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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:
Effect of temporary straw bedding on pigs’ behaviour, performance, cortisol and meat quality
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments
The enrichment of pigs’ pens with straw has been a well-studied topic during the last decades and its effects on several aspects regarding pig welfare, physiology, and performance have been reported. Fraser et al. (1991) mentioned the positive influence of straw due to its use as a recreational and nutritional substrate and as thermal bedding. Pigs of enriched environments are more active and show increased exploratory and decreased manipulative behaviour (Arey and Franklin, 1995; De Jong et al., 1998; Beattie et al., 2000). These pigs are less aggressive in their home pens (Beattie et al., 2000) and in a confrontation test with unfamiliar pigs (O’Connell and Beattie, 1999) than pigs from barren environments. Also, more physiological stress before slaughter may lead to excessive glycogenolysis in the muscles, resulting in a higher lactate production and a more rapid pH decline (Lambooij et al., 2004). Therefore, a better meat quality for enriched pigs may be expected, which was demonstrated in studies of Beattie et al. (2000), Klont et al. (2001), and Lambooij et al. (2004). Other authors, in contrast, reported no influences of environmental enrichment on meat quality (Geverink et al., 1999; Day et al., 2002). Providing pigs with straw bedding throughout the entire growth phase can be quite costly and labour demanding, so providing straw during the finishing phase can be a good alternative to improve a pig’s coping capacity for transport and its meat quality. Additionally, straw provision might positively influence consumer perception. The aim of this experiment was to study and compare the effects of temporary straw bedding for various periods before slaughter (6, 4, and 2 weeks) and no straw provision on pigs’ growth performance, behaviour, cortisol concentration, intermediary metabolism, and meat quality. This experiment was replicated six times but in two replicates T6wk could not be included. A total of 220 pigs were involved, of which 132 served as focal animals for behavioural observations. The meat quality of 110 of these pigs was measured and 48 pigs were also sampled for salivary cortisol. The pigs of T6wk and T4wk had a higher average daily weight gain after 2 weeks of straw bedding, whereas no differences in feed intake or feed conversion were observed over the whole test period, nor effects on carcass weight or back fat thickness. The weekly observation of the focal animals during 5 min showed that straw provision decreased pen manipulation (P = 0.001) and pen mate manipulation (P = 0.0001). The time pigs spent on postures and specific behaviours like eating, biting and fighting was not different between treatments. Saliva samples, taken every 2 weeks, revealed no cortisol concentration differences between the treatments. No differences in plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate, or NEFA concentrations were found at slaughter. The concentration of creatine kinase tended to be lower in pigs of T6wk compared to pigs of T0wk (P = 0.07). No treatment effects on skin lesions of the front, middle, and hind regions were observed in the slaughter line. Finally, meat quality measurements in the longissimus dorsi muscle revealed no differences in pH 45 min post-mortem or in pH, electrical conductivity, colour, and water-holding capacity 24 h post-mortem. It is concluded that straw redirects the pigs’ behaviour from pen manipulation and pen mate manipulation to straw manipulation after straw provision, but that there are no or only minor differences in carcass quality, cortisol concentrations, intermediary metabolites, and meat quality of pigs given a temporary straw bedding of 6, 4, or 2 weeks before slaughter or no straw.
Space and Water Availability Issues for Nursery and Grow-Finish Pigs
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Economic success of a modern facility relies largely on the methods of providing feed and water as well as how many pigs are in the facility. Maximum stocking density space is determined by how large the pig will be by the time it will leave the pen to advance to the next stage of production. Pigs with too little floor space see a decrease in feed intake resulting in a decrease of daily gain. For a fully slatted pen, every 3% decrease in space allocation results in a 1% reduction in daily gain and feed intake for the entire grow-finish period (it is recommended 8 ft2/pig from 150 lb to slaughter). Proper space allocation can also contribute to a slight decrease in back fat and a leaner carcass.
