Cortisol, behavioral responses, and injury scores of sows housed in gestation stalls

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments

Sow housing systems have always focused on efficient utilization of space. Housing design affects the welfare status of sows at any stage of growth or production. The restriction placed on freedom of movement of pregnant sows has been a major welfare criticism leveled at individual stall housing. While it is presented as one of the main criteria for evaluating the welfare of animals, freedom of movement is arguably the most controversial design criterion for housing systems. The limited space in stalls is reported to reduce the ease with which the sow can change posture, and can cause injury and discomfort. It is important to note that the adequacy of space allowance depends on space available relative to the size of the pig. Depriving animals of opportunities to walk and turn around may affect their health, performance, and overall welfare. Most of the commercially available stalls provide the minimum space required for average sized sows and have similar design and measurements. The size of sows, nevertheless, varies considerably, depending on age, genetics, feeding level, and stage of gestation, and effective space available to a sow may become inadequate with advancement of pregnancy. Also, the welfare status of sows may not be static throughout their stay in the gestation housing system. Factors such as: separation from piglets, change in accommodation, and restricted feeding may contribute to an initially low welfare status of sows in stalls. The sow may adjust to the situation as the stay continues. In late gestation, the sow may be compromised by the relatively smaller space available with increasing body size. Stress associated with advanced gestation may cause further compromise. Though confinement in stalls has been viewed as adversely affecting welfare, the manner in which the compromise in welfare progresses during the course of the stay in the stalls has not been studied in detail. The present study, therefore, aimed to assess the welfare status of sows housed in stalls through measurement of injury scores, salivary cortisol concentrations, and behavior during the initial (day 5), middle (day 56) and late (day 108) stages of gestation. Timelapse video recording for 24-hour periods was used to observe their behavior on each day. Salivary cortisol concentrations were assessed using adioimmunoassay. Injuries were scored individually and added to provide a total injury score (TIS). It was concluded that Cortisol concentrations were lower on gestation day 56 than on other days, and TIS was higher on day 108 than on days 5 and 56. Time spent lying was highest on day 108. Sows spent more time on exploration and active behavior on day 56 than on days 5 and 108. Time for the transition from sitting to lying was higher on day 108 than on day 56. Frequencies of overall postural change and of standing or sitting to lying and lying to sitting were highest on day 5. Frequency of lying to standing was higher on day 5 than on day 108. Body weight was negatively correlated with time spent on exploration and active behavior and standing, and positively correlated with time spent lying. Therefore, the welfare of sows in gestation stalls appears to be more compromised during early and late stages of gestation. Providing larger sows with larger stalls might improve welfare.

PRRSV Transmission and Biosecurity Update

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Eradication of PRRS is possible on an individual farm basis, however; re-infection via local spread of the virus is a frequent event. Proof of knowledge on the routes of PRRSV transmission and biosecurity is necessary before large-scale eradication efforts can begin. The specific aims of this study are to assess the efficacy of three levels of biosecurity on reducing the risk of PRRSV transmission to naïve pig populations; to evaluate the role of season on PRRSV area spread; to estimate the frequency and significance of observed routes of PRRSV transmission and to compile a bilingual PRRSV-biosecurity manual summarizing routes, intervention and monitoring protocols for use on commercial farms. After five replicates the preliminary results for the high level facility is that all samples collected remained negative. The results from the medium level facility confirmed evidence of RNA in aerosols with subsequent infection of pigs. In the low level facility evidence was confirmed of RNA in marked flies with subsequent infection in pigs and there was no evidence of RNA in externally collected samples and no infection of pigs. Other preliminary results conclude that during the cool weather in June there was an outbreak of the PRRS virus; however, there was minimal spread during the hot weather in July. The next studies to be conducted will be large-scale, long-term demonstration projects under controlled field conditions.

