Electronic feeder increases sow lifetime production

Posted in: Environment, Production by admin on July 14, 2011 | No Comments

Recently introduced to western Canada, the Gestal electronic lactation feeder from Quebec-based Jyga Concept, allows feed curves and times of feeding to be implemented automatically. The system was developed to maximize lactation feed intake and reduce sow backfat loss over the suckling period, which leads to a shorter interval to breeding and higher subsequent litter size. Experience in Quebec over the last 10 years suggests that sow longevity and piglets weaned per sow lifetime are improved where lactation intake is increased through the use of this feeder. The Gestal system allows different feed curves to be set for gilts and older sows, which helps to avoid both under and over-feeding and maximizes individual feed intake. “Feeding the correct amount in the first 7 days after farrowing is critical in order to maximize intake during the rest of lactation,” says Gestal Sales Representative Blair Gordon. “Following a curve during this period avoids the problems associated with ad-lib feeding during the first week.”  The feeding computer tracks feed intake for individual sows and flags up any “problem eaters”, which can be checked by the farm staff.  A useful feature is the ability to adjust individual sows intake using a control on the feeder itself after the trough has been inspected, increasing or decreasing the feed curve depending on whether sows have eaten all their feed or not. Feed is dropped into the trough in 2lb doses when sows activate a mechanism that looks like a hockey puck. The operator can set the amount of feed for each period during the day. During hot weather, the system can be programmed to provide more feed during the early morning and late evening periods when it is cooler and sows are more likely to eat.

For further information, contact Blair Gordon on (519) 274-3224, email blairgordon@rogers.com or go to www.jygaconcept.com

Photo caption: Gestal lactation feeder – Blair Gordon, of Jyga Concept, demonstrates the Gestal lactation feeder

Natural pork provides niche market opportunity

Posted in: Economics, Environment, Meat Quality, Production by admin on | No Comments

The economic pressures faced by small-scale pig producers have caused many to quit the business, unable to compete with larger, more cost efficient operations.  The alternative is to look for a niche market opportunity to add value to the pork in order to remain profitable.  Two years ago, George and Shelley Matheson, of Stonewall, Manitoba decided to downsize their 100-sow unit and focus on developing retail sales of “natural” pork.  Being only half an hour from Winnipeg, with 600,000 potential customers, they saw an opportunity to capitalize on the increasing interest in how food is produced. “When you sell direct to the public and people come to the farm, they are very interested in how the pigs are reared, the diets we are using, the ages of the pigs and the breeds,” George explains.

Although there is no official definition of “natural”, the Mathesons believe that it means operating a production system where pigs can fulfil their natural behaviour and are fed simple rations made on the farm from homegrown cereals.  Sows are kept outside all the year round and have small sheds with deep straw to keep warm in the winter.  They go indoors into conventional crates to farrow and, after weaning, the piglets stay inside until they are 50lbs, when they move into biotech barns with deep straw bedding.  Although most of the finished hogs are still sold into the commodity market, eight per month go to Interlake Packers at St. Laurent. There they are custom killed, butchered into retail sized cuts, the hams and bacon smoked and everything vacuum packed.  “We sell quarter, half or whole hog packs with 33, 66 or 132 pounds of pork and each has nine different cuts,” says George. “Good packing ensures the product will last at least a year.”

With many customers coming to the farm to collect the pork, the Mathesons are keen to show them the animals and explain how they are produced. “People are detached from agriculture these days, so they really enjoy seeing what we are doing and are very interested,” George explains. “They see the pigs outside or on deep straw and they like it.”  The Matheson also rear 1000 chickens on pasture each year, during the summer and say they are so popular, they could easily sell 10,000. “People tell us that the taste is very different from mass produced chickens,” says George.

In addition to selling directly from the farm, the Mathesons attend farmers’ markets and produce markets in the area. They recently participated in a seminar on buying food locally, which was attended by 140 people and try to attend as many local food-related events as possible. “Shelley is the marketing guru and has produced a leaflet on our products and is working on a website,” George says. “We want to increase the pork sales and eventually be able to sell all our pigs direct to the public.”  He believes that adding value in this way and producing feed from grain produced on the farm can be profitable. “We can definitely improve our marketing and Shelley has a good way of making our products sound attractive.”

