German herds report five extra days to farrowing

Monday, October 3, 2011

Breeding records show that, on some farms, hybrid stock chosen for their high productivity are farrowing up to five days later, throwing breeding schedules out of whack

by NORMAN DUNN

The old rule of thumb that a sow gestation lasts an average three months, three weeks and three days is becoming out of date on some German farms.

Results from larger herds in the east of the country using hybrid stock chosen for very high productivity report that sows are now farrowing up to five days later than the conventional 114 days. Researchers reckon that the longer gestation shown by sow breeding records on these units is a direct result of breeding programs with a high emphasis on selection for maximum liveborn per litter.

The outcome in herds using these types of sows is that farrowing induction is now being used routinely to encourage birth at around 114 days in order to keep farrowing batches at least roughly in rhythm. Result: lighter and weaker litter members with all the problems this brings in terms of increased mortality and higher vet fees.

Where farms attempt to keep to their breeding schedule and shorten nursing by a few days to get the females pregnant in time again, fertility seems to be seriously affected. Gilts, in particular, are responding with heat periods that are hard to identify, making service all the more difficult.

While the sows are recognized as top performers in almost every other aspect, the comparatively recent appearance of longer gestations has led farm advisers to caution against rigid application of farrowing induction injection.

Approved practice in bigger herds is to apply induction only for the last third or so of sows in a farrowing batch. If possible, hog farmers are being told to aim for a gestation of around three days over the old standard with the high production sows. But they are also advised to ensure easier heat recognition and successful service the next time around by making sure nursing lasts for at least 21 days. In fact, if litters are extra large, the advice is to lengthen suckling time by even a few days more.

Advisers agree, however, that the initial cost and management input in the resultant reorganization of sow management schedules on large farms is substantial, although the end result with a freer approach to farrowing time is almost always more piglets per sow – and heavier, healthier ones, too!

Germany introduces a national welfare pork label
The equivalent of C$14 more in costs per slaughter hog. This is what north German farmers reckon joining a new pork production welfare label will mean. But such is the pressure to meet perceived market demands for welfare pork that two hog production groups have agreed to start a pilot project this fall. The international slaughter concern VION (10.7 million hogs processed in 2010) is to introduce the new label, which is eventually planned as a national scheme with support from other major processors.

Among new welfare requirements under the label regulations is a 25 per cent increase in pen space per hog to a minimum 1.1 square metres, and redesigned pen layouts with around half the pen floor space reserved as a separate lying area with straw or other bedding material. The label rules also ban tail docking and castration of feeders is only allowed under local or full anaesthetic.

Policing the farms to make sure all rules are met will be the national animal protection organization. In fact, the welfare interests have successfully pushed for a two-tier label under the project: a "silver" label for pork and pork products will guarantee that the above criteria are included for the hogs and a "gold" label will be stuck on products from swine that also have an outdoor run throughout the feeding period.

The University of Göttingen agronomics department has already cast an eye on the costs involved for the farmers. It reckons, for example, that on the average hog production unit an extra hand will be needed to meet the additional welfare criteria. There will also be extra building costs involved for redesigning the pen layouts.

The economists also calculate that the public will be willing to reward the welfare efforts by paying around five per cent extra for the respective pork products – around the equivalent of $0.70 more per kilogram. Based on this, the sums could just about work out for the most efficient of the welfare farmers.

The Göttingen researchers have also produced a government survey indicating that at least 20 per cent of consumers confirm they would pay more for welfare label meat. But farmers and their advisers in Germany are more than a little sceptical. They point out that we've all heard this story before and, so far, such promises about paying more for welfare meats (and those organically produced, for that matter) have largely turned out to be wishful thinking.

Pneumonia resistance: finding the right genes
Genetic resistance against respiratory diseases is one of the results hoped for from current Danish swine research. After just four years of investigating the swine genome, definite areas have been identified by the Danes which appear to influence disease resistance.

So far, the project has followed more than 10,000 hogs from farrowing to slaughter under identical management, feeding and housing conditions. All diseases reported in the process, along with detailed slaughter inspection results, indicate that susceptibility to pneumonia, for example, lies in only four regions of the swine genome. Currently, the results are being verified through DNA analysis of a further 9,000 hogs.

