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THE TRUE ALTERNATIVESwine Swine Management Services Services (SMS) (SMS) of Fremont, of Fremont, Nebraska Nebraska is the is world’s the world’s largest largest swine swine benchmarking service. service. Genesus Genesus has hasparticipated in SMS in SMS Benchmarking since since 2006 2006 as the as Service the Service has has grown grown from from 380 380 farms farms with with 722,417 722,417 females females to its to present its present2009 2009 level level of 683 of 683 farms farms with with 1,215,511 1,215,511 females. females. Genesus Genesus has has grown grown along along with with SMS SMS but one but one thing thing remains remains consistent,our our domination of the of results the results with, with, 8 of 8 top of 10 top farms 10 farms for all for four all four years years and and 9 to 915 to of 15 the of top the 20 top over 20 over the same the same period. period.SMS SMS Genesus Performance Data Data(January (January 1st 2006 1st 2006 – – December 31st 31st 2009) 2009)Year Year 2006 2006 2007 2007 2008 2008 2009 2009No. No. of SMS of SMS Farms Farms 380 380 467 467 585 585 683 683No. No. of SMS of SMS Females Females 683,570 683,570839,998 839,998 1,106,344 1,215,511Genesus Genesus Top Top 10% 10% 29.45 29.45 29.97 29.97 29.71 29.71 30.06 30.06SMS SMS Average Average All All 22.58 22.58 22.94 22.94 23.30 23.30 23.80 23.80Genesus Genesus Average Average All All 26.41 26.41 26.55 26.55 26.78 26.78 26.82 26.82SMS SMS Bottom Bottom 25% 25% 18.98 18.98 18.82 18.82 19.72 19.72 20.16 20.16Genesus Genesus Bottom Bottom 25% 25% 24.89 24.89 25.17 25.17 25.19 25.19 25.26 25.26Genesus Genesus Herds Herds in SMS in SMS Top Top 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8Genesus Genesus Herds Herds in SMS in SMS Top Top 20 20 9 9 14 14 15 15 13 13All major All major genetic genetic companies are are represented in the in SMS the SMS database. database. The The facts facts are are indisputable; Genesus Genesusis the is number the number one one female, female, with with consistent, significant, dominant dominant performance four four years years running. running.Isn’t Isn’t it time it time you you moved moved up to up the to Genesus the Genesus Advantage?GeNeSuS IS SeCoND IS SeCoND To NoNe To NoNe - - ANyTHING LeSS LeSS IS A IS A CoMPRoMISe.www.genesus.comRead Read Jim Jim Long’s Long’s Commentary at at www.genesus.com

Volume 32 | Number 5Spring 2011Date of Issue: May 2011SpecialFeaturesPage 48Published quarterly by Alberta Pork withcooperation from the British ColumbiaHog Marketing Commission, Sask Porkand Manitoba Pork CouncilSubscriptionsFor new subscriptions, change ofaddress or other subscription queries,please contact Alberta PorkPhone: 780-474-8288Fax: 780-479-5128Email: info@albertapork.comPublications Mail AgreementNo. 40062769Return UndeliverableCanadian Addresses to:Circulation Department4828 - 89 StreetEdmonton, Alberta T6E 5K1PublisherDarcy FitzgeraldBusiness Manager& Editorial DirectorBernie PeetPhone: 403-782-3776Fax: 403-782-4161Email: bjpeet@telusplanet.netAdvertisingJames Shaw1 Burnhamthorpe Park Blvd.Islington, OntarioCanada M9A 1H8Phone: 416-231-1812Fax: 416-233-4858Email: jamesshaw@rogers.comCover PhotoAn Australian group sow housing systemwith the German FitMix feeding system(photo courtesy John Riley).Editor’s Notes...................................................................................................................4News and Views.............................................................................................................6Industry Viewpoint................................................................................................... 15Manitoba Swine SeminarNutrition and management during lactation:effects on future parity productivity....................................................................21Life beyond needles................................................................................................... 26Glycerine in swine diets........................................................................................... 30Practical nursery management: Doing the basics right................................ 32Special FeaturesHealthBehaviour of pigs in large group auto-sort systems...................................... 36Don’t be a victim of price volatility..................................................................... 40Feeding increasing levels of yellow- vs. dark-seededcanola meal to hogs................................................................................................. 44Is potato starch an alternative toantibiotics in weaned pig diets?........................................................................... 48Alberta Hog Price Insurance Program close to launch.................................. 53Dietary co-products may enhance porkomega-3 fatty acid and reduce feed costs withoutaffecting carcass quality and growth................................................................. 56Swine health bulletins address potential health threats.............................. 59PRRS free herd certification pilot program for western Canada................................... 60International Round-up........................................................................................61View from EuropeCarrying out a stress audit..................................................................................... 65British producers have their backs to the wall again................................................... 68Pigs Down UnderPig producers battle Nature....................................................................................71Ad Index............................................................................................................................ 74Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 3

News and Viewsis variable, which meansthat in practice producerscarry out two or even threeinseminations over a two-dayperiod in order to ensure thatfresh semen is present in thefallopian tubes at the time ofovulation. The new device –the Draminski Oestrus Detectorfrom Poland – can measure theER and provide a guide to theoptimum insemination time.ER is highest during the lutealphase of the oestrus cycle,which is when the sow is notin oestrus, and lowest duringthe follicular phase whenovulation occurs.The researchers used realtime ultrasound to determinewhen sows ovulated so thiscould be compared withmeasurements taken by the ERdevice. On days 4 and 5 threemeasurements were taken and2 on day 6, otherwise it wasonce per day. Oestrus startedfrom the time of the secondreading on day 4 and laststanding oestrus was observedat the second reading on day6. Oestrus was observed afterthe lowest ER readings wererecorded. Ovulation occurredbetween late on day 5 and lateon day 6 after weaning, whileER values were still increasing.The researchers concludedthat there was a definite trendobserved in the ER readingsfrom days 1 to 7, indicatingthat they may be useful as apredictor of when ovulationoccurs.Research tackleschallenges ofgroup housingMaintaining sow bodycondition and controllingaggression are the twomain challenges faced whenconsidering group housingfor sows, Prairie Swine Centreresearcher Dr. Harold Gonyoutold producers at a recentseries of meetings in Manitobaand Alberta. The solutionis to control individual feedintake and develop suitablemanagement systems forthis housing method. “Wedon’t want to let the sow wina competition for access tofeed because that results inaggression,” he says. “Withelectronic feeding systems(ESF), dominant sows get intothe feeder earlier in the day,Free access stalls offer a group housing system which ensures individualsow feed intakebut don’t get any more feed.”However, he notes that if thereare too many sows per feeder,then there will be competitionfor access that will lead toaggression.“There is notmuch difference inperformance betweenstatic and dynamicgroups”Gonyou and his co-workershave studied an electronicsow feeding and a free accessstall system over a number ofyears. Mixing sows either atweaning or later in gestationcan impact both farrowing rateand litter size, he notes. In thelarge dynamic groups typicallyused in ESF systems, mixing ismore of a challenge. “Mixinga new group of sows into anestablished group every 4 weeksinstead of weekly is preferableto mixing new sows in everyweek,” Gonyou explains. “Bythe time the new sows aremixed, the previous group ispast the implantation stage.”There is not much difference inperformance between static anddynamic groups, but there is adifference between mixing preorpost- implantation, he adds.CONTINUED ON PAGE 10PARKSWith over 30 years of experience in the livestock industry,we continue to provide today’s producers withThe Best Full Service Marketingin North AmericaA Member of The Parks CompaniesFeeder PigsS.E.W.sCall today to talk to our team ~ Toll Free: 1-800-821-7418 ~ Email: jasonmills@parkslivestock.com8 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

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News and ViewsNew Pfizer swineterritory managerfor ManitobaDennis Stevenson has joinedPfizer Animal Health’s swinebusiness unit as TerritoryManager for Manitoba andis responsible for the salesand support of the company’sextensive line of swineproducts. He joins a teamof six dedicated Pfizerterritory managers acrossCanada, focused entirely onthe swine industry.Dennis brings extensiveexperience and knowledge ofswine production managementto his new position with Pfizer,and will work with producers,swine production systems, feedcompanies and veterinariansin Manitoba. He graduatedfrom the University ofSaskatchewan with a diplomain agriculture, and also holds ajourneymen in pork productionfrom the Apprenticeship andTrade certification program inRegina, SK.“Dennis understands theCanadian swine industry,especially in Manitoba wherehe has worked with someof the largest systems in theprovince,” says Tom Elskamp,National Sales Managerfor Pfizer’s Canadian swinebusiness unit. “Dennis is aterrific asset to the Pfizer teamand we know he’ll be a greatdynamic resource for Manitobahog producers too.”Manitobaproducers unveilwide-rangingplans for greeneroperationsBy Myron LoveThe plaudits are coming infrom all corners of NorthAmerica for the ManitobaPork Council’s new 82-pointsustainable developmentprogram which the MPCunveiled on Wednesday,March 16.“We have had a very positiveresponse from most people,”says Andrew Dickson, theMPC’s executive director,“although we know there is nopleasing the anti-hog people.The government has been verysupportive.” MPC chairmanKarl Kynoch adds that thedocument is an open bookthat lets the public know thegood things that hog producersare doing. “We are beingproactive rather than justwaiting to react to situationsthat occur.Called Embracing a SustainableFuture, the 54-page documentspells out 82 commitmentsthe council has endorsed onbehalf of local producers. Thedocument, Kynoch points out,is divided into a number ofdifferent sections includingFeed costs too high?This is just one of the challenges that Danisco can help you solve.Phyzyme XP is a highly efficient phytase feed enzyme that improves the digestibility ofphosphorus, calcium, energy and amino acids contained in many feed ingredients.Reduce your feed costs by minimizing the need to add expensive inorganic phosphorussources and reformulate the feed to take account of the improvements in energy andamino acid digestibility.- more profit from lower feed costsTo find out more please contactHalchemix Canada IncTel: 1-800-540-4756halchemix@halchemixcanada.comwww.halchemixcanada.comJohn Van OortTel: 403-701-2445john.vanoort@danisco.comwww.danisco.com/animalnutrition10 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

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News and ViewsEmployers who fail to meetthe new requirements will berefused work permit applicationsfor any foreign national offeredemployment by that employerand will be ineligible to hireTFWs for two years.Using Net Energysystem can save$2-3 per pigWith energy representing by farthe most expensive componentof pig diets and the price ofcereal grains skyrocketing, itis increasingly important tomatch the energy content of thediet with the pigs’ requirements.Using the Net Energy (NE)system to quantify the energyvalue of feed ingredients cansave $2-3 per hog, accordingto Dr. Denis Beaulieu fromthe Prairie Swine Centre.“The NE system provides amore accurate way of pricingand evaluating ingredientsaccording to the energycontent,” she said, speakingat a series of recent producermeetings in Manitoba andAlberta. However, she noted,there are several differentapproaches to measurement,which is why people have beenslow to adopt it.“The difference can beas high as 10 cents perkilo of gain or $5 perfinishing pig”Using the NE system allowsdiets to be formulated withlower crude protein levels.This is because the DE systemovervalues the energy contentof protein sources such assoybeans and canola meal.“Crystalline amino acids reallyshine when the NE systemis used and their use allowsthe crude protein content tobe reduced considerably,”Beaulieu explains.With the increasing use ofby-product ingredients such asDDGS, the NE system is evenmore advantageous, Beaulieupoints out. “The NE in DDGSfor finisher pigs is significantlyhigher than for growersbecause bigger pigs can digestit better,” she explains. “Thecost per Mega calorie of energyis much lower using NE andthe difference can be as highas 10 cents per kilo of gain or$5 per finishing pig.”In addition to reducing costs,the NE system allows veryaccurate prediction of feedintake and gain, although notFCE, Beaulieu notes. “We canpredict the composition ofweight gain in the pig, thatis, how much protein and fatdeposition will occur.”CorrectionIn the Banff Seminar issue ofWHJ, Kevin Grier from theGeorge Morris Centre wasmisquoted in the report of thebreakout session “BuildingCanada’s future in exports”.The article said that “the EUprotects its pork industry plusits consumer.”“I actually said the EU protectsits pork industry, ‘if not itsconsumers,” says Kevin Grier.“The EU pork industry isprotected by extraordinarilyhigh protective tariffs andexceptionally small accessquotas as well as a creativearray of non-tariff barriers.Rest assured that consumersare nowhere near the top ofthe priority pile in Euroland,”he comments. nHOG PRICE INSURANCE PROGRAMThe Hog Price Insurance Program (HPIP) is marketdriven price insurance for hog producers in Alberta.Offered continuously throughout the year, HPIP willbe an easy to use risk management tool that willprovide protection against a decline in Alberta hogprices over a defined period of time.HPIP - COMING SPRING 2011For more information, call AFSC at 1-877-899-AFSC (2372),visit www.AFSC.ca or stop in at any AFSC District Office.14 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Industry ViewpointBy Bernie PeetOver the last few years, the Industry Crisis column has looked at what has been going on in theCanadian industry as our producers have battled a series of unprecedented challenges which has seenthe industry reduce in size by nearly a quarter. WHJ Editor Bernie Peet continues to review industryevents and trends that will shape the industry in future, both in North America and around the world.He will comment on industry developments and how they impact Canadian producers, providing hisunique perspective and personal viewpoint on the important issues.Has the bleeding stopped?After five continuous years of decline, hog numbers in the January 1 census report appear to have stabilized and in someprovinces increased slightly. Total Canadian hog inventory increased by 0.6% compared to the previous year, totalling 11.9million. However, over the five years to January 1 hog numbers have fallen by a massive 21%. There were 1.3 million sows andgilts reported in January, down 1.1% fromone year earlier and down 17.5% fromfive years ago. “Sow inventories havenot been at this level since 1999, whichwas the start of a five-year industry wideexpansion,” notes the Statistics Canadareport. Domestic hog slaughter for 2010was 21.3 million, down 2.4% from 2009.In the east, the decline in sow numbersin Ontario seems to have been arrested,with a 0.9% increase year-on-year. Overthe last 5 years the number of sows andgilts has fallen by 18.8%, from 424,000to 344,500, while total hog numbershave reduced by 26.7%. NeighbouringQuebec has seen a much less dramaticfall, with roughly a 10% fall in both sowand total hog numbers since the January2006 census.In the west, Manitoba has fared the bestin terms of both sow and gilt and totalhog numbers, showing a 3.6% increasein pig numbers over the past year. Whilesow numbers have fallen by 13.4% overthe last 5 years, total hog numbers havefallen only 10.9% reflecting the higherproportion of pigs finished in the province.Saskatchewan showed a slight increase inhog numbers year-on-year, but has seensow numbers drop by 31.8% over the fiveyearperiod and total hog numbers 42.5%.Sow numbers in Alberta fell 3.2% during2010 and decreased by 23.7% over theprevious five years, while total hogs fellCONTINUED ON PAGE 16Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 15

Industry Viewpoint Continuedby 26.8% over the same period. British Columbia now onlyhas 9,400 sows compared to 18,100 five years ago, a declineof 48.1%, with both sow and total hog number dropping about20% in the last year alone.The number of farms with hogs continues to fall, with 6,985farms on January 1, down 5.6% in the last year and 41% overthe past five years. Once again the Statistics Canada producernumbers appear to be suspect, as they show 810 producersrecorded in Alberta, less than half the actual numbers and655 in BC which has very few pigs left.“British Columbia now only has 9,400 sowscompared to 18,100 five years ago”Live pig exports in 2010 were down by 10.1% compared to2009, at 5.7 million head and down by 42.9% from theirpeak in 2007. However, there are signs that the decline isstabilizing as US packers adjust to complying with COOLrequirements for hogs of Canadian origin.So has the bleeding stopped? Numerically it appears so.The question is whether a combination of high feed pricesand only moderate hog prices will put further pressure onproducers, most of whom have no AgriStability referencemargins left to provide a safety net. COOL has been disruptive and damagingCountry of Origin Labeling (COOL) has proved a ‘disruptiveand damaging trade distorting measure’, according to KevinGrier, a senior market analyst at the George Morris Centre. Ina paper titled Country of Origin Labeling: The Damage Doneand the Fight Underway, he notes that country of originlabeling in the US has become a non-tariff barrier examplethat other countries are now following. If left in place, thesemeasures will have an enormous impact on trading nations.“During the first year after the introduction of the COOLmeasure, there was a reduction in the prices for Canadiancattle and hogs relative to the US,” Grier points out. “Forexample, during 2009 the George Morris Centre calculatedthat weaner and feeder prices were about $US3-4/headlower relative to the US in the post-COOL period, comparedto the pre-COOL period. Canadian market hogs traded intothe US were priced more than $10/head less than in the pre-COOL period.”“The bottom line for COOL is that it has served nocommercial interests and provided no benefits toconsumers or industry”The data also show that there has been a reduction in the flowof Canadian livestock into the United States in the pre- andpost-COOL measure periods, notes the report.“During the first quarter that COOL was ineffect in late 2008, slaughter hog exportsdeclined by more than 60%,” Grier explains.“During the first half of 2009, slaughter hogexports were down by nearly 60%. Thereis no doubt COOL was the cause of both thepricing discounts and the dramatic reductionsin trade volumes.”Grier says that one of the most impactedsectors of Canadian livestock was Manitobaweaner producers. “A material numberof these farrowing businesses lost theircontracts due to the fact that the Iowafinishers no longer had a market forCanadian hogs,” he points out. “Livelihoodsin this sector have been lost.” During 2010, the impact of COOLameliorated, first because the US industrybecame more comfortable and proficientat handling meat from Canadian livestockand second because supplies of US livestockcontinued to decline during 2010. “The USindustry’s willingness and ability to discountCanadian livestock lessened, commentsCONTINUED ON PAGE 1816 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