The Matheson’s four children are also involved on the farm on a daily basis. “They all have their chores to do and this gives them an exposure to farming life, says George. “Most kids don’t know that the little pigs grow up so quickly and become pork and bacon!”  The children also help out showing visitors the animals and go to the farmers’ markets.

With the mainstream pork industry in such dire straights, selling direct to the public is an attractive option for some small producers, despite the additional work involved. It has an added benefit for the industry at large through helping the public understand livestock rearing methods and letting them talk directly to the people producing their food.

Photo captions:

Hannah Matheson – The Mathesons’ youngest daughter, Hannah, who helps with chores on the farm

Biotech pigs – George Matheson (right) and his son Austin with pigs in one of the biotech shelters

Manitoba Swine Seminar – British researcher suggests high fibre feeds for sows

Posted in: Environment, Production, Welfare by admin on | No Comments

With the cost of feed ingredients continuing to increase, hog producers may want to consider some non-conventional and less costly sources of animal nutrition, suggests Professor Peter Brooks of the University of Plymouth. Sources include silage materials (grass, maize, corn cobs), food industry by-products (from the production of bio-ethanol,

for example) and root crops (fodder beets and potatoes).

Peter Brooks, head of the School of Biological Sciences at the British university and a professor of animal production, was in Winnipeg on January 30, to speak to Manitoba hog producers attending Manitoba Swine Seminar 2008 about the importance of fibre in sow diets.  He noted that researchers over the past 20-25 years have come to recognize that recommended feed intake levels for gestating sows are considerably less than the amount of feed they actually require.

“The stereotypical behaviour often observed in confined gilts was generally put down to boredom and frustration,” he noted. “But a study in 1987 (by Appleby and Lawrence) demonstrated that an increase in a sow’s feed intake from 1.25 to 4 kg a day almost completely eliminated the behaviour.”  He added that incorporating fibre in diets to increase bulk, without changing the dietary energy supply, resulted in at least a doubling of eating time, a 20% reduction in feeding rate and a decrease in restlessness and aggression. “It would appear that foraging behaviour is an intrinsic drive in pigs and that bulkier diets that take longer to consume help to satisfy this need,” he said.

Brooks reported that other studies show that providing sows with straw bedding also reduces the stereotypical behaviour. Although the use of straw is widespread in the UK, he noted, elsewhere in Europe producers use slatted floors, which are geared for liquid manure systems rather than solid manure. In Northern Ireland, Brooks reported, producers have tried putting straw in racks for the sows to eat.  That hasn’t been that successful because too many of the sows spend time exploring the racks instead of

eating the straw.

Offering grass rather than straw in the racks seems to be more appealing to the sows. Brooks cited studies that show that sows will consume an average 2kg of grass silage a day and that the grass is easily digestible. He reported that some commercial units have successfully tried grass and maize silage and corn cob mix in conjunction with electronic sow feeders.

Other potential fibre sources for sows that Brooks identified were wheat and rice bran, malt culms, oat husks, soya bran hulls, sugar beet pulp and citrus pulp.  There have been some experiments in Europe with chicory pulp, too.  Studies indicate that feeding sows sugar beet pulp and citrus pulp produce the best results.

Brooks added that in Europe as many as 30% of sows are being fed liquid diets which makes the animals more restful.  That is because the solid fraction of the diet becomes hydrated more quickly, altering the viscosity and rate of gut transit of the diet. High fibre diets, in particular those that include sugar beet pulp, reduced water consumption by sows with an accompanying reduction in urinary output.

In concluding, Brooks observed that higher prices for traditional feed ingredients combined with a greater understanding of the nutritional needs of sows and the growing public demand for more humane housing solutions means that producers have to rethink how they house, feed and manage sows.

International Roundup – Pork features well in environmental survey

Posted in: Economics, Environment, Meat Quality by admin on | No Comments

European retail chains are requesting more documentation regarding the environmental aspects of the products they purchase. Especially in the UK, the terms “food miles” and “carbon footprint” are gaining in popularity. The agricultural faculty of the University of Aarhus in Denmark recently carried out a life cycle analysis of pork from Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK on behalf of the Danish Meat Association.

