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Industry Partners
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:
Consumer Perceptions about the Benefits and Risks of Using Genomics in Pig Breeding
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles by admin on June 11, 2013 | No Comments
The abstract for a paper looking at consumer perception of the use of genomics for using including identification of genes to increase PCVAD or PRRS resistance. A survey was conducted where participants received varied types of information about the topic.
Enhancing Sow Health through Genomic Selection
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The abstract for a project moving high health sows into lower health commercial herds to examine the effect of sow genetics on health and productivity.
The Use of Spray-Dried Animal Plasma to Mitigate Negative Effects of Deoxynivalenol (DON) in Late Nursery Pigs
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The abstract for a study testing the effect of using activated clays and/or sprayed-dried animal plasma in DON contaminated feed on feed intake. It was found sprayed-dried animal plasma was the most effective at reducing the effects of DON.
Effect of Glycan Infusion on Net Fluid Loss in Pig Jejunal Segments Challenged with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli
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The abstract for a study looking at absortion of water in the small intestine of weanling gilts infected with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (ETEC), and the effect of dextran, inulin, reuteran, levan, or saline on infected or control segments. The study found ETEC decreased absorption of water, as did the addition of any of the glycans. Fluid loss increased with dextran, inulin, and tended to with reuteran, but did not differ with levan. Levan and reuteran decreased fluid loss in ETEC segments.
Phenotypic Responses to PRRSV in Pregnant Gilts: Fetal Preservation and Virus Levels
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The abstract for a project looking at PRRS resistance in gilts by inoculating with PRRS, and then recording fetal preservation and viral loads 21 days later.
Phenotypic Responses to PRRSV in Pregnant Gilts: Temporal Changes in Viremia and WBC
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The abstract for a project looking at genomic and phenotypic indicators of PRRS resistance in gilts. Immune cell subsets, including WBCs, and PRRS RNA were tested for after inoculation to trace temporal relationships.
Regional PRRSv Control Efforts in Canada
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The abstract for a paper outlining the use of regional control and elimination projects for PRRSv, and their use in preventing reinfection in a facility after elimination. The Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians provides leadership, workshops, and other tools to Canada’s 7 regional projects, and 5 local or monitoring projects.
Evaluation and Economic Impact of Boar Fertility
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The swine industry typically uses pooled semen for breeding, which could result in fewer progeny from elite boars and other boars could waste resources, yet never sire any progeny. Single sire matings and reduced semen concentrations are being used to evaluate boars in a two phase trial. Phase 1 had each boar bred with 50 sows through AI, and then evaluated by pregnancy and farrowing rate, total born, and total alive. Phase 2 used post-cervical AI, with the same sperm concentration and evaluation. The lowest performing boars were culled before phase 2: a total of 43% of boars were culled, and 10% were culled for fertility reasons. The boars showed a lot of variability in fertility with pregnancy rates ranging from 37-100%, and total born having a difference of 8.2. Using fewer boars with a greater average index for breeding results in a value increase of $0.35/pig in the trial. However, lower fertility boars do not necessarily have the lowest quality genetics, so removing low fertility boars does not guarantee an increase in index. As well, the use of pooled semen is thought to create variability, and reflect the average boar. Single boar matings could be negative if low performing boars are not identified and removed. Single sire doses cost $0.10/dose more than pooled, but there would be some savings when considered by pigs born alive, and removing stud costs. Although removing subfertile boars could provide an initial index increase, companies with the top 15% index would likely not see an increase by using single boar doses. Single boar matings can be used to remove low performing boars, but the overall economic and genetic benefit is not certain by doing so on a large scale.
CDPQ Test Station: A Better Knowledge of Terminal Lines Available on the Market
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Terminal sire line evaluations were conducted at a test station by collecting piglets from different sire lines and evaluating their performance up to slaughter. A minimum number of boars per line is set to avoid evaluating specific boar performance, and the piglet feeding behaviour is traced as well using a continuous data collection system. Sire lines are kept anonymous in results, but lines and suppliers are listed for each trial. In trial 1, Line A was found to higher average daily gain, less feed intake, and lower feed conversion. Line B had higher dressing and lean yield percent, less backfat, more marbling, and less drip-loss than Line A. The purpose of the evaluations were to show how different lines could be chosen for different end goals, to collect benchmark data, and to allow development or refinement of measurements.
Optimal Sow Management for Optimal Sow Performance?!
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Sow performance can be evaluated by weaning-to-oestrus interval, litter size, and farrowing rate. The results vary between countries, but significantly between farms as well. The main cause of differences is management, including handling of the sows and nutrition. Second litter syndrome refers to an increased weaning-to-oestrus interval, but it is often seen as a decreased litter size or farrowing rate in modern sows. The main cause of second litter syndrome is a high amount of weight loss during lactation. As well as decreased performance, sows with the syndrome are often repeat breeders and end up being culled several parities earlier. Preventing weight loss can be done by increasing nutritional intake or reducing milk production, or allowing a recovery period before breeding or during early gestation can increase performance. Annual variations in temperature and light can affect sow performance, with high temperatures or reduced daylight reducing performance. Management strategies should be taken to encourage feed intake, and in the future genetics may be able to play a role. Future considerations for sow performance include the selection for certain heritable reproductive traits, and the effect of shifting to group housing.