Lecture 17: Swine 1: Industry, Production and Biosecurity

Question 1

What are the global trends of the world meat consumption?

Answer 1

-40% of all meat consumed is pork
-As the world population expands, so does the population of pigs
-As the economies of developing countries increases pork consumption increases (increase on global industry)
-The health of the global pig herd is important

Question 2

What are some national trends seen in the CA swine industry?

Answer 2

-Pork: Canadas 3rd largest agricultural export commodity
-CA is the #1 exporter of live swine
-The health of the CA pig herd is important
-Major swine centres: ON, Quebec. Manitioba

Question 3

TRUE OR FALSE: Pigs are only used as production animals its not common to have pet pigs or use them for any other purpose?

Answer 3

FALSE
-100,000 pet pigs in North america
-pigs: models for human medical research
-Pigs: important sources for human organ transplant

Question 4

What are the types of quality assurance programs available for food safety?

Answer 4

Food safety
-Canadian Quality Assurance programs: 1998 (CQA)
-Animal Care Assurance program: 2012 (ACA)
-Pigsafe -Pigtrace -Pigcare
-Canadian Pork Excellence program (combo of 2 above)

-“Voluntary”- processors will want to see this when market
-Validators- held up by audits

Question 5

What are the types of quality assurance programs available for biosecurity standards and code of practice?

Answer 5

Biosecurity:
-Recommendations (2012)
-Standards

Code of Practice (not mandatory but makes up Excellence program)
-Producers
-Transporters
-Packers

Question 6

What are the overall trends seen in ON?

Answer 6

-THe number of hers is decreasing (less pigs farms)
-ON pig farm size is increasing (but overall growing bc increasing # of pigs per farm) production increasing
-Farms are predominantly family owned
-Land-based farms (for crop production and nutrient management and manure used to fertilized)
-Contributed over $4 million to provincial economy

Question 7

Where and why are majority of the swine farms in ON?

Answer 7

-Majority are in the south western area of ON
-This is bc its closer to boarder for transport and slaughter but also can grow certain ingredients in this area

Question 8

What are some economic costs associated with swine production?

Answer 8

Fixed costs of production
-Barn, labour, utilities

Question 9

What is the number 2 cost of production and why does it fluctuate?

Answer 9

-# 1 cost is feed
-Fluctuates with cost of corn and number of pigs in the barn

Question 10

TRUE OR FALSE: the swine industry is supply managed?

Answer 10

FALSE
-Can have big fluctuations
-This can influence farms choices for animal care/welfare by not being able to afford the better options

Question 11

What are the 4 breeds covered in class? What are each know for?

Answer 11

Duroc (brown pigs)
- Good meat quality
- Good feed conversion
- Good growth rates
(often used as sire/boar semen)

Hampshire (Oreo)
- Good meat quality
- Good feed conversion
- Good growth rate

(can be disadvantage bc some producers don’t like dark hairs might mean more work)

Landrace (floppy white)
- Large litter sizes
- Good milk production
- Good growth rate

Yorkshire (stand up ears, white)
- Large litter sizes
- Good mothers

Question 12

What are the different stages/types of swine farms?

Answer 12

Farrow to finish

-Breeding
-Gestation (moved to farrowing where they give birth, pregnant for 3m,3w,3d or 115d)
-Farrowing (sow gives birth, piglets are removed and weaned at 3w) and cycle repeated for sow
-Nursery 3-10w (for piglets to grow)
-Grow/finish 11-26w

Question 13

What are the types of swine farms in more detail?

Answer 13

Farrow to finish
- +/- raise own replacement

Weaner producers
-Sell pigs at 20-25kg

Grow-finish operation
-Buy 20-25kg pigs & raise to market age

Breeding stock suppliers
-Sell gilts and boars to others, supply boars to AI stud
-Most pigs still go for market hogs

SEW (segregated early weaning)
-or multi-site production (multiple sow herds send pigs to one nursery)

Question 14

What happens in the production phase of breeding?

Answer 14

-Sows in individual stalls or group pens -stay here until confirmed pregnant (at around 28d then move to group pens)
-Boars in individual stalls or pens

Question 15

TRUE OR FALSE: most of the breeding is done through AI only a small portion is done by natural breeding.

Answer 15

TRUE
-over 90% is artificial insemination
-Natural breeding 1boar:20 sows but not common

Question 16

What happens at the proaction phase of gestation?