The term “Food Miles” means the amount of greenhouse gas emissions (g CO2) during the transport of foodstuffs from the producer to the consumer. “Carbon Footprint” refers to the entire life cycle of a product and its greenhouse gas emissions. This term covers the entire value chain.

In the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, the soybean crop growing in Argentina, the feed production in Denmark and the entire pig production chain including fertiliser production, slaughtering and meat dispatch was included. Through adding all emission values, a realistic value of greenhouse emissions can be calculated per kilo of pork.

According to the life cycle analysis, 1kg pork contributes 3.6kg CO2 equivalents to global warming. As a comparison, replacing a normal 60-watt lamp with an energy saving lamp burning for an hour provides a yearly reduction of 13kg of greenhouse emissions. Transporting by truck to Munich or by ship to Tokyo, the amount increases to 3.7-3.8kg CO2 equivalents per kg pork. This indicates that “Food Miles” do not have much of an environmental effect and represent less than 1% of the entire emissions in the production chain.

The study revealed no large differences between Danish, Dutch and British greenhouse gas emissions for pork.

International Roundup – New record for US pork exports

Posted in: Economics, Environment by admin on | No Comments

The US pork industry achieved its 16th consecutive record-setting year of exports in 2007, according to statistics compiled by the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF). One of every four pounds of pork traded today originates from the US.

Overall, pork exports increased three percent in volume compared to 2006, surpassing 1.3 million metric tons, nearly 2.9 billion pounds. The value of those exports jumped 10 percent over 2006, exceeding $3.15 billion.

Japan remains the top destination and accounts for 36 percent of the value of all US pork exports. It imported 358,582 metric tons during 2007, valued at $1.152 billion and a six percent increase on the year. “US Pork is perceived as the highest quality product available,” said Greg Hanes, USMEF Japan director.

Mexico is the second highest importer of US pork and pork products although this market saw a 22 percent decline in imports during 2007.

China/Hong Kong was the largest growth market for US pork exports, jumping 91 percent to 169,160 metric tons, nearly 373 million pounds, valued at almost $271 million. Exports to China/Hong Kong surpassed exports to Canada in volume, with 148,576 metric tons or 327.5 million pounds, but Canada remains the No. 3 market in value of pork exports at $491.58 million, a 12 percent jump over 2006.

International Roundup – First GM “Phytase” corn licensed

Posted in: Environment, Production by admin on | No Comments

China-based supplier of crop seeds and agri-biotech research, Origin Agritech, says it has licensed a new genetically modified corn variety that includes the beneficial enzyme Phytase.
This transgenic corn is believed to be one of the first of its kind to be approved and sold commercially into the domestic marketplace, says a report for Fox Business. It is expected to be commercially available in 2009.

The Phytase enzyme increases phosphorus absorption in animals by 60 per cent and is used as a mandatory additive for animal feed in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan to reduce the environmental impact of livestock manure.

”Phytic acid, the main form of phosphorous in plant-origin animal feeds, is poorly available to monogastric animals as they lack the enzyme capable of hydrolyzing phytic acid to release phosphate. Genetic modification is the world class standard and that is where China is moving,” explained Dr. Yun-Liu Fan, a scientist at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science and member of the development team.

The development of this phytase – containing cereal means that feed producers will not have to purchase phytase and corn separately. This will reduce production costs and improve manufacturing efficiency. The Phytase transgenic corn has taken seven years to produce

International roundup – EU stance on GM crops threatens livestock industry

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

EU farmers’ organization Copa-Cogeca has warned that Europe’s livestock industry could be decimated without greater use of genetically modified crops after European Union agriculture ministers failed yet again in February to agree whether to allow imports of five biotech crops intended for animal feed. The European Commission is entitled to rubber-stamp the applications to import four types of corn and one type of potato into the EU.

Copa-Cogeca, said that with feed prices rising and suppliers in the Americas increasingly planting GM seeds, the industry faced ruin without a speedier approval process. Approvals must first go to national governments, which rarely agree. “It takes two to four years to approve a GM crop in Europe, 15 months in the US. We cannot compete,” said Simon Michel-Berger, Copa-Cogeca’s spokesman.