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Industry Viewpoint Continuedlivestock industry, with producer profitability determiningavailability of meat, Lochner suggests. “The drivers ofprofitability and production have changed,” he says. “The oldparadigm was that profitability and production are driven bydomestic demand. The new paradigm is that they’re largelydriven by grain costs and exports.” Overall US meat supplieshave declined for at least three years and probably will shrinkagain this year, Lochner adds.Food security is now a hot topic in the media, with countlessarticles published over the last six months. It is also now onthe agenda of the G20 nations and has achieved prominencedue to the demonstrations in Middle Eastern countries, whichare said to be partly related to higher food prices. There seemsno doubt that pig producers, whether in Canada or around theworld, are now facing Jim Lochner’s new paradigm and willneed to adjust to the new economic environment.European industry shrinkingMost European countries have seen a drop in pig numbersover the past 12 months, with the EU sow herd falling by3% in the period to December 2010. The Danish January 1,2011 census showed that there were 4.5% fewer pigs thanon the same date in 2010, while the total number of sows(1.057 million) was 4.6% lower. The industry in neighbouringSweden, which has the highest animal welfare standardsin Europe, is in crisis due to its high production costs andproducers are quitting in droves. According to the SwedishFarmers Federation, 20% of producers will have disappearedby the end of 2011.EU producers are being hammered by high feed costs and thecost of complying with welfare and environmental legislation.The impending ban on sow stalls, which means that sowsmust be loose-housed for all but 28 days of gestation fromJanuary 1, 2013, is expected to result in an exodus from theindustry as many producers cannot afford the cost of newbuildings or conversion.A number of countries have called on Brussels to delay theimplementation of the partial stalls ban, which has angeredcountries such as the UK, which is already compliant, andDenmark, which says it will meet the deadline. There seemsno doubt that some other countries such as France, Italy andGermany, will be a long way off complying by the end of2012. This could mean that they are unable to export pork toother countries that are compliant. The result is likely to bean exodus from the industry and a significant shortfall in porkproduction by the end of 2013. n10205 Standard Nutrition:Layout 1 7/5/10 1:00 PM Page 1Your #1 source of viable microbial swine feed supplement!Send your hogs to market sooner with MaxiPlex.The results are in the bag!Standard NutritionStandard nutritionCOME SEE US AT ANY ONE OF OUR 4 LOCATIONS!COME SEE US AT ANY ONE OF OUR 4 LOCATIONS!Winnipeg, MB Brandon, MB Lethbridge, AB Red Deer, AB1-800-273-8763Winnipeg, MB1-888-728-7807Brandon, MB1-877-329-1414Lethbridge, AB1-403-352-0006Red Deer, AB1-800-273-8763 1-888-728-7807 1-877-329-1414 1-403-352-0006MaxiPlex is a registered CFIA productMaxiPlex is a registered distributed CFIA in product, Canada distributed and the US. in Canada and the US.www.standardnutrition.comww.standardnutrition.com20 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Manitoba Swine SeminarNutrition and management during lactation:effects on future parity productivitySows have limited feed intake capacity in lactation, such that protein and fat reserves may be severely depletedduring the suckling period, notes Dr. Bas Kemp from the Department of Animal Sciences at Wageningen Universityin the Netherlands. He points out that weight and protein losses exceeding 12% during lactation have been shownto result in reproductive problems such as extended weaning to oestrus intervals, lower conception rates and reducedsubsequent litter sizes. First litter sows are especially at risk since they still have significant nutrient needs forgrowth to maturity, a lower feed intake capacity and lower metabolizable fat and protein reserves, Kemp explains.He discusses the impact of inadequate lactation feed intake and examines feeding and management strategies bothduring lactation and after weaning that can help to maximize subsequent performance in the sow and gilt.Effects of limited feed intake on reproductionThe impact of feed restriction has changed considerably over the last 20 years due to genetic selection for a shorter weaning tooestrus interval. “In the seventies and early eighties, feed restriction during lactation resulted in a big increase in weaning tooestrus interval, up to about 10 days, but had hardly any effects on ovulation rate and embryo survival,” Kemp explains. Morerecent data show that the impact on weaning to oestrus interval is less than one day, while the effects on ovulation rate andembryo survival are much more pronounced.” Feed restriction appears to decrease ovulation rate by about 2 to 4 ova and embryosurvival by about 10 to 20%, Kemp says. First litter sows are especially vulnerable, due to their restricted feed intake capacity,he notes. The so-called ‘second litter syndrome’, where litter size is reduced in parity two, typically results in lower litter sizesin subsequent parities and culling oneparity earlier compared to sows showingincreased litter size in parity two.Potential ways to optimizepost weaning reproductiveperformanceGilt developmentGilt development and age/weight atfirst mating have a large effect onlifetime productivity, Kemp believes.“Although mating gilts at a youngage or a relatively low body weightmay not have negative consequencesfor first litter size, second litter sizemay still be compromised sinceyoung sows have the desire to growand feed intake capacity is limitedduring first lactation,” he points out.“Experimental data from our researchgroup indicate that sows with a lowbody weight after first lactation - lessthan 150 kg - have a reduced secondCONTINUED ON PAGE 23For more information: www.hypor.comor call us toll free +1 800 667 5960Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 21

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Farm Manitoba Focus Swine Seminar Continued Continued“Management techniques like removingthe whole litter for part of the day orsplit weaning, where part of the litter isremoved a few days before weaning, canbe successful but a drawback of the useof these techniques can be the occurrenceof oestrus prior to weaning,” Kempcomments. Also, he adds, with currentgenetics, litter sizes are so high thatthere is no opportunity for having lowernumbers of suckling piglets on gilts.Potential for postlactation repairAlthough lactation feed intake hasthe biggest impact on subsequentreproductive performance, there are anumber of management techniques thatcan be used after weaning to ‘repair’ thedamage caused by inadequate intake.Loss of weight during lactation result in problems such as extended weaning to oestrus intervals,lower conception rates and reduced subsequent litter sizes.Post weaning feeding“Ad lib feeding after weaning has beenshown to increase the percentage ofsows in oestrus within 7 days afterweaning to 62% as compared to 52%for restricted feeding,” Kemp notes.“Feeding carbohydrate rich diets afterweaning compared to fat rich diets hasresulted in a shorter weaning to oestrusinterval.”CANADA FARM DISTRIBUTORS LTD.Exclusive Canadian DistributorAnimal Carcass IncineratorsINCINERATORS FOR THE 21ST CENTURYFEATURING... our new refractoryblock lined incinerator• Patented Burning • Heavy Duty Construction• Pollution Free Disposal • Completely AutomaticFor All Pricing & Technical Inquiries Contact:UP TO 75%ENERGYSAVINGSEnergy Sustaining TechnologiesWinnipeg, ManitobaPh: (204) 222-2712Fax: (204) 222-5573Email: estbizmail@mts.netUnit shown is a model 36in a typical setting.Other models andconfigurations available.“Ad lib feeding after weaninghas been shown to increase thepercentage of sows in oestruswithin 7 days after weaning”“Dextrose supplementation betweenweaning and oestrus does not resultin a shortening of the already shortweaning-to-oestrus interval, but leadsto numerically higher and more uniformbirth weights of piglets and increasedpreweaning survival of small piglets,”he continues. “Also, inclusion offermentable non-starch polysaccharidessuch as sugar beet pulp, from weaninguntil mating, increases the number oftotal and live-born piglets.”Boar stimulationResearch has shown that intensive boarcontact after weaning improves thepercentage of sows showing heat within9 days post weaning from 30 to 51%. Inthese studies no effects were found onovulation rate or embryonic survival.24 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Manitoba Swine SeminarUse of PG600“The use of PG600 directly after weaning results in animprovement of the weaning to oestrus interval in manystudies but sometimes it results in lower pregnancyrate or lower litter sizes,” Kemp points out. “The lattermay be related to differences in follicle development atthe time of PG600 injection, but no data is available tosubstantiate this.”Use of progesterone analoguesOvulation rate and embryo survival may be improved byallowing the first parity sow to recover for a longer periodafter lactation, Kemp suggests. “One way to do this is totreat sows with altrenogest (Matrix or Regumate TM) for3-7 days after weaning to artificially extend the weaning tooestrus interval,” he says. “In research trials, this resultedin an increase in pregnancy rate of 5.6 to 15.7% and anincrease in subsequent litter size of about 0.2 - 0.8 piglets.”The application of altrenogest for short periods like 7days is especially effective in sows with depressed follicledevelopment at weaning, which are the sows that losesubstantial body reserves during lactation, says Kemp.“Extending the use of altrenogest to a 14 day treatmentseems to result in better and more consistent results,” hepoints out. “More detailed studies show that applicationof altrenogest after weaning results in increased ovulationrate, less variation in embryo development and/or ahigher embryo survival.”Skip a heatAnother approach which allows the first litter sow torecover from her previous lactation is to inseminate thesow at the second heat after weaning instead of the firstone (skip a heat). “Skipping the first heat can improvepregnancy rates by 15% and subsequent litter sizes by 1.3to 2.5 piglets,” Kemp explains. “However, whether or notthis technique should be used is a matter of economics.”Feeding levels during early pregnancyAfter weaning, sows need to restore body reserves thatwere lost during lactation, however often feed levels are toolow in practice, Kemp believes. “Recently, we studied theeffects of feeding 2.5 or 3.25 kg per day from day 3 to 32of pregnancy on litter size and farrowing rate,” he explains.“The high feeding level increased total born and live bornpiglets by 2.1 and 1.8 piglets, respectively. Piglet weightswere similar at both feeding levels.” However, he notes,farrowing rate was lower for the sows fed at the higherlevel (77 vs. 90%). “High feeding levels lead to increasedlitter size but may also result in more sows returning tooestrus after first insemination,” Kemp concludes.CONTINUED ON PAGE 26Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 25

Manitoba Swine Seminar ContinuedLife beyond needlesNeedleless injectors seem to offer many advantages over conventional injection methods, especially because theycompletely remove the risk of broken needles. They are easier for staff than using a syringe and are safer because there isno risk of accidental injury from needles, says veterinarian Karine Talbot, with HyLife (formerly Hytek) of La Broquerie,Manitoba. In addition, she points out, they provide improved welfare for the pigs. Although there are some disadvantagessuch as the high initial cost and the need for a compressor and other additional equipment in the barn, needleless injectorshave been working well within the HyLife system and 315,000 injections are now carried out each month. Talbot reviewsthe needleless injection system, its advantages and disadvantages and how it has been working at HyLife.Mode of action“The concept of the needle-free device is to accelerate a jetof fluid, and nowadays even powder, at a speed high enoughto give it penetrative power,” explains Talbot. “This poweris provided by an energy source such as a spring, gas or abattery and is used to drive a plunger or a piston into thedrug, accelerating it through a fine diameter nozzle. The drugthen penetrates the skin and reaches various depths of tissue -sub-cutaneous, intra-dermal and/or intramuscular - dependingon the pressure applied and the type of device.”Two types of unit are used in the Canadian pig industry: oneis a battery-powered injector (Acushot) and the other one isgas-powered (Pulse). The advantages and disadvantages listedbelow apply to both types of device.Advantages“The reasons to use needle-free injectors in pigs are numerousand the advantages are considerable,” Talbot believes. “First,the risk of having a consumer finding a needle in pork is notacceptable and such a finding would negatively impact thewhole industry. The use of a needle-free device eliminates thisrisk and ensures a safer product to consumers.”One of the concerns about the needle-free injectors is theincrease in neck and head abscesses at the slaughter plant, butstudies have shown that the incidence of carcass defects is thesame as with conventional needles, Talbot points out.“Needle-free injectors are also more worker-friendly thanneedles,” she continues. “Their use eliminates the risk of needlestick injury and also reduces injuries caused by repetitivemovements when injecting with a conventional syringe. Theiruse also eliminates the need for needle disposal.”Some recent research has also demonstrated a reduction intransmission of some diseases like PRRS, Talbot notes. Theconventional needle, when used from pig to pig, has thepotential to transfer blood and pathogens. The needlelessdevice, even if it does not eliminate this risk, reduces it greatly.“Another important advantage of these units is the consistencyof the amount of drug delivered,” Talbot adds.DisadvantagesTalbot believes that the disadvantages of the needle-freeinjectors could explain its low implementation rate in foodanimal production, notably in the pig industry. “These includethe cost of the injector as well as the cost for maintenanceof the unit,” she explains. “In addition to this, some of thedevices may require special installation and additional cost forequipment such as a CO2 tank, air compressor or carts.”“For the needle-free injector to function properly,regular maintenance and cleaning of the unit is required”“For the needle-free injector to function properly, regularmaintenance and cleaning of the unit is required,” Talbotstresses. “Moreover, people performing those tasks need sometraining in order to use the device safely and efficiently.”Depending on the amount of drug administered and the waymass vaccination is performed – for example picking upevery pig vs. using a board to crowd them - the needlelessinjector might be slower and increase the time required toperform the task.“The device and all its components are also heavy if they areworn when injecting,” Talbot notes. “However, alternativemethods can be used such as a special cart or a tray that holds26 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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Farm Manitoba Focus Swine Seminar Continued ContinuedTable 1: Advantages and disadvantagesof needle-free technologyAdvantagesEliminates the risk of broken needlesEliminates the risk of needle sticksEliminates multiple-use injuries(e.g. carpal tunnel)Reduces the transmission of diseasesElimination of needle disposalEasy to useConsistent vaccine deliveryDisadvantagesCost (device and maintenance)May require new equipment(compressed air, CO2)Higher requirement for maintenanceHigher requirement for trainingSlower speed of injectionWeight of the unitNot practical for individual treatmenteverything needed to inject. The user then only needs to holdthe handle piece which is very light.”Needle-free injectors are difficult to use for individualtreatment of pigs. “Also, drugs like penicillin cannot be usedin some needle-free devices as the components of the drugseparate in the injection process under the high pressurerequired for injecting,” she points out.Even if some of these disadvantages are significant, they canbe overcome, Talbot believes. The disadvantages need to beconsidered when thinking of purchasing a needle-free injector,however, they should not stop anybody from making thischange,” she says. “The advantages of the system, mainly theelimination of broken needles, can certainly overcome mostof the disadvantages.” Moreover, she notes, the Province ofManitoba has a financial incentive for every producer to buyone of these needle-free devices.EfficacyAmong the different vaccines tested in pigs are Mycoplasmahyopneumoniae, Swine influenza, pseudorabies, APP andPRRS. These studies have shown that needle-free injectionsare as good as or better than injections with needles.Needle-free injectors can also be used with other medicationsin addition to vaccines, for example iron for piglets,Talbot notes. “In one study the growth, performance andhaematological values of piglets that received iron through aneedle-free injection were the same as those for piglets thatwere injected with a conventional needle.”HyLife’s experienceIn 2008, HyLife started a trial in a research barn with needlefreeinjectors to investigate if the use of such a device waspractical in a pig barn. “It did not take much time to realize thatthis technology was really promising and even though we hadsome small challenges, it was possible to implement it in theentire system,” comments Talbot. “In 2009, when the Federal-Provincial Growing Forward program was announced, this wasthe final incentive that HyLife needed to make the decision to goahead and use needle-free injection in all of the barns.”“As a fully integrated company owning a slaughter plant, HyLifedecided to be completely needle-free, from birth to slaughter,”Talbot explains. “This includes the injection of vaccines, ironand any treatment with antibiotics. Needles are still used forsows as the risk of broken needles was judged to be very lowand they are not slaughtered at the Springhill plant.”“A person was hired as a full time needle-less injectiontechnician and trained to use and repair the injectors,”continues Talbot. “His job was to implement the technology inContact David Scott @ (204) 834-2707www.maximumswine.com28 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011Get the MAXIMUM advantageWe have buyers waiting to pay top dollarfor your weaner and feeder pigsMaximum Swine Marketing has extensive industry contacts toconsistently market your hogs at all stages of the life cycle.You receive extra value through:• Clean, Dependable Transportation • Veterinary Consultation• Prompt payment terms• Professional After Sales Service and SupportKnowledge and skill to market swine throughout the life cycle

Manitoba Swine Seminarall the barns, starting in June 2010. Asof November 2010, all nurseries and sowbarns were using the needle-less injectorand the last needles were removed fromthe barns in December.”“The transition to this newtechnology went much betterthan expected and was wellaccepted by the employees”The transition to this new technologywent much better than expected and waswell accepted by the employees, Talbotsays. She notes that some modificationswere made to the barns; pipes forcompressed air with many dropsthroughout the barns were installed,special carts were designed so the userdid not have to bear the weight of theunit and special trays were designedto hold small air tanks for individualtreatments.“The devices are working well and aslong as the basic maintenance is doneregularly almost no problems have beenexperienced,” Talbot notes. “Exceptfor some damage caused by humanerror, the units have been very resilientconsidering the number of injections andthe environment in which they are used:some barns inject up to 5000-6000 pigsa week and in the whole HyLife systemabout 315,000 needle-free injections aredone monthly. This represents a hugenumber of needles that HyLife does notneed to buy anymore, and also a hugenumber of needles that do not have tobe disposed of.”Up to now, most of the small technicalproblems have been fixed in thebarn by the employees themselves,Talbot explains. “If ever they havequestions, or if they encounter a biggerproblem, the needle-less technicianor a maintenance employee that hasalso been trained to repair the devicecan always help, and the needle-lesscompany itself offers a very goodservice,” she says.Since the needle-free injectors are veryexpensive, it was not economicallyfeasible to have a unit at every finishingsite, Talbot points out. The solutionto giving individual treatments wasto use a drench gun similar to the oneused in sows or cattle and administermedication orally.ConclusionOverall, the transition to the needle-freeinjectors within the HyLife system hasgone very well, indeed much better thanexpected, according to Talbot. “The riskof broken needles in the pigs from birthto slaughter is eliminated, the injectionseems less painful and less stressful onpigs and, most of all, staff like this newtechnology,” she concludes. “One wouldnow have a hard time to convince anemployee to go back to using needles!”CONTINUED ON PAGE 30Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 29

