% in 2007. At a cursory level the profitability of hog production is dependent on six fundamental pillars: access to feed grain; accommodation and other infrastructure costs; regulatory requirements (e.g. environmental legislation); access to, and cost of, capital; labor costs and availability; and management expertise and practices. Likewise, pork processing is dependent on access to raw materials (hogs), labor and capital, management expertise, regulatory requirements, infrastructure, technology adoption and access to end-users. China was undoubtedly the most interesting market for meat in 2007 and it provides a fascinating insight into how the dynamics of production and trade competitiveness can change over a very short period of time. In the Chinese pork market in 2007, the influences of all six drivers of profitability mentioned above were evident. The explosion in meat prices in China attracted widespread media and political attention. In June 2007, China’s consumer price index (CPI) rose to 4% while pork prices jumped a staggering 101%. In the later half of 2007, there was some downward adjustment in pork prices but prices remained well above 2006 levels. What the locals refer to as blue ear disease, thought to be PRRS along with high feed costs and persisting FMD have had a fairly dramatic impact on the world’s largest domestic pork industry. There have been varying reports on the number of hogs that have been culled and what other measures have been put in place to curb the spread of PRRS but it is clear that domestic production in China has fallen. The Chinese government will be investing heavily to revitalize the domestic pork sector. From a political and social perspective, it cannot afford to displace the farmer population at a faster speed than is already occurring, and food security remains a key government initiative. It will likely take a number of breeding cycles for domestic production to show signs of recovery. Look for China to play a bigger role in world grain markets as an importer as it attempts to rebuild domestic production. In the pork industry of next decade, successful industry participants will need to be more efficient and cost conscious to maintain and enhance their competitive position. How and where the handful of animal protein multinationals choose to make investments and subsequently, how these companies choose to utilize their geographically diversified productive capacity, will ultimately determine what new pork production regions emerge and challenge the traditional exporting countries, such as Canada. Continued awareness and analysis of the global pork operating environment will be necessary in determining the future directions of national and regional pork industries.
Weaning more piglets with four times feeding
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Feeding nursing sows four times daily instead of twice increased feed consumption, reduced sow weight loss and led to slightly more piglets weaned in a year-long trial in Germany.
Altogether 168 sows were involved in the project at the Futterkamp Institute. Those fed four times over the 21-day suckling period lost an average two kilograms less weight during that time and produced just over 0.7 weaners more per year.
Although these results are not regarded as statistically significant by the researchers, it is felt that the tendency towards higher numbers of weaned pigs could be an encouragement for farmers to consider ad lib or electronic systems rather than hand feeding twice per day.
Younger sows fed four times daily consumed an average 5.4 kilograms per day compared with 5.1 kilograms for the twice-daily groups, but they had more milk for their litters with piglet weight gain better by one or two grams per day.
The Futterkamp Institute also used this trial to look into the effect of lowering crude protein content in lactating sow rations with the main aim of reducing nitrate in the resultant manure. The sows were either fed 15 per cent crude protein content in rations during suckling or the more conventional 17.5 per cent plus one per cent lysine proportion. The results showed that protein reduction did not really affect performance, while the manure from each sow on the low protein ration contained an average 1.44 kilograms less nitrogen per year.
Recycling of livestock manure in a whole-farm perspective
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This paper argues that a whole farm
perspective taking side-effects and on-farm interactions
into account is needed to determine the cost effectiveness
of mitigation strategies for livestock manure management. Agricultural land (mainly on arable farms)
also receives other types of organic waste, such as sewage
sludge or municipal composts, but they are not considered
here where the focus is on the internal flows of nutrients
on livestock farms as influenced by treatment strategies
and management. It was concluded that it is important to consider pollution control strategies
for a farm in the framework of local and regional
pollution control planning. Investments in environmental
technology should be made where the impact on air
and water quality is most required. Insofar as intensification
of livestock production increases pollution within
an area, the lower production costs may facilitate the
concomitant implementation of environmental technologies,
although Government intervention (e.g., subsidies
to encourage change or stricter regulations) may be
required.
Degree of Phosphorus Saturation in Manitoba Soils
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This study was funded by the Canadian Fertilizer Institute and ARDI and is ongoing. One of the things that we are exploring in this study is to compare simple soil test P with the newly formulated degree of phosphorus saturation (DPS) as measures of risk of P loss in runoff from Manitoba soils. Previous studies have shown that the DPS is superior to soil test in measuring the risk of P loss from different soils. However, our preliminary results have shown that for Manitoba soils this may not be so. We have so far obtained better relationships between the amount of P loss in runoff and soil test P compared to DPS. Therefore, further studies will be needed to refine the DPS of Manitoba soils, especially in soils with a history of manure application. The advantage of DPS (over simple soil test P) is that it can be used to define objectively a threshold beyond which the application of phosphorus to soils will not be advisable if the loss of P is to be minimized. Also the runoff studies that we have carried out so far have been in the laboratory using rainfall simulation. We will like to carry out similar studies in the field using rainfall simulation on representative Manitoba soils.