Topigs’ weaning rate in Brazil tops national average

Weaning rates for piglets from Topigs genetics were higher than the Brazilian national average in 2012.
In 2012, Brazilian farms with Topigs genetics weaned 29.5 piglets per sow per year. This is 3.2 piglets more than the national average.
The 25 top herds with Topigs genetics weaned 30.4 piglets per sow per year. TOPIGS sows produced 13.0 live born and 12.0 weaned piglets per litter. The average for Brazil was 12.2 live born and 11.2 weaned piglets per litter.
The high production combined with the low pre-weaning mortality, shows the craftsmanship of our Brazilian clients to unlock the high genetic potential of TOPIGS sows. The TOPIGS balanced breeding approach aims for results in sows with high fertility, excellent mothering abilities, and vigorous, strong piglets.

Weaning more pigs to fatten the bottom line

To reach the Two-Ton Sow (2TS) target for the UK pig industry, BPEX is focusing on helping pig producers wean an extra three pigs per sow year.
British pig producers are efficient at finishing pigs but are not producing enough pigs in the first place. Although progress has made in physical performance, a big gap remains between Britain and the rest of Europe.
The numbers of pigs born and weaned have still only increased by around half a pig per sow per year on British units since 2006. Meanwhile, other countries have continued to increase their performance by at least two pigs.
BPEX knowledge transfer manager Lis Ravn said: “The aim is to help every producer move towards an extra three pigs per sow year weaned, whether they’re currently about average at 23 pigs weaned or if they’re already at 27 and want to get to 30.
“We have identified some priorities to help achieve this. Keeping performance records and, importantly, spending time understanding the data is something that high-performing businesses have in common. As is doing all the ‘small’ daily things to a high standard, which is where training and skills development help too.”

New supplement may improve weanlings pigs gut health

Research on adding chitooligosaccharide (COS) to a piglet’s diet was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing different molecular weights (MW) on intestinal morphology, selected microbial populations, volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations and the immune status of the weaned pig.
In the study, 28 piglets (24 days of age, 9.1 kg (± s.d. 0.80) live weight) were assigned to one of four dietary treatments for eight days and then were sacrified. The treatments were (1) control diet (0 ppm COS), (2) control diet plus 5 to 10 kDa COS, (3) control diet plus 10 to 50 kDa COS and (4) control diet plus 50 to 100 kDa COS. The COS was included in dietary treatments at a rate of 250 mg/kg. Tissue samples were taken from the duodenum, jejunum and ileum for morphological measurements. Digesta samples were taken from the proximal colon to measure lactobacilli and Escherichia coli populations and digest samples were taken from the caecum and proximal colon for VFA analysis. Gene expression levels for specific cytokines were investigated in colonic tissue of the pig.
Supplementation of different MW of COS did no show significant effect on pig performance during the post-weaning period (days 0 to 8; P > 0.05). The inclusion of COS at all MW in the diet significantly reduced fecal scores compared with the control treatment (P < 0.01). Pigs fed the 10 to 50 kDa COS had a higher villous height (P < 0.05) and villous height:crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05) in the duodenum and the jejunum compared with the control treatment. Pigs fed the 5 to 10 kDa COS had a lower lactobacilli population (P < 0.05) and E. coli population (P < 0.05) in the colon compared with the control group. Pigs offered the 5 to 10 kDa COS had significantly lower levels of acetic acid and valeric acid compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The inclusion of different MW of COS had no significant effect on the expression of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α, Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-10 in the gastrointestinal tract of the weaned pig.
The current results indicate that a lower MW of 5 to 10 kDa COS possessed an antibacterial activity, while the higher MW of 10 to 50 kDa was optimum for enhancing the intestinal structure.

AM Walsh, T Sweeney, B Bahar, B Flynn, JV O’Doherty. 2012. The effect of chitooligosaccharide supplementation on intestinal morphology, selected microbial populations, volatile fatty acid concentrations and immune gene expression in the weaned pig. Animal, 6(10):1620-1626. doi:10.1017/S1751731112000481.

Common bacteria could help piglets fight disease during weaning

In a study of 36 weaning piglets, researchers found that a dose of lipid-producing Rhodococcus opacus bacteria increased circulating triglycerides, a crucial source of energy for the immune system.
“We could potentially strengthen the immune system by providing this bacterium to animals at a stage when they are in need of additional energy,” said Janet Donaldson, assistant professor in Biological Sciences Mississippi State University. “By providing an alternative energy source, the pigs are most likely going to be able to fight off infections more efficiently.”
Donaldson and other researchers tested R. opacus because the bacterium naturally makes large amounts of triglycerides. Normally, R. opacus would use the triglycerides for its own energy, but a pig can use the triglycerides too.
Jeff Carroll, research leader for the USDA Agricultural Research Service Livestock Issues Research Unit in Lubbock, Texas, said “R. opacus could be used sort of like an energy producing probiotic. Weanling pigs are more susceptible to pathogens and stress because they have to adjust to a new diet and environment. To add to the risk, weaning comes at a time when a pig’s immune system is immature. The stress of weaning can lead to reduced feed intake, less available energy and an increased risk of infection.”
With an oral supplement of live R. opacus, weanling pigs would have an alternative source of energy. Even if pigs ate less feed, they would still have access to the triglycerides produced by these bacteria. The triglycerides could be used as an energy source during this critical stage of development.
Throughout the experiment, the researchers kept watch for any potential side effects. Donaldson said they saw no negative side effects in the pigs given R. opacus. Because of this success, Donaldson said pig producers might someday use R. opacus on their own farms. She said the bacteria could be provided to pigs through existing watering systems.
The next step in the experiment is to test how pigs given R. opacus react to an immune challenge such as Salmonella. Carroll said he is also curious to see if R. opacus can help calves stay healthy during transport.
“This could potentially be carried over to human health as well,” Donaldson said.
This study was a collaboration between Janet Donaldson at Mississippi State University; Jeff Carroll at USDA-ARS’ Livestock Issues Research Unit; Ty Schmidt at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Todd Callaway at USDA-ARS’ Food and Feed Safety Research Unit; Jessica Grissett at Mississippi State University; and Nicole Burdick Sanchez at USDA-ARS’ Livestock Issues Research Unit.
The abstract from this project, titled “Novel Use of Lipid-Producing Bacteria to Increase Circulating Triglycerides in Swine,” is the 2013 recipient of the National Pork Board Swine Industry Award for Innovation. The award will be presented at the 2013 American Society of Animal Science Southern Section Meeting in Orlando, Florida.