Laid-back sows produce higher performing piglets
Monday, February 20, 2012
Tranquilizers help take the pain out of parturition for gilts and sows, according to German research. Results include less danger of piglet injuries, much more milk and better weight gain for the young litters.
by NORMAN DUNN
Over 12 per cent higher weight gain for piglets from gilts over the first 21 days? This eye-widening advantage comes from recordings on a large-scale swine unit where groups of gilts and sows were injected with tranquilizers immediately after farrowing. Even for sows, the litter weight gain improvement over a control group was five per cent and for both groups piglet mortality was reduced by two per cent, including a 30 per cent reduction in piglet death through overlaying.
But the thinking behind the tranquilizer experiment at the German Institute for Reproduction of Farm Animals (IFN) in Schönow outside Berlin wasn't only based on protecting the litter members from attack by agitated sows.
The target was achieving more colostrum suckling time for the youngsters. In this respect, a bull's eye was scored by the Schönow researchers. Tranquilized gilts and sows nearly always lay down in a side position right after farrowing, presenting their udders to the litter members. They were not nearly as agitated as the untreated group.
Result: the piglets in the tranquilized group got much more colostrum and therefore energy and immunoglobulins in their first hours. Daily liveweight gain for piglets in the treated group averaged 211 grams, 4.5 per cent higher than the 202 gram mean for the control group. And when immunoglobulin content in the blood of selected piglets was tested, those from the tranquilized females had an average 23 per cent more in their blood serum than the control group youngsters.
Yet another positive characteristic for the offspring from tranquilized sows in this trial: the average piglet weight at 21 days was 5.6 kilograms for the control group and 5.77 kilograms for the tranquilized swine. Total average daily liveweight gain for piglets in the tranquilized group was five per cent higher than control and, for gilts, this figure was 12.6 per cent!
The trial involved 250 sows and gilts and some 3,000 piglets. Around half of the group was injected right after completion of farrowing and placenta drop with a single deep intramuscular injection of azaperone. The dose (320 milligrams in an eight millilitre solution) was judged to have a mild tranquilizing effect. Control group females were injected with a placebo.
Basic performance by the two groups was very similar with the placebo sows and gilts delivering an average live born count of 12.1 piglets and the treated group 12.4. The researchers reckoned that all the considerable advantages for litters in the tranquilized sow group stemmed from the relaxed behaviour of the females, even after very stressful farrowings. Litter members then had plenty of time to safely get their first important dose of colostrum.
Will maggots supply the feed protein of the future?
European swine producers are more reliant on feed protein imports than most of the world's livestock farmers, mainly because soybeans can still be grown more easily, and yield far better, in warmer regions.
This has meant that one of the main talking points at farmers' markets and other meetings this winter has been "Magmeal," the patented name for a high protein feed ingredient that can be produced on any farm, whatever the climate.
Better still, Magmeal doesn't need any land because it's produced from housefly maggots raised on waste material such as slaughterhouse offal, rejected bakery products, or whatever else flies happen to thrive on, including manure.
The main research location at the moment is in South Africa where Dr. Elsje Pieterse in the Animal Sciences Department at Stellenbosch University is planning large-scale trials of feed protein derived from house fly maggots in 2012.
Last year, initial investigations highlighted the potential of the new protein production. For instance, one kilogram of house fly eggs can produce 380 kilograms of protein within three days, according to Dr Pieterse. Five tonnes of maggots are required for a tonne of high quality protein for aquaculture or livestock feed. Another claimed bonus: maggot protein does not contain toxins associated with vegetable feed proteins.
As well as increasing the scope for sustainable production of homegrown protein through recycled organic waste, the maggot meal is already being hailed as a potential solution to chronic overfishing in many oceans due to the massive feed fishmeal industry. Every year around 30 million tonnes of fish are netted for meal production. In Britain, for example, more fish are harvested for feed fishmeal than are consumed by the 61 million human population.
A company called Agriprotein has been created for commercial development of the maggot protein concept and has already opened an office in Germany.
The soft option gives best results for sows' feet
The massive advantages for sow hoof health offered by solid flooring with bedding in loose housing systems is underlined by results from a survey of commercial farms in Germany. Over 2,500 gestating sows on 40 farms were checked, half the herds from fully slatted housing and the rest in systems with slatted movement/feeding areas and straw-bedded laying floors. Only 16 per cent, or 405 sows, turned out to have perfectly healthy rear feet and 90 per cent of them came from the straw bedded group.