The Danish Pig Research Centre says the next step is pinpointing the actual genes that are behind this natural resistance. Selection for resistant swine will then be simply a case of DNA analysis with potential breeding animals.

The research involves seven universities and veterinary companies, as well as the national Pig Research Centre. Together with a parallel project producing cloned swine to aid in human medical and pharmaceutical research, the disease resistance genome research has so far cost the equivalent of C$16.5 million per year.

U.K. tasting panels to assess and compare meat quality
One of Europe's largest suppliers of hybrid breeding swine, the U.K.-based JSR, is recruiting consumers as tasting panel members to offer the ultimate judgement on pork and its products.

A specially trained expert taste panel is also to be created. The new panels will test pork from JSR hogs and compare the meat qualities with those of products from other breeding programs and – more important, for farmer feedback – from different management systems.

JSR itself breeds and feeds hogs from over 4,000 hybrid sows on its own farms. It also produces breeding stock from another 1,700 sows in nucleus herds, including one in Canada. Pork from JSR breeding stock run by some of the company's bigger customers will also be tested by the panels.

The specially trained panel members are being chosen for their ability to assess aroma, texture and taste, but also meat colour. JSR says it wants to establish a reliable points system as permanent reference criteria for uniform assessment standards. The system could also provide a useful way of communicating with processors and retailers and adjusting breeding and production, where required, to give exactly the tastes and textures the industry wants.

The company has already installed a pork quality scientist dedicated to looking into the effects of on-farm management practices on meat quality.

Caroline Mitchell, JSR spokesperson, told Farmers Weekly in the U.K. that swine stress is enemy number one in this respect. Chronic stress for swine on the farm arising from the mixing of feeding groups and from noisy and violent handling can lead to dark, firm and dry meat. Short-term stress, on the other hand, often results in equally unattractive pale, watery meat, she noted.

High quality pork is most often the result of a good liveweight gain performance right through the growing and feeding periods and rations that are high in energy and lower in protein, the sort of diet that increases intramuscular fat and adds flavour.

But one of the worst things that can happen in terms of end quality is where weight gains are inconsistent and show dips in performance. This often gives meat with poor taste and tough texture. Mixing groups within a week before leaving the farm for slaughter, for example, can produce such a disastrous dip.

Rhineland farmers fight against early sow losses
In below-average performance herds in Europe, more than 60 per cent of sows are dead before they produce their fourth litter. But the extensive computerized herd records amongst Germany's swine production groups, such as the 600-farmer Rhineland group along the Dutch border, indicate that it doesn't always have to be like this. In this group, with 100 specialized weaner producers marketing up to 10,000 piglets per week, over 50 per cent of the sows in the best herds have produced four litters or more.

These top performers have most of their sows in the important three to six litter production sector where output of liveborn piglets per service is nine to 10 per cent higher than the first two farrowings and than the seventh and eighth. In fact, hardly a single breeding herd keeps its females past the eighth litter nowadays.

So how can farmers help ensure their replacement gilts make it past the first two or three litters? Rhineland group advisors stress that breeding condition must be top-notch right from the start. For instance, the typical Large White/Landrace hybrid should be at least 250 days old when first served and weigh-in ideally at between 140 and 150 kilograms. She also needs to be around 220 kilograms at farrowing time.

Does this mean producers should be continually weighing their breeding females? "No," say the Rhineland advisors. "All that are needed are spot checks with some of the replacements in the herd being put in the weighing crate now and again."

Naturally, the foundations for good long-term production, good feet and legs, are crucial to any breeding plan. But so is the feeding. The Rhineland specialists aim for a weight loss of not more than 15 kilograms by a gilt during the nursing of the first litter.

And, apropos nursing, 25 days is the maximum laid down by this group. Any more and the weight loss of the mother is almost always too high, resulting in possible fertility problems at subsequent service.

Records from the Rhineland weaner producers still show that old age is the main reason for sows leaving their herds. And this is the way it should be (see table). Not so positive, but definitely typical, are the next two main reasons for culling – fertility, or rather lack of it, and basic feet and leg problems.

Good signs along the road to successful production in this respect, according to the Rhineland advice, is having no more than 20 per cent first-litter gilts in the herd at any time, and achieving a sow lifetime production of 65 weaners or more. BP