Pig industry news stories for the week ending October 6

From WATTAgNet:

The past week has been an active one for the global pig industry. Here are eight industry stories that have appeared on WATTAgNet.com during the week ending October 6:
1. Factors for EU pork producers to consider for success – Rabobank analyst Albert Vernooij revealed five factors for European pork processors to take into account in order to position themselves in the increasingly competitive industry: cost competitiveness, sourcing, efficiency, market approach and client access.
2. Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement approved – Negotiators from 12 countries approved the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which includes provisions for the pig industry.
3. Reused tote bags likely cause of PEDv entry into U.S. -- The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released a root cause investigation report  that identified reuse of contaminated flexible intermediate bulk containers also known as tote bags, as the most likely cause for how the swine enteric coronavirus disease viruses -- including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and swine delta coronavirus -- entered the United States.
4. Improvement needed in Vietnam pork sector -- A recent report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development stated that the Vietnamese pork industry needs to make further improvements to enable it to face global competition.
5. Classical swine fever returns to Russia – After an absence of nearly eight years, classical swine fever has returned to Russia. Five animals were affected in the southeastern portion of the country.
6. Canada’s duBreton to increase crate-free production – Quebec-based pork producer duBreton announced plans to raise 300,000 more pigs without the use of gestation stalls or traditional farrowing crates by 2018.
7. New NPPC staff member – Dustin Baker has joined the National Pork Producers Council as the manager of production issues.
8. Royal Frozen Food recalls pork – Royal Frozen Food recalled about 230 pounds of frozen beef and pork products that were not produced under a fully implemented Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan.

AB Neo and Bristol University research pig accelerator

AB Neo has embarked on a research project with Bristol University to confirm the mode of action of Axcelera-P, its accelerator for pigs. Axcelera-P is proven to deliver lifetime performance in pigs when offered to piglets from day four to weaning.
Paul Toplis, AB Neo's Technical Director (Swine) said, "Although feed intakes are not significantly different compared to the top-selling successful creep feeds, the effects of Axcelera-P are profound in delivering lifetime performance through every stage from nursery to finisher and by reducing pre-weaning mortality. These two commercially relevant factors and their significantly positive effects on ROI have made the new accelerator technology of worldwide interest to pig farmers."
Consistent performance has been seen in ongoing AB Neo research through academic and farm trials confirm that Axcelera-P is a significant breakthrough in pig performance. Consequently, AB Neo knows, through repeated trials and over three years commercial sales in the UK, what the repeatable and predictable effect is on pigs and how to achieve it, but it is unclear exactly why Axcelera-P works as it does.
Because of its step-change in performance (not the incremental improvement seen in nutritional improvement trials) and how it appears to switch on a pig at such an early age, AB Neo doesn't expect to find a conventional mode of action (such as is seen when simply offering more or improved nutrition). However, it is clear that the significant positive change is happening in the neonatal pig.
Studies in humans and in laboratory rodents have suggested that early-life events can have long-term effects on intestinal microbiota (gut micro-organisms), their interaction with the animal's metabolism and the expression of the appropriate immune response in protecting the animal and relating to food tolerances. AB Neo believes this is also true of neonatal pigs. The idea that dietary manipulation of the neonatal intestinal environment has such long-term programming effects is the basis for the accelerator category.
To identify its mode of action, AB Neo is working closely with Bristol University, whose world-leading expertise focuses on answering interesting scientific questions relating to gut microbiota and performance.
The collaborative research is focusing on three areas
Microbiota. Investigating the extent to which the early diet in piglets programs long-term changes in composition and function of intestinal microbiota. Specifically, to what extent does early-life diet influence the succession (rather than short-term composition) of microbial communities.
Metabolomics. Investigating the extent to which the diet and microbiota program long-term effects on the developing metabolic system of the piglets. Specifically, are these also only manipulable early in life, or can they be manipulated later? To what extent are pathways involving breakdown, absorption and energy/protein/lipid metabolism affected? By comparing metabolomics in accelerated and unaccelerated (control) piglets we will be able to find any causal links on performance.
Immune System. Investigating the extent to which diet, microbiota and metabolism program long-term effects on the piglet immune system. Specifically, do they change the cost-benefit ratio for expression of immune responses to acute, clinical pathogens; to subclinical infections; and to harmless commensal bacteria and diet. One view is that there may be an effect on a pig's immune response to specific ingredients in a starter feed, which then affects the way they respond the first time they are encountered by the pig after weaning. By reducing unnecessary, intolerance-related immune response the pig has more available energy for growth, and nutrient partitioning may be favourably influenced towards production.
Toplis continued, "Our work with Bristol University is very exciting and we are confident that, by working with pigs whose performance has been accelerated, we have a strong probability of identifying the specific mode of action. We can then improve the mode of action further, seek more efficient and cost effective ways to create the accelerator effect, and start work on accelerating other species."