Answer 16

-Sows housed in individual stalls or group pens (currently shifting from stall –> group)
-Gestation length (115d)

Question 17

What are the pros and cons of stalls for gestation?

Answer 17

(only allowed to be in here until confirmed pregnant at 258d)
Pros:
-Easier to monitor/ identify if something wrong (abortion/pregnant)
-Less space in barn
-Reduced feed competition/ aggression at time of feeding
-Individual feeding (not a problem anymore with tags that regular feed bins)

Cons:
-Consumer perceptions
-Not able to turn around/express natural behaviours, restricting movement

Question 18

What are the pros and cons of group pens?

Answer 18

Pros:
-physically more fit to cary pregnancy

Cons:
-Social hierarchy social aggression, lose feed
-Increase rates of culling from injury/lameness

Question 19

What happens at the farrowing stage of production?

Answer 19

-Sows farrow (give birth) in crates
-Piglets weaned at 14-28d
-Crates are washed before new sows move in ie ALL IN ALL OUT movement

Question 20

How do farrowing crates work and what is the purpose?

Answer 20

-In a crate, sow lies down SLOWLY giving piglets time to move out of the way which prevents crushing
-Can open after 1w when they get bigger
-Pen doesn’t prevent ‘flopping’ just slows down descent

Question 21

what is the difference between all in/all out and continuous flow?

Answer 21

All-in/all-out
-Room/barn filled all at once
-Room/barn completely emptied and cleaned before new pigs enter
-Decreased disease spread

Continuous (never completely cleaned)
-New pigs constantly moved into room/barn
-Room.barn never completely empty
-More risk of disease

Question 22

What happens at the nursery stage of production?

Answer 22

-Move in at ~3w old and 5kg
-Housed in groups- males and females (separate breeding stock) oven doors and run in/out into pens
-Remain here for ~7w
-Move out at ~10w old and 25kg

Question 23

What happens at the grow/finish production phase?

Answer 23

-Housed in groups
-Remain here until reach market weight (~110kg) depends on producer but this is common
-Spend 100-120d in finishing barn (pigs are ~6m old when reach market weight)

Question 24

What does biosecurity refer to?

Answer 24

biosecurity refers to the steps taken to protect the pig farm from entry of disease agents- viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic
-Also prevent internal spread WITHIN barn

Question 25

What are the essential concepts of biosecurity?

Answer 25

NEW PIGS ARRIVING IN A HERD ARE THE MOST COMMON SOURCE OF DISEASE
TO mediate:
1. But pigs from one source with known heart;th status
2. Buy from herd with good biosecurity (want to but for prod who cares about health of their pigs)
3. Quarantine new boars/gilts for at least 60d - test for disease, vaccinate, expose to sentinel pigs (isolation barn, housing new purchases)
4. Reduce the number of new pigs brought into herd - how do we do this? (increase internal replacement, breeding and keeping so already exposed to pathogens or using AI to decrease # of males bringing in
5. Build new barns away from other hers -3km (build away from other pigs, very dense in ON but still should be done)

Question 26

What is a big concept of biosecurity?

Answer 26

-control people movement via signage and access zones

CAZ- controlled access zone
-pig farm yard
-Buildings and driveway
-Access limited

RAZ: restricted access zone
-Where pigs are housed
-Defined entry protocol

Question 27

What are biosecurity considerations for people and vehicles?

Answer 27

People
1. Restrict access to barn-signs lock doors
2. Wash hands or shower
3. Change from street clothes into barn boots and coveralls

Vehicles
-Cn be contaminated by pig manure from other farms- pig transport, feed, headstock etc
1. Ensure trucks that have been to other farms have been cleaned
2. Don’t allow vehicles near barn (remember CAZ)
3. Have dead-stock pick up at end of lane (bin or separate dirveway)

Question 28

What are biosecurity measures for airborne spread of disease?

Answer 28

-Locate farm far from other farms/pigs and far from the road
-Use long driveways and many trees

Question 29

How do other animals on farm or wild life impact biosecurity?

Answer 29

Can bring new disease into barn or spread disease through barn
1. No cats/dogs/other species in barn
2. Rodent control program
3. Screens to keep birds out (influenza affect birds, pigs, ppl)

Question 30

Why is there such a strong focus on biosecurity?

Answer 30

-Food security/safety stand point
-No quota so affect overall profit
-Housing together so disease can spread quick
-Eradication is harder so avoid problem is key