Farm Manitoba Focus Swine Seminar Continued ContinuedGlycerine in swine dietsAn increase in biodiesel production in North America has led to the availability of glycerine - a by-product from theprocess - as a possible energy source in pig diets. Up to 15% crude glycerine can been fed to pigs without negativeconsequences, according to Dr. LeAnn Johnston, technical services manager with Amlan International. However, shepoints out, crude glycerol contains varying concentrations of methanol, which is potentially toxic to swine. Becausecrude glycerine is a liquid it can cause problems with feed manufacturing and feed flowability but has been shownto improve pelleting, notes Johnston. Although glycerine is not currently approved for use in swine diets, there is aconsiderable amount of interest in its potential and recent research has been evaluating its use. Johnston looks at thefactors that need to be considered when using glycerine in pig diets.What is glycerine?“Glycerine, which is also called glycerol, is traditionally usedin the making of soaps, cosmetics, and lotions,” explainsJohnston. “It has a sweet taste and can be used as a sweetenerin human foods or animal feeds.” When fats and oils aremade into biodiesel, crude glycerine is a by-product; 79 g ofcrude glycerine is produced per litre of biodiesel. “In the bodyit can be broken down by the liver and converted to glucose tobe used by the body as an energy source,” Johnston continues.“Energy cost is sixty percent of the total cost of swine diets.Therefore, because of the increase in biodiesel production therehas been increased interest in using glycerine as an energysource in animal feeds.”Glycerine and pig performanceEnergy calculationsTo use glycerine as an energy source it is important todetermine the amount of energy available to the pig, saysJohnston. However, she notes, there can be tremendousvariability between sources of glycerine. “Kerr et al. evaluatedthe digestible and metabolizable energy values from severalsources of crude glycerine for nursery pigs and reporteda range of gross energy (GE) from 3,173 to 6,021 kcal/kg;of digestible energy (DE) of 3,022 to 5,228 kcal/kg; and ofmetabolizable energy (ME) from 2,535 to 5,206 kcal/kg,”Johnston informs.A number of formulae have been developed to predict theenergy content of glycerine from its composition. These canbe used when formulating diets.Nursery pigsWork by Zijlstra et al. at The University of Alberta, showedincreased body weight when 4 or 8% glycerol replaced wheat(with the appropriate additions of crystalline amino acids) indiets for nursery pigs. “Feed intake also tended to increase,which resulted in no change in feed efficiency during thetwenty-one day experiment,” comments Johnston. “In asimilar trial, ADG improved linearly in nursery pigs when fed3 or 6% glycerine replacing corn.”Grow-finish pigsLammers et al. added 5 or 10% glycerine to diets for pigsstarting one week after weaning (from a weight of 7.9 kg) andcontinuing through the finishing period. “The addition ofglycerine did not have any effect on animal performance inany stage of the trial or overall,” Johnston explains. “Therewere also no effects on carcass characteristics except for thefatty acid profile.” Diets in this experiment did not simplyreplace corn or wheat with glycerine but were formulated tohave the same ME, lysine, sulphur amino acids, threonine,tryptophan, available phosphorus, sodium and chlorine contentas the control diets. “When 5% glycerol was added to the dietit replaced 6% of the corn and 50% of the sodium chloridewhile soybean meal increased by 5% in the formulation,”Johnston points out. “In the diets with 10% added crude30 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Manitoba Swine SeminarTable 1: Summary of results for trials using glycerine in swine dietsReference AgeCrude glycerinein diet, %Effect on growth performance Effects on meat quality CommentsGroesbeck et al.,2008Lammers et al.,2008aNursery pigs 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, & 15Growing pigs 0, 5, & 10Zijlstra et al., 2009 Weaned pigs 0, 4, & 8Mendoza et al.,2010Schieck, et al.,2010Increased ADG, tended to increaseADFI, no difference on G:FNo treatment difference on ADG,ADFI or G:FWeight increased with increasingglycerol, quadratic increase in ADFI,no difference on G:FFinishing pigs 0, 5, 10, & 15 No effect on growth performanceFinishing Pigs 83 % increase in gain, 2% decreasein G:F when fed from 31.3 kg ofbody wtNo effect any carcasscharacteristic except fattyacid profileNo effect of glycerin oncarcass characteristics ormeat qualityIncreased belly firmnesswhen fed the last 8 wks ofthe finishing periodAdding up to 9% glycerin increased pellet durabilityand decreased delta temperature, amperage, motorload, and improved production efficiency.Diets formulated on an equal energy basisEnergy digestibility increased linearly with increasingglycerinNo effect of different pre-slaughter handlingtechniques on pork qualityNo change in drip lossglycerol 16% corn and 90% sodium chloride were replaced andsoybean meal increased by approximately 9%.“Up to 15% refined glycerine was fed with no effecton growth performance, carcass or pork qualitymeasurements”In one trial, up to 15% refined glycerine was fed with no effecton growth performance, carcass or pork quality measurementswhen diets were formulated to the same ME, Johnston notes.However, she says, another trial saw increased ADG and ADFIand decreased Gain:Feed ratio when 8% crude glycerine was fedfor 12 weeks in the grow-finish period. “Adding glycerine inthis experiment improved belly firmness but had no other effecton carcass quality, water-holding capacity, or taste,” she adds.Concerns with the use of glycerine in swinedietsApprovalCrude glycerine is not currently listed in Schedule IV forswine in Canada. It is, however, listed in Schedule IV for usein beef cattle feeds up to 5% of the total diet. “CFIA requiresthat glycerine contains not more than 0.1% (1000 ppm)residual methanol,” explains Johnston. “They also requirethat it is labelled with guarantees for minimum percentglycerol, maximum percent moisture and maximum percentmethanol.”ImpuritiesMethanol is used during the biodiesel manufacturing processand some methanol will remain in the crude glycerine byproduct.“Sodium and chloride can also be found in crudeglycerine in relatively high concentrations,” notes Johnston.“It may be advantageous to adjust the amount of salt inthe diet based on the amount of Na and Cl in the glycerine.Adding glycerine to the diet has been shown to increasewater intake and urinary output.”FormGlycerine is typically a liquid at room temperature. Thismeans that it needs to be stored in a tank at the feed mill andadded as a liquid. “Adding more than 6% glycerine to a mashdiet can result in feed with flowability problems,” Johnstoncomments. “However, research suggests that adding up to 9%glycerine increased pellet durability and decreased friction atthe pellet mill, improving production efficiency.”ConclusionsWhile not currently approved for use in swine in Canadacrude glycerine is a good energy source for swine, Johnstonconcludes. “There is variability in the energy available fromcrude glycerine, but the energy content can be estimatedby the composition,” she says. “When diets are formulatedwith crude glycerine they will have lower amounts of energysources such as wheat and higher levels of protein sources,also salt may need to be decreased.”TOPIGS fact of the monthWhy TOPIGS?• One of the largest swine breeding companies in the world• Active in more than 50 countries worldwide• True R & D programs resulting in genetics that work for you• Large genetic base with more than 20 million records• Selling more than one million gilts each year• More than 415,000 sows averaging 27.7 pigs weaned/sow/year• Terminal sires producing the performance and carcass you need• The fastest growing breeding company in Canada• CALL US!TOPIGS: 1 866 355-5132CONTINUED ON PAGE 32Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 31

Farm Manitoba Focus Swine Seminar Continued ContinuedPractical nursery management:Doing the basics rightThe day of weaning and the subsequent period in the nursery are life-changing and incredibly stressful events for thepig, according to Blaine Tully, a veterinarian with Swine Health Professionals Ltd., Steinbach, Manitoba. A weaned pig’sneeds are quite basic, and non-negotiable, in that if we want the pig to perform well, we need to provide food, waterand a dry place to lie, he believes. Assuming that good quality pigs are weaned into the nursery, it is in our control asstockpersons to facilitate a smooth transition for the weaned pig and ensure good performance, Tully says. He reviewscurrent nursery pig management practises and explores some practical approaches to easing life for the weaned pig.Food“Starting on feed immediately afterweaning is crucial not only to providenutrition for growth, but also for heat,”Tully points out. “The weaned pigwill generate heat as it digests feed,thereby reducing the potential foradditional chilling.”The transition period (first 72 hours)will be more successful if the pig hashad an opportunity to try chewing somedry, pelleted feed already, Tully stresses.“By providing a small amount of creep71916A02 SHAC Genetics:Layout 1 12/17/09 1:54 PMfeed for 3-6 days prior to weaning, weIntroducing SHACEnvironmental Products!Producers count onSHAC Feed Additive andManure Digester to improve theirlivestock production operations.SHAC products significantly REDUCEammonia gases, odors and the volumeof manure solids in pits and lagoons.ContactMiles Bell 780-913-4953Doug Stebbings306-370-4400or callToll free 1-888-533-4446www.shac.ca32 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011can ‘train’ the pig to chew solid food,”he explains. “Once weaned, the type offeed will be one less novel experiencethe pig will need to deal with.” Ideallythe pre-weaning creep diet should bethe same as the first diet used in thenursery pen, Tully advises. “Creep feedshould be provided on mats or in traysto the weaned pigs to increase accessopportunities to the piglets,” he says.“Remember, the weaned pig was used toeating 20 or more times per day on thesow and therefore if we can hand feedthe creep feed - in small amounts tolimit wastage - we can also increase thelikelihood of a pig eating.”Another consideration with respect tofeeding is the nursery feeder design,spacing and setting. “When consideringthe amount of time spent at the feeder, adry multi-space feeder appears superiorto the wet/dry type feeders in a nurserysetting and does not appear to impactgrowth performance,” Tully notes.“This could imply that there is lessopportunity for aggressive behaviourand competition at the feeder.”“Newly weaned piglets mustfind and begin drinking from thewater source in the pen as soonas possible”Correct feeder setting will minimizefeed wastage while providing adequateaccess to feed, preventing competitionat the feeder and not reducing feedintake, Tully says. “Feeders shouldbe set to allow 25-60% of the feederbottom to be covered by feed. For the72-hour period following weaning, theentire feeder bottom should be coveredto ensure adequate and instant access tocreep feed, however for the remainingnursery period, target to have 40%of the bottom covered by feed.” Hesuggests that feeders should be assesseddaily to ensure feed stage changes havenot altered the feeder pan coverage andadjustments made accordingly. Also,dirty feeders reduce access to feed andfeed intake.WaterOften overlooked as the most importantnutritional requirement affecting piglethealth, adequate access to clean freshwater cannot be underestimated, Tullybelieves. “Newly weaned piglets mustCONTINUED ON PAGE 34

Farm Manitoba Focus Swine Seminar Continued Continuedfind and begin drinking from the water source in the pen assoon as possible,” he explains. “Piglets prefer a drinker that iseasy to find and simple to access water from. A nipple typedrinker may take advantage of the normal suckling behaviourof a piglet; however it will not increase water intake or impactpiglet performance relative to a push-lever bowl type drinker.”Nipple drinkers also dramatically increase water (and watermedication) wastage in nursery pens, he adds.The number of piglets per drinker, water pressure and flowrate will affect water access and intake. “Generally, theliterature suggests 1 drinker/10 pigs, a flow rate of 250-500 mlper minute, with a water pressure of 20 psi,” Tully points out.“Most nursery facilities in Manitoba will perform well with 20pigs per drinker. With adjustable height type drinkers, ensurethe nipple is adjusted to the top of the shoulder of the smallestpig in the pen.”Water samples should be analysed for bacterial contaminationand quality annually or more frequently depending on source,he advises.Dry place to sleepThe weaned pig has a large surface area to body mass ratio,and therefore is at real risk of losing a lot of body heat. “Asdiscussed earlier, if a weaned piglet does not begin eating anddrinking immediately after weaning, the lack of metabolic heatAre you readingsomeone else’scopy of theWestern HogJournal?If so, why not sign up for your ownsubscription? Just call Barb Kosak on780-474-8288 or email your contactdetails to info@albertapork.comSubscription is free!Get the latest technical information and pork industrynews sent direct to your mailbox – sign up now!production from the digestion of feed will begin adverselyaffecting normal body functions and health,” Tully notes. “Forthis reason, the nursery room must be preheated to 28-32°Cfor the first 36-72 hours as the pig transitions onto feed. Aweaned piglet prefers a warm environment, even if air quality(increased ammonia level) is reduced in the short term.”“Air current within a pen can reduce growth ratesand impact the health of a weaned pig”We must also consider the difference between ambient roomtemperature and the effective temperature - the temperature thepiglet actually feels, Tully believes. “The effective temperature ischanged by air speed, flooring type, and insulation of walls. Forexample, if the room air temperature is 24°C, but we have plasticflooring and a moderate draft, the effective temperature, or whatthe room feels like to the pig, is actually 13°C,” he explains.“This phenomenon explains why we often see weaned pigletshuddling in the corner of a pen, despite the thermometer in theroom indicating an appropriate temperature.”Farms that have heated floor pads in each pen can afford tohave ambient temperature 2-3°C lower than those without,however stocking density must allow all piglets within thepen to lay flat on the pad without piling, Tully adds. “Anydraft in the pen will still affect these piglets, despite havinga heated pad to lie on. Air current within a pen can reducegrowth rates and impact the health of a weaned pig includingincreased coughing, sneezing, diarrhoea, and skin lesions.”Another consideration is usable space within a pen, he notes.“If part of a pen is soiled due to poor dunging patterns, or wetfrom leaking water lines or drinkers, the usable space of thepen is reduced.”The stockpersonThe final ingredient in sound nursery management is anengaged stockperson. “The stockperson must be able to ‘bringtheir A-game’ each and every day,” Tully stresses. “The first72 hours post-weaning will set the course for the remainingnursery stay.” Every pig will need to be observed and assesseddaily to determine which pigs need more attention to begineating, drinking and fitting into the new social order, hesays. “This means that the stockperson is actually in the pen(crouching down with the pigs, to get a close look at all of thepigs), with marker and syringe in hand and ready to sort andtreat at-risk pigs.”Tully notes that many pigs are weaned on Thursday, whichmakes the management of the early weaned pig extremelychallenging, having the 36-hour mark fall on Fridayafternoon. “Many of us are already thinking of the weekend,not identifying at-risk pigs,” he points out. “Getting the rightperson in place for addressing these early challenges can makethe difference between average and superior performance.” n34 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Special FeaturesBehaviour of pigs in large group auto-sort systemsLarge group auto-sort (LGAS) systems require considerably more effort on the pigs’ part to access feed than in smallpens, according to Drs. Harold Gonyou and Jennifer Brown from the Prairie Swine Centre. They recently studied thepigs’ behaviour in two LGAS systems to determine what adaptations they made. Pigs were able to maintain their typicaldiurnal eating pattern, with peaks at ‘lights-on and lights-off’ as seen in small pens, the researchers found. However, theyadd, the pigs modified their eating by having fewer (5 vs 10-15) but longer meals than in small pens. Pigs made use ofall of the available feeder spaces within the food court, visiting several each day, Gonyou and Brown note. Although ableto adapt their eating behaviour to the large group system, some had difficulty learning to enter and leave the food courtseveral times a day, they observe. Management should ensure an adequate number of feeder spaces, sufficient room tomove in the food court and training methods to facilitate use of the auto-sort scale, Gonyou and Brown conclude. Theydescribe the studies they carried out and discuss the results and their implications for commercial producers.IntroductionThe use of large groups for grow/finishpigs makes it economically feasibleto introduce new technology, such asauto-sort scales, into pig production.One of the initial fears concerning largegroups of pigs was that they would fightlonger after being put together. Ourearlier research refuted these concernsas aggression per pig at group formationwas similar in small and large groups,and in fact, pigs from large groupsproved easier to combine with other pigswhen marketed. However, early attemptsto use auto-sort technology encounteredproblems with variable feed intakeamong the pigs. We continued ourstudies with a focus on eating behaviour.Experimental proceduresStudies were carried out at twolocations; the PSC Elstow ResearchFarm and a commercial grow/finishoperation. The Elstow facility housedapproximately 250 pigs in its LGAS(with 1 feeder space per nine pigs).The commercial farm maintained groupsof 650 pigs with 60 feeder spaces. Atthe Elstow facility we studied thediurnal pattern of scale use, the useof individual feeder spaces within thefood court and the eating patterns ofindividual pigs. Movement throughthe scale (‘hits’) were studied usingautomated output from the auto-sortscale. We photographed all of the feederspaces at 5 minute intervals using a timelapse camera. To identify individualpigs, 10 pigs in each study group werepaint-marked. At the commercial farm,we again used output from the auto-sortscale, and supplemented this with liveobservations of four rooms of pigs for a24-hr period.Breeding HerdGilt PoolRapid data entryDrill-down reportingGrowing pigsShare reports via the InternetPlease call for more informationToll Free: 1-877-474-4946www.pigwin.com36 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011Body Weight (lb)160140120100806040200163248648096Sorter 10 – October 10112128Number of Animals144160176192208224240256272288304Figure 1: Distribution of weights recorded by sorter during period when pigs averagedapproximately 45 kg (98 lbs). Second cluster to right represents times when two pigswere in the scale. Weights in lbs.CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