DuPont Animal Nutrition releases video featuring industry experts

DuPont’s Animal Nutrition Division has worked with a number of leading industry experts to record a video on the topic of “Maximum Efficiency in Swine Production.” The recording was made during the Danisco Animal Nutrition seminar at the World Pork Expo and includes the following presentations:


• “Improved liveability with xylanase inclusion”- Dr. R. Dean Boyd, Technical Director, The Hanor Company - discussed new data on how xylanase can be used not only to counter variability and improve carcass uniformity, but in a prebiotic context to support gut health.
• “Fast and reliable prediction of corn energy value for swine diets” - Dr. Chris Iiams, Senior Research Scientist at DuPont Pioneer - explained the extra benefits NIR calibration/technology can offer to swine nutritionists already using published information on corn digestible energy (DE) from various sources or for producers using models other than DE.
• “The influence of the intestinal microbiome in promoting efficient swine production”- Dr. Marcus E. Kehrli, Jr., Director, National Animal Disease Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service - looked at the relevance of recent research work on the gastrointestinal microbiome of several other animal species with regard to swine. He also looked at how this research might be used to address common healthy swine production challenges.
The videos can be downloaded in chapters from the Pig Progress website. The presentations given are also available for download on animalnutrition.dupont.com.

5 tips to prevent PEDv from World Pork Expo

“While we don’t really know how [the porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus] got here, we do have a pretty good idea how it’s moving around — contaminated livestock trailers,” said Dr. Paul Thomas, AMVC, at the 2015 World Pork Expo.
A number of temperature and time combinations are effective at inactivating coronaviruses, including the PED virus, explained Thomas. Disinfectants commonly used in swine production, and the concentrations they are used at, are also effective. However, the effectiveness of both of these can be reduced by factors common to livestock trailers: the presence of feces and reduced temperatures.
Dr. Thomas offered these tips to prevent a PED virus outbreak:

"Excellent internal biosecurity is critical to shut down outbreaks and keep the PED virus from coming back," said Dr. Paul Thomas at the World Pork Expo. 


• All livestock trailers must be washed, disinfected and baked between loads of animals.
• In the presence of feces, the PED virus must be heated to 160F to inactivate the virus.
• You should assume there are still feces in a cleaned trailer.
• When a trailer arrives at your farm, inspect it to ensure it is being properly cleaned.
• Empower employees to turn away improperly-cleaned trailers.
  
“You have to do everything 100 percent." said Thomas. "Excellent internal biosecurity is critical to shut down outbreaks and keep the PED virus from coming back."
These recommendations are consistent with today’s best practices for trailer decontamination and can be immediately implemented by transporters and pork producers.

5 ways to keep your pigs from sizzling this summer

The heat is almost on. What can pig producers do now to prepare their barn?
Heat can cause significant stress for pigs, often causing agitation and affecting their eating habits. When pigs eat less, they convert less feed into muscle thus reducing their average daily gain, increasing their days to market and ultimately putting a damper on the producer’s pocket book. Stress also opens doors to many other possibilities such as health challenges.
“You have to take into account the heat outside in addition to the heat that the pigs are producing from eating and moving around in the barn. Respiratory rates begin to increase around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and with high humidity, it becomes difficult for pigs to find relief from the heat on their own,” said Russell Gilliam, U.S. swine business manager for Alltech.
Pigs cannot cool themselves off as well as other animals. Gilliam suggests five key management areas for beating the heat this summer:
Control the temperature. This is especially important in early and latesummer as wide variations between night and day temperatures can compoundstress levels that the animals are experiencing. Avoid temperature shiftsof a few degrees or more. Monitoring equipment such as computers, sensors andthermometers are essential. 
Increase ventilation and ensureadequate space. Since pigs can generatelarge amounts of heat, focus on practices that produce less. Ensure eachpig has enough space and ventilation. Keep motion minimal and do notdisturb the animals during peak temperature times of the day. Check allfans and vents to ensure they are clean and running properly.
Focus on water quality and access. It is very important to make sure pigs haveunlimited access to fresh and cool drinking water, as drinking levels canalso have an effect on feed intake. Taking water samples at the beginningand end of the water lines can help confirm water is the best qualitypossible.
Power your nutrition program. Data has shown that offering pigs a combination of organic acids, electrolytes, enzymes and probiotics can support young animals during times of stress. Organic acids support probiotic growth in the gut and enzymes can help enhance intake and digestibility. Electrolytes make sure the animal stays hydrated, especially in times of heat stress. Combination technologies work quickly by lowering the pH of the water. Depending on the type of water and the target level for pH, these technologies can work on their own or with a combination of other ingredients to help optimize the gut environment. 
Monitor your pigs. Even if you think it might not be too hot, pigscan still be affected by the additional heat they are creating. Watch forsigns that your pigs are overheating: faster breathing, fluctuations infeed and water intake levels, reduced activity and lying stretched on thefloor, often separated from others.
"Being prepared for heat stress challenges can lead to healthier animals and healthier profits. Addressing the summer challenges that arise as quickly as possible can have a major impact on the overall value of your pigs when you take them to market,” Gilliam said. “To keep your animals prepared, it is essential you keep their nutrition equipped with technologies that build their natural immunity.”

