Prairie Swine Centre » Pork Insight Articles

SEARCH

Finding New Technologies in the Pork Industry: Towards Precision Farming or Just High-Tech Hype?

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on June 29, 2018 | No Comments

Author: Lee Whittington

Reference: Banff Pork Seminar Proceeding 2018

Summary:

Precision farming is a term that is used to describe agricultural production that utilizes the collection of data in the field and use of expensive inputs to improve net income, reduce waste and impact on the environment, and speed decisions. Technology advancements are largely based on lower-cost data collection devices.

Some of these technologies begin outside of the barn. Such examples are Geofencing and syndromic health surveillance. These technologies utilize satellite technology which draws a fence around the facility to aid in tracking movement. This technology serves as a viable addition for biosecurity protocols. The advantage of utilizing this platform is that it has the ability to create a network for users which can communicate health status. For this technology there is a yearly subscription cost of $300.

Although transportation is necessary, it also posses a substantial risk to on farm biosecurity. Of recent development is technology that aids in instant detection with regards to the hygienic standing of the trailer. Of these technologies is ATP meter swabs. These swabs give an instantaneous read out of “clean” or “dirty” without the downtime that culture swabs require. DrySist is another technology developed by Castene Trailer manufacturing in Spain.Lastly, with regards to trailers is traceability. Recent technology inserts a GPS chip that allows the vehicle to be tracked.

Technology that aids production within the barn includes recordkeeping services such as PigChamp Pro Europa, costing $6 USD per 20kg weaned pig produced. There is also a commercially available digital pen which allows a pen and paper solution to expensive digital phones. Vetic, developed in Spain, will provide complete traceability of injectibles, by linking pig/pen/room through RFID tags.

Finding New Technologies in the Pork Industry

Canada’s Industry & Regulatory Framework: An ongoing policy initiative to enhance responsible use of Veterinary Antimicrobials

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Dr. Egan Brockhoff

Reference: Banff Pork Seminar Proceedings 2018

Summary: Canadian law is working to lay a strong framework for regulations surrounding antimicrobials. With regards to the Canadian Pork industry, they have been working closely with stakeholders to ensure that their voices are heard. There has currently been six core regulatory and policy initiatives:

1. Increasing oversight on importance of veterinary drugs (Own Use Importation or OUI)

2. Increasing oversight on importation and quality of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)

3. Mandatory reporting of sales volume from manufactures and importers to support antimicrobial use surveillance

4. Facilitating access to low risk veterinary health products (VHPs), as additional tools for the maintenance of animal health and welfare

5. Removing growth promotion claims from medically-important antimicrobials (MIAs)

6. Increasing veterinary oversight over all MIAs (Prescription status switch)

Regulation came into play on November 13th, 2017, which prohibits importation of drugs not approved in Canada other than products that represent an acceptable risk to food safety and public health. These products will be maintained on “List B” by Health Canada and will follow specific criteria.

Currently there are no provision associated with low risk veterinary health products. VHPs will be specified for a special and animal type and will only be able to state that they, “maintain or promote the health and welfare of” the define species.

As of May 17th, 2018 all APIs must be manufactured following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) used in human medicine and manufactures will be required to have a Drug Establishment License (DEL).

*** As of March 31st 2019, all sales data from the previous year must be reported ***

Canadian Industry and Framework

AI Management to Optimize Sow Productivity

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Dyck M.K., Diether N.E., Patterson J.L., Foxcroft G.R.

Reference: Banff Pork Seminar 2018 Proceedings

Summary: Due to the widespread use of AI technology, boar quality can impact the reproductive performance of many females. The ideal measures for boar semen quality are pregnancy rate and litter size born, both retrospective measures. As a proactive measure, physical evaluation of the boar’s semen is complete that examines the concentration, morphology and motility. In addition, the large numbers of semen and semen pooling from multiple boars hides the limited fertility of some boars.

According to Rodriguez-Martinez (2003), in order to accurately predict the quality of the semen it is necessary that they are tested for all of the key attributes. Conventional evaluation of ejaculate measures seminal volume, sperm concentration and the percentage of progressively motile and morphologically normal sperm. These are important characteristics, however they do not define fertility in boars.

Chromosome abnormalities have recently become a factor in boar fertility, Quach et al. (2016) assessed the consequences of chromosome abnormalities. The chromosome abnormalities appeared at a frequency of 12 out of 732 boars consistently displaying lower fertility values.

Post Cervical AI (PCAI) is an advanced AI technique that allows for the number of sperm used per AI dose to be reduced with out impairing fertility.

When considering new AI technologies in combination of a more through evaluation of boar fertility there are potential economic benefits for the swine industry. Low producing, infertile boars would be able to be eliminated early on.

AI Management to Optimize Sow Productivity

Gaining Trust of a Doubting Public

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on June 26, 2018 | No Comments

Author: Brenda Kossowan

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – February/March 2018

Summary: One topic that was addressed at the Banff Pork Seminar was the concept of Western Canadian pork. Western Canadian pork is produced at an increased efficiency with a reduced environmental impact. The pork in itself is safe and healthy to consume. These aspects of it increase its viability to be a chief protein source. However, this is not the belief of all as others speak of the harm it causes the environment and how it is unhealthy.

Misleading data has presented a distorted image of the environmental implications as well as the role that pork production could play as a protein source as the world population increases.