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Special Featuresthe data for the number of pigs thatentered the food court each hour, a moredistinct diurnal pattern was found.The analysis of photos of the feederspaces (Figure 2) showed a clear diurnalpattern with an 8-fold increase in eatingduring the daytime peaks compared tothe midnight low. The pattern showed“Large group auto-sort systemspose some significant challengesto pigs in terms of eatingbehaviour”Figure 2: Example of photo used to assess eating patterns and feeder useResults and discussionPigs normally have a diurnal eatingpattern with most of the feeding takingplace during the ‘day’. When we firstexamined the pattern of ‘hits’ throughthe auto-sort scale the entry patternwas poorly defined. However, wedetermined that during the daytime, andwhen pigs were less than 75 kg, twopigs would often enter the scale at thesame time (Figure 1). After adjustingtypical peaks at ‘lights-on’ and ‘lightsoff’.The pigs used each of the feederspaces fairly uniformly, somethingwe had observed in previous studies.Pigs in small groups typically have10 – 15 well defined ‘meals’ in a day.Pigs in the LGAS had approximately 5meals per day, but they were longer induration than in small group pens. Thisadaptation was successful as the pigsin LGAS performed as well as those insmall groups.Committed to producing pigssuperior in the industry!PEAK SWINE GENETICS#217, 5906 - 50 StreetLeduc, Alberta Canada T9E 0R6Phone: 780.986.4647Fax: 780.986.4694email: peak@peakswine.comwebsite: www.peakswine.comArt Goelema 403-963-0171Paul Klingeman 509-989-1347Toll Free 1-888-235-7325PEAK Durocs provideexcellent color andmarbling in pork loins.38 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Special FeaturesThe study at the commercial farmallowed us to examine the changein eating behaviour as pigs aged.Our study rooms varied in age bysix weeks. We determined that theaverage number of entrances intothe food court each day decreased asthe size (age) of the pigs increased,from nearly 4 entries per day at 40kg to approximately 2.5 per day at 90kg. The pattern of eating showed thetypical diurnal, two-peaked patterndescribed earlier (Figure 3). Of interestin this pattern was that younger pigshad less of a ‘drop-off’ in the middle ofthe day. Comparing these results withother studies suggests that the youngerpigs were limited in the number offeeder spaces, and had to shift eatingfrom the normal peak periods to theless intensive mid-day period.The bottom lineLarge group auto-sort systems posesome significant challenges to pigsin terms of eating behaviour. Thefeeders are all located in a food courtwhich can only be accessed througha single sorter scale. The cost ofmoving to the feeders is greater thanin a small pen, where pigs may onlyhave to move a metre or so to findfeed. Despite these restrictions, pigspass through the sorter and eat in atypical diurnal pattern similar to thatseen in small pens. However, pigs inlarge group auto-sort pens only enterthe food court 2-4 times each day, andhave fewer meals (5 vs 10-15) thanin small pens. They compensate byeating longer during each meal. Theyalso move freely about the food court,eating from several feeder spacesevery day. Young pigs, who requiremore time to eat, may display a highermid-day rate of eating indicative ofrestricted feeder space. We believe akey to making food courts work is tomake sure the pigs know that food ispresent by introducing them to thefood court rather than the loafing area.The food court should be spacious% Time4035302520151050so that pigs have access to all of thefeeders, and a feeder space should beprovided for every 10-12 pigs.Acknowledgements: Project fundingprovided by the AgriculturalDevelopment Fund of Saskatchewan.Collaboration of Sierens Equipment aswell as that of the commercial farmPercent time in food courtMidnight Lights on NoonTime86 days 103 days 120 days 137 daysFigure 3: Diurnal pattern of eating by pigs within the food court in auto-sort rooms withdifferent aged pigs. The day was divided into eight 3-hour periods, starting at midnightwas greatly appreciated. Strategicfunding was provided by Sask Pork,Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork Counciland Saskatchewan Agriculture to theresearch programs at PSCI.SYNERGIZEDISINFECTANTBecause Biosecurity Doesn’t Cost...It Pays!Synergize is the #1 veterinarian recommended disinfectantin the North American pork production industry. And for goodreason. From independent testing to university projects,from laboratory analysis to field trials, from PRRSV toPCV2 to Ileitis, to E. coli F18, to H3N2 Influenza A virus,Synergize meets and exceeds all expectations.Most importantly, Synergize provides today’s pork producer with thebest of all possible worlds; a powerful, non-irritating, non-corrosivedisinfectant at a competitive price. That's a tough combination to beat.Field Tested, Vet RecommendedSYNERGIZE DISINFECTANTPro-Ag Products, Ltd.Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 0L1800.806.2737www.pro-ag.comCONTINUED ON PAGE 40Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 39

Special FeaturesDon’t be a victim of price volatilityBy Gwendolyn Jones, Global Technical Services Manager, Danisco Animal Nutrition, UKThe swine industry carries more uncertainty than in previous years, with higher volatility particularly in relationto inputs. Risk management is becoming a hot topic and the ability to make smart decisions about which tools andtechnologies best support risk management efforts could be what separates high performers from the rest. Enzymesoffer an effective tool to counter feed raw material price volatility. With the increasing price of feed phosphates andother key raw materials, producers should consider increasing the inclusion rate of phytase in their feed, as well asmaximizing nutrient availability via the use of carbohydrase enzymes to match the increase in complexity of diets.Price of major raw materials is risingFeed cost is the major component of producing pork, so theprice of feed ingredients is a key element of profitability. Inthe current economic climate it is hard to be optimistic aboutprices for the major raw materials used in feed for porkproduction. Corn prices have approximately doubled over thepast ten years and current prices for corn (Feb., 2011) haverisen to around $7 per bushel for pig producers in the US. InEurope the price of wheat has jumped from €120 to €258/tover the last 12 months. Recent press releases indicate worldgrain prices for wheat, corn and soybeans are to rise due torecord short supplies and feed phosphate price is also expectedto increase in 2011.Risk mitigation of price volatilityThe question is whether pork producers want to play victimto the increasing volatility and rise in raw material prices,or become more proactive in looking for alternatives. Riskmanagement, which counters the risk of price volatility infeed raw materials, is a proactive approach to minimize thenegative bottom-line impact of price volatility. The key forproducers and feed companies is to increase flexibility in feedformulations, allowing companies to switch to alternative, butcheaper raw materials. It’s a matter of being able to spreadthe risk of any particular feed ingredient becoming overlyexpensive, while being able to take advantage of alternativefeedstuffs when they become available. All of these decisionshave to be made without any negative impact on animalperformance.Price of alternative raw materialsThe result of including alternative, but cheaper, raw materialsin pig diets is an increased complexity of diets. Increasedcomplexity means diets can contain more anti-nutritivefactors, become more fibrous, less digestible and more variablein nutrient value. This can have a negative impact on feedingvalue to the animal and ultimately performance.For example, corn DDGS used as an alternative raw material ispotentially a good source of energy, protein and phosphorus.However DDGS is a highly fibrous raw material, containingaround 3 times more fibre than corn grain. When screeningUS-origin DDGS from modern ethanol plants for non-starchpolysaccharide (NSP), which is the major part of dietaryfibre, it was found that arabinoxylans and cellulose were thepredominant NSPs with a value of 11.4% (on a dry matterbasis). Also metabolizable energy in DDGS can be highlyvariable, much higher than that reported for corn and othergrains. Therefore adding DDGS to pig diets can reduce theCONTINUED ON PAGE 42The NexttheREADY-TO-USE DRYING POWDER FORLIVESTOCK PRODUCTIONHELPS ABSORB MOISTURE & CONTROL ODOURSline TMTrademark of Kenpal Farm Products IncTel1-866-810-1286 • Fax 519-228-6560info@drySTART.com • www.drySTART.comis July 2011For advertising contactJames Shaw at 416-231-1812or jamesshaw@rogers.com40 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

AdvertisementA HeAltHy StArt for A Strong finiSHGiving pigs a strong, healthy start is the key to a successful finish atmarket. For producers this means understanding the impact of nurseryexit weights, the significance of respiratory diseases and working withtheir veterinarian to set an excellent foundation for pig health.Nursery Exit Weight Linked toFinishing WeightIn recent years, a number of studies havedemonstrated the importance of nursery exitweight as a clear predictor of whether a pigends up lightweight at market. 1 “We know thatpigs that leave the nursery phase lighter thanwe would like are at increased risk of alsogoing to market at a lighter weight,” explainsDr. Peter Provis, a partner in Swine HealthProfessionals, a swine-exclusive veterinarypractice based in Manitoba, and consultantto ELANCO Canada. “And, ultimately it is theproducer who pays a financial penalty forthis.” Don Down, a pork value chain specialistwith ELANCO, has crunched the numbers withhis customers. “Experience has shown thatincreased nursery exit weight reduces daysto market and your market hogs will be at theplant sooner,” Down says. In addition to freeingup space in the finishing barn, healthier, heavierpigs also contribute to reduced input costs andmaximized revenue potential. The messageto producers – be vigilant about anything thatthreatens nursery weight.“respiratory disease in pigs isby far the biggest health threatand has the most significantimpact on nursery health andperformance, relative to otherconcerns in the nursery,”says dr. Provis.“It affects the vast majority of nursery pigsand is the main concern facing veterinariansand producers.” In fact, most herds testpositive for bacterial infection in the earlystages (i.e. weeks one to three). Respiratorydisease negatively affects average daily gain(ADG) by as much as 35%, feed conversionby up to 30% and growth rate by as muchas 10 to 20% 2 – all important predictors ofhealth, performance and profitability.“We used to just look at the impact ofclinical diseases in the nursery. Now weexamine for earlier signs of nurseryrespiratory problems too,” says Provis.“Once we recognize the problem and treatit with a medicated feed like Pulmotil ®Premix we get a very clear picture of thecost that these conditions have on ADG,feed conversion and growth rates.”Pulmotil Premix: Leading RespiratoryDisease TreatmentFor this reason, Dr. Provis suggests Pulmotil asa good early intervention strategy. “Pulmotil iseffective against the most common diseases 3that cause respiratory problems in the nursery.Increasingly, it is being used within the firstthree weeks post-weaning to address thosediseases before they have a chance to causeproblems.” Respiratory disease is difficultand costly to treat. A proactive approachwith Pulmotil helps to prevent it and sets thefoundation for nursery-to-finish healthmanagement. The easy-to-use premixformulation is appropriate at all stages ofproduction and approved at a treatment rateof 200 or 400 parts per million (1-2 kg/t) for21 days, beginning approximately seven daysbefore an anticipated disease outbreak,followed by a withdrawal of 14 days.According to Dr. Provis, Pulmotil is uniquebecause of its mode of action, which allowsit to concentrate 10 times higher in lungsthan in serum, ensuring high levels ofactivity where bacteria accumulate 4 . Inother words, Pulmotil goes to work wherepigs need it most. Doing so prepares thepigs’ immune system to combat secondarybacterial infections such as APP, P. multocidaand H. parasuis, that are often seen in pigswith Porcine Reproductive RespiratorySyndrome (PRRS). 3Setting the Foundation for Full Value Pigs“Pulmotil really helps to increase the numberof Full Value Pigs ,” says Down, referringto healthy, high-quality pigs that reach theiroptimum weight in a desired time periodto achieve maximum market price andincome. In his role, Down works closely withproducers and helps them understand thataddressing health and management issuesin the nursery can improve animal profitabilityat the end of the line. “We get inside andwork with the producer. We help themweigh pigs and record and analyze dataright through to the plant. Even thoughPulmotil is fed starting in the nursery, thedata clearly demonstrates that the money ismade when the hog is marketed,” he says 5 .“It is becoming increasingly important forproducers to optimize the way they use feedingredients and, in turn, the growth of pigs inthe nursery,” says Dr. Provis. “Pulmotil Premixprovides them with that opportunity.”Pulmotil Premix Price reducedPulmotil Premix is now available ata lower price, offering producerseven more economical control of swinerespiratory diseases. A price reductionof 20% was announced in Fall 2009 asa result of advancements in productmanufacturing. The price reductionapplies to 10 kilogram bags of PulmotilPremix and is based on a treatment rateof 200 or 400 parts per million (ppm)for 21 days, followed by a withdrawalof 14 days.1Wolff,T., Lehe, K. et al. 2006 Producer Tool: Measuring Attrition inWean-to-Finish Swine Operations. Proceedings of the 11th InternationalSymposium on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics.2Tubbs, R. and Deen , J. 1997. Economics of respiratory and enteric diseases.Proc. AASP. 361-364.3Zeman D.H. 1996. Concurrent respiratory infections in 221 cases of PRRS viruspneumonia: 1992-1994. J Swine Health and Production. Vol.4 No.3. 143-145.4Scorneaux, B. and Shryock, T. 1998. Intracellular accumulation, subcellulardistribution and efflux of tilmicosin in swine phagocytes. J. Vet. Pharm. Ther.21:257-268.5Harker J.W., Keffaber K. 2006. The impact of Pulmotil feeding in the nursery onfinishing performance of at-risk pigs. Proc. AASV 127-130.Pulmotil ® is a trademark for Elanco’sbrand of tilmicosin. Elanco ® , Pulmotil ® ,Full Value Pigs and the diagonal colourbar are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Eli Lilly and Company.11-17-0274-02032010

Special Featuresphytase in the diet, while maintaining animal performance.However, increasing levels of a highly bio-effective phytasein the diet can also help to reduce the anti-nutrient effect ofphytate, releasing extra energy, amino acids and calcium. Thisoffers the opportunity to switch to alternative raw materialswith higher phytate levels.There is increasing independent evidence to show thatcarbohydrase enzymes can also offer an advantage when usedin addition to phytase in animal diets. This is because theseenzymes are able to release extra energy and amino acids.For example xylanase breaks down arabinoxylan in plant cellwalls to expose starch and other nutrients for digestion. Table1 demonstrates the positive effect of adding both xylanaseand phytase to pig diets containing 20% DDGS on nutrientdigestibility, showing the enhanced flexibility with enzymes toswitch to alternative, cheaper raw materials.Proven enzyme solutionsEnzymes offer an effective tool in risk management strategiesfor producers and animal feed companies to counter rawmaterial price volatility. However, feed formulators haveto be confident that an additive will consistently deliverwhat it promises in terms of nutrient release, otherwise theycould be left making one assumption too many – and animalperformance will suffer. Denmark is a country that fullysupports the difficult decisions pig producers have to make onfeed additives by providing an independent testing service viaits organization ‘Danish Pig Production’. This service evaluatesmany feed additives to ensure that Danish pig producers getvalue for money when using various products. Results ofthese feeding tests are published and include a productionvalue index, giving feed and pig producers a benchmarktool for impartially evaluating feed additives. The resultsfor xylanases tested for use in grower-finisher pig feeds,and published by Danish Pig Production, are summarized inTable 2. This demonstrates that there are differences betweenxylanases in the value they provide to pig producers.Table 2: Xylanases tested by Danish Pig Production for use ingrower-finisher pig feedsYear Trial report Product19982002200220082009No. 403(Pelleted feed)No. 558(Pelleted feed)No 558(Mash feed)No. 826(Pelleted feed)No. 848(Pelleted feed)ProductionValue Index 1Porzyme 9300 107Porzyme 9300 106Porzyme 9300 109Bergazym P 100Ronozyme WX 1021Gross margins per pen place per year based on the same feed price andan average 5 year pig price (i.e. excludes xylanase cost). All data expressedrelative to the corresponding control diet (100)Increasing uncertainty is a fact of life for pig producers.Proven enzyme solutions can help pig producers to copeeffectively with increased volatility in raw material prices andcan be assured of reducing the cost of their feed.CONTINUED ON PAGE 44CELEBRATINGSPRING INTO ACTION14YEARSWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 43

Special Featureson hog growth performance, dressingpercentage and carcass characteristics.Both canolas were crushed and the oilsolvent-extracted at Bunge (Altona, MB)using similar processing parametersto minimize differences in nutritionalquality of the resulting meals.The feeding trialThe feeding trial was conducted undercommercial conditions at the Drumlochetest barn in Lougheed, AB. Barrows andgilts (550 of each, initial weight of 33kg) were housed in 48 single-sex pens,22 pigs per pen. Pigs were then assignedto one of 6 dietary regimens consistingof yellow- or black-seeded canola mealat dietary inclusion levels of 10, 20 or30% through to market weight (120 kg).Hogs were slaughtered at Britco Pork Inc.(Langley, BC) and the warm carcasseswere graded between the last 3rd and4th rib, 7 cm off the midline using aDestron probe (Anitech, Canada).The test diets were formulated toprovide the same dietary energy (netenergy, NE), lysine (as a ratio to NE) andessential amino acid content (in ratiosto lysine) within 5 growth phases. Thecost of imported soybean meal wasso high at the time of this trial that itwas excluded from the formulations infavour of wheat DDGS and field pea.In fact, the energy cost of wheat DDGSwas lower than that of wheat grain(6.0 vs. 6.4¢/Mcal NE). Wheat DDGSwas therefore included at relativelyhigh levels and increasing inclusionsof canola meal were accommodated byadjusting the inclusions of cereal grainsand field pea in the formulations. Nosupplemental inorganic phosphoruswas required in any of the diets dueto the high content and availability ofphosphorus in DDGS and canola mealand the inclusion of phytase enzyme.The diets fed thus reflected typicalwestern Canadian feedstuff compositionand commodity pricing at the time.The pigs were weighed in pen groupson day 0, 23, 44, 60, 72, 84, 91, 98,105, and prior to shipping to slaughterto establish average pig weight. Penweights were then used to calculatedaily weight gain, days on trial, and3.52.51.50.52.738Level P < 0.012.675SEM 0.022.5612.746ADFI, kg2.6732.5980.9710.9830.964dressing percentage. Feed additions tothe two-opposing feeding places wet/dry feeder (Crystal Spring) in each penwere tracked electronically throughoutthe trial using a robotic feeding system(Feedlogic). Feed remaining at theend of each period was subtracted fromthe amount of feed added to calculatefeed disappearance for each pen. Feedconversion was calculated by dividingpen feed disappearance by weight gain.ResultsFeeding increasing levels of both typesof canola meal reduced daily feeddisappearance by 81 g/d and weight0.98210% 20% 30% 10% 20% 30%B. juncea (yellow)Level P < 0.01SEM 0.01ADG, kg0.9740.951CANOLA TYPE X LEVELLevel P < 0.05 SEM 0.02dcdbbc ba2.8182.719B. napus (dark)2.6522.795F:G, kg:kgFigure 1: The effect of feeding increasing levels of either yellow- or dark-seeded canolaon feed disappearance, weight gain and feed: gain ratio.2.7412.731CONTINUED ON PAGE 46SUCCESS IS A JOURNEYCELEBRATING14YEARSWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 45

