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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:
The effect of milk flow rate and milk allowance on feeding related behaviour in dairy calves fed by computer controlled milk feeders.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments
The aim of this study was to determine the effects of milk flow rate and milk allowance from a computer-controlled milk feeder on calves’ use of the feeder. Four calves each were assigned to one of four treatments: low milk allowance and normal milk flow rate (LN), high milk allowance and normal milk flow rate (HN), low milk allowance and reduced milk flow rate (LR), or high milk allowance and reduced milk flow rate (HR). Data were collected by the computerized feeder from day 15 until weaning. Findings indicated that the overall combination of high milk yield and low flow rate resulted in the most time spent in the feeder during rewarded visits. However, there were significant effects of breed. For the heavy breed calves, a reduced milk flow rate resulted in a longer duration of rewarded visits and a longer duration of all visits. A high milk allowance resulted in fewer unrewarded visits, a shorter duration of unrewarded visits, and a shorter duration of all visits to the feeder. For all breeds, the reduced milk flow rate resulted in a longer duration of visits where the calves had access to milk but did not consume it. Calf behaviour was recorded on video for a 24 hour period. Recordings showed that heavy breed calves that fed at a reduced milk flow rate occupied the feeder more than the calves fed at a normal milk flow rate. When offered a high milk allowance, the heavy breed calves entered the feeder less often and also entered the feeder less frequently when it was empty. Calves of all breeds, when offered a low milk allowance in combination with a reduced milk flow rate, tried more often to get access to an occupied feeder and displaced other calves from the feeder more often. There were no effects of treatment on the occurrence of cross-sucking. Results indicated that, for heavy breeds, a reduced milk flow rate increased the mean occupancy of the feeder due to a longer duration of rewarded visits. Also, a higher milk allowance reduced the mean occupancy through a reduction in the duration of unrewarded visits for the heavy breed calves. The hypothesis that a high number of unrewarded visits to a computerized milk feeder being likely due to hunger, was supported by the results of this study. The results further suggest that the time the calves occupy the feeder may be reduced by a high milk allowance. The combination of a low milk allowance and a reduced milk flow rate may result in an increase in the competition for access to the feeder.
Analysis of Economically Optimal Nutrition and Marketing Strategies for Paylean Usage in Hog Production
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Under historical average prices, feeding Paylean appears to be a profitable innovation
for many producers. Regardless of whether Paylean is adopted or not, the highest returns
accrue to production systems with superior management and growing environments. In
addition, a phase-feeding program makes a substantial contribution to increasing returns.
Paylean requires increasing the dietary lysine percentage to obtain the full potential
benefit. The optimal Paylean concentration and net return from Paylean adoption
increase with the ratio of lean value to fat value. It is optimal to initiate Paylean supplementation
for CF hogs at a lighter weight and feed Paylean for a longer period compared
with SEW hogs.
Based on results of the sensitivity analysis, the optimal Paylean concentration is
sensitive under payment schemes 3 and 4 only, and the length of the optimal Paylean
supplementation period is relatively stable. In addition, the returns from hog production
are not sensitive to the price of Paylean, but are highly sensitive to finishing hog and
feeder pig prices.
Future work should examine additional strategies for managing Paylean. Ideally,
these approaches will be coupled with live animal studies that evaluate the biological
responses to a broader range of Paylean supplementation strategies-including step-up
programs where the Paylean concentrations are increased over time. Additional research
is also needed to assess the effect of Paylean on the within-barn variability in hog
growth. Ultimately, a stochastic model of hog growth should be developed that permits
fme-tuning of herd-level marketing strategies and allows evaluation of Paylean’s effect
on herd variability and its impact on producers’ net returns.
Effect of repeated ketoprofen administration during surgical castration of bulls on cortisol, immunological function, feed intake, growth, and behavior.
