Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
Pork Congress 2012 - Iowa Pork Producers Association
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Specifically, the research trials showed that groups of<br />
pigs headed to market can experience lower mortality<br />
rates in warm weather and overall improved well-being<br />
year-round when less bedding is used in transport<br />
trailers. According to McGlone, the current standard in<br />
the industry is to use four bales of bedding per semitrailer.<br />
“During the study we found that the surface temperature<br />
of the pigs changed with the air temperature and that<br />
increased surface temperature actually caused a negative<br />
effect on the pigs’ welfare,” McGlone said. “In cold<br />
weather, we found that there is no added effect to using<br />
more than six bales of bedding per trailer.”<br />
“We concluded that if the industry changed to using<br />
only three bales per trailer, it would create a big savings<br />
with no change in welfare,” McGlone said. “So it’s<br />
something the industry will need to consider carefully.”<br />
The National <strong>Pork</strong> Board has responsibility<br />
for Checkoff-funded research, promotion<br />
and consumer information projects and for<br />
communicating with pork producers and<br />
the public. Through a legislative national<br />
<strong>Pork</strong> Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40<br />
for each $100 value of hogs sold. The <strong>Pork</strong><br />
Checkoff funds national and state programs<br />
in advertising, consumer information, retail<br />
and foodservice marketing, export market<br />
promotion, production improvement,<br />
technology, swine health, pork safety<br />
and environmental management. For<br />
information on Checkoff-funded programs,<br />
pork producers can call the <strong>Pork</strong> Checkoff<br />
Service Center at (800) 456-7675 or check<br />
the Internet at www.pork.org.<br />
Task force outlines “road map” to<br />
Improve sow lifetime productivity<br />
How productive sows are during their lifetimes has<br />
sizeable economic and animal welfare implications for<br />
the U.S. pork industry. That’s why the <strong>Pork</strong> Checkoff<br />
created the Sow Lifetime Productivity Task Force to<br />
chart a “road map” of research tactics to improve sow<br />
retention rates and pig survival.<br />
The task force, made up of leading industry experts,<br />
has set a goal of improving sow lifetime productivity<br />
by 30 percent over the next seven years, according to<br />
Chris Hostetler, director of animal science for the <strong>Pork</strong><br />
Checkoff.<br />
The task force recommends research priorities be<br />
concentrated on three main areas:<br />
1. Increasing sow life in the herd through focused<br />
research on increasing average number of parities per<br />
sow and decreasing herd fall-out in the early parities.<br />
2. Increasing the number of pigs weaned per litter<br />
through improved litter size at birth and decreased<br />
pre-wean mortality.<br />
3. Optimizing gilt development and retention to<br />
increase lifetime productivity.<br />
March <strong>2012</strong><br />
59