Water is a component that is frequently mismanaged among producers. Factors such as pen size and stocking density should be taken into account when planning number of drinkers, number of drinking spaces, drinker type, and delivery rate of drinkers. Water consumption appears to go in seasonal patterns. For example, in the summer, pigs’ water consumption peaks earlier in the day, with a decline beginning midday. Water recording devices can be used to monitor water wastage. Water-to-feed ratios decrease as pigs grow. At the start of their life they require about a 3.35:1 ratio and this declines to about 2.25:1 (with gate-mounted nipple drinkers). Although the volume of manure is less when water wastage is minimized, the amount of total nutrients does not vary. A flow rate of 1000 ml/min appears to be accurate for grower-finisher pigs, and 2 drinkers are recommended for every 15 to 20 grower-finisher pigs.
Effect of floor space during transport of market-weight pigs on the incidence of transport losses at the packing plant and the relationships between transport conditions and losses
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Losses of pigs (dead and nonambulatory) during transport are of great concern from animal welfare and economic perspectives. Based on several field studies, the incidence of transport losses in market-weight pigs is approximately 1% (Ellis et al., 2003, 2004). Survey evidence suggests that overcrowding pigs during transport is associated with greater mortality rates (Robertson, 1987; Guardia et al., 1996; Riches et al., 1996). Currently, the National Institute for Animal Agriculture (2004) recommends floor space allowances of 0.40 to 0.45 m2/pig for pigs weighing between 114 to 136 kg (equivalent to approximately 0.35 and 0.33 m2/100 kg of BW, respectively). The objective of this study was to investigate effects of 2 floor spaces (0.39 and 0.48 m2/pig) during transport, which represent the range currently being used in commercial practice in the United States, on the incidence of dead and nonambulatory pigs and to evaluate relationships between transport conditions and losses. Data on 74 trailer loads of finishing pigs (mean BW = 129.0, SEM = 0.63 kg) from wean-to-finish buildings on 2 farms within 1 production system were collected to investigate the effect of amount of floor space on the trailer (0.39 or 0.48 m2/pig) during transport on the incidence of losses (dead and nonambulatory pigs) at the packing plant and to study the relationships between transport conditions and losses. Pigs were loaded using standard commercial procedures for pig handling and transportation. Two designs of flat-deck trailers with 2 decks were used. Floor space treatments were compared in 2 similarly sized compartments on each deck of each trailer type. Varying the number of pigs in each compartment created differences in floor space. The incidence of nonambulatory pigs at the farm during loading and at the plant after unloading, average load weight, load number within each day, event times, and temperature and relative humidity in the trailer from loading to unloading were recorded. Of the 12,511 pigs transported, 0.26% were nonambulatory at the farm, 0.23% were dead on arrival, and 0.85% were nonambulatory at the plant. Increasing transport floor space from 0.39 to 0.48 m2/pig reduced the percentage of total nonambulatory pigs (0.62 vs. 0.27 ± 0.13%, respectively; P < 0.05), nonambulatory, noninjured pigs (0.52 vs. 0.15 ± 0.11%, respectively; P < 0.01), and total losses (dead and nonambulatory pigs) at the plant (0.88 vs. 0.36 ± 0.16%, respectively; P < 0.05) and tended to reduce dead pigs (0.27 vs. 0.08 ± 0.08%, respectively; P = 0.06). However, transport floor space did not affect the percentage of nonambulatory, injured pigs at the plant. Nonambulatory pigs at the farm were positively correlated with relative humidity during loading and load number within the day (r = 0.46 and 0.25, respectively; P < 0.05). The percentage of total losses at the plant was positively correlated to waiting time at the plant, unloading time, and total time from loading to unloading (r = 0.24, 0.51, and 0.36, respectively; P < 0.05). Average temperature during loading, waiting at the farm, transport, waiting at the plant, unloading, and average pig weight on the trailer were not correlated to losses. These results suggest that floor space per pig on the trailer and transport conditions can affect transport losses.
Effective Vaccinations
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Vaccinations are used to give the body an idea of what a disease looks like. From there, the body will be able to recognize when the infectious agent enters the body and the immune system will be faster to respond. Specific vaccinations can be required for different operations. Killing the infectious agent or making it unable to cause disease makes vaccinations. From here administration amounts and methods are tested and designated, and should be followed strictly. Vaccinations are important for gestating sows in that they equip them with antibodies that can be passed on to their offspring via colostrum. Note that vaccinations should be given at least 3 to 4 weeks prior to exposure, and some require booster shots later on.