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Cortisol, acute-phase protein concentrations, immune function, feed intake, growth, and behavior were measured in order to determine the effect of repeated ketoprofen (K) administration to surgically castrated bulls. Treatments consisted of control (C), surgical castration at 0 minutes (S), surgical castration 20 minutes after an i.v. injection of 3 mg/kg of BW of K (SK1), surgical castration at 0 and 20 minutes after an i.v. injection of 1.5 mg/kg of BW of K (SK2), or surgical castration following 1.5 mg/kg BW i.v. injection of K at 20 minutes and 0 minutes and 3 mg/kg of BW injection of K at 24 hours (SK3). Castration increased plasma cortisol concentrations in S and K treated animals compared with C, but there were no differences in peak and interval to peak cortisol responses among the groups. Overall, cortisol response was highest among castrates. K treatments decreased this response compared to S alone. Plasma haptoglobin and fibrinogen concentrations were increased on day 3 in the castration groups compared with C. Alternatively, SK1 and SK2 had lower haptoglobin concentrations than S animals. Concanavalin A-induced interferon-ã production was suppressed in S and SK3 groups compared with C, SK1, and SK2 groups. Overall, from day 1 to 33, dry matter intake was lower in S, SK1, and SK3 groups than in C animals. During days 1 to 35, ADG was lower for S, SK2, and SK3 groups compared with C animals. Standing posture was more frequent than lying in the S group compared with C during the first 6 hours after treatment. This higher incidence of abnormal standing postures seen in S was reversed by the K treatments. Conclusions stated that plasma cortisol and acute-phase proteins were increased by surgical castration while immune function, feed intake and ADG were decreased. Administration of ketoprofen effectively decreased the cortisol response to castration, although there were no advantages in treating with 2 split doses of K. Repeating the K dose 24 hours after castration had no influence on changes in acute-phase proteins and immune response. Analgesia with K was an effective method for alleviating acute inflammatory stress associated with surgical castration.
Panel Presentation: Views on Piglet Processing and Farrowing
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Proper management of piglets is important, especially in a nucleus herd. Tattooing the piglets will ensure that the breed and farm origin of the pigs is followed throughout production. Individual sow record keeping helps keep track of the litter breeding history of the sows and then it can be determined whether the sow is worth re-breeding. Piglet fostering is important so piglets can be grouped by size and put on the better milking sows if they are falling behind. It is done within the room to avoid potential spreading of disease. Treatments are administered as the need arises and they are all recorded for quality assurance. Iron is injected and tails are docked to minimize tail biting and for use as a handle. Castration is performed at day 8 on the market pigs. Secondary factors affecting piglets include having healthy mothers, optimal sanitation, timely fostering techniques, quality employees, and reasonable targets.
Induced Farrowings: Are You In Control?
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Induced farrowing is important for monitoring ongoing farrowings (to reduce stillborns, ensure colostrum, and revive dead piglets), ensuring they occur during the daytime, and reducing the variation in the day of farrowing among sows within rooms. Average gestation length should still be determined because of the possibility of herd variation from factors such as changing parity distribution and changes in breeding management. It may be necessary to stop inducing for a period to re-establish the average gestation length. Programs such as PigCHAMP help to analyze the induction program. Induction is working if it is helping to save piglets and helping to predict when sows will farrow. Consistent procedures must be followed (either through auditing or standard operating procedures) to ensure consistency in injection. Other variables to consider include gestation day and hour of injection.
2003 Michigan Swine (Farrow to Finish) Business Analysis Summary
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This report summarizes the financial and production records of 9 Michigan, farrow to finish, swine farms. To be included, the farms must have produced at least 50 percent of gross cash farm income from one or a combination of fat hogs, feeder pigs and cull breeding hogs sales. The records came from Michigan State University’s TelFarm project and the Farm Credit Service system in Michigan. The values were pooled into averages for reporting purposes.
Farm records were included if a farm financial summary was completed on 2003 data including beginning and ending balance sheets, plus income and expenses. The data were checked to verify that cash discrepancy was less than 10% of gross cash inflow and that debt discrepancy was less than $1,000. While considerable variation in the data exists, average values are reported in the summary tables below.
Effect of boar genotype on reproductive performance of the local sows of Zimbabwe
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