PRRSV and the Pregnant Female -Banff 2016

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The Pregnant Gilt Model (PGM1) was a large-scale, multidisciplinary project led by University of Saskatchewan researchers in 2012.

Some of the key project findings were as follows:
• Larger fetuses are more susceptible to transplacental
PRRS infection.

• The presence of fetal and umbilical lesions increased the likelihood of fetal meconium staining.
• Events occurring in the fetus are essential in the pathogenesis of reproductive PRRS.
• Progression of the immune response to PRRS appears to be faster in resistant pigs than in susceptible pigs.
• Genetic basis of fetal response to PRRS, which may ultimately lead to alternative control strategies to reduce the impact of reproductive PRRS.

PRRSV -Banff 2016

Gilt Acclimation Project -Banff 2016

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Genetic variations in animals can produce differing levels of resistance to infectious diseases. This study followed over 3,000 gilts as they transitioned from high health multiplier farms to cooperating commercial farms where the females would encounter a number of natural disease loads. The early data from the outbreak farms led to exciting results. It was shown that two regions of the swine genome on chromosome seven explained 40 per cent of the genetic variation with the PRRS S/P ratios. Not only were those ratios inheritable, but they correlated strongly with traits such as number of mummies and number born alive while under a PRRS challenge.

Altogether, the results indicate that response to PRRS in gilts and sows is heritable and that immune and reproductive performance might be improved using genomics.

Gilt Acclimation Project -Banff 2016

Genomics and Swine Health: The Next Steps -Banff 2016

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A new research project hopes to provide novel strategies for reducing disease impacts by applying genomic technologies to develop and optimize selection strategies for resilient pigs. They hope to determine the optimal gut microbiome associated with health and appropriate immune response. At all stages, this project will collect a large number of samples for genomic analysis to determine the gene profile and gene expression that are associated with the disease resilience in pigs. Ultimately, researchers hope to improve the end-user’s ability to select, feed and use microbial management tools for the optimal immune response of pigs.

Genomics and Swine Health The Next Steps -Banff 2016

Genomics and Swine Health -Banff 2016

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The Genome Canada project was launched in 2010. Its goal was to identify genetic markers associated with animals performing well when exposed to disease in order to improve swine health.

Researchers aimed to provide new diagnostic tools for selecting pigs that are genetically less susceptible to PRRS and PCVAD. They found several phenotypic factors and immune response mediators associated with viremia, weight gain and fetal outcomes, as well as litter size and reproductive performance. Consistent results within disease models were found, however the results appear to be disease specific.

Certain pigs were found to be disease resilient, being able to maintain their performance despite being infected. How pigs react to disease can be identified in a blood sample and used to select for resilience. The next generation of studies will seek to establish whether developing more resilient pigs is possible.

Genomics and Swine Health -Banff 2016

Key Indicators of Breeding Herd Productivity -Banff 2016

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11 production numbers that are most critical to monitoring and improving production:
• Pigs weaned/mated female/year
• Total born/mated female/year
• Litters/mated female/year
• Farrowing rate %
• Wean to first service interval
• Female death loss
• Piglet survival (100% – (stillborn % + pre-weaning mortality))
• Total born/females farrowed (P1+ P2 + P3)
• Gilt farrowing rate %
• Total born/females farrowed (P1)
• Retention (P1 + P2 + P3) culls & death loss

If a farm was at 100% in each of Ketchem’s 11 key indicators, they would be producing 36+ pigs weaned/mated female/year. To do that, you need caring, trained people, strong gilt development, detailed breeding of females and farrowing methods to save more of the extra pigs being born. This article outlines key factors regarding these statistics and how to improve them.

Key Indicators of Breeding Herd Productivity -Banff 2016

Achieving High Productivity in Group Housed Sows -Banff 2016

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Problems associated with group housing and how to confront them:

Inaccurate feeding: Meeting the needs of individual sows dietary requirements is challenging in a group housing system but using and electronic sow feeder system producers can closely monitor weights and provide tailored specific rations for their sows.

Social stress: Sows can remember pecking orders of up to 100 pigs so maintaining a group larger than that alleviates some of the stress and energy that goes into maintaining a dominance hierarchy. Making it difficult for sows to go from the front of the ESF to the back by introducing a raceway system prevents sows from rushing each other out to access the remains of the last pig. As does keeping the number of sows per ESF on the lower end of the range around 45. As for space allotment Coleman found that 23-24 square feet per sow was a happy medium that worked for both the producer and the animals.

Training difficulties: Training sows on the ESF system earlier seemed to mitigate stress and confusion, starting at ten weeks of age versus starting at heat detection which is currently standard practice.

Achieving High Productivity in Group Housed Sows -Banff 2016

Biosecurity and Disease Risk Management in Transportation, Steve’s Livestock Transport -Banff 2016

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Steve’s Livestock Transport has been transporting pigs for 29 years and now averages 150,000 pigs per week, building their first truck washing facilities in 1995. Since then, they have added 3 more locations and improved biosecurity measures, including undercarriage washing and Canada’s first industrial-strength baking bays for livestock trailers.

Running a clean and secure trip involves several factors.