Welfare, Meat Quality, Growth Performance and Economics of Pigs Housed in Hoop Barns

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Hoop barns were designed to address welfare issues of pigs, but the results are fatter carcasses from higher feed intake and a poorer feed conversion. Pigs in the hoop barns consumed about 7% more feed than pigs in the confinement barn. Efficiency of gain was about 6% worse for pigs in the hoop barn compared to the confinement barn. Pigs reared in confinement produced loins with more marbling, lower drip loss, and lower shear force (tenderness) values than similarly fed pigs housed in hoop barns. Total labor required to care for pigs in the confinement barn was about 14 minutes/pig placed, while in the hoop barns 8.5 minutes were required to care for each pig placed. The value per pig marketed was at least $5.00/head lower in the hoop system than confinement, due mostly to greater back fat and lighter weight for pigs marketed from the hoops. The combination of bedding costs and lower sales prices for pigs in the hoop systems resulted in negative net returns for the hoops compared to the confinement system. Pigs housed in the hoop barns showed more exploratory behavior and were easier to handle, and the bedding and large group size provided more opportunities for locomotion and environmental stimulation. They were less fearful of humans and objects, which make them easier to handle. Because they are easier to handle, stress at load out becomes less, meaning no meat quality loss from the stress.

Carcass Trims – A Look at Arthritis and Adhesions Trims from Severely Affected Herds

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Pork carcasses require trimming when defects are present. Federal and provincial regulations require trimming of defects to reduce food safety hazards and improve product quality. The most frequent causes of trims in Alberta are arthritis, chest adhesions and abscesses. Other less common causes include injuries, belly ruptures, and erysipelas. The producer can reduce certain trim rates because they are the result of disease or management problems on the farm. Similar trims may have more than one cause; therefore determining the cause in each barn is essential to designing a solution for that barn. It is important to monitor trim rates routinely and set action limits, invest in a veterinary diagnosis and diagnostic testing to find the cause of trims, ask the processor or herd veterinarian to examine and photograph affected hogs at slaughter to aid in diagnosis, design a prevention program with a swine veterinarian, and prevent septicaemia and pneumonia rather than treat it.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CONTRACT RELATIONSHIPS IN THE SWINE INDUSTRY

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Contracts at the Production and Marketing Phase are Evolving Coordination of the Chain
Continues
Forces Encouraging Coordination
• Branding of Various Kinds to Capture
Consumer Surplus and Overcome
Destructive Cost Competition as Only
Viable Strategy
• Traceability as a both a Legal and
Branding Requirement
• Critical Mass for Up-Chain
Negotiation
• Food Safety/Bio-Terrorism Issues
• Emerging Animal Welfare Issues
• Co-Permitting Threats

30 pigs/sow/year – Are we there yet?

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Big Sky Farms started a “30 Pigs Group” in late 2001 to improve replacement gilt performance, and to target 30 pigs weaned per mated female per year. The group has conducted on-farm trials, and held training workshops to improve farrowing performance. Big Sky Farms also implemented an enhanced genetic improvement system in their 650 sow nucleus herd using individual estimated breeding values (EBV) based on a best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) system. Currently Big Sky’s BLUP program is based on the number of pigs born and born alive, the percentage of pigs weaned, and age at first mating, with strong emphasis on the number of pigs born. Big Sky Farms also implemented a prolific program in their multiplication herd in the fall of 2003. Big Sky’s prolific program, preferentially selects gilts from litters of 13+ total born. To date, an increase in 0.15 total born and 1.5% units in farrowing rate (91 to 92.5%) has been achieved. Hi-prolific semen, used in 50% of sows at the multiplication level, has increased total born from 10.9 to 11.8, and farrowing rate from 81% to 88%. Emphasis has also been placed on selection of replacement gilts with a minimum weight of 115 kg upon entry into commercial units, and a target entry to service interval of about 32 days. Another system (The Danish system) weans 30+ pigs per sow per year and believes that several key components contribute to this achievement. These include the use of hyperprolific dam lines; breeding gilts at an older age (270+ days) and a heavier weight (160+ kg); paying close attention to the sow at farrowing to minimize stillbirths, and assist where necessary; split-suckle to ensure all piglets receive sufficient colostrums; extend gilt lactation length to 30 to 35 days by weaning their litter at ~20 days and fostering on a litter of 5 to 7 day old pigs; Feed sows a high-density diet (6% added fat and 0.85% digestible lysine) three times daily to optimize feed intake and finally, good management and production teams that are committed to the system’s goals. Although a few systems are achieving 30 weaned pigs per sow per year, on average the industry is still a long way from this goal.

