Managing Transport Risk

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2009 | No Comments

Powerpoint Presentation, presented at the 2009 Livestock Transportation Conference

Omega-3 fatty acids in the gravid pig uterus as affected by maternal supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids

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In this research paper, two experiments evaluated the ability of maternal fatty acid supplementation to alter
conceptus and endometrial fatty acid composition. In Exp. 1, treatments were 1) the control, a corn-soybean meal diet; 2) flax, the control diet plus ground flax (3.75% of diet); and 3) protected fatty acids (PFA), the control plus a protected fish oil source rich in n-3 PUFA. It was found that supplementing n-3 PUFA, beginning 30 d before breeding, affected endometrial, conceptus, and fetal fatty acid composition in early pregnancy. Dynamic day effects in fatty acid composition indicate this may be a critical period for maternal fatty acid resources to affect conceptus development and survival.

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/

Hearing Equipment and Protection

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Earplug and earmuff fitting instructions as well as the 4C’s of hearing protection – Comfort, convenience, communication and caring.

Association of parathyroid hormone-like hormone (PTHLH) and its receptor (PTHR1) with the number of functional and inverted teats in pigs

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Parathyroid hormone-like hormone gene (PTHLH) and its receptor, parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone-like hormone receptor 1 (PTHR1), play a role in epithelial mesenchymal interactions during growth and differentiation of different tissues and anatomic structures, including teats. Therefore, PTHLH and PTHR1 were evaluated as functional
candidate genes for their effects on number and shape of teats in pigs. It was found that PTHR1 is a candidate gene for number of teats and in particular for affection by and number of inverted teats.

For more information the full article can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1439-0388/issues

An age-dependent association between a leptin C3469T single nucleotide polymorphism and intramuscular fat content in pigs

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In this study the association between a silent C3469T substitution at exon 3 of the Lep gene with SB thickness and IMF content and fatty acids (FA) composition at different time-points throughout the finishing period was examined withthe aim of understanding if genotype effects are temporally modulated. It was found that the associations
between gene polymorphisms and fatness vary with age and fat tissue. Although this circumstance makes more difficult
the identification of causal mutations, it can help for acting at specific ages or tissues. Thus, the fact that, at late ages, the C3469T Lep polymorphism may be preferentially associated with intramuscular fat content but not to subcutaneous fat can be useful for selecting them independently of each other.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci

Feed Additives

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This paper explains how certain feed additives and supplements work. Included is Penergetic-t, MicroSource S, YQP Powder, Micro-Aid, Agroin, D.U.A. from Helfter Feeds, PCS Sales Feed Products, and SHAC’s Feed Additive

Cost of Production Forecast – U.S. vs. Canada Comparison

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In hog production Canada has an advantage in sow production because of productivity and health, the US has an advantage in grow-finish because of facility costs, asset utilization and bigger pigs. Canada has an advantage in grow-finish because of feed and health. Genetics is neutral. In Processing Canada has an advantage because of the immigration policy but the US has a large Hispanic work force. In regards to asset utlization and economies of scale the US has the advantage because of more double shifts and bigger plants. However, Canada has an advantage of being able to focus more on the customer because of smaller plants that are able to provide a customized product. With regards to marketing the US has a larger domestic market but Canada has a strong international recognition. However, the US has an advantage with regards to transportation because of box cars and being a larger world consumer.

Reducing Animal Health Costs

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The focus of this paper is on how to deliver return on investment on animal health
products. The ultimate goal of our industry is to have a long term health
management strategy that delivers lowered input costs with corresponding
improved performance, and thus better margin than the industry norms. In no particular order of importance the following points are worth spending some time reviewing if your business is to achieve this long term goal. Measure, Analyze and Make Decisions Based on Opportunity Cost. Be Critical of Product Technical Information such as mass marketing of product technical results as all herds are different. Focus on the Primary Pathogens; the Big Bugs, not the Little Bugs, Monitor product usage and Management of Lightweight Pigs in Your Herd.

The nutritional value of expeller-pressed canola meal for grower-finisher pigs

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Expeller-pressed canola meal (EPCM) contains more residual oil than solvent extracted
canola meal. The EPCM might be an attractive feedstuff for swine,
but has been poorly characterized nutritionally. In this experiment it was found that the implications are that EPCM provides energy and amino acids (AA); however, average daily gain (ADG) was reduced 3
g/d per 1% inclusion of EPCM inclusion in diets formulated to equal net energy (NE) and
standardized ileal digestible (SID) AA. Thus, inclusion levels of EPCM in swine diets should be targeted to
ensure an expected growth performance.

Effects of social interactions on empirical responses to selection for average daily gain of boars

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The objective of this study was to investigate the relative importance of social effects on response for total genetic value from selection of boars for ADG. Records of 9,720 boars from dam lines (1 and 2) and sire lines (3 and 4) from Pig Improvement Company (PIC, Franklin, KY) were analyzed. Data were from 4 test farms over a 4-yr period (2000 to 2003). It was determined that further study of the effects of social interactions in different environments is needed to determine situations in which effectiveness of selection for total genetic value can be improved by incorporating social effects in models and indexes. An anonymous reviewer has suggested that this model for direct and social effects not be used in the future for several reasons. One reason is the complete confounding of fixed pen effects and environmental social effects and near confounding when pens are modeled as random effects. In this study pen effects were not included in the model. Another reason is one the authors and others have informally discussed; with many
pigs in a pen, some pigs may never interact with other pigs.

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/