Special Features120100806040Level P < 0.03SEM 0.3493.3493.0292.5193.8693.2992.85Level P < 0.01SEM 0.1677.9477.0276.8977.8077.5377.21Level P < 0.03SEM 0.48SEM 0.0965.1763.6363.3964.3763.2664.0260.5460.2360.5360.4260.4060.35SEM 0.10111.60111.00111.60111.40111.40111.30gain by 9 g/d for each 10% increasein canola meal inclusion (Figure1). Feeding increasing levels ofcanola meal, however, reduced theamount of feed required per kg ofweight gain. The reduction in feedto gain ratio was more pronouncedfor hogs fed the yellow-seededmeal compared to the dark-seededmeal (83 g vs. 32 g less feed per kgof gain for each 10% increase incanola meal inclusion).200Standard Features Include:• “XLE PLC” scale system• Robust construction• 2 level alarm system• Identifies 5 weight ranges• Easy exit air• Maximum sort feature• Locking gates• PC compatible electronics• Fail safe system default• 2 x LED lights• G-diamond grit non-slip floor• Super Quiet Operation• Nylon bushings at all wear points• Shipping weight: 583 lbsBox 10Swan Lake, MBR0G 2S0Proudly Designed & Manufacturedin Canadawww.sierensequip.com46 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 201119.3219.7619.0319.4819.3219.50Carcass, kg Dressing, % Bkfat, mm Loin, mm Est. lean, % Index10% 20% 30% 10% 20% 30%B. juncea (yellow)SEM 0.20Optional Features Include:• 2 or 3 pen destination• Safety release system• EID Capability• Wheel option• Double entry gate option• 2 colour dye marker• PC Software “Sortrite”• NEW “Target Sort”• NEW “Remote Control”Produc tsAvail ablein- Powder Coated- Galvaniz ed- Stainless SteelToll Free: 1-877-836-2243Ph: (204) 836-2243Fax: (204) 836-2892B. napus (dark)Figure 2: The effect of feeding increasing dietary inclusions of either yellow- or dark-seeded canolameals on carcass weight, dressing percentage, backfat, loin depth and carcass lean content“Increasing dietary inclusionof both canola meal typesincreased cost per kg of weightgain”Final trial body weight was notaffected either by canola type orlevel of dietary inclusion. Thenumber of days on trial, however,increased by 1 day for each 10%increase in canola meal inclusion.Increasing the dietary inclusion ofeither canola meal type reducedcarcass weight by 0.46 kg, dressing percentage by 0.4%-points and loin depth by 0.5 mm for each 10% increase indietary inclusion. Backfat depth, lean yield and carcass index,however, were not affected by either canola meal type orinclusion level (Figure 2).Increasing dietary inclusion of both canola meal typesincreased cost per kg of weight gain. This cost increaseoccurred largely as a result of the lower cost wheat DDGSbeing displaced in formulations as canola meal inclusion levelincreased. The increase in cost per kg of weight gain wasgreater for the dark-seeded compared to the yellow-seededcanola meal (Figure 3).Expected differences in growth performance and carcasstraits were observed between barrows and gilts. There wereno interactions among canola meal type, inclusion level, andgender. Barrows consumed 300 g more feed per day, gained64 g more weight per day and required an additional 136 g offeed per kg of weight gain compared to gilts. Barrows werealso 3 kg heavier and took 3 days less to reach market weightcompared to gilts. Carcasses from gilts had 0.64%-pointshigher dressing percentage, 2 mm less backfat, 2 mm greaterloin depth, 1 %-point higher lean yield and indexed 2 pointshigher than carcasses from barrows. Although the cost perkg of weight gain was 3¢/kg higher for barrows than gilts,barrows earned 38¢/head more than gilts, once feed cost wasdeducted from gross revenue per hog.In summary, feeding increasing dietary inclusions of eitheryellow- or dark-seeded canola meals slightly reduced feed

Special Featuresdisappearance, weight gain, carcassweight, dressing percentage and loindepth. Increasing dietary inclusion ofcanola meal improved feed conversion,with this effect being greater foryellow-seeded compared to dark-seededcanola meal.ConclusionsFeeding up to 30% of either yellow- ordark-seeded canola meal is feasible incommercial diets with high inclusionsof wheat DDGS, provided that the dietsare formulated on a net energy andavailable amino acid basis. Formulatingon the basis of net energy accounts forhigher heat production and thereforelower efficiency of energy use that resultfrom feeding high-protein, high-fibrefeedstuffs such as canola meal andwheat DDGS. Minimizing feed cost wasnot the main goal of this experiment.Instead, we sought to push the limitsin terms of feeding high inclusions ofboth canola meals. Hog performanceand carcass traits were adequate provingevidence that canola meal and wheatDDGS together can make up 50% of hogdiets. The slight reduction in dressingpercentage observed is consistent withfeeding high fibre diets that result ingreater gut fill and a heavier, thickergut. When feeding high fibre dietsto hogs, producers should thereforeincrease target market weight by about2 kg to achieve the desired carcassweight once the heavier gut is removed.Canola is Canada’s leading crop in farmcash receipts, earning $5.6 billion in10080604052.04CANOLA TYPE X LEVELaP < 0.01 SEM 0.42a52.512010. Conventional black-seeded canolais mainly grown in the fertile Black andGrey soils of the cool northern Prairies.Yellow-seeded canola (B. juncea),however, is more heat and droughttolerant, which makes it more suitablefor production in the warmer, dryer,Brown and Dark Brown soil zones ofthe southern Prairies. Increasing canolaacreage in these regions would furtherincrease farm cash receipts, as well asthe availability of canola oil for bothhuman food and biodiesel applications.A parallel benefit would be an increasein the local supply of lower-fibre,yellow-seeded canola meal, whichwould help to reduce feed cost for porkb53.7252.1254.39Cents/kg of weight gainedab56.86Rev. minus feed cost, $/hog10% 20% 30% 10% 20% 30%B. juncea (yellow)cLevel P < 0.01SEM 0.97B. napus (dark)Figure 3: The effect of feeding increasing levels of yellow- or dark-seeded canola mealon cost per kilo of weight gained and margin over feed cost87.9986.8084.8388.2685.77producers. Feeding Prairie grownfeedstuffs, their fractions and coproductsto livestock enhances ourglobal feed competitiveness, providesflexibility in feed formulation, andreduces our dependency on importedfeedstuffs like soybean meal.Acknowledgements81.23We would like to acknowledge fundingfor this research from the Canola/FlaxCanadian Agri-Science Cluster Initiative,a partnership between Agriculture andAgri-Food Canada and the CanolaCouncil of Canada.CONTINUED ON PAGE 48CELEBRATING14YEARSWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 47

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Special FeaturesAlthough mortality rates are rarely highin uncomplicated cases the subsequentgrowth check as a result of PWD canhave a significant impact on how wellaffected pigs will do in the nursery.“In the European Union theuse of antibiotics as growthpromoters in pig diets wasbanned in 2006”Recently, an increase in incidence ofoutbreaks of severe E. coli-associateddiarrhoea has been observed worldwidewith most such outbreaks occurring inearly-weaned piglets 1 . The gut of thepig is inhabited by numerous bacteriaof different species. These bacteria neednutrients for their growth and normallyget them from the food consumed bythe piglet. Antibiotics increase thegrowth performance of pigs becausethey inhibit the growth of bacteria andtherefore decrease the competition fornutrients between the bacteria and thepiglet. Antibiotic use is effective in theprevention of diarrhoea and promotionof growth, but it may be time to considerother options.Alternatives to antibioticsIn the European Union the use ofantibiotics as growth promoters inpig diets was banned in 2006. Othermethods that sustain animal healthand performance such as probiotics,prebiotics, organic acids and zinc oxideare effective alternatives to antibiotics.Although research studies have shownthe merits of using these alternatives toantibiotics, the focus of this article willbe on the use of resistance starch frompotato starch as a prebiotic. A prebioticis a non-digestible food ingredient thatalters the composition or metabolismof the gut microflora in a beneficialmanner. Prebiotics benefit the hostin a manner similar to probiotics. Incontrast, probiotics are microorganismsOur Best Numbers,Will be in Your Barnthat are directly linked to modulationof either host or bacterial factorsin the gastrointestinal tract. Whenadministered in adequate amounts,probiotics confer a health benefit on thehost through various mechanisms inthe gastrointestinal tract that include;stimulating the growth of beneficialbacteria, preventing enteric pathogensfrom colonization, increasing digestivecapacity and lowering the pH as wellas improving mucosal immunity 2 . Fornewly weaned piglets, the dietarysupplementation with fermentablecarbohydrates is one way to manipulatethe composition of gut microorganismsin both the small and large intestine.Previous studies in which sugar beetpulp, inulin, lactulose and wheat starchwere added to the diet to stimulatethe fermentation along the entire gut,altered the species composition ofbacterial in the gut of newly-weanedpiglets 3 . Prebiotics are generally cheaper,lower risk, and easier to handle and toincorporate into diets than probiotics.So what about potatoes?Roseland PorkKen CarlsonWestern Canadian sales & productionCell: 780.312.6929ken.carlson@hermitagengt.com• F.C.E 2.27• 28.9 weaned/purebred sow/yr• Terminal & Purebred semenavailable at trial prices• Purebred or F1 sowsfor barn fills call for pricingSteven Heath Sales ManagerCell# 308.380.5909 steve@hermitagengt.comwww. hermitagengt.com www.hermitage.ieTable 1: Constituents of the four dietsDiet AntibioticRaw potato starch(% inclusion in diet)PC + 0NC - 07% RPS - 714% RPS - 14A recent study done at the Universityof Manitoba evaluated the effect ofincorporating resistant starch granulesfrom raw potato starch (RPS) ongrowth performance and postweaningdiarrhoea in piglets. In the study, twodiets containing different levels of RPSwere compared with a diet containingan antibiotic (positive control, PC) ora negative control diet that contained50 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Special FeaturesFigure 1: Echerichia coli bacterial counts from large intestine ofearly weaned pigs fed different diets. (Bacterial counts were logtransformed)Figure 2: Gain to feed (G:F) ratio (g/g) from day 0 to 21 in earlyweaned pigs fed different diets90.7log cfu per g tissue876543216.37.966.937.04G:F - ratio0.60.50.40.30.20.10.640.58 0.610.530PC NC 7% RPS 14% RPS0PC NC 7% RPS 14% RPSDietsDietsneither RPS nor antibiotics (Table 1). The findings from thisstudy are published in the Journal of Animal Science (volume87 pages 984 – 993). Some of the findings showed thatadding RPS altered the composition of the microorganismsin the gut. For example, the results show that the antibioticcontaining diet (PC) and the diet containing 7% raw potatostarch (7% RPS) had the lowest E.coli counts (Figure 1). SinceE.coli is the main inducer of postweaning diarrhoea, the 7%RPS treatment could be a comparable alternative to feedingantibiotics in the diet. As expected, results from the negativecontrol had the highest E.coli counts in the intestine.It is important to to minimize the growth check that resultsfrom weaning-associated stress or diseases such as PWD.Additionally pigs must adapt to the new diet in order toreduce the extent of the slowdown in growth associated withCONTINUED ON PAGE 52Swine Nutrition SolutionsHave you experienced the performance beneets of MasterTech and Vigor Blue,new members of the MasterWean family?To learn more about the latest arrivals to our pig starter line up pleasecall your local Masterfeeds representative.Red Deer 403.342.4488 Edmonton 780.472.6600 Picture Butte 403.732.5633Taber 403.223.4444 Regina 306.721.2727 Saskatoon 306.373.1010www.masterfeeds.comWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 51

Special FeaturesFigure 3: Gain to feed (G:F) ratio (g/g) calculated over 3 weeksafter weaning in early weaned pigs fed different dietsGain to feed ratio0.750.700.650.600.550.500.450.40Lights on 7 to 14 d 14 to 21 dPeriod, postweaningPC NC 7% RPS 14% RPSthis stage. In the same study at the University of Manitobapigs fed the RPS diets and the NC diets all had lower averagedaily gains than the PC diet. Average daily gain was 236, 237,251 and 289 g for the 7% RPS, 14% RPS, NC and PC dietsrespectively, which showed that anitibiotic treatment had anadvantage in getting the piglets started on this phase of theirgrowth. However, the gain to feed ratio (G:F ratio) from day0 to 21 postweaning was measured (Figure 2) and showed thateven though RPS resulted in slower growth, the feed to gainI-FEED– THE AD LIB FEEDERFOR SOWSProtekta Inc.457 Campbell Street, Box 190, Lucknow, ON N0G 2H0Phone: 519-528-5888 Fax: 519-528 5999Cell: 519-357 8454Email: protekta@protekta.ca www.protekta.ca52 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011Easy accessto feedat all times…And, NO WASTEBENEFITS:• Higher feed intake inlactation period• Faster growing piglets• Heavier weaned piglets• Less stress• Always fresh feed• No adjustments neededratio for the 7% RPS was not different from that of animalson the PC (antibiotic treatment). This implies that the costproducers would pay for not using antibiotics could be slowergrowth shortly after weaning. Figure 3 shows the G:F ratiosfor the diets during three 1-week intervals after weaning.Although the G:F ratios were different at weaning, by 3weeks post weaning G:F ratios were similar which suggeststhat these effects may be transient and that performancewould not suffer in the long term. This study also found thathigher levels of resistant starch granules from potato (14%RPS) resulted in scours possibly as a result of a decline indiversity of microbial species in the gut and thus use of levelshigher than 7% may not result in performance similar to thatreported with the 7% RPS diet.Therefore the 7% RPS diet can be used as an alternative toantibiotics to prevent post-weaning diarrhoea and based on theG:F ratio, a 7% RPS diet also has a performance comparablewith that of an antibiotic diet. Although the growth rate ofpigs on RPS diets may be lower, the feed-associated cost maynot be higher in these diets assuming that substituting RPS forantibiotics does not increase the cost of the diet.ConclusionsThere are various alternatives to antibiotics, such as probiotics,prebiotics, organic acids and zinc oxide, which can be usedto prevent diarrhoea and promote growth in weaned piglets.A combination of these various alternatives may provide aneffective alternative to antibiotics.Incorporation of raw potato starch in the piglet diet can beused as a strategy to effectively reduce diarrhoea and increasefeed conversion efficiency. As a swine producer, this is oneoption to consider, either if in-feed antibiotic use is eventuallyprohibited or a decision is made to reduce antibiotic use in aswine operation.References1Fairbrother, JM, E. Nadeau and C. Gyles. 2005. Animal HealthResearch Reviews 6 17-392de Lange, C.F.M., J. Puske, J. Gong and C.M. Nyachoti. 2010.Livestock Science 134:124-1343Konstantinov, S.R., Zhu, W.Y., Williams, B.A., Tamminga, S.,de Vos, W.M., Akkermans, A.D.L., 2003. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol.43:225–235.3Konstantinov, S.R., Awati, A., Smidt, H., Williams, B.A.,Akkermans, A.D.L., de Vos, W.M., 2004. Appl. Environ.Microbiol. 70:3821–3830.Author’s note: All research data presented is based onthe author’s interpretation of the scientific publication byBhandari, S.K., C.M. Nyachoti and D.O. Krause 2008. Journalof Animal Science volume 87: 984-993. This article is aresulted of information collected as part of a course (ANSC3510 Feeds and Feeding) and encouragement and guidance bythe courses instructor (Dr G.N. Gozho) is acknowledged.