“The reality for people pushing to end animal agriculture is that livestock play an essential role in making usable protein from marginal land and in providing a reliable source of nutrients for crops” – Frank Mitloehner

In Canada and the United States, genetic progress and improved efficiency continues to shrink the carbon footprint created by the swine industry.

Improved efficiency occurs through:

improved animal reproduction
improved vaccination and animal health care
improve genetics
and feed more energy in he diet

It is the belief of Crystal Mackay, President of the Centre for Food Integrity, that vital to trust is the transparency of the Canadian Swine Industry. Consumers are misinformed regarding topics such as antibiotics, hormones and pesticide use in the swine industry. In Canada, Canadian hold farmers responsible for animal welfare and the environment.

Gaining Trust of a Doubting Public

Farm Management Consultant Says Farm Sectors Most Good Going Forward

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Harry Siemens

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – October/November 2017

Summary: Peter Manness, PAg, works with MNP’s Farm Management Consulting group as a Business Advisor. Manness aids business’ in developing plans to overcome operational problems so that they may meet their personal and business goals. There is general confidence for producers to get through 2017 in pretty good shape resulting in a profitable year for some hog farmers.

One investment that has not occurred in the hog industry for many years is infrastructure. There is currently need in the industry for more finisher space according to Manness. Manness believes that construction is going to occur in the industry, however at a much slower pace than it occurred in the 90s/

Farm Management Consultant

The New and the Old in Raising Hogs in Manitoba

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Harry Siemens

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – October/November 2017

Summary:

New – An open house was held for the first new barn opened in seven years in Manitoba. The facility is a 800 sow farrow to 80 pounds and utilizes open group housing with 125 sows in each group. Kleinsasser, the boss of the operation, described the group sow housing to be going well with some challenges.

The facility anticipated the training to be the most challenging aspect of the group housing, however to their surprise it has been going quite well. Through trial an error, they determined that pigs around 100 kg trained the best.

The facility forward sold approximately 70% of their production which has proven to be beneficial with the U.S. dollar decreasing and interest rates increasing.

Old- Rolf Penner, previous a full-fledged hog producer made the decision to focus on the grain industry. However, he still has his barns but is just not in the pig business anymore. He has been renting out his barns to a third party.

The New and Old in Raising Hogs in Manitoba

Advanced Planning and Training Key to Grouping Sows

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Harry Siemens

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – October/November 2017

Summary:

” Consult and get as much information as you can before you do your conversion because there is going to be a learning curve”

Doug Richards, the project coordinator of the National Sow Housing Conversion Project (NSHCP) believes that the most valuable lesson learned from the project is the importance of advanced planning. He believes that barn staff that are involved in the operation should be involved in the process from the beginning making the change over less drastic.

Although the producers are not yet at 100%, not of them stated that they would do anything differently, according to Richards. He believes that the overall result of this change has been positive for both the producers and the animals.

Richards has visited barns all across Canada that are making the switch, seeing barns that started in 2004 and ones that are just converting now, and he believes that everyone is happy about the change. For the sows, it is just an acquired environment. Although the switch has not yet been in place long enough to determine the full implications to production Richards states that the production numbers he does not think will decrease if anything they will stay the same, if not better.

Advance Planning and Training Key to Grouping Sows

One Producer’s Experience in Switching to Sow Group Housing

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on | No Comments

Author: Harry Siemens

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – October/November 2017

Summary:

One of the topics discussed at the group sow housing seminar in Winnipeg, MB was innovation and technology. One producer from Ontario demonstrated the use of technology for constant monitoring of the animals. In his facility he has Wi-Fi technology that links barn equipment with his phone and computer. One piece of equipment that is linked up to John Van Engelen’s phone, the barn manager, is the electronic sow feeders (ESF). If there is a problem with the sow he can just look at her records on his phone.

Another technology that Van Engelen utilizes is RFID, through this he tracks growth rates. This technology allows him to pick out the sick and weak pigs. The RFID is also connected to his sorters so that he can track individual pigs at the sorters. Rather than just using the sorters for just shipping the pigs, he also uses them for phase feeding so that he can feed them more precisely what they need. His dry sows receive two different diets through a dual feeding system in his ESF.

One Producer’s Experience in Switching to Sow Group Housing.eps

Can Canola Affect Sow Lactation

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by student on June 25, 2018 | No Comments

Author: Calvin Daniels

Reference: Prairie Hog Country – February/March 2018

Summary: A recent study complete at the University of Manitoba by Dr. Martin Nyachoti aimed to examine the effects of increasing dietary canola meal inclusion on lactation performance, milk composition, and nutrient digestibility of lactating sows. This study has displayed positive results.

There were three treatments groups for this study, one composed of corn meal, 15% canola meal and 30% canola meal. This study demonstrated that high levels of canola meal can be utilized and making sure that the replacements sows are maintaining body condition, are returning to estrus on time and with no comparable difference in feed consumption.

According to prominent Dairy nutritionist Dr. Kalscheur, “Canola meal provides a cost-favorable source of essential amino acids”, this is quite fascinating as in Canada we have a large canola crushing industry. In Dairy cattle, switching to canola meal resulted in a 0.6 to 1.4 L advantage in milk production and also had cost savings. Although production of milk in sows has yet to be studied, this data is encouraging that canola meal may have potential to increase the supply in sows.

To learn more visit: www.canolacouncil.org

Can Canola Affect Sow Lactation