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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:
Management of High Prolificacy in French Herds: Can We Alleviate Side Effects on Piglet Survival?
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2007 | No Comments
In general the development of hyper prolific sows has been associated with a dramatic increase in perinatal mortality. Analysis of the performance of French sow herds (IFIP, 2007) indicates that total number of piglets born per litter increased from 11.9 in 1996 to 13.8 in 2006. Simultaneously, total mortality increased from less than 19% up to 21%, with about 25% of herds losing more than 25% of piglets born before weaning (Badouard, personal communication). Stillborn piglets (8% of total born) presently account for about 40% of total mortality. With 12.7 born alive per litter, mortality frequently reaches 15% during lactation, mainly due to crushing of starved and weak piglets. However, the size of weaned litters and sow productivity are still increasing with prolificacy, without an apparent negative impact on sow fertility or longevity (Boulot, 2004). In 2006, the 10% most efficient French farms weaned 30 piglets/productive sow /year, with 14.3 total born per litter and only 17.3% total piglet losses. That may represent a somewhat optimistic perception of prolificacy, despite negative ethical impacts and economic wastes. Recently, Quiniou et al. (2007a) described the association between litter size and heterogeneity in hyperprolific LWxLR experimental IFIP’s herd. When litter size increased from less than 10 piglets to more than 15, mean birth weight (BW) was reduced by 500 g. Variability was high with a coefficient of variation increasing from 15 to about 24%. Consequently, the proportion of piglets weighing less than 1 kg increased from 3 to 15%. It is still debatable whether these small piglets have a higher risk of being stillborn but they clearly have a lower survival rate than their heavier littermates. Techniques that may reduce stillbirths and enhance neonate survival have been extensively reviewed. IFIP’s inventory consists in 10 key points and not less than 100 technical proposals! Priorities may vary according to farms and can be investigated with mortality checkup grids. Successful managers of large litters avoid practices that may amplify detrimental effects of low birth weight (anticipated or lengthened farrowings, low ambient temperatures, low colostrum intake, competition for teats, etc). According to field studies (IFIP, 2005) these managers concentrate on best practices, with a special attention paid to birth and neonatal supervision, specific care of weak and supernumerary piglets and promotion of the sow’s health and high milk production. Despite a considerable amount of research, poor piglet survival slows down the progress expected from the move towards sow hyper prolificacy. Although very few management procedures may directly improve piglet quality, specific strategies may be implemented at farm level that will partly compensate side effects of large litters, before and after weaning. According to economic simulations, 0.85 kg is the minimum limit to save piglets from modern genotypes (IFIP, 2005). French solutions are time consuming and may be less efficient without batch management. However, things may change favorably in the near future due to re-orientation of selection objectives. Since 2002, born alive instead of total-born, and functional teat numbers, are included in LW and LR French breeding programs. The addition of new components of maternal ability such as sow behavior, farrowing quality, colostrum production, and piglet weight, vitality or growth rate may also improve survival and reduce the demand for human intervention.
Static Space Requirements for Piglet Creep Area as Influence by Radiant Temperature
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The objective of the study was to quantify the space occupied by a litter of piglets under recommended conditions and when challenged by less comfortable radiant temperatures in an oversized, uniformly heated creep area. It was found that the area recommended for 10 average‐sized piglets at comfortable temperatures at 1 week (3.7 kg), 2 weeks (6.1 kg), and 3 weeks (8.6 kg) of age is 0.58, 0.76, and 0.91 m2, respectively.
Enhancing Sow Reproductive Performance By Organic Tracemineral (Bioplex and Sel-Plex) Dietary Inclusion
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Mineral nutrition is perhaps the most complex area of animal nutrition. Sows today are capable of a very high production level, much higher than naturally occurs. Because of this we think that minerals must be supplemented to a higher dietary level than is solely available in grains in order to meet the modern sow’s reproductive demands. Research has demonstrated that pigs fed inorganic minerals from an organic source increases the number of live born pigs, reduces days to puberty, gives heavier litter weights, and reduces wean-to-estrus interval. However, too much inorganic mineral can lead to poor reproductive performance. Researchers Mahan and Peters fed sows one of four diets and followed them through 6 parities. The sows that were fed organic minerals (such as Bioplex and Sel-Plex) in gestation and lactation diets resulted in one additional pig per litter when both NRC and Industry requirements were met. When inorganic minerals were fed, the Industry requirements resulted in poor reproductive performance, but the NRC requirements resulted in higher reproductive performance. Conclusively, feeding organic minerals above the NRC requirement will increase reproductive performance. Feeding inorganic minerals in excess may result in detrimental effects on the sow’s reproductive performance.
