Can sow diets enriched with extruded flaxseed replace antibiotics in starter feeds for piglets?

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on August 9, 2016 | No Comments

Authors: L. Eastwood, D. A. Gillis, M. R. Deibert and A. D. Beaulieu

Reference: Western Hog Journal Fall 2015

This study aims to test whether the addition of omega-3 fatty acids into lactating sow diets can replace the use of growth promoting antibiotics in weaned piglet diets. Two groups of sows (one weaned at three weeks and one at four) were were fed one of two diets; control or omega-3. At weaning, 10 piglets were selected from each sow and split into two groups of five. One group was fed a diet containing antibiotics (LS50) and the other was fed the same diet without the antibiotic. After the first week piglets were fed a common phase 2 diet. Each nursery room was not washed before piglets were moved in to ensure they were immunologically challenged. All piglets completed the trial at 56 days of age. Piglet performance was monitored throughout the trial and blood samples were taken at 2 days post weaning.

Sow feed intake, number of piglets born, piglet growth, or the number of piglets weaned per litter was unaffected by diet. Sows fed omega-3 diets had higher levels of omega-3 in their milk. Sow diet also did not affect piglet average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain:feed, or final body weight in the nursery. In piglets weaned at three weeks of age, average daily feed intake was higher in the fourth week in the nursery for piglets not fed antibiotics. Piglets weaned at four weeks and also fed antibiotics had higher average daily gain in week one, which increased gain:feed. Growth and gain:feed were unaffected by antibiotics in weeks two to four. Feed intake was higher for pigs fed antibiotics in weeks three and four. Piglet weight was unaffected by sow or nursery dietary differences. Piglets weaned at three weeks of age were consistently heavier that piglets weaned at four weeks. When weaned at three weeks, no differences were seen in the blood samples between diets. When weaned at four weeks, piglets weaned from sows fed omega-3 diets had lower white blood cell counts relative to control. White cell counts were unaffected by phase one diet; sow diet and phase one diet did not affect other blood parameters. Regardless of diet, piglets weaned at three weeks of age had lower creatine kinase, aspartate aminotransferase, and white blood cell counts relative to four week wean.

In a high health herd, the use of in feed antibiotics post weaning has no benefit. Piglets weaned at three weeks of age have heavier body weight than those weaned at four weeks. This may be in part to the lower levels of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase, which are enzymes related to muscle breakdown.

Flaxseed replace antibiotics Eastwood

Feeding value of cull lentils for growing swine

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on August 4, 2016 | No Comments

Authors: L. Eastwood, D. A. Gillis, M. R. Deibert and A. D. Beaulieu

Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2015

Saskatchewan produces lots of lentils. As such, there are significant sources of feed quality, or cull, lentils available. Although a significant amount of cull lentils are present in Saskatchewan, there is little data available about its nutrient characteristics. Thus, it is difficult to effectively formulate a diet that contains cull lentils to be fed to swine.

Two studies were done. The first study was done to determine the amount and digestibility of energy and amino acids in samples of cull lentils. The second study used the data obtained from the first study to formulate diets that could be fed to growing pigs and to validate the results of the first study.

In experiment one, ten barrows weighing between 35 and 40 kg were fitted with T-cannulas as the terminal ileum. Two samples of lentils were incorporated at two levels (15% and 30%) into a wheat and barley based control diet. These four diets as well as a control diet were fed to 6 pigs each. Each replicate was 9 days long with 4 days of dietary adaptation, 3 days of faecal grab-sampling and 2 days of digesta collection.

In experiment two, 200 growing pigs and 200 finishing pigs were fed a diet with lentils at 0%, 10%, 20%, or 30%. Diets were wheat and barley based. Over the 4 week trial, growth rate, feed intake, and feed efficiency were measured.

Given proper diet balancing to meet the nutrient requirements, no adverse effects were seen with the addition of up to 30% feed grade 3 lentils into the diets of growing and finishing pigs. There was an increase in average daily gain in finishing pigs as feed lentil inclusion increased. Gender differences were seen as expected, but both gilts and barrows responded similarly to the addition of lentils. Given this information and the data collected on the nutrient characteristics of cull lentils, producers can now reliable include cull lentils into the diets of growing and finishing pigs without observing adverse effects.

Feeding Cull Lentins Eastwood

Effects of Mixed and Uniform Parity Groups on Feeding Behaviour, Welfare and Productivity of Sows in ESF Housing

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Author: Y.M. Seddon, F.C. Rioja-Lang and J.A. Brown

Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2015

Sow group housing is beneficial in relation to increased fitness and freedom of movement. However, sows can experience increased aggression and reduced access to feed. ESF systems are beneficial in that they can control individual feed levels and reduce aggression due to feed competition. Although ESF are beneficial, young or subordinate sows may still experience competition for access to the feeders. The objectives of this study were to determine if gestating young sows (parity 1 or 2) experience reduced aggression when housed in uniform parity groups as opposed to mixed parity groups and how this effects production, and to observe the differences in feeding behavior, welfare, and productivity among mixed and uniform parity grouped sows.