Damaged or completely torn away rear claws on the hind feet were three times more common with dry sows from fully slatted flooring. Other hoof problems such as worn outer walls and cracks were found with 70 per cent of the sows from fully slatted systems, but in only 14 per cent of the straw bedded females.
The research, by the University of Nürtingen and the Baden-Württemberg Swine Production Institute, couldn't be better timed as many continental swine breeders are still using dry sow stalls but must change over to loose housing systems by the end of 2012 under European Union legislation.
Creep overcrowding a growing danger
Researchers on the Saxony State Teaching and Research Farm at Köllitsch say the creep areas for piglets in farrowing pens need a design rethink. Reason: the number of born-alive piglets per farrowing is increasing continually.
Where just 10 years ago in eastern Germany eight or nine born alive per sow was average, 11 to 12 living piglets are now regarded as normal. But barns and their interior equipment aren't renovated that often. The result is that there's often overcrowding in the creep areas. The temperature rises and piglets move out to seek a slightly cooler lying area. Unfortunately, this is often as near to the mother sow as possible and that's where the danger of getting trampled or lain on is highest.
Research in the Köllitsch 130-sow herd by Eckhard Meyer and his team shows that, even during week one of life, the piglets will start moving out if floor temperature in the creep rises above 37-39 C. Within that range, up to 70 per cent of the piglets will stay in the creep. It's also important that the temperature is evenly spread over the whole floor area. In the following weeks, 32-36 C is warm enough.
"Even more critical," says Meyer, "is the ambient air temperature in the piglet shelter. This really shouldn't be much more than 22 C or, once again, the piglets will start moving out and into dangerous terrain."
So what's the answer? Three factors should be catered for nowadays, according to the Köllitsch team. One, creep temperature sensors and control apparatus should be accurate and checked continually to ensure they are telling the real story.
Two, creep area for the very young piglets should be covered so that a microclimate is easier to maintain (and so that the surrounding air is cooler for better sow comfort).
Three, a larger creep area is desirable. "We've worked out that the creep area requirement is 0.06 square metres per piglet for Pietrain crosses and 0.07 for Durocs," reports Meyer. "Where there are 13 piglets in a litter, this means an average 0.85 square metre creep area at 14 days after farrowing, which would work out at over a square metre by weaning time."
This, of course, would take up a lot of room. While covered creep areas are preferred for the young piglets, this is not seen as ideal for older sucklers because any covered area is more difficult to keep clean.
The Köllitsch team reckons the best solution could be a double-compartment creep area up near the sow's head (so shaped to fit into conventional farrowing pen design). Here, a design is envisaged where one section would retain conventional floor heating and a comparatively high ambient temperature. Between that covered creep area and the sow should be situated a well-insulated passive zone with no floor heating for the more mature litter members.
British swine producers push for mandatory truck washing
A crackdown on truck cleaning procedures by freighters of live hogs to slaughterhouses has been introduced by the British Pig Executive (BPEX), umbrella organization for the United Kingdom's swine production sector.
The industry recognizes that transport between major connection points such as slaughterhouses and farms represents the most important disease-spreading vector. Despite this, a Ministry of Agriculture survey discovered that more than 80 per cent of truck drivers weren't washing out their rigs after delivery of slaughter hogs.
What BPEX wants to introduce is control of truck drivers the second they are on abattoir premises. Showing the way ahead is the main abattoir of Cranswick Country Foods in Norfolk, eastern England. This company, which has eight plants and a turnover equivalent to C$1.2 billion (in 2010-2011), ensures all incoming drivers follow a standard procedure which includes careful washing of tractor and trailer as a routine.
What's more, the rigs are checked before they leave the site and drivers (who have to do all their own cleaning) are scored on a 1-10 system. The results go onto a database and each freight company gets a full report.
Now, urged on by the BPEX campaign, other processors are following in Cranswick's footsteps. There are 18 major slaughterhouses in England alone and BPEX says 12 of them have already responded.
The program organizers say the main problem doesn't really concern the truck drivers or their companies. What is missing at many locations are proper washing and disinfecting facilities. The swine production sector in Britain is also aiming to introduce better driver training in biosecurity.
The British approach is voluntary so far, but Denmark introduced compulsory training for swine freight drivers 18 years ago. Also included in Denmark is instruction on animal welfare during transport. BP