China: EXPORT MARKET PROSPECTS AND ALBERTA’S AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
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The emergence of China as one of the world’s largest potential markets has led to this nation becoming the focus of increasing attention for economists, marketers and politicians. Reflecting anticipations of China’s expected role as the world’s future largest market for food, this paper focuses on the identification of opportunities and constraints to Alberta’s expansion of agricultural-based exports to China. The analysis is based on: collection and assessment of data relating to China’s importation of these agri-food products during the five year period from 2001 to 2005; analysis based on export values and market shares of Alberta and major competitors; overviews of some relevant literature; and insights from interviews with a small number of selected, knowledgeable North American exporters.
Despite volatility in the values of individual products exported from Alberta to China, Alberta’s total agriculture exports to China reached $291.71 million in 2005, representing an increase of 198.75% in the five year period from 2001. (All values are US current dollars unless otherwise stated.) During this period, China’s aggregate imports of these products increased by 49.81% to $4,196.946 million and Alberta’s market share in the aggregate of agricultural and food products it exports to China grew from 3.49% to 6.95%. Thus Alberta’s agricultural export performance can be broadly assessed to have improved during the five-year period under consideration.
Alberta’s (average) market shares of China’s imports approached or exceeded 5% for cereals in aggregate (6.7% market share on average for 2001-2005) and all hides and skins (4.0% during this study period). Despite longstanding dominance of these traditional commodities in Alberta’s exports to China, Alberta’s market shares of major commodity exports tended to be very variable (wheat) or have declined (hides). However, export values and market shares for canola seed (intended for processing) and barley have tended to increase and this is also the case for several semi-processed agricultural products (malt; canola oil) and processed food exports (frozen prepared potatoes). Exports of these particular semi-processed products are growing appreciably, although from small bases, and had achieved appreciable market shares by 2005. Successful market access, growth in market share, and potential for increased exports also applies for pork, some bovine products and related animal byproducts. Natural health products, like antler velvet, have varied but appear to have considerable potential.
A number of potential ’import gaps’ are identified. These are products for which China’s imports have grown significantly, but appreciable Alberta exports have not been achieved, although growth appears to be feasible. Identified import gaps include bovine tongues which, together with other bovine products, are currently adversely affected by incidents of BSE in Alberta/Canada. Other products for which there are potential ’import gaps’ that should be accessible to Alberta exporters are potato starch, fescue seed, live swine for breeding, and animal fats.
Upon China’s accession to membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) there were considerable changes in the levels and structure of tariffs for many agricultural imports. Tariff levels were considerably reduced and the practice of staggered (i.e. increased) levels of tariffs along value chains, which had appreciably increased the effective rate of protection of China’s domestic food processing industries to the considerable disadvantage of exporters, was reduced. Nonetheless there are several concerns about China’s tariffs for agricultural products of interest to Alberta/Canada. China’s 2006 tariffs are observed to be as high as 65% for an important category of commodity exports from Alberta (wheat); to be appreciably higher for the processed forms, rather than the commodity form, for another significant commodity export (malt with a tariff rate of 10%, relative to barley at 3%); and to be higher for an important Alberta export than for substitute products from competitors (canola imported for processing at 9% compared to soybeans, which is a major oil seed competitor, at 3%). A potential disadvantage to Alberta exporters arises from the slow pace and discouraging results of WTO trade negotiations for agricultural products. This has, moreover, encouraged a number of competing exporting nations (including Australia, Brazil, Argentina and New Zealand) to seek trade alliances with China, raising concern regarding potential trade displacement for others, including Alberta/Canada. Other disadvantages to Alberta exports arise from the ways in which food standards are applied in China and a lack of protection of product identity that is associated with fraudulent claims of branded high quality product in instances where lower quality or domestic product has been fraudulently substituted. Encouragement of China’s effective participation in the Codex Alimentarius system of food standards could assist with some issues of standards anomalies. Exporters’ efforts to develop and maintain close associations in supply value chains are also necessary in the China market if quality maintenance and accurate identification of products and their origins are to be achieved and defended.
While appreciating the contributions of government facilitators and the commodity trade associations to promote exports to China, industry spokesmen indicate that the sheer size of the resources applied to these activities by the United States in particular provides American exporters with a relative advantage. This suggests that export promotion assistance may well be an issue that should be raised in multilateral trade negotiations. Industry informants should be helpful in future delineation of the scope of this issue.
Overall, trends in consumption and the tendency for westernization of Chinese diets suggest a potential in the China import market in processed and convenience-focused food and beverage products, health foods and snacks, organic foods, and meat, fish and seafood. As indicated by the rapid increase in Alberta’s exports of frozen processed potatoes, this potential can be achieved by Alberta producers and exporters.
Behaviour of pigs with viral and bacterial pneumonia
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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.