Special FeaturesAlberta Hog Price Insurance Program close to launchBy Ron Gietz, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and Emmet Hanrahan, AFSCA year ago the Western Hog Journal reported on hog price insurance for Alberta producers, primarily as an interesting conceptwhich had merit for producers’ risk management. That article was based on an initial feasibility study conducted by GibsonCapital and presented in March 2010. The industry, led by Alberta Pork, quickly identified the Hog Price Insurance Program(HPIP) as a priority to develop and implement. The Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Alberta Pork agreed that the AgricultureFinancial Services Corporation (AFSC) was the natural fit to develop and deliver HPIP, given that organization’s recentexperience in establishing similar insurance programs for Alberta’s cattle industry.AFSC has a targeted delivery date of“spring” 2011. Although the industrywould have preferred a more rapiddelivery, this is a large and complexproject requiring funding, design,development, industry consultationand cabinet level approvals, to namea few hurdles. It might be comparedto livestock production itself, withbreeding, gestation and feeding alltaking time, money, and organizationbefore an end product is seen manymonths later. Early in the process,funding was secured from the AlbertaLivestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) tomove the project ahead, and a steeringcommittee including representativesof Alberta Pork, AFSC, Western HogExchange and Alberta Agricultureand Rural Development was struckto provide guidance and input to theprocess.“Participation will be completelyvoluntary and the program isdesigned to be self-sustaining”Now with “spring” officially here(although hardly evident in thelandscape outside as of late March)most of the heavy lifting is behind usand we can look forward to AFSC’spending announcement of a deliverydate! As the launch nears, AFSC willbe getting the message out to Albertaproducers about the new program andencouraging them to set up an HPIPaccount. Participation will be completelyvoluntary and the program is designedto be self-sustaining, with AFSCcovering the administrative costs onceHPIP is up and running.The following are some of thehighlights of HPIP:Who:• For all Alberta swine production,regardless of operation type.What:• Bought in minimum units of 100 kgdressed (about 1 market hog).• Coverage offered from 2 to 10months out in time.CONTINUED ON PAGE 54Boar Unit www.carlogenetics.com204 355 4012 Quality is still the Answer Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 53

Special Features• Coverage and premiums will change daily to reflectcurrent market conditions and be offered Tuesday,Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons.• The producer is insuring a specific Alberta price level,based on a formula intended to duplicate the WHE index100 calculation.• Settlement is automatic based on the average monthlyprice compared to the insured price. If the settlementprice is less than the insured price for the month ofinsurance purchased, the insurance program pays thedifference.• Premiums are not subsidized.Where:• A one-time sign up application through AFSC DistrictOffices.• Insurance can be purchased online, via fax or through aDistrict Office.Why:• HPIP is a risk management tool tailored specifically to theAlberta market in Canadian currency.• It protects the downside price risk while leaving theupside open.• There are likely to be considerable savings compared tousing similar options strategies on the CME.• It is much easier for the producer to use and designedwith flexibility in mind.• It can be combined with other risk management strategiessuch as forward contracting and feed grain hedging.ExampleThe program is designed to be simple touse. An example of a premium and payoutcalculation illustrates how easy it is.A producer is marketing 400 hogs weekly andwants to purchase a policy expiring in August.InsuredWeight = (# of head x expectedsale weight) /100= (400 hogs x 95 kg) / 100= (38,000 kgs) / 100= 380 ckg (ckg = 100 kg)The premium table on March 9 has a policyexpiring in August with an insured price of$140.The premium is $3.01 per ckg.Premium cost = 380 ckg x $3.01= $1143.80The settlement price published for the month ofAugust is $125.26.The settlement price is below the insured pricepurchased resulting in an indemnity owed tothe producer.» tired of boot ties that break?Indemnity owed = 380 ckg x ($140 - $125.26)= $5601.20become a safety hazard on wet floors?your biosecurity because they developholes to quickly?67208A02 ITSI:Layout 1 1/5/10 9:03 AM Page 1CONTINUED ON PAGE 5686-0598ITSI Select TREADER -Disposable Boots with BITE!The only Disposable Bootswith Bite!➤➤➤➤➤Elasticized topTextured bottom to reduce slippingCost-effectiveXL or Jumbo sizeUS and other patents pendingMain Office Ontario: 1-800-692-4874Sales Office Manitoba: 1-866-563-2360e-mail: info@itsi-ai.com • www.itsi-ai.com54 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Don McDermid, DVMFrom the VetReproductive vaccines deliver important, inexpensivehealth insuranceAn estimated 80% of Canadian sow and gilt herds regularlyreceive vaccination against parvovirus, leptospirosis anderysipelas (PLE). A reproductive vaccine covering all threehealth challenges is a convenient way to protect yourbreeding herd against these diseases which may havenegative effects on the unborn litter and/or the sow herself.The economic impact of any one of these three conditions ina sow herd can be very significant. Let’s take a look at eachof these diseases.Parvovirus is a viral disease and the most common causeof stillbirths, mummification, embryonic death and infertility,but the virus does not cause abortions. The virus is widespreadin most sow herds. Gilts are the major concern with parvovirusbecause maternally derived antibodies in gilts may persistfor months – preventing natural infection and subsequentimmunity from developing before being bred, and puttingthe developing litter at risk. While older sows have probablybeen exposed, and are likely immune for life, some largersow populations may not have uniform parvovirus exposureand parvovirus may be seen in older sows in these situations.Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease causing abortions andreproductive failure in sows and gilts. While outbreaks arerare since hog operations have moved indoors – eliminatingthe spread through urine of infected wildlife – protection isreally pennies per pig and well worth the investment.Erysipelas is a bacterial disease affecting pigs of allages. The bacteria is a common contaminant of the swineenvironment. This organism can quickly become septicemic –spreading through the bloodstream – and result in high feversand in the case of pregnant sows, abortions. Sows are moresusceptible during the stress of farrowing, which can havea significant negative impact on their wellbeing and ontheir litters.Talk to your veterinarian about the best timing for a PLEvaccination protocol in your herd. PLE vaccines such asFarrowSure ® Gold B are given to gilts prior to breeding and tosows prior to each farrowing (e.g. mid-gestation 50-80 days)or at weaning time. Vaccination during lactation is generallynot recommended as it can cause the sow to go off her feedand reduce milk output. It is important to remember that giltsneed two doses of a PLE vaccine prior to breeding to establishan adequate baseline of immunity.When influenza protection is partof your recommended vaccination program,FluSure ® XP/FarrowSure Gold B can be used todeliver maternally derived flu antibodies to piglets.Best practice PLE vaccination tips• Store vaccines in the refrigerator at 2° to 7° C, and do not freeze!• Bring vaccines to room temperature before use.• Follow CQA ® recommendations for hip or neck injections and record keeping.• Use the bottle size that matches the number of doses required.• Properly dispose of any unused vaccines.• Follow the label regarding pre-slaughter withdrawals.®Registered trademarks of Pfizer Products Inc.; Pfizer Canada Inc., licensee.CQA ® is a registered trademark of the Canadian Pork Council.04/11–15339-02A

Special FeaturesDietary co-products may enhance pork omega-3 fattyacid and reduce feed costs without affecting carcassquality and growthBy R. Jha, J.K. Htoo, M.G. Young, E. Beltranena, and R.T. ZijlstraTake home messageInterest is growing to include co-products in pig diets to reduce dependence on feed grains, to reduce feed cost, and to produce specialtypork products such as omega-3 enriched pork. Co-extrusion of flax seed and field pea and increased availability of co-products such ascanola meal, wheat/corn dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) are opportunities in western Canada for use in feed formulations. Acommercial scale study with grower-finisher pigs was conducted to evaluate the effect of co-products (Linpro, co-extruded flax and fieldpea; canola meal, DDGS) inclusion on growth performance and carcass quality and feed costs of grower finisher pigs fed experimental dietsfrom 30 kg to slaughter weight. The results of the study revealed that co-products can be included at up to 50% in diets balanced for netenergy (NE) and standardized ileal digestible (SID) amino acids without compromising growth performance and carcass quality. The studyalso indicated that inclusion of these co-products may enhance pork omega-3 fatty acid content of pork and reduce feed costs.Co-products in pig dietsProducers and nutritionists are continuouslylooking for alternatives to expensive energyand protein sources to combat high feed costsand meet the demand from some consumersfor specialty meat products such as Omega-3enriched pork (due to human health benefits).Production of flax seed and field pea in westernCanada has expanded considerably over the pastdecade. Incorporation of flax seed into pig dietsincreases the content of omega-3 fatty acids inpork. Thus, flaxseed and its co-products couldbe of interest to the pork industry to reduce feedcosts and potentially enrich pork with omega-3fatty acids. Availability of other co-productssuch as canola meal and DDGS, that canpotentially be included in pig diets to reducefeed cost, has also increased.Marcus Cell: 516-281-46391-866-946-0014Nutritional profile of LinproThis study used the commercial product Linpro,which is co-extruded flaxseed and field pea andeffectively deals will limitations of grinding andstorage of full-fat flaxseed. Linpro contains21.4% crude protein, 19.2% ether extract and8.35% acid detergent fibre. Fifty percent of thefatty acids are omega-3 fatty acids. Linpro alsocontains energy and amino acids, and is thus analternative ingredient for incorporation in pigdiets. Depending on price, Linpro may reducefeed costs.56 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Special FeaturesFigure 1: Effects of co-products level on average feed intakeand daily gain of grower-finisher pig321Flaxseed and its co-products can reduce feed costs and enrich pork withomega-3 fatty acids0ADFI, kg/d ADG, kg/d FCR2% 12.5% 25% 37.5% 50% 37.5 +10% AAThe pig trialThe effects of increasing (from 2.0 to 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and50.0%) levels of co-products (Linpro, co-extruded flax seedand field pea; canola meal, wheat/corn dried distillers grainsplus solubles) on growth performance, carcass quality, andfeed cost indices were evaluated in grower-finisher pigs. Atreatment with 37.5% co-products + 10% SID amino acids(AA) was introduced to alleviate potential reduction in feedintake. The co-products replaced barley, wheat and soybeanmeal in the diet.The growth performance study was conducted at DrumlocheResearch Farm at Lougheed, Alberta. In total, 1008 pigs (29.5kg body weight, Duroc sire x Large White / Landrace) werefed one of six isocaloric and iso-lysinic diets in 4 phases (2.40,2.35, 2.30, and 2.30 Mcal NE/kg and 3.96, 3.62, 3.22, and 2.83g SID lysine/Mcal NE for days 0 to 19, days 20 to 38, days 39to 60, and days 61 to 97, respectively) with 21 pigs/pens and 8pen replicates per regimen.Pigs were weighed at the start and end of each feedingphase. Feed disappearance was measured to calculategrowth performance variables: average daily feed intake(ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion. AfterpercentageFigure 2: Effect of co-products level on omega-3 fatty acid profile8a6abab420bc2%slaughter at constant body weight (118 kg), warm carcasseswere characterized for all pigs; and jowl fat samples (collectedfrom 2 pigs per pen) were analysed for fatty acid profile.Results of pig trialcabc12.5% 25% 37.5% 50% 37.5 +10% AACo-P level, %Our study shows that increasing co-products did not affectADFI (2.90 kg), ADG (1.01 kg) and feed conversion (2.88) ofpigs during the entire study period (Figure 1). However, someminor differences were observed in the early stage (day 0Get smart about detectable needles!HDN – Highly Detectable Needles DTN – Detectable Tough Needles HDDI – Heavy Duty Detectable InjectorsCONTINUED ON PAGE 58• Highly detectable needles at the best prices• Meets requirements of CQA and Canada packing plants• High quality detectable needles with great strength for all yourvaccinating preferencesAVAILABLE WHEREVER ANIMAL HEALTH SUPPLIES ARE SOLDPhone: 800-806-2737 or 204-231-0236Fax: 204-231-83001051 Marion Street, Winnipeg, MB R2J 0L1Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 57

Special FeaturesTable 1: Effect of co-products level on carcass characteristicsVariableDay off testto slaughterCarcassweight, kgCo-product level, %2 12.5 25 37.5 5037.5 +10% AASEMto 56); feeding 50% co-products, but not up to 37.5% coproducts,did reduce ADG and ADFI, however, feed conversionwas not affected.“Increasing dietary co-products levels decreaseddressing percentage and loin depth”P-value33.8a 33.2a 34.4a 36.8bc 38.2c 35.1ab 1.47

HealthSwine health bulletins address potential health threatsThe Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB) is introducing a series of swine health awareness bulletins aimed atkeeping the industry informed of emerging or potential health threats.The first of the series deals with vesicular diseases. Several vesicular disease viruses in hogs cause visuallyindistinguishable symptoms. The vesicles and blisters caused by these viruses could be a sign of Foot-and-MouthDisease, a cause for great concern to all stakeholders in the swine and pork value chain in Canada, says CSHB.“Symptoms include fever, loss ofappetite and lameness, which may rangefrom being as mild as an uncomfortableappearance to refusing to move onhard surfaces,” explains the bulletin.“Fluid-filled blisters on the snout, feet,mouth and teats or ruptured blisters,leaving lesions that continue to erodehealthy tissue, are key signs of vesiculardisease.” Animals may exhibit loosefoot pads or even loss of hooves, it adds.If a vesicular disease is suspected, noanimal should be transported off thefarm until the disease has been ruled outby a veterinarian. Also, notes CSHB,these diseases are reportable underthe Health of Animals Act. “Thesesymptoms must be immediately reportedto the Canadian Food Inspection Agency(CFIA) and the farm’s veterinarian canhelp with the notification,” it says.“Contaminated vehicles or equipmentshould not be moved to another farmuntil the disease has been ruled out.”“It only takes one suspiciousincident to shut down a plant orpossibly even the border”Vesicular diseases are not present inCanada but could be introduced throughinfected animals, meat or contaminatedvisitors. To prevent entry livestock,semen or embryos should not be sourcedfrom outside the country without CFIAapproval. “It is important to preventillegal entry of meat into Canada andnot feed food scraps to livestock,”says CSHB. “Also, producers shouldonly allow essential visitor access tolivestock.” It notes that internationaltravellers should take special biosecurityprecautions and avoid contact withCanadian livestock for a period of time.“Keeping the industry informed ofemerging or potential health threats,how to minimize their risk and how torespond to suspicious observations iscritical to the health and viability ofour industry,” says Florian Possberg,Chair of the Canadian Swine HealthBoard. “It only takes one suspiciousLiar.For ileitis prevention:Feed Elanco Tylan at 110 ppmfor 21 days1Armbruster, G. et al. Review of Lawsonia intracellularis seroprevalence screening in the United States, June2003 to July 2006. Proc. AASV, 2007.2Paradis, M. et al. Subclinical ileitis produced by sequential dilutions of Lawsonia intracellularis in a mucosalhomogenate challenge model. Proc. AASV, 2005.3Data based on ADG and F:G differences over 21 days from treatment A, B, and F, 2 base price of market hog of$130/100 kg, carcass yield of 79.9%, index of 108, and nursery feed cost of $250/tonne.4Guedes, R. Update on epidemiology and diagnosis of porcine proliferative enteropathy. J. Swine Health Prod.12(3), 2004.Tylan is a trademark for Elanco’s brand of tylosin.ELANCO, Tylan and the diagonal colour bar are trademarks or registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company.Used under license by ELANCO/Division Eli Lilly Canada Inc.11-12-0132-06012007incident to shut down a plant orpossibly even the border.”The one-page bulletins are beingdistributed to all pork producers,swine vets and other relevant industrystakeholders. A copy is also available onthe CSHB website (www.swinehealth.ca).For more information, contact RobertHarding, Executive Director CHSB,on 613-230-4445, Ext. 267 or emailharding@swinehealth.caPigs don’t always tell you the truthabout ileitis—and it could cost you big.This pig may look healthy, but it’slying. It has ileitis. No obvious signs,no subtle hints. In fact, 94% of herdsin a recent study 1 had pigs with ileitisand no clinical signs. Do yours? Truthbe told, the only way you’ll probablyfind out is at market, when ileitis losseshurt the most. Subclinical ileitisreduces average daily gain by as muchas 38% and worsens feed efficiency byup to 27% 2 —costing you $2.83 3 perhead. Use Elanco Tylan, and makehonest pigs out of the liars.Recommendation:Begin feeding Elanco Tylan 3 weeks prior toseroconversion or 1 week prior to anticipated outbreak 4The label contains complete use information including cautions and warnings.Always read, understand, and follow the label and use directions.CONTINUED ON PAGE 60Elanco Animal HealthDivision Eli Lilly Canada Inc.TylanAccept Nothing Lessweb site: elanco.caWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 59

HealthPRRS free herd certification pilot program for western CanadaThe Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus is very widespread around the world and can bevery costly to affected herds. In western Canada, because of our separation distance between farms and stringentbiosecurity protocols, many farms have never had PRRS or have eliminated it from their herd. To limit theproduction costs associated with infected pigs and avoid the problem of re-infection with a different strain of thevirus, the demand for PRRS negative semen, breeding stock and feeder pigs is growing.While there is a demand for PRRS free pigs, up to now therehave been no readily available standards to define whatPRRS free status is. Certification is useful to purchasers oflive animals and semen to prevent their herds from becominginfected. The certification should allow PRRS free animalsto move freely through regions where PRRS eradicationprograms are in place.“Up to now there have been no readily availablestandards to define what PRRS free status is”The Canadian Swine Health Board agreed to fund this pilotproject as a part of its Long Term Disease Risk Managementpillar. The goal is to develop and implement a protocol and totest the concept of disease freedom certification. This projectis being piloted in western Canada on about 100 premises.All farms are eligible to participate if they are presumed tobe free of PRRS and do not vaccinate for it. The project willbe of special interest to farms selling semen, breeding stockor feeder pigs. The certification is premise specific, so if afarm has multiple premises, some premises may be part of theproject while others are not. It is hoped that certified farmswill find enhanced value for their animals at time of sale.The protocol was developed over the last few months by agroup of experts representing field veterinarians, researchers,epidemiologists and diagnosticians. It has been circulated forreview to international PRRS control experts and is generatingwidespread interest.Participating farms are required to do a series of initial testsunder the supervision of their herd health veterinarian tobecome certified. They will then need to do additional routinesurveillance testing to maintain their status. Each test generatesa “point”. The points will lose value or “decay” over time,depending on the downstream risk to the purchasing herd. Therate of decay is variable by the type of herd; boar stud pointsdecay more rapidly, commercial herd points the slowest. Apremise will achieve certification when it reaches 60 points andmaintains points to be over that threshold over time.Boar studs will need to conduct PCR tests weekly, breedingherds will need ELISA tests at least every six weeks andcommercial (feeder or slaughter) herds every 12 weeks. Pasttests may be eligible for use in the project. The test resultsare submitted by the veterinarian to a database operated bythe project, under the control of the western pork producerorganizations. Individual farm data will only be accessed bythe veterinarian, the farm and the project administration.To assist those farms participating in the project, a portionof the costs of testing will be covered. The project will rununtil December 31, 2012. It may continue dependent onindustry needs.To find out more or enroll in the project, contact HarveyWagner at Sask Pork, Murray Roeske at Alberta Pork orMiles Beaudin at the Manitoba Pork Council. For moreinformation on the Canadian Swine Health Board, go towww.swinehealth.ca. nFEEDERMAXI+Strong feeder, ideal forNursery/WTF/FinisherDRINKING CUPfor water savingsand highhygieneFREEACCESSSTALLfor group housedsowsFARROWING CRATEEuropean crate withlong molded fingers toallow maximumaccess to the udderFEED WIREFully automated Chain Feeding system2389 Route 202 | Dunham, Quebec, J0E 1M0 | Phone +1 450 263 0001 | Fax +1 450 263 0003 | Cell +1 450 770 2600 | www.echberg.ca60 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

