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Industry Partners
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:
Effect of supplemental tryptophan, vitamin E, and a herbal product on response by pigs to vibration.
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2004 | No Comments
Transportation can result in increased stress for pigs, which has been related to economic losses. The effect of supplementing feed or water with tryptophan, vitamin E or a herbal product (Sedafit) on the behaviour and physiology or pigs during simulated transportation (vibration) was studied. Water supplemented with tryptophan caused pigs to lie down more during the second hour of vibration. Compared to the control group, both during and after the stress of simulated transport, an increase in vitamin E in the feed caused a decrease in the peak heart rate, ventricular ectopic beats and ST elevation. Similarly, water supplemented with Sedafit resulted in smaller increases in the measured heart variables compared to the control group (before and after the stressor). Tryptophan calmed the pigs, such that they spent more time lying. Vitamin E and Sedafit had sedative and antianxiety effects based on the decrease in relative changes of some heart rate variables during and after vibration.
Pork Production Trends: Forecasting Our Future
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From 1998 to 2003, world pork production grew by 11%, while Canada grew by 42%. The productivity of the sow herd in the US and Canada today is still steadily improving. This is due to several factors that include improved management, improved genetics, modern facilities, and artificial insemination. An increase in slaughter weight improves the cost of each pig produced, because the costs can be spread out over more poundage. Although the number of pigs produced in the US and Canada is increasing, the number of operations is decreasing. In the US there has been a steady increase in production contracts. Hog producers that use contracts tend to be happier with their business than those that raise their own. The current trend in dieting is low carbohydrate/high protein diet, and this is contributing to an increase in the amount of meat eaten per individual. The number of pigs being bred and farrowed is increasing steadily, and is predicted to increase into 2005 as well.
Tracking Pork from Pen to Plate
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In order to increase public awareness of food safety, a pork tracking system is being developed. The need for this traceability comes from increasing focus on food safety, need for zoning in the case of disease, tracking drug residues, recall in the event of contamination, feedback to allow quality control, protection against bioterrorism, and marketing the “Canada Brand” worldwide. This system will also help Canada internationally to gain a competitive advantage. It will help disease-free geographical regions to continue exporting if a major disease outbreak occurs. Tracing methods for live animals include ear tags and tattoos for being cheap and reliable. Dead pigs at the plant can be as simple as a paper bar code that can be read and reprinted at each point where a cut is divided into smaller portions. The ultimate objective will be to trace every piece of meat from plate to farm through each step of the value chain: retail, distribution, processing, slaughter, production, nutrition, breeding, and genetics. The implementation into slaughter plants is much more difficult and would cost potentially $15 million to implement, resulting in an extra $4.50 extra per carcass, which is simply unacceptable. DNA tracking can link meat back to the farm of origin and is cheap and easy to implement. It is very accurate and free of human error compared to the hand-labelling systems. Maple Leaf Foods plans to introduce traceability in 3 stages: DNA tracking to the farm with live animal tracking to the plant, tracking through slaughter plant, and public access through the internet. In December 2002 Maple Leaf Foods placed a contract with Pyxis Genomics Inc. to trace meat back to the mother of the slaughter pig. Today the cost of DNA typing a single mother is about $35, and about $1 per carcass from that sow. The largest cost is the initial start-up cost of DNA typing the sow herd. Within 3 years the cost is expected to drop to about $6 per mother and less than 10 cents per carcass. Costs of DNA traceability can be recovered by adding value to the end product or as a cost of increasing market share. DNA traceability can also improve genetics because of its ability to track either defective or excellent meat back to the sow.
Characterization of an X-chromosome PCR–RFLP marker associated with fat deposition and growth in the pig
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The X-chromosome, highly conserved within mammals, has been shown to contain major
quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth and fat deposition in the pig. We have discovered a
BamHI polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP)
marker that was assigned to the porcine X-chromosome by two-point and multi-point
linkage analysis following genotyping of a three-generation Berkshire by Yorkshire reference
family. The marker was positioned 9 cM telomeric to SW2126 and 15.6 cM centromeric
to SW1943. Sequence flanking the marker was found to have high similarity to
existing database porcine DNA repeat elements. Association analyses of the BamHI marker
for growth and meat quality traits in the reference family revealed significant association
with marbling (P < 0.03), 10th rib back fat (P < 0.09) and total lipid percentage
(P < 0.05), as well as with loin eye area (P < 0.04), average glycolytic potential (P < 0.03)
and average lactate content (P < 0.04). Further studies are required to determine the
X-chromosome functional gene affecting fat deposition and growth in the pig.
Market Integration in the North American Hog Industries
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Large Group Penning: Does it Really Work?
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Large group penning in finishing barns have three main economic advantages; reduction of labour costs, higher percentage of hogs in the target weight zone, and increased utilization of space. Large group pens contain a large group of pigs that need to enter a food court to eat and drink and must pass through a sorter based on weight. It is a response to the stress and labour intensive method of individual weighing. An example of a typical large group finisher operation is an 8000 head barn; 8 rooms of 1000 pigs each with totally slatted floors. The pens were roughly 200 feet by 40 feet, requiring 2 sorters per room. The food court is accessed 2 to 3 times per day (there should be enough space so pigs can go in for as long as they wish). The feeders should not be overcrowded, but there should not be too much space that they create a sleeping area next to the entrance and block pig flow. When it comes to load-out, the pigs that have reached market weight were sorted into a separate area of the penning. This section requires a separate feeding area as well, which can add complications. Equipment needed for all of this includes a sorter and scale, one-way gates, and an air compressor. When pigs are first introduced into this system there will be minimal fighting which is advantageous for growth. Health checking is a different process because of the size of groups. Hospital pens should be created to minimize disease and manage withdrawal times before market. The size of the group also helps to prevent the hierarchy that pigs develop. It is much more difficult in a pen of 1000 pigs for the “boss hog” to be crowned. This makes mixing and loading of animals much, much easier. Training is generally accomplished by an open-door food court for the first 3 days and then gradually restricting the flow. The sorter should only be activated once it appears that market weights are going to begin being reached. This is great for reducing labour and stress on both the animals and the workers. There are also advantages over the mortality and average daily gain/feed conversion. Time is saved in power washing due to less partitioning/wall space (time per room can be reduce by a half or even a third!). Economically, the conversion costs roughly $20,000 per 1000 pigs. There are huge annual savings from fewer employees required and an increase in the number of pigs processed through the barn.
Managing Large Group Grow-Finisher Pigs
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Peace Pork Inc. installed over 50 automatic sorters in finishing barns. 16 were fully slatted and the rest were partially slatted. They operate two 8000 head finishing barns by a single crew of 4 people. The crew was weighing and shipping pigs constantly. This brought about the idea of these large group auto-sorting systems. The economic advantages include reduction of labour costs, higher percentage of hogs in the target weight zone, and increased utilization of barn space. By adopting the innovation of group housing and sorters, Peace Pork has learned that the technology is a great tool to address one of the biggest problems facing pig producers, which is attracting and maintaining quality staff. Large group grow-finish pigs allow for a working environment that is easier, safer, and involves less stress. Sorting, shipping, and improving target weights are much easier to obtain with this system and pigs are happier in a better social environment. There is an excellent payback period for investment due to improved volume of pigs, savings in labour, and higher packer returns.