Sows were grouped into one of four groups: Uniform low parity (parity 2), uniform medium parity (parity 3 to 4), uniform high parity (parity 5 and over), and mixed parity (parity 2 to 8). At 5 weeks gestation, sows were placed into a mixing pen for 1 week and then moved into gestation pens until farrowing. An ESF feeding system recorded feeding behavior. Measurements of body condition score, sow weights, skin lesions, gait scores, and backfat thickness were taken periodically. Regular litter data was collected at farrowing as well as litter weights.

Productivity between uniform and mixed groups was not significantly different. Results showed that uniform grouping reduced lameness and increased backfat thickness for young sows. It appears that parity 1 and 2 sows may benefit from uniform sow grouping in terms of decreased aggression and competition for feed.

Mixed Uniform Parities Seddon

Assessing Daily Exposure Risk of Pig Barn Workers to Airborne Contaminants

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on March 28, 2016 | No Comments

Extended exposure of pig barn workers to airborne contaminants, particularly dust and gases (ammonia and hydrogen sulphide) is primarily associated with increased risk of developing respiratory symptoms and
other health problems (Senthilselvan et al., 2007; Dosman et al., 2004). Various researchers have comprehensively investigated the work environment in pig barns and the associated effects on the health of barn workers. However,
most of these studies focused on documenting the health symptoms and rarely involved characterization of occupational exposure environments in intensive livestock operation. Hence, to protect the health and safety of barn workers, there is a need to gain more understanding of the work environment in barns and the associated worker
exposure risks.

Environmental Assessment of Workers

2016 Prairie Swine Centre Producer Meeting Schedule

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on March 17, 2016 | No Comments

Behaviour of Pigs in Large Group Auto-Sort

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on March 7, 2016 | No Comments

Large group auto-sort systems pose some significant challenges to pigs n terms of eating behaviour. The feeders are a ll located in a food court which can only be accessed through a single sorter scale. The cost of moving to the feeders is greater than in a small pen, where pigs may only have to move a metre or so to find feed. Despite these restrictions, pigs pass through the sorter and eat in a typical diurnal pattern similar to that seen in small pens. However, pigs in large group auto-sort pens only enter the food court 2-4 times each day, and have fewer meals (5 vs 10-15) than in small pens. They compensate by eating longer during each meal. They also move freely about the food court, eating from several feeder spaces every day. Young pigs, who require more time to eat, may display a higher mid-day rate of eating indicative of restricted feeder space. We believe a key to making food courts work s to make sure the pigs know that food s present by introducing them to the food court rather than the loafing area. The food court should be spacious so that pigs have access to a of the feeders, and a feeder space shou d be prov ded for every 10-12 p gs

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Managing Winter Ventilation

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on February 9, 2016 | No Comments

One small difference when it comes to winter ventilation, is that for a period of time, in late fall and also in early spring, staff need to be more vigilant on a day to day basis to ensure room temperature fluctuations are kept to a minimum. This usually means daily vigilance monitoring first and second stage ventilation fans and either installing or removing fan covers until the temperature stabilizes late fall and late spring.

Managing Winter Ventilation

Weaning Sows Directly into Group Housing: Aggression, Welfare & Production

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Social stress from mixing sows has the potential to negatively affect sow production and welfare. Housing sows in stalls from weaning until five weeks after breeding is a common strategy used to prevent aggression and ensure control over individual feeding during breeding, conception and implantation.   However, alternative management options are needed as pressure to reduce stall use is likely to continue. This study compared the effects of three mixing strategies on sow performance in group sow housing.

Weaning into Groups

ENRICHMENT FOR SOWS AND PIGLETS

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The revised Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs was released in March of 2014 (NFACC, 2014), and includes several changes that impact production practices and housing on Canadian farms.  The most significant changes to the code are related to pain control at castration and tail docking, sow housing, space allowances and enrichment.  The code requirement for enrichment states that, “Pigs must be provided with multiple forms of enrichment that aim to improve the welfare of the animals through the enhancement of their physical and social environments.”
The requirement for enrichment is looked on with skepticism by some, who they may see the requirement as an unnecessary exercise to please consumers, requiring more time and money and without benefit to pigs or production. This presentation will hopefully dispel these notions. There is an extensive amount of research on enrichment to show that, when given appropriate enrichments, pigs can benefit from reduced fear, aggression and vices, and improved growth. Also, there are many enrichments that can be produced on‐farm at low cost which are durable and effective.

Code of practice-2016

Effect of Dietary Calcium and Phosphorus in Sows on Bone Development in Piglets

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 18, 2016 | No Comments

Adequate nutrition, including minerals, is important for gestating sows, particularly gilts, as growth and development of their piglets needs to be supported while their own growth is maintained. Nutrient requirements obtained from older studies may not be applicable to the modern, highly prolific sow as they were based on sows farrowing smaller litters. Analysis of data collected from 1994 to 2004 showed that genetic improvements resulted in approximately 1 to 2 piglets more per litter in commercial sows. Larger litters however, results in decreased average birth weight.   The objective of this study was to determine the influence of Ca and P intake by young, gestating sows on the growth and skeletal development of their piglets and determine if smaller birth-weight piglets are at greater risk of mineral deficiency.

Ca and P in Sows