Emulsifier content and side effects of oil-based adjuvant vaccine in swine

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Pork industry honours innovators at Banff Pork Seminar

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Three players in the western Canadian pork industry were honoured for innovation in the field of pork production at the 2006 Banff Pork Seminar Jan. 17-20.
The winners of this year’s F.X. Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production include Dr.
Pradip Maiti of Nutratech Inc. in Winnipeg, Man.; Tony Charanduk of Hypor Inc. in
Ituna, Sask.; and Darcy Pauls and Dr. Claude Mason of The Puratone Corporation,
Niverville, Man.

A bench-scale aeration study using batch reactors on swine manure stabilization to control odour in post treatment storage

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A bench-scale study on swine manure stabilization for odour control was conducted using
batch aeration reactors. In trial 1, two aeration lengths, i.e., 0.5 and 4.0 day, were used
under uncontrolled ambient temperature that increased gradually over the experimental
period. While in trial 2, a 16.0-day aeration scheme was employed under constant 17 1C. An
airflow rate of 1.2 L/s/m3 was used for both trials to aerate batch reactors containing
finishing pig manure with initial total solids (TS) levels ranging from 0.5 to 4.0%. Manure
stabilization during the 90-day post-treatment storage was evaluated by the changes in
organic materials, nitrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFA). The odour generation potential in
the treated manure was determined by the changes in VFA. Up to 827mL of liquid was lost
due to aeration related foaming. The reductions in total volatile solids (TVS), 5-day
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and VFA during storage
were improved when aeration length increased. Low solids levels offered a more
advantageous circumstance for manure stabilization and odour control. Biodegradation
of organic matter, removal of nitrogen, and breakdown of VFA would increase with
increasing ambient temperature. VFA removals in manure under 16.0-day aeration were
higher than those under 0.5- and 4.0-day aeration; however, VFA regeneration started to
exceed its consumption on day 20 (4 days after the aeration treatment). BOD5 was the best
estimate of VFA concentration in the aerated manure during storage. The 4.0-day aeration
scheme was sufficient to stabilize manure to effectively assuage odour generation potential
during the 90-day storage under increasing ambient temperature conditions.

Economic Assessment of the New Environment Regulations for the Pig Industry in Manitoba

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New phosphorus regulations for pig producers in Manitoba have been proposed. To comply with the proposed regulations, producers will be required to make changes in their managing of pig manure. These changes will come at some cost. Part 1 of this study (Salvano et al 2006) has outlined the proposed phosphorus regulations, namely the maximums of two-times the removal rate of phosphorus and one-times the removal rate of phosphorus. It also has outlined the framework for analysis of related changed manure management costs and has assigned unit costs to each of the alternative activities involved. Part 2 (this part) applies the framework to the Manitoba pig industry to determine an estimated additional annual cost to the industry for compliance to the proposed phosphorus regulations. The additional costs to individual operations have been estimated. These estimates have been aggregated to determine estimated added Provincial costs. The estimated added annual cost to the Manitoba pig industry under a maximum threshold regulation of 2xPhosphorus removal rate is 17.88 million dollars and the estimated added annual cost to the industry under a maximum threshold regulation of 1xPhosphorus removal rate regulation is 27.86 million dollars. The added annual costs are not distributed evenly across the Province. Under the 1xPhosphorus removal threshold regulation, the R.M. of Hanover faces the greatest added annual cost of 6.68 million dollars. La Broquerie, De Salaberry, Morris, and Ste. Anne follow, with additional annual cost estimates of 2.92, 1.87, 1.61 and 1.21 million dollars respectively. The added annual costs are also not distributed evenly across all operations. Operations with enough land face less added costs than those that require trucking or treatment. Under the 1xPhosphorus removal threshold and estimate of 56.87 percent of operations have enough land available, while 9.75 percent of operations will truck up to 20 km, 4.58 percent will truck up to 40 km and 28.79 percent will treat manure. The estimated added annual cost to the Manitoba pig industry under a maximum threshold regulation of 2xPhosphorus removal of 17.88 million dollars represents about 18% of the estimated annual 2005 net income accruing to pig producers in the Province. The estimated added annual cost under a maximum threshold regulation of 1xPhosphorus removal of 27.86 million dollars represents about 28% of the estimated annual 2005 net income accruing to pig producers in the province.