Quantitative trait loci mapping for fatty acid composition traits in perirenal and back fat using a Japanese wild boar · Large White intercross
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Here, we analysed quantitative trait loci (QTL) for fatty acid composition, one of the factors
affecting fat quality, in a Japanese wild boar · Large White cross. We found 25 significant
effects for 17 traits at 13 positions at the 5% genome-wise level, of which 16 effects for 12
traits at 10 positions were significant at the 1% level. QTL for saturated fatty acids (SFA) in
back fat were mapped to swine (Sus scrofa) chromosomes (SSC) 1p, 9 and 15. QTL for
unsaturated fatty acids in back fat were mapped to SSC1p, 1q, 4, 5, 9, 15 and 17. Using a
regression model that fits back fat thickness as a covariate, two of the QTL for linoleic acid
content on SSC4 and SSC17 were not significant, but one QTL for total SFA composition
was detected on SSC5 with correction for back fat thickness. Wild boar alleles at six of seven
QTL tended to increase SFAs and to decrease unsaturated fatty acids. QTL for fatty acid
composition in perirenal fat were mapped on SSC2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 16 and X. QTL for melting
point (in back fat samples) were mapped on SSC1, 2 and 15. Wild boar alleles in QTL on
SSC1 and SSC15 were associated with elevated melting points whereas those on SSC2 were
associated with lower melting point measurements.
Does floor heating around parturition affect the vitality of piglets born to loose housed sows?
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The most critical period for the survival of piglets is during the first 2 days of life. Causes of early piglet mortality include reduced vitality due to hypoxia during parturition, hypothermia and lack of adequate colostrum intake. Besides, low vitality piglets may run a larger risk of being crushed by the sow. However, these causes of death often seem to be triggered by an inadequate thermal environment postnatally leaving the piglets at risk of hypothermia. Hypothermic piglets are less vital and their chances of getting access to the udder and avoiding the movement of the sows are thus reduced (Herpin et al., 2002). This may be even more difficult for piglets in loose housing systems due to the possibility of the sow moving around in the pen. In the light of the thermoregulatory challenges facing newborn piglets and the possible sow-piglet interactions under loose housing, we investigated whether floor heating around parturition affected early piglet vitality and behaviour related to survival. Twenty-three Landrace x Yorkshire sows of 2nd parity were housed individually in 7.5 m² pens in a climate controlled facility. HEAT sows (n = 12) were exposed to pen floor heating (33.5 8C) from 12 h after onset of nest building and until 48 h after birth of 1st piglet, whereas CONT sows (n = 11) received no floor heating (21.2 8C). The concentration of lactate in umbilical cord blood at birth—an indicator of hypoxia—increased with the birth duration (P < 0.001) and with declining piglet weight (P < 0.001), with no significant effect of floor heating. After the initial drop in body temperature at birth, floor heating resulted in an earlier recovery of piglet temperatures (P < 0.001), i.e. the piglet’s period for experiencing hypothermia after birth was reduced. HEAT piglets also suckled sooner than CONT piglets after the 1st hour post partum (with ratios between HEAT/CONT hazard functions being 2.9–6.4 for latency to suckle in the period 1–3 h after birth). Moreover, fewer live-born piglets died during the first 3 days (P = 0.047), as well as during the first week in the floor heated litters (mean (S.E.) HEAT 8.7 (2.8)% versus CONT 15.5 (5.2)%, P = 0.014). We did not find any effect of floor heating on duration of parturition, inter-birth intervals, litter size, early piglet weight gains, blood glucose and lactate concentrations at birth, heart rate at birth, piglet activity from birth to first suckling or amount of parvovirus antibodies transferred from sow to piglets. In conclusion, floor heating around parturition had no evident effect on the innate piglet vitality, but it had favourable effects on the early recovery of piglet body temperature, latency to first suckle and survival of piglets in the loose house system.
Zoonotic implications of the swine-transmitted protozoal infections
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