Drivers: Must not live on premises where pigs are kept nor work at any hog facility, and pets are not allowed in their trucks. Drivers must also undergo rigorous training including livestock handling and biosecurity protocols.

Trailers: Made and ordered to maximize biosecurity and ease of washing by preventing manure from entering crevices.

Yard biosecurity: All livestock, bedding and manure must be removed from a truck before it can enter any Steve’s Livestock location, including wash bays. Clean and dirty trailers are kept apart via separate parking and loading areas, and trucks must be clean before leaving the yard.

On-farm biosecurity: Drivers make boarding changes to the truck’s exterior before dressing to work inside. Never go beyond the trailer when loading or enter the barn to do their paperwork. Pigs that fall to the ground are never placed back in the trailer and chase boards are used inside the trailer to prevent pigs from returning to the barn.

Biosecurity during transport: Drivers must be aware of other livestock trailers on the road and may need to follow predetermined routes if stipulated by the customer or logistics coordinator. GPS software shows which routes trucks have taken at any given time.

Wash bays: All washers cannot live on premises where pigs are kept. Suits and boots are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected after each wash, as are the floors in the staff room and common areas. Wash bays also feature a one way drive-through and sloped floors. Fresh air is continuously flowed through to prevent fog build up.

Drying bays: After washing, trailers are backed into mechanical dry bays against a bank of aeration fans, where the air is heated to about 35 degrees Celsius.

Baking bays: Kill viruses and bacteria. If requested, a trailer can be parked in the bay at an ambient temperatureof 71-77 degrees for at least 10 minutes.

Biosecurity and Disease Risk Management in Transportation, Steve’s Livestock Transport -Banff 2016

Gilt Development Setting up the Breeding Herd -Banff 2016

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Dr. Rob Knox goes over some of the key factors regarding proper gilt development.

Health:

New animals pose the greatest risk of disease introduction, limiting gilt entry frequency, health testing the source herd, biosecurity and sufficient time for isolation and acclimation can prevent bringing new diseases to your barn.

Selection:

Selection for longevity leads to greater fertility, immune status and mothering ability.

Housing and environment:

Relevant factors may include animal space, number per pen, type of feeding system, lighting, temperature, air quality, housing system, season and climate. Studies suggest that controlling group size and floor space at certain times may improve lifetime fertility.

Diet and feeding for growth and development:

Limiting growth by restricting feed access may be needed to avoid gilts being far above the desired weight and condition at time of breeding and farrowing. It appears that energy restriction in late development is needed for fast growing gilts and, if applied properly, should have few long term consequences.

Puberty induction:

Factors affecting the response of gilts to boar exposure include age at start of exposure, regrouping and boar-to-gilt ratio. In general, exposure will induce 70-90% of gilts within a specific period of time.

Gilt Development Setting up the Breeding Herd -Banff 2016

Infrared Thermography in the Swine Barn -Banff 2016

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This technology has three main components:

1. Detection of infrared radiation emitted by an object
2. Conversion of infrared radiation to temperature
3. Display of temperature distribution as an image

Cook cited several reasons for using IT to measure heat loss:
• Non-contact
• Automatable
• Non-invasive
• Sensitive to change
• Reflects metabolic activity
• Detects febrile responses
• Behavior can be measured from infrared images

However there are a number of factors can affect IT temperature:

• Reflected environmental infrared radiation
• Imprinted body heat
• Spatial distribution: The more animals that cluster together, the higher the ambient temperature recorded.
• Spatial distribution affects temperature
• Vaccination affects spatial distribution
• Vaccination induces an increase in radiated temperature
• In theory, only one pig needs to exhibit a febrile response to increase the maximum temperature recorded

Infrared Thermography in the Swine Barn -Banff 2016

Maple Leaf’s McCain sees clear path for future of Canadian hog industry -Banff 2016

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Michael McCain, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Foods, kicked off the 2016 Banff Pork Seminar with a strong message for the industry. “I am very confident about our future as a sustainable, profitable industry, but this will require embracing the social and environmental factors I am discussing here today.” Those three areas of focus and opportunity going forward are health and nutrition, animal welfare and environmental sustainability.

McCain notes that the industry must work hard on getting balanced information to the public to insure that consumers are receiving accurate information and to prevent red meat being vilified as gluten has been in the last few years. Transparency of management practices and continued reduction of antibiotic use are key players in improving public opinion.

Most retail and food service organizations identify animal welfare as their number one concern in meeting societal expectations and within this, conversion from gestation crates to loose housing is their top priority – one in which McCain feels Canadian producers are lagging behind.

“Blaming activists or reverting to a defensive posture will not solve this challenge. This is not a fleeting issue and defending the status quo is not a viable option,” says McCain. “As an industry we need to rally together to advance higher standards and higher expectations of each other.”

From the environmental standpoint Maple Leaf has committed as a company to reduce their environmental footprint by 50 per cent by 2025 – and McCain noted that many of the efficiencies they are making have also had a positive impact on the bottom line of the organization.

Looking forward McCain sees both challenges and opportunities ahead for the Canadian pork industry.

Maple Leaf’s McCain sees clear path for future of Canadian hog industry -Banff 2016