International Round-upBritish welfarebody recommendsreduction inmutilationsBritain’s Farm Animal Welfare Council(FAWC), which advises the governmenton welfare issues, has recommendedthat the pork industry work toward thegoal of a reduction in use - and theeventual abolition - of mutilations suchas teeth clipping and tail docking. And,while British producers do not practicecastration, it recommends it is banned.“Retailers should require importedproduce to come from pigs that have notbeen castrated, with increased emphasison prevention and detection of boartaint,” says the report.The report is likely to be seen byBritish pig farmers as measured andbalanced, says Britain’s Pig Worldmagazine. “Whilst calling for pigfarmers to do their best to reducesurgical interventions, it recognizes thedifficulties involved and the extra costof raising pigs in extensive straw-basedsystems,” it comments.“EU and UK law prohibits theroutine use of teeth clippingand tail docking, except underveterinary advice”farmers’ example. However, althoughEU and UK law prohibits the routineuse of teeth clipping and tail docking,except under veterinary advice, a highproportion of producers practice both.The report suggest that a Tail DockingAction Group should be set up by theBritish pig industry and Government, toput existing initiatives on a formal basis,and to devise and implement a strategyto reduce the need for tail docking whilepreventing tail biting.Eliminating theweaning to matingintervalAustralian researcher Dr. Jeff Downinghas been investigating the possibilityof eliminating the weaning to matinginterval by inducing oestrus during thesuckling period and breeding sows priorto weaning. While the concept is notnew, the inconsistency of results fromCONTINUED ON PAGE 62The FAWC report majors on rewardingpig farmers for introducing higher welfarehusbandry that might otherwise beunsustainable. It acknowledges the welfaredilemmas facing pig farmers, and majorson incentives to persuade them to seekways of avoiding interventions such astail-docking and teeth-clipping. “Whereinterventions are necessary, then everyeffort should be made to refine proceduresto minimize pain and distress, for exampleby provision of pain relief,” says ProfessorChristopher Wathes, FAWC chairman.In its opinion on mutilations andenvironmental enrichment in pigs,the council says it is pleased very fewpigs in the United Kingdom are nowcastrated and encourages farmers inother countries to copy British pigWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 61

International Round-up ContinuedTable 1: Performance comparison of sows induced to ovulateand mated during lactation and conventionally weaned sowsMeasurement Induced WeanedMating performanceSows mated within 7 days 20 20Induction to mating interval (days) 4.4 ± 0.1 4.2 ± 0.1Sows confirmed pregnant after 40 days 19 16Farrowing performanceSows farrowed 16 14Piglets born alive per sow 11.9 ± 0.7 10.6 ± 0.7previous research in various parts of the world has meantthat the principles have not been developed into commercialproduction systems. Now Dr. Downing believes his recentresearch points the way towards achieving fewer nonproductivedays and more pigs weaned per sow per year.A study carried out in 2007 had shown that oestrus could beinduced during lactation, using an injection of PG 600 (Intervet)at 19 to 24 days after parturition, combined with boar exposureand piglet separation for 16 hours each day until mating. DrDowning and his colleague Roger Giles recently tested theconcept under commercial conditions.The study was conducted with 46 parity 2+ sows inconventional farrowing crates and housed in the same room.“At 20 days after farrowing the sows were treated with aninjection of PG 600, combined with boar exposure and pigletseparation from 16:00hr to 08:00hr each day until matingby AI,” explains Downing. “Alternatively, sows were weanedconventionally into dry sow stalls and given boar exposureeach day until mating by AI.” Piglet separation on inducedsows ceased after AI and the piglets remained on the sow untilweaning at 35 days after farrowing.The results of the study showed that the technique wasrepeatable under commercial conditions. “Induction of oestrusat 24 to 25 days after farrowing and postponing weaning ageto 35 days had no effect on subsequent mating and farrowingperformance,” Downing reports. “Of 23 sows allocated to eachtreatment, 87 per cent of sows were mated within a mean of 4.3days, resulting in a subsequent farrowing rate of 65 per centand an average of 11.3 piglets born alive per sow.”However, although postponing weaning to 35 days increasedmean piglet weight by 0.9 kg, this weight advantage was notmaintained to 70 days of age, he added.“We are confident oestrus can be induced duringlactation at 20-21 days after farrowing”Downing believes that adoption by the industry is likely to be60 per cent because of the commercial availability of PG 600,the minor change required to farrowing accommodation toenable piglet separation for four to six days and the applicationof AI to sows housed in farrowing crates.An opportunity now exists to see if it is possible to inject PG600 earlier than 20 days after parturition, Downing says. “Weare confident oestrus can be induced during lactation at 20-21days after farrowing. The outcome will be a reduction in nonproductiveperiod by 10 days per reproductive cycle for sowsweaned at 26 days and seven days for sows weaned at 23 daysafter farrowing.”Downing calculates that the potential benefits include anadditional two piglets per sow per year. We estimate this benefitalone will increase industry profitability by 10 per cent,” he notes.Iron that’s Good as GoldMost producers will wean 7 more piglets per 10 bottles than with iron dextran.In fact that’s an investment better than gold.For more information ask your veterinarian/distributor or call 1.800.456.5758or Click: service@championalstoe.comGleptosil ® is a registered trademark of Alstoe Ltd., Champion Alstoe Animal Health Inc., authorised user. Copyright 200562 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

International Round-up Continueddifference between the groups. During the breaks the pigswere inactive for about nine to twelve hours during the nightand they drank almost no water during these periods.The results indicate that if the transport vehicle is equippedproperly, then it is beneficial for the pigs to remain in itduring the breaks. Unloading them at a resting stationoften subjects the pigs to stress factors such as the actualunloading and re-loading process, a new environment, and anew social environment at the resting station, where they aretypically mixed with other pigs, say the scientists.Alltech’s InternationalSymposium set to changethe gameAlltech’s 27th International Animal Health and NutritionSymposium will provide insights and solutions to the issues thatcurrently face the swine industry. The Symposium, entitled TheGame Changers: Creative Concepts for Agribusiness to Respond toRelentless Commoditization and to Innovate for a Greener Futurewill be held at the Lexington Convention Center in Lexington,Ky., USA from May 22-25, 2011.“Pork meat is consumed in the greatest quantity by today’sconsumers more than ever before. As the global humanpopulation explodes, meat production needs to double inthe next 50 years. Issues of food security and environmentalimpact of food production are becoming increasingly morecritical, hence efforts to increase productivity and efficiencyin a sustainable manner need to call upon novel nutritionaland management strategies,” said Jules Taylor-Pickard, globalbrand manager for Alltech. “Now is the time to explore novelstrategies to achieve efficient pork production in a sustainableand cost-effective manner.”The presentations include Game Changers: How global meatconsumption patterns will affect the role of the nutritionist byLuciano Roppa, Provimi Brazil; Sows with 40 piglets? Whatnow for trace mineral nutrition? by British consultant WilliamClose; Can we wean 40 pigs per sow? Nutritional implicationsof recent genetic advances, by Gunner Sørensen from theDanish Agriculture and Food Council and Where now forNorth American Swine Production? The Game changers of howwe will feed pigs by Terry Coffey of Murphy-Brown LLC.Further information can be found on the company’s websitewww.alltech.comNational Pork Board launchesnew sloganSuper Sorter / Baer Mfg.Box 64, Sidney, MB R0H 1L0 • Ph. 204-466-3005 • Fax 204-466-27661-877-544-5658 www.supersorter.comThe US National Pork Board recently launched a new slogan –“Pork. Be inspired” – which will replace, although not entirely,the 23-year old “Pork. The other white meat” tagline.The new campaign of: Pork® Be inspired shows pork’s placein almost any menu, day part, cuisine and lifestyle, based onits unique combination of flavour and versatility as the sourceof kitchen inspiration, says the National Pork Board.There is a new focus on reaching creative, flavour-seekinghome cooks who already prepare, eat and love pork, NPB says,announcing a new branding position celebrating pork’s abilityto offer a wide range of options in the kitchen.“Our research shows that pork’s top consumers are lookingfor more than basic education; they’re looking for inspiration.With its great taste and versatility, pork is the ideal catalystto inspire great meals,” said Ceci Snyder, vice president ofdomestic marketing for the National Pork Board. “While ournew target represents our biggest fans, we believe they havethe potential and desire to enjoy pork more often - and toinspire others to do the same.”The Other White Meat campaign will play a role as a heritagebrand, with use on the consumer web site and in nutritioncommunications, says NPB. The Other White Meat campaignwill not be featured in advertising. n64 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

View from EuropeCarrying out a stress auditFollowing on from his two previous articles on stress and its effects in pigs, John Gadd looks at how to carry out astress audit and what benefits it has.What is a stress audit?A stress audit involves taking time to:• Look at the pigs carefully, without distractions, to pick upabnormal behaviour.• Check on thermometers, sensors, controllers, fan speeds, airinlets, fail-safe equipment, feed monitoring and deliverydevices, water pressure etc. to ensure the pigs are ascomfortable as you can make them.• Review how well the staff is handling the pigs. Forexample, the female pig is vulnerable to unsympathetichandling during ovulation, insemination and implantation.The important thing about a stress audit is to allocate time todo it without the day-to-day distractions of a busy routine.A stress audit should be carried out 3 or 4 times a year. Muchcan get out of kilter in 4 months.Clients tell me that a quarterly stress audit and acting on ithas raised labour cost 3 to 5%. But the benefit of one personresponsible for shipping 1000 finishers achieving 8% fasterthroughput, and each sow producing half a piglet more born/alive (which seemed to be achievable by those who tried it)will outstrip this extra cost sevenfold. Good value! You mightcare to work the figures out under your own conditions frombefore-and-after records as we did.Sure, the figures are somewhat subjective. Farm trials oftenare, but allied to them in this case were the comments fromthe participants. Almost to a man they thought periodicstress audits were worth the trouble taken as any abnormalbehaviour identified in the pigs alerted them to investigatewhat might be causing it. When this was dealt with,performance improved to the degree described.Some experiences from doing stress audits• Do it quietly and unobtrusively, so wear green or bluecoveralls, not white• Observe the pigs so that they are unaware of your presence,under their normal behaviour patterns. Open nursery doorsby 3 cm, no more, and listen for relaxed breathing, orcoughing, sneezing, teeth grinding and general restlessness.• If you need to, switch on the light and then through the3 cm gap, try to observe resting pattern, huddling (piling)and where they are lying relative to air pattern, which youcan measure with a smoke candle or a bee-keeper’s canisterwhen you enter.• A good time is last thing at night using a flashlight. IndeedGraeme Pope from Australia has suggested that a useful signof pigs not getting enough food is to find them feeding inthe middle of the night. Hunger stress!• Next, observe them stirred up (best done during the day asthey need a night’s rest just as we humans do). Walk downthe building and breathe the atmosphere to check for gases -an indication attention to ventilation is needed.• At the same time look for stiffness or lameness - just afterthey all rise will make this much more apparent, as will lung/ respiratory trouble - coughing when disturbed.• In nurseries and farrowing rooms, look for piglets whichare lying awkwardly or lifting their bellies off the groundin the semi-sternum position. This can be advance warningof a digestive upset. The slightest sign of looseness must beimmediately washed away - and I mean at once; this canstop scour in its tracks.• Palpate (feel) the sows’ udders, using your fingers to revealunusual conditions or discomfort to the sow.• Check hoppers and troughs for stale food, contamination,cleanliness, and wastage. Good trough management is oneof the major factors revealing the competence of the staffresponsible or whether they have enough time to do thisimportant job. Problems are rather too common.• For stalled sows get as many to stand as you can. Bodyconditionscore those that do. Old-fashioned? No, because itmakes you examine them properly. Go on to check legs andcheck for body sores and think about how they happened.Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 65

View from Europe Continued• Check urine colour, which should be white / pale yellow,not towards orange, which indicates water shortage.Constipation could be a sign of inadequate water supply too.• Check for too much queuing at ESF feed stations, whichcould be causing anxiety or stress.• Check the quality of flooring surfaces - slipperiness,roughness, gaps, holes.Do your pigs actually like you?Workers like Paul Hemsworth in Australia, Harold Gonyou inyour own backyard and Temple Grandin down in Coloradohave done sterling work on human / pig interrelationships.Hemsworth especially has shown great ingenuity in trying tomeasure this scientifically and its effect on pig performance.He has quantified how ‘Pleasant’ treatment (gentle manner,soothing voice, slow approach) contrasts with ‘Adverse’handling (noisy, rapid approach, abrupt movements, use ofsticks and goads, etc) and how they affect the performance ofboth growing and breeding pigs.“In growers the fall-off in daily gain where handlingis poor seems to be about 8%”In growers the fall-off in daily gain where handling is poorseems to be about 8%, an acceptable average from a sequenceof trials. Where breeding gilts are concerned the conceptionrate could be as much as 50% lower.The ‘Approach Test’Intriguingly, some of Hemsworth’s measurements are madefrom how long it takes a pig to approach a stockpersonstanding still in a pen with whom they are familiar, orconversely are fearful of, or again is just new to them. Therange varies from up to 14 times longer, with some fearfulgroups not approaching at allHe says “Stockpeople should regularly monitor the level of fearin their animals by individual responses to the approach test.In situations where the level is high or rising, the attendantshould reassess his/her behaviour when near to the pigs.”Hemsworth’s advice is to handle breeding pigs especially gentlyat service, farrowing and implantation because these are all timeswhen delicate hormonal balances can be affected by stressors.He suggests pats, strokes, quiet tone of voice and gentlemovement when among them, allowing them to sniff you.Does playing music help?Probably. I’m all in favour of anything which encourages thepig to become familiar with its surroundings and the samebackground noise could be reassuring when there is a change ofhousing or companions - and maybe even when mixing groups?But a word of caution! Last year I toured some piggerieswhere the stockmen were playing very loud rock musicthroughout their large grower barns – I suspect more for theirown benefit than for the pigs. As I walked down the centralpassages the pigs were far more nervous and flighty than isnormal, some even slamming into the far wall in their panic.I remonstrated with the owner who was with me and on asubsequent visit a year later things were much calmer, theloud music having been banned.Some key stress signalsNewborn piglets: prolonged aggression; excessive ‘wandering’for food and comfort; huddling; late to suckle; scuffed knees.Nursery: Excessive competition; restlessness at night;crowding at the trough (first few days), thirst (pizzle-sucking).Gilts: Scrapping; protest shrieks (insufficient fleeing space/overstocking); cold at night (huddling); slippery floors.Farrowing time: Prolonged farrowing; thirst; panting (too hot)or restlessness (too cold); savaging (gilts); irritation/rubbing(parasites); ‘lumpy’ udders/discomfort/pain.Weaned sows in stalls: Restlessness; hunger/lack of fibre;cold; legs and bursae; feet; stiffness/lameness; head shaking(parasites); tooth ‘chewing’ (worms); shoulder sores.Sows in groups: Aggression; hesitancy; fear; stiffness/awkward gait; cold (on concrete).Growers/finishers: Restlessness and vices (overstocking/insufficient feeder space/lack of sleep/gases/variations intemperature); disturbed sounds at night (draughts); wrongdunging pattern (heat and misplaced ventilation pattern);lameness (floors); raised water consumption (onset of disease?).Shipping: Rushed weighing, loading and movement stress/toosteep ramps.Get the Oat Groat advantage!Easy for piglets to digestfor a quick start to market.To take advantage of “the next best thing to Sows milk.”CONTAC T:Sterling OatsBox 252, Raymond, Alberta T0K 2S0Richard Hofer – rhofer@shockware.com – 403-330-6158 cell66 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

View from Europe ContinuedBritish producers have their backs to the wall againBy Stuart LumbAt last year’s biennial British Pig &Poultry Fair producers had broadsmiles on their faces as they actuallyhad money to spend. The buildingcompany sales executives were allboasting of bulging order books asmany farmers were finally replacingbarns that were past their sell-by date15 years ago. But how times change -wheat is a major ingredient of UK pigfeeds and thanks to the wheat pricedoubling last autumn (it’s still at £200a tonne) producers went into the redlast September and are currently losingaround £20 ($31) per pig.The UK sow herd is quite smallcompared to what it was 10-15 yearsago and nowadays around 40% of ourpigs are outdoors. UK consumers arebecoming more welfare conscious andlink this with outdoor pig production.The supermarkets have used the“outdoor image” to promote sales,generally of their more expensivesausages / bacon / pork, and often use apicture of the farmer on the packagingalong with details of his farming system.Seemingly, affluent consumers liketo know precisely where their pork iscoming from and are happy to pay apremium in this respect.Probably because of the diminishednumber of producers, the Britishindustry is a pretty close knit bunchof guys; hence the National PigAssociation is a very proactiveA pig producer’s son gives the ‘thumbs up’ to a banner promoting British pork at a crossroadsin southern England.organization with an excellent website.The UK’s premier pig magazine Pigworldcomes out monthly and works veryclosely with the NPA, disseminatingtopical information in hard copy form.Back in 2008 during the last industrycrisis the NPA and BPEX (British PigExecutive) launched the “Pigs Are WorthIt “campaign to promote “Buy British”and to make the consumer aware ofthe high welfare standards pertainingto UK produced pigs as compared toContinental Europe. Consumers weretold to identify British pig meat andJ&R Livestock Consultantsis currently looking for a candidates to apply for a positionin the swine nutrition industry. Tasking will include clientrelations, on farm problem solving, feed product diagnostics,and business development. Candidates must be able to travel oneweek out of 3 out of province and possibly to the United States.Applicants must also be self managing and possess the abilityto be great time managers. Wages are based on experience andthose with no nutritional background are encouraged to apply.Send resume, references and salary expectations toJfraser@mesonline.netProfessionally designed complex Formula• Cold Processed • Milk Based PelletFor Product InFormatIon:Toll Free: (800) 667-6624Phone: (780) 672-4757 Fax: (780) 672-6797Camrose, ABe-mail: info@nursette.com68 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

