Competitiveness in the World Market

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The switch from local to international pork markets has resulted in the need for a transition to a global target market. Importers require safe, high quality products. The pork industry needs to go vertical in order for this to happen (that is, it must be involved in all stages of meat production). This will help reach consumers, fulfill their needs, capture opportunities, and overcome challenges. PigCHAMP has performed a survey in Europe to grasp producers’ feelings about the future and their main concerns. Producers appear to be optimistic about pig performance, and even more so about reproductive performance! These reflect their confidence in themselves and the products that they use (such as genetics, medications, feeds, etc.). 93% of producers plan to continue pig farming for the next 10 years. Nearly two thirds of the farmers are thinking about farm improvements or expansion within the next 5 years. 7% classified business success as a problem and 93% considered environment to be the main risk for business.

Novel Vaccine Delivery Technology

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Infections of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts are among the most common diseases of piglets worldwide and can cause large amounts of economic loss to swine producers. Vaccine formation and delivery to the areas targeted by the disease is still difficult to do. Delivery of vaccines orally or intra-nasally has the benefit of stimulating immunity on the mucus surfaces without the hazards of using a needle. This has been proven to increase the immunity directly at the site of infection. Modified live vaccines are dangerous because the pathogen can mutate back to an infectious state. There is work being done on alternate methods of vaccination. Improved technologies to deliver vaccines to the target location are important for both killed and live vaccines, and most of these are still in development.

High Porcine Parvovirus Antibodies in Sow Herds: Prevalence and Associated Factors

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Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is widespread among swine. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of loosely housed sow herds in Finland with at least one animal with high (infection level) PPV antibodies and to gather basic knowledge about vaccination practices. In addition, selected factors
associated with high antibody levels found in sows were examined. Altogether, 247 animals were sampled in 21 randomly chosen loosely housed sow herds. Samples were analysed with the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. PPV proved to be common; in 17 farms (81%) at least one animal
had a high titre (>1 : 512), and 44% of all animals sampled had a high titre. The vaccination programmes had many shortcomings. In the generalised estimation equations (GEE) population-averaged model developed, the factors found to have a significant (p £ 0.05) effect on HI titres were herd size, parity of two or greater and storage of the vaccine vial after use. Non-returning rate, re-breeding interval and litter size did not differ between herds with no high HI titres (n ¼ 4) and
those with at least one high HI titre (n ¼ 17).

Comparison of Voluntary Feed Intake and Growth Performance between Grower Pigs Fed Diets Containing either Mustard Meal or Canola Meal

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Mustard meal might be a valuable ingredient for the swine industry domestically and internationally. In some export markets, concerns exist regarding the voluntary feed intake of pigs fed mustard instead of canola meal in their diets. This study will therefore compare two diets with either mustard meal or canola meal in the diet at a 15% inclusion rate for 28 days. This would be enough to assess if the feed intake concerns are indeed valid, or not and if growth performance differences exist. Pigs fed mustard meal tended to have a 5% better growth performance and had a 2.5%-unit better feed efficiency and an equal feed intake than pigs fed canola meal. Mustard meal might thus be a good opportunity ingredient with minimally a nutritional value equal as canola meal and might be a worthwhile opportunity ingredient to consider during periods of high prices for protein sources.

The Relative Payoffs from R&D and Generic Advertising Expenditure by the Australian Pig Industry

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ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF BIOLOGICAL VARIATION: THE CASE OF MYCOPLASMA IN SWINE HERDS

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Problem Solving Feed Outages: Do we really know how often they occur and what impact they have?

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One of the problems with feed processing today is that small particles do not flow through feed mills, while larger particles reduce feed conversion efficiency. In order to assess the impact of feed outages, Kurt Stoess of Hytek analyzed the problem and determined to move the proximity switch and attach a binwhacker to whack the boot of the bin as the auger runs. This worked for a week until alarm calls began again. Plans of action need to be done for each individual farm. The first step is to record data in order to have a quantitative evaluation of the problem. From here, you can investigate problem areas, and implement strategies to overcome (or at least reduce!) the amount of problems.

Management interventions to help keep piglets alive in large litters

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The bulk of pre-weaning piglet deaths occur in the first 48 hours after birth. Therefore, close supervision and provision of optimum environmental conditions at this time can be very rewarding. Birth weight has a major influence on piglet survival and this can be maximized by optimizing parity profile and increasing feed levels to sows in late gestation. Overlying and crushings are major contributors to pre-weaning mortality. Closing piglets into the creep area for an hour each time the sow is fed in the first two days of life can help. When the rearing capacity of the sow cannot cope with excessively large litters, cross fostering should be carried out, where possible. Quality colostrum and a high milk yield by the sow are essential for piglet survival. Sow feeding during gestation and in lactation can influence the yield and quality of sows’ milk.

Equipment Considerations for On-Farm Feed Milling

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In the past 35 years, on-farm feed processing technology has progressed from portable mixer grinders and proportioner mills to very sophisticated, computerized, weight-based batching systems controlled by automation that rivals anything available on the commercial market. However, regardless of the type of mill you use for particle reduction, or the type of mixer or distribution system you incorporate, the results will reflect the level of management that is applied to the feed milling system. Proper maintenance, monitoring, and record keeping are critical. An on-farm feed mill, properly sized to your operation and feed demands, could be key in your ability to survive and remain competitive in the hog industry in the 21st century.

Statistical Evaluation of Classical Swine Fever Surveillance Plans in Italy (1995–2003)

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Surveillance plans were carried out in Italy from 1995 to 2003, with the main aim of controlling the possible circulation of low-virulence classical swine fever viral strains. The repetition
of a serological monitoring programme over several years, with constantly negative results, can prove the absence of the infection while increasing the degree of confidence. In our case, in 2003, after eight repetitions of the surveillance plan, the probability that there was at least one infected farm reached 0.006%. Therefore, on the basis of the results of the sampling carried out from 1995 to 2003, we may state that there is no endemic infection, even because of a low virulence virus, in
continental Italy.