The Changing World of Genomics and its Impact on the Pork Chain

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments

The increasing availability of genetic information (thanks to the sequencing of the humane genome) offers new options for animal improvement. It will no longer be necessary to rely solely on phenotypic (visual or measurable characteristics) in order to obtain desirable genetics. Instead, individual genes can be identified and manipulated to a producers liking. Genes and have already been identified that impact growth and backfat, litter size, disease resistance, lean percentage and meat quality. In addition, DNA “fingerprints” provide ways to verify traceability from the plate to the farm. This new information will provide the means to better influence traits beyond the cost of production providing benefits throughout the pork chain. Genomics should help the industry respond more rapidly to the changing demands of consumers.

Housing pigs in large social groups: a review of implications for performance and other economic traits.

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Large group sizes (50 – 2000 pigs) are an increasingly common feature of pig production. It has been associated with greater efficiency of building space use, improved mechanization and reduced labour input per pig. However the economic and animal welfare disadvantages have not been adequately addressed. In this review the implications of group size (range 3 – 120 pigs) for growth performance are quantified using regression analysis of data from 20 earlier studies and almost 22,000 animals. The relationships between group size and immunocompetence, clinical health status, within-group variation in growth rate, carcass characteristics, the occurrences of vices and reproductive performance are reviewed in this paper. A significant, negative, approximately linear relationship in average daily gain (ADG) with increases in group size was recorded during the weaner (weaning to 30 kg) and grower (31-68 kg) stages. Weaner stage pigs showed a reduction in food intake that was not present during the grower stage. Consequently the efficiency of growth was compromised during the grower stage. No influence of group size on performance during the finisher stage (>69 kg) was detected. None of the other traits measured were consistently and significantly influenced by changes in group size. A large group size may compromise the growth performance of young pigs, but the long-term consequences for other economically important traits is like to be slight.

Modeling chemical and physical body composition of the growing pig

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N balance studies in young Mong Cai and Large White pigs fed high fibre diets based on wheat bran

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The effects of immuno- and surgical castration on the behaviour and consequently growth of group-housed, male finisher pigs.

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The objectives of this experiment were to record the behaviour of group housed, male pigs over towards the end of the growth phase to examine the effect of castration. Three treatments were created: surgical castration (at 14 days of age), immuno-castration (2 doses at recommended age of 14 and 18 weeks old), and entire (un-castrated) males. Each treatment had 60 pigs. Average feed intake was highest for surgically castrated males at 17 weeks of age. Average feed intake was highest for immuno-castrated pigs at 21 weeks of age. At both 17 and 21 weeks of age, entire males had lowest feed intakes. Entire males appeared more easily distracted from feeding, thus reducing feed intake. At 21 weeks of age, immuno-castrated males had the highest live weight gains, followed by surgically castrated males. At 23 weeks of age, gains were similar to those found at 21 weeks. Entire males were more social at both 17 and 21 weeks of age. Aggression was the most predominant social behaviour observed (90 % of social behaviour), followed by mounting behaviours (10 % of social behaviour). It was presumed that live weights were higher for immuno-castrated pigs compared to entire pigs because of the effects of the immuno-castration drug, which removed certain hormones normally influencing aggression and sexual activity. Therefore, immuno-castrated pigs spent less time carrying out active aggressive and sexual behaviours, and spent more time feeding. Immuno-castrated pigs and surgically castrated pigs showed a similar reduction in social (aggressive and mounting) behaviours, and had a similar increase in feeding behaviour over entire males. Immuno-castrated pigs tended to grow faster to slaughter weight than entire males.