View from Europepork products by means of the colourfulBritish Quality Standard Mark (QSM),which incorporated a Union flag.The QSM mark has now been replacedby the “Red Tractor” logo, which isnow a key part of the current “Pigs AreStill Worth It” campaign. Another aimis to persuade supermarket buyers tostep up their support for British porkto ensure British producers can stayin business. Given the current stateof the UK economy with supermarketswatching every penny, things are notthat easy. Back in September 2010 NPAchairman Stewart Houston asked for“a positive response from both retailersand processors alike to help our industrymeet this latest price challenge”.sized stick-on truck and van signsand thousands of stickers to go on carwindows. British Pork signs now areon feed trucks, processor’s refrigeratedtrucks and haulier’s trucks, spreadingthe message across the length andbreadth of the UK.This message is reaching millions ofconsumers every day and would havecost £millions had it been in the form oftelevision or newspaper adverts.61599A02 L&B Ranch 4/14/09 8:58 AM Page 1BPEX was worried that consumersconcerned about the recession mightnot be as supportive as they had beenduring the last feed crisis of 2007/8;however it breathed a sigh of reliefafter the market research data hadbeen analyzed. Seventy-eight per centof consumers said that they wouldbe prepared to pay a little more forhigher welfare pork and pork productscompared to 73% in May 2008. Eighty-CONTINUED ON PAGE 70“Another aim is to persuadesupermarket buyers to step uptheir support for British pork”Anyone travelling along the UK’shighways can’t help but have noticedadvertising hoardings perched on trailersor fixed to the sides of old trailer units.Given that many pig farmers have landalongside major roads, why not promoteBritish pigmeat by means of colourfulPVC banner adverts? Eureka - the“Banner Blitz” was born - as part of thePigs Are Still Worth It campaign. ByJanuary 2011 over 120 sites had beenpledged, mainly in England but alsonorth of the border, to display the 4.6mx 1.2m banners. There is even a 12.3mbanner for very high profile sites, likealongside major busy motorways. Bymid-March Pig World, which is runningthe banner project, had dispatched over500 banners and at least half of themhave now been erected, promoting RedTractor pork. It’s amazing how thiscampaign has taken off but it just goesto show the great camaraderie thatexists in the UK industry. The originalaim was to produce just 30 banners!To date over £10,000 has been donatedby the industry for banners, with theNPA providing considerable funding aswell. Not content with static banners,campaign organizers have designedand had manufactured four differentEnquires contact Rob @ L & B RanchOffice 604.859.6259 Cell 604.854.4664Email: roblepp@shaw.caWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 69

View from Europe Continuedthree per cent said they were prepared todo a little more to help farmers throughthis crisis compared to 72 % in May2008 and, very significantly, 81% saidthat welfare standards versus the restof Europe are something that the UKindustry should be proud of, comparedto 72% in May 2008.“Seventy-eight per cent ofconsumers said that they wouldbe prepared to pay a little morefor higher welfare pork”As in 2008, NPA organized a DowningStreet rally, which was held on March3rd, to draw attention to the plight ofthe industry. Producers came from allover the country to march and presenta petition to the Prime Minister. A hogroastwas organized with pork-filledbuns being handed out to the passingpublic, along with the “buy high welfarepork” message. It was also a chancefor producers to meet up with their ownMPs and to drive home to them theproblems facing the pig industry. Themarch attracted a great deal of mediacoverage, although this year NPA didnot record another version of the song“Stand By Your Ham”!Another point being strongly flaggedup by the Pigs Are Still Worth Itcampaign is that processors andretailers are continuing to makelarge profits at the expense ofproducers. NPA has built up a goodrelationship with the big supermarketsand Stewart Houston talks to themon a regular basis, far better thanthe confrontational blockading ofsupermarket distribution centres thattook place some years ago. Mostretailers help the British industry, butcurrently Tesco and Asda (Walmart)are engaged in a vicious confrontationSALES REPRESENTATIVE WANTEDGenesus Inc., a global leader in swine genetics,is currently looking for the right person to fillthe position of SALES REPRESENTATIVE inAlberta. The successful candidate will haveexcellent people skills, a good work ethic, beself motivated, competitive, and enjoy travellingin Alberta. Competitive compensation will bebased on previous experience.Position reports to Mike Van Schepdael, V.P. GenesusPlease forward resume to mike@genesus.comwith neither wanting to put itsprices up first. Tesco was targetedat the Downing Street rally for notstocking sufficient British productand consequently it will hopefullybe substituting some of its importedpigmeat with British. Asda’s buyingpolicies will be the next ones under themicroscope.NPA’s comments that the rally hadcaused an increase in pig prices werewell received by the industry. Sincethe New Year the EU reference pricehas climbed quite sharply whilst theUK one has declined, such that thetwo are now pretty well the same.Because of the UK’s high welfaresystems, producers are always lookingfor a premium, reckoned to be 20p/kg. If this premium can be restored,it will put the British reference priceat over 150p/kg, which translates toa producer price of about 155p. Thisis still well below the 164p/kg ($2.54)that producers need to stay in business.Recently concerns were expressedthat some continental countrieswere still hoping for a derogationon the partial stall ban due to kickin on Jan 2013, claiming farmersjust didn’t have the funds to buildor modify their sow barns and thatthis would lead to a massive shortageof pork, putting pressure on the EUpoliticians to consider a derogation toensure plentiful supplies of pork weremaintained. UK producers would fighttooth and nail to block any derogation,given the pain and grief the UK’sunilateral stall ban caused the industryin 1999. Also, losing producers (andtheir sows) who couldn’t meet the banwould result in pigmeat prices risingand be some small compensation forthose efficient producers who hadfound the finance to convert to loosehousing. Another possibility is that ifpork was in short supply and got reallyexpensive many consumers wouldswitch to chicken. n70 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Pigs Down UnderPig producers battle NatureBy John Riley, IAS Management ServicesIn the early months of 2011, large areas of eastern Australiaexperienced flooding and cyclone activity resulting in loss ofhuman life, stock losses and damage to transport systems andproperties. At the same time, in Western Australia bush firescaused losses and hardship.In Queensland, it was reported that the flooded area wascomparable in size to the total area of France and Germanycombined. Graphic pictures of the inland tsunami which hit thewriter’s local city of Toowoomba and townships of Murphy’sCreek, Helidon and Grantham were shown around the world.However, when compared to the devastation caused bythe earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand and Japan,pig producers in Australia and in Queensland in particularcould count themselves fortunate. No major loss of animalswas reported but most producers will be revisiting theircontingency plans as a result of their experiences. Problemswere experienced in moving pig feed onto properties and pigsfrom properties due to inaccessible roads to the property ordue to the fact that the chillers at Queensland’s major abattoirscould not be emptied because roads to the major centres ofpopulation were cut.With many pig units sited away from towns or communitydevelopments to comply with environmental legislation, themovement of staff onto piggeries was a logistical nightmare.Helicopters and boats were used in many instances andin some situations staff set up “camp” on the piggery andremained there for several days. The servicing industries alsoshowed ingenuity with one major pig semen processor andveterinary network servicing their client’s veterinary needsand semen requirements using helicopters.The rural industries have suffered serious losses with cattleproducers, grain farmers and intensive crop producers facinga battle to survive the financial cost. The adverse weatherhas had a significant effect on grain production, with the2011 wheat and barley crop being significantly affectedwith mycotoxin contamination from fusarium toxins. Theearly rains after planting suggested a bumper harvest after adecade of drought but the continuous wet weather saw manycrops left in the field and the grains that were harvested wereof low quality.The pig producer is currently benefiting from the low exportdemand for Australian grains due to quality and the strengthof the Australian dollar. They are aware however that apoor harvest in the northern hemisphere will result in a rapidincrease in domestic feed prices.The strength of the dollar which limits exports and benefitsimports dictates that pig meat prices will remain low at atime when investment is needed to meet the move to groupsow housing.A seminar and trade display organized by the QueenslandPig Consultancy group and supported financially byAustralian Pork Ltd in early April addressed the optionsfor group housing, drawing on the experiences of industryidentities who had investigated systems in operation at homeand overseas.Exhibitors in the trade display included Mundigo, theAustralian agents for the Kansas based Osborne Teamsystem which created interest amongst the larger producers.Canadian representatives Kase van Ittersum from Calgary andKevin Kurbis from Manitoba were also present representingCawi Canada and New Standard Ag Inc.Uppermost in the minds of the delegates was the fact thatmany of the medium sized producers (300 - 800 sows) areCONTINUED ON PAGE 73Build your hog farmon solid footing.quality concreteflooring and penningMF12690-1209Product brochure available.Call 1 800 461 2278 or visit barkmanag.com12690 Barkman Ag 2010 WHJ.indd 1 1/5/10 12:30:02 PMPublicationWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 71barkman: Ag – Hog (Steinbach)Western Hog Journal: 3.625" x 4.875", Black, February/2010

Pigs Down Under ContinuedA group sow system with shoulder feeding stalls in an Australian gestation barnFor Sale600 sow sow farrow to finish to finish on 40 on acre 40 acre site sitein in southern Saskatchewan within within 1 hr 1 hrof of Moose Jaw Jaw plant, plant, all permits all permits in place. in place. No HTP.$150,000Contact Roy for more info 306-761-1499306-527-777872 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Pigs Down Underlacking the confidence to invest in new buildings andconversion of existing sheds. The FitMix ESF systemmanufactured by Mannebeck in Germany attractedconsiderable interest since it takes up little space and canbe fitted into almost any shed layout. The modification ofexisting stall systems to groups with shoulder stalls alsocreated interest with several present being in the process oftesting the system in part of their operations.The decision to invest is confused by the fact that theAnimal Welfare Code allows for sows to spend six weeks ingestation stalls post 2017. In late 2010 industry delegatesvoted for the voluntary phasing out of gestation stallsby 2017 except for five days after mating, subject to thesupport of key stake holders, including government.The industry representative body Australian Pork Ltdis in discussions with government on issues includingfinancial assistance for barn configuration, assistance withplanning and labour skills development and recruitmentactivities. The industry also wants support for countryof origin labelling. In addition the decision made by themajor Australian retailer Coles, along with Woolworthsto announce that they will work with their producers tophase out stalls by 2014 has added to confusion in theminds of producers.Adding to the lack of confidence to invest now is theresults of research funded by the Pork CRC cooperativeresearch centre at Sydney University which is successfullymating sows during lactation and achieving resultscomparable with traditional mating systems. If the researchresults are consistently repeatable on commercial unitsthen the area of accommodation required for gestationwill be reduced and will have a different objective that thegestation housing currently being considered.The Australian industry is committed to a well plannedresearch program. The Australian Pig Science AssociationConference which will be held in Adelaide SouthAustralia from 27th-30th November 2011 is an excellentopportunity for Canadian pork producers and industryidentities to visit our country and combine a technicalconference while enjoying the beautiful sights and warmhospitality of our country. nThe Nextis July 2011For advertising contactJames Shaw at 416-231-1812or jamesshaw@rogers.comRed Deer SwineTechnology WorkshopWill once again be held at the Capri Hotel andConvention Centre, Red Deer, AlbertaOn Wednesday, November 2, 2011Make a note in your diary!Join us for an interactive technical workshop aimed atimproving your swine herd performance and profitability.Speakers will be presenting a range of practical, hands-ontopics of interest to everyone involved in pork production.Ken HamoenP. 780.674.5135C. 780.674.7498Box 216, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0sandridgegenetics@hotmail.comFor information on sponsorship opportunities or topre-book booth space, please contact Bernie Peet on403-782-3776 or 403-392-3104 or email:bjpeet@telusplanet.netwww.sandridgegenetics.comWestern Hog Journal | Spring 2011 | 73

Ad IndexAFSC.....................................................................................14Agrovision...........................................................................30Alberta Swine Genetics......................................................58Barkman...............................................................................71Bayer Animal Health..........................................................27Biovator/Nioex Systems Inc..............................................11Boehringer Ingelheim...................................................13/33Canada Farm Distributors..................................................24Canadian Bio-Systems.......................................................67Canadian Nurs-ette Distributors.......................................68Canarm BSM........................................................................12Carlo Genetics.....................................................................53Champion Alstoe.................................................................62Crystal Spring Hog Equipment.........................................42Danisco.................................................................................10DPI Global/MICRO-AID......................................................65Echberg Distribution...........................................................60Elanco..........................................................................5/41/59Fast Genetics..........................................................................9Gencor IMV.........................................................................74Genesus.......................................................................2/70/76Glass-Pac..............................................................................18Halchemix Canada Inc.........................................................4Hermitage NGT....................................................................50Husky Farm Equipment......................................................48Hypor Swine Group............................................................21Intervet Canada Corp..........................................................75ITSI........................................................................................54J&R Livestock Consultants................................................68John Guliker........................................................................72Kane Manufacturing...........................................................44Kenpal Farm Products/dry START....................................40L & B Ranch.........................................................................69Landmark Feeds............................................................29/35Longarm.................................................................................6Magnum Swine Genetics....................................... 43/45/47Masterfeeds..........................................................................51Maximum Swine Marketing..............................................28Merial Canada Inc...............................................................19Nuhn Industries...................................................................66Parks Livestock......................................................................8Parkview Pre-cast...............................................................22Peak Swine Genetics...........................................................38Pfizer Animal Health..........................................................55PIC.........................................................................................17PigWIN.................................................................................36Pork Chain Consulting.......................................................24Prairie Swine Centre.....................................................26/54Precision Management.......................................................50Pro-Ag Products...................................................... 15/39/57Protekta Inc.........................................................................52Ralco Nutrition....................................................................63Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop...........................73Sand Ridge Farm Ltd..........................................................73Shac Environmental Products Inc....................................32Sierens Equipment Ltd.......................................................46SIGA Farm Software...........................................................61Signature Genes..................................................................25Smart Sort Innovations......................................................56Standard Nutrition..............................................................20Sterling Oats..................................................................66/74Sun-North Systems.............................................................16Super Sorter / Baer Mfg.....................................................64SwineBooks.........................................................................62Tomco Chemical..................................................................70Topigs...................................................................................31Vétoquinol............................................................7/23/37/49Western Hog Journal.............................................. 34/40/73Gencor Agri-ProductsYour Canadian IMV DistributorOur focus is on the small things that make a big difference.jwiebe@gencor.ca Phone: 226-820-1633www.imv-technologies.comPiglets make the transitonfrom milk to feed easier with Oat Groats!An easily digested• key source of nutrition. •To take advantage of “the next best thing to Sows milk.”CONTACT:Sterling OatsBox 252, Raymond, Alberta T0K 2S0Richard Hofer – rhofer@shockware.com – 403-330-6158 cell74 | Western Hog Journal | Spring 2011

Why Tryto PredictWhich Strainof InfluenzaWill Strike Next?Provide your pigs with broader,up-to-date coverage.You don’t need a crystal ball to know that there are many strains of swine influenza out there.And that being caught off guard can seriously impact your herd... and your bottom line.MaxiVac Excell ® 5.0 is the first approved vaccineto contain FIVE strains of swine influenza.•Provides the safety and efficacy of MaxiVac Excell® 3, updated with threeadditional strains to provide even broader coverage against the different influenzaviruses that are circulating.• Has been demonstrated to reduce pneumonia and lung infection following viral challenge.1Be prepared.Ask your veterinarian.1. Fleck, R. et. al. Performance of MaxiVac Excell 3, a trivalent swine influenza virus vaccine, after challenge with a genetically diverse H3N2 swine influenza virus. Proceedings of the 18 th IPVS Congress, Vol.1, p.130® Registered trademark of Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation, used under license by Intervet Canada Corp. Copyright© 2010 Intervet Canada Corp., subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. All rights reserved.Subsidiaries of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA

2009 GENESUS25+ AWARD WINNERSCamRose31.60FaiR HaVen30.27eVeRGReen30.09RiVeRView30.00woodland29.92milltown29.29HuRon29.29ClaRk wikneR29.20sunCRest29.05blueGRass28.73sHady lane28.61Rosedale28.50sundale28.40HaRtland28.40bRentwood east28.10twin Hills28.10new HaVen noRtH28.14GRand28.00GRass RiVeR27.98deCkeR noRtH aCRes27.80new HaVen soutH27.64bRentwood west27.50milleRdale west27.50CleaRField27.50little bow27.50seVille27.46saGe CReek27.40milleRdale east27.30PaRkView27.20Hillside27.14sPRinGField mb27.10elmsPRinG26.98FaiRHolme26.97sPRinGField sk26.87RustiC aCRes26.80CleaRwateR26.75lakeView26.70bRantwood26.63CyPRess26.60Gadsby noRtH26.60Rainbow FaRms26.50Valley CenteR26.39beResFoRd26.27CleaRView ab26.20tobaCCo CReek FaRms26.10dakota 1026.00PoPlaR Point26.00FaiRView25.92sunnysite25.90sunset25.80Good HoPe25.80soutH bend25.80boRdeR GenetiCs25.70ok25.70Gadsby soutH25.70willow CReek east25.66oakRidGe25.64Glendale25.60maRtin FaRms25.40simmie saskatCHewan25.40Hansen HoG west25.20CasCade25.05top 5 herds: 30.38top 10 Herds: 29.7427.25aVeRaGe toP 25+ HeRdGenesus is Pleased to ConGRatulate tHe 62 Genesus CustomeR HeRds tHat aCHieVed oVeR 25 PiGs weaned PeR yeaRin 2009. it takes extRaoRdinaRy eFFoRt and manaGement to ReaCH suCH loFty PRoduCtion aCComPlisHments.at Genesus we are proud these award winning producers have made the decision to choose Genesus as their genetic source.Genesus continues to invest intensively in genetic improvement and testing. Genesus has the world’s largest registeredPurebred swine Herd and is the largest producer of yorkshire-landrace F1’s derived from registered purebreds.the combination of purebred genetic enhancement which maximizes heterosis and the Genesuscustomer’s superior management leads to production results that are creating new industry benchmarks.www.genesus.com 1-888-572-464725+ COULDTHIS BEYOU?