Feed costs have risen by 50 per cent but pig prices have fallen 8 per cent, he noted. Without help – including export refunds and subsidized storage – up to a fifth of producers could give up by the end of the year, he believes.

David Hill, of the EU biotech farmers’ network, said poultry production was increasingly moving to Thailand and Brazil. He said there were 18 crops awaiting approval for cultivation and 49 for import, and farmers were frustrated by the delay.

The EU has approved only about a dozen crops amid consumer fears of so-called Frankenfoods”. Just one, an insect-resistant corn, can be planted in the EU. France, Austria and Hungary have banned even that.

The Commission has pledged to speed up the process after losing a World Trade Organisation case against the US. Washington has granted a period of grace but could press for sanctions if the situation is not resolved soon.

The Future of Animal Feeding: Towards Sustainable Precision Livestock Farming

Posted in: Economics, Environment, Nutrition, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 29, 2011 | No Comments

With the cost of feed accounting for 60% of production costs it is important to improve productivity and efficiency. However, the requirements of the customer, consumer and society need to be taken into account. This brings the idea of focusing on sustainable precision livestock farming as a future goal. The consumer demand in developed countries has become concerned with animal welfare, environmental impact, quality, safety, and the type of production system. With a growing population there will be an increased demand for food, but while developing countries will have a rapidly  increasing demand for meat products developed countries will have, a much slower, or even stagnant, growth. Meanwhile, costs for feed could increase as supply becomes more limited. There is potential for improving productivity and efficiency while meeting public demands through newly developed and promising technology. Genomics have improved crops through the use of genetically modified crops, and there is still further developments possible. As well, genetic markers can be developed to allow testing for traits like meat quality and disease resistance. Nutrigenomics will be able to help determine the precise nutrient requirements in certain conditions. Microsystem and nanotechnology have the potential to be useful for sampling for micronutrients, contaminants and toxin metabolites inside and outside of an animal. Information and communication technology will allow for developments like automated feeding systems, and allow for ease and accuracy in sharing data. Near-Infrared Spectroscopy can quickly and easily sample feed for macro nutrients, and has the potential to do the same for micronutrients and contaminants. Overall, using current technological advances, and continuing to research and develop them will allow improved precision while meeting societal needs for sustainable farming.

Dust in Pig Buildings

Posted in: Environment, Pork Insight Articles, Press Releases by admin on April 7, 2011 | No Comments

It is well documented in the international scientific literature that airborne dust in pig houses can cause serious health problems for humans as well as for animals. Extensive research has been carried out in different countries during the last few decades to improve the scientific understanding of air quality issues related to intensive animal production. Research and review papers were presented at the international symposium on Dust Control in Animal Production Facilities, held in Denmark in 1999. Different techniques have been used in order to reduce dust burdens in pig confinement buildings, but up to date only the procedure of spraying oil or a mixture of oil and water has contributed to reducing the indoor dust concentrations significantly. This article summarizes the current level of understanding of dust issues in intensive animal production buildings, mainly on the basis of papers presented at the above mentioned symposium.

Effect of Anaerobic Digestion on Manure Characteristics for Phosphorus Precipitation from Swine Waste

Posted in: Environment by admin on September 2, 2010 | No Comments

Swine production facilities today are larger in size and are concentrated in smaller geographical areas than they were two decades ago. Additionally, there is an increasing trend to base manure land application rates on crop phosphorus requirements rather than crop nitrogen requirements alone. These factors have resulted in a need to find a feasible method for removing phosphorus from swine waste prior to land application. Economically concentrating and transporting excess phosphorus to phosphorus deficient cropping areas would benefit the current production scheme. Forced precipitation of phosphorus as struvite (MgNH ₄ PO ₄ 6H ₂ O) is an option for phosphorus concentration and removal. Economic feasibility of phosphorus precipitation improves when reactive phosphorus represents a high percentage of the total phosphorus in slurry, and when a limited amount of chemical amendment is required for the precipitation reaction. In this study, anaerobic digestion of swine slurry increased reactive phosphorus (PO ₄ ^3- ) and magnesium ion (Mg ²⁺ ) in solution by 26% and 254%, respectively. Additionally, during phosphorus precipitation experiments, PO ₄ ^3- removal and reduction efficiencies were greatest in the tests performed with anaerobically digested swine slurry.