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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:
Plenty to Think About
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles by admin on March 28, 2013 | No Comments
The executive summary for the article “Technology’s Role in the 21st Century: Making safe, affordable and abundant food a global reality”.
Trends and Patterns of Influenza Virus Circulation
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The abstract for a study explaining the trends of influenza viruses in swine herds. The emergence of H3N2 in the 1990s resulted in new recombinants, and pH1N1 in 2009 brought interest to studying flu strains in livestock. Strains found in swine herds include H1N1 with 2 additional genes and TRIG cassette, pH1N1, recombinants of human H1N1 and rH3N2, and recombinants of H3N2. The US has reported 7 strains in swine herds. Influenza is becoming a more complex virus, and it is possible multiple strains will continue to circulate or that one will emerge as dominant.
Top Profit Robbers Wean To Finish
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Paragon Farms lists their suggestions for minimizing profit loss in their wean to finish facility. Feeding correct amounts, adjusting feeders, and feed quality are important aspects to monitor in nutrition. The barn environment should be the proper temperature, and herd health should be constantly monitored.
Top Profit Robbers in a Sow Farm: Energy
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Energy consumption is an area that provides most producers with options to reduce costs by updating systems or procedures. Lighting costs can be reduced by using more efficient bulbs, or deciding on lighting use – which can be aided by automatic timers. Heat lamps in farrowing require proper management to save energy. Ventilation should be set for the season to save on heating/cooling costs, and fans should be kept clear of dust build up. As well, the temperature of the power washer should be high enough to be effective, but not too high as to waste energy. Propane and gas prices seem to be increasing, and their use should be monitored also. Monitoring energy use and having appropriate set points will save costs, and maintain pig performance.
Top Profit Robbers Wean to Finish
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Schlegelhome farms Ltd. gives their points on areas that can be improved to minimize cost/maximize profit. They stress paying attention to details including barn environment, proper feed, setting targets and keeping records. Keeping animals healthy, having similar health status pigs mixed, and euthanizing when necessary are also important. Final recommendations are monitoring the market, and minimizing the days pigs spend in the barn.
Impact of Influenza A in Pork Production
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Influenza can have an impact on the pork industry by affecting pig health, and also negative public perception because of pig-human transmission. Pig health can be affected in two ways: by an outbreak or an endemic strain. Outbreaks usually have a beginning and end, so the economic impact is easier to measure. Endemic influenza strains are harder to economically measure, and the effect may be further complicated when other diseases, like PRRSv, are present in the herd as well. Vaccines exist, but will only prevent against certain strains. The pork industry recently became of interest to public health due to the spread of H1N1, or as it is commonly called the “swine flu”. Limiting the spread of influenza between pigs and between humans and pigs can be aided by vaccines, limiting human and bird access to barns, employees avoiding the barn when sick, and use of PPE by employees.
Top Profit Robbers, Nursery-Finish
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RFW Farms Ltd gives their strategy to achieve maximum profit in nursery-finish. Among their strategy are points like having employees fully mentally engaged on the job, avoiding having allotted time slots for animal care, and reducing negative stressors to workers. As well, vaccines and treatments are provided when needed to pigs, which reduces mortality and morbidity. Finally, fixing things before they’re broken, upkeep on the pig environment as well as individual pig care, and fixing animal vices are listed.
Maximizing Weaning Capacity of Sow and Crate
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A summary of points from Cranbrook Swine Ltd to increase weaning capacity, and increase teat development in gilts. This was attempted by loading P1 with 15-17 piglets, P2 with 14-15, and other sows with their weaning average plus one. Increasing weaned pigs/sows should decrease lactation feed/pig and provide more uniform weaning numbers.
Repeatability of Litter Size in the Sow Population
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Litters with a low birth weight phenotype present have decreased growth, increased mortality, and more variation in market weight pigs. A statistical analysis of 8,000 parity records at a facility found that if sows have low birth weight litters up to parity 3, then they will likely continue to do so. As well, sows with high birth weight litters up to parity 3 will likely continue to do so in later parities. This information is useful when deciding when to cull sows, and when managing sows (ie expected low birth weight sows could be put into the same farrowing room).
Top Profit Robbers In a Sow Farm
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Some of the biggest financial wastes can come from sow feeding, semen management, and gilt attrition. In order to maintain income production goals should be long term, such as pigs weaned/sow/year, but also maintain a consistent pig flow. Adequate sow nutrition is necessary for good farrowing results, but overfeeding of sows can be a major cost. Feed amount should be based on the parity and body condition score of a sow, and providing body condition diagrams to staff can help provide accurate assessments. Feed use should be monitored, and correct amounts going to the right animal to reduce body condition variability in a herd. Proper semen management is important to make sure the correct amount is ordered to avoid waste, and this can be done by tracking the number of doses used and ordered per month. Being able to keep gilts for more parities will result in a lower herd turnover, and reduced costs. Producers should aim for 93-95% of gilts having a first litter, and 80% having a third litter. Good gilt management strategies include not breeding before a minimum size, waiting until second heat to breed, and maintaining gilt condition throughout farrowing. Finally, maintaining consistent output by good management of the sow herd is important to provide income.