Antimicrobials: Can we continue using them? U.S. Checkoff Programs and Perspectives

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The National Pork Board was established by an act of the US Congress in 1985 and is responsible for the collection, distribution, and program accountability for the money generated by the US pork producers’ checkoff. Areas of responsibility include pork quality, production research, food safety, swine health, animal welfare, and public health/worker health and safety. The National Pork Board has 7 statements regarding their position on antimicrobial use: 1) To preserve the availability and effectiveness of antimicrobials, a coordinated and appropriate response to the issue of antimicrobial resistance is necessary; 2) Producers and their veterinarians must have the flexibility to responsibly address animal health and production in a timely, cost-effective manner; 3) Producers continue in their science-based commitment to ensure the safety of pork and to maintain consumer confidence; 4) The National Pork Board and the nation’s pork producers are supportive of educational efforts to ensure that antimicrobial use does not compromise food safety; 5) The National Pork Board supports a rigorous US Food and Drug Administration process that reviews the scientific data, that evaluates product safety and efficacy and that approves antimicrobials for use in animals; 6) If, based on sound science, additional oversight of antimicrobial use and distribution is considered necessary, stakeholders should discuss the best implementation strategies to achieve the desired result; and 7) The National Pork Board supports the development of effective and affordable alternatives to the use of antimicrobials for enhancing production. They support the use of antimicrobials only when they provide demonstrable benefits and urge producers to take appropriate steps to decrease the need for application, adhere to guidelines, assess benefits and costs, and complete the Pork Quality Assurance Program.

FOUCAULDIAN HOG FUTURES: The Birth of Mega-Hog Farms

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THE ROLE OF SEROLOGY IN PRRS CONTROL

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First outbreak of PRRS was reported in the United States in 1987, in Europe it started to spread in 1990 in Germany (1). Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection is world-wide distributed. PRRSV is plague in swine industry and cause economically important reproductive and respiratory problems. Serologically positive herds without economically significant losses complicates PRRS control (2, 6).
Immuno Peroxidase Machrophage Assay (IPMA) and ELISA are used for serological diagnosis for PRRS (5).
Pig production in Slovenia is under systematic monitoring and control for many important diseases. One of it is also porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. The monitoring and control are part of annual Order of Ministry of Agriculture, forestry and food of Slovenia. Testing for PRRS is obligatory and free of charge for pig producers (3). Important measure in PRRS control is quarantine. Pigs with antibodies against PRRSV can not be imported in Slovenia (4).
In our laboratory we used commercial ELISA for detection of antibodies against PRRSV. Monitoring has started 1995 and include representative sample of breeding pigs from large and small farms in Slovenia. Typical outbreak of PRRS was never observed in Slovenia.

The use of ensiled cassava leaves in diets for growing pigs. 3. The effect of graded levels of palm oil on performance traits

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A Facility for Controlled Exposure of Pigs to Airborne Dusts and Gases

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A facility has been developed for a study in which, for 6 weeks, groups of weaner pigs (960 in total) were exposed to controlled concentrations of airborne dust (nominally 0, 2
5, 5 or 10 mgm3 inhalable fraction) and ammonia (nominally 0, 10, 20 or 40 parts per million, ppm) and the effects on production and respiratory disease measured. The facility comprised five rooms, each holding 24 pigs. Each room was ventilated mechanically at a constant rate of either 30 or 40 air changes per hour in the Winter and Summer, respectively, to minimise the background concentration of pollutants. An artificial pig dust has been developed, though setting the specifications for composition, particle size distribution and microbial content was hampered by the lack of published values for these parameters. The dust was manufactured from feed, barley straw and faeces, mixed by weight in the proportions 0
5:0
1:0
4. The ingredients were oven dried to inactivate microbes and remove moisture and oil binders, milled by a hammer mill and then an air classifier mill, and mixed. This dust
was then injected into the supply air of each roomvia a venturi nozzle fed froman agitated hopper. The size distribution of this dust approximated published values for piggery dust. The dust concentration was monitored with a tribo-electric sensor, which was calibrated against an aerodynamic particle sizer and gravimetric samplers. Ammonia was also injected into the supply air; its rate was controlled with mass flow controllers and its concentration was measured continuously with a NO chemiluminescence gas analyser after catalytic conversion of NH3 to NO at 7508C. The monitoring and control system was controlled by a computer, which included a safety system to terminate pollutant generation if set limits are exceeded. The facility has been used successfully and two batches of pigs have been tested satisfactorily.