New Pig Top Companies data available from WATT Global Media

View WATT's exclusive World's Top Companies listings in the November/December 2014 issue of Pig International  . 
WATT Global Media continues to expand on its exclusive World’s Top Companies data by offering new listings on the leading pig producers and processors worldwide. The updated Pig Top Companies listings can be found in the November/December 2014 issue of Pig International.
In compiling the data, we rank processors by head slaughtered annually and rank producers by number of sows. We have chosen to list the data for the top companies worldwide as a total of multinational operations. In regional or national listings, the numbers represent activities within a company’s headquarters company.
In addition to the Top Companies listings in Pig International, further data can be found in the Market Data section of WATTAgNet.com. Here, you can download spreadsheets of data with graphs of additional Top Companies and pig production statistics. Spreadsheet data includes top producers and processors ranked by regions and exclusive production trends and forecasts from our “World Pig Panorama” report. 

In addition to the listings in the magazine, spreadsheets with additional data can be downloaded from the Market Data section of WATTAgNet.com. 
Website registration and login is required to view and download the Market Data charts. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes. 
This exclusive pig industry data represents what has been collected as of October 2014. We are continuing to collect and revise data, which will appear on WATTAgNet.com as it becomes available. If you would like to correct or add data on your company, please provide your feedback to bplantz@wattnet.net. 

Pork Checkoff launches social media outreach program

The Pork Checkoff launched RealPigFarming, a new social media outreach program to share real stories from real farmers with consumers. This new initiative is a social movement to create and own the conversation around modern pig farming.
The goal of the project is to empower pig farmers to have meaningful and impactful conversations on social media with consumers about what happens on their farms. Choosing to tell the story of #RealPigFarming via social networks helps bring consumers and pig farmers together in a way that was not possible just a few years ago. In networks that are powered by images and videos, producers can tell their story in multiple different ways.
An elite team of social media “agvocates” called Social Forces has been selected for this mission. This team includes not only producers from more than 10 states, but animal science and agriculture students from colleges across the U.S. The Social Forces team is being asked to go above and beyond when telling their farming stories on social media.
The Pork Checkoff is encouraging everyone who has a passion for agriculture or a positive story to share about real pig farming to please use the #RealPigFarming in status updates, tweets, Instagram photos, blogs, vlogs and any other social media update.

Alltech: Drain on pig profits from summer heat can be avoided

With the numerous health and environmental challenges upsetting the pig industry at present, the summer heat is one seasonal condition producers cannot afford to let stifle their profitability. When managed poorly, the heat can take a serious toll on performance, especially in finishing pigs.
Heat and wide fluctuations in temperature can often cause immense stress for the animals, resulting in lower performance and health problems.
“Even during the hottest time of the day, pigs are still producing additional body heat from eating and moving around the barn. Since pigs have few sweat glands, cooling off by perspiration is not much of an option,” said Russell Gilliam, U.S. swine business manager for Alltech. “Respiratory rates begin to increase around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and with high humidity it becomes difficult for pigs to find relief from the heat on their own.”
According to Gilliam, temperature fluctuations that continue into the fall season produce additional challenges. Wide variations between night and day temperatures can compound stress levels that the animals already experienced from increased temperatures.
Besides monitoring the barn’s temperature, Gilliam said there are many signals that indicate a pig is too hot. Some of them include: faster breathing, fluctuations in feed and water intake levels, reduced activity and lying stretched on the floor  and separation from other pigs. Maintaining barn temperature and increasing ventilation are important in keeping the pig’s stress levels to a minimum.
“If you can avoid temperature shifts by a few degrees or more, you will be making the pig’s habitat more comfortable, which can lead to better profits,” Gilliam said.
Since pigs can generate large amounts of heat, pig handlers should focus on practices that produce less heat. That includes ensuring each pig has enough space and ventilation, minimizing motion and not disturbing the animals during peak temperature times of the day. It is also important to make sure the pigs have unlimited access to fresh and cool drinking water, as drinking levels can also have a major effect on feed intake.
Data has also shown that offering pigs a combination product of organic acids, electrolytes, enzymes and probiotics can address gut health issues during times of stress in young animals. It works quickly by lowering the pH of the water. Depending on the type of water and the target level for pH, the technology can work on its own or with a combination of other ingredients, such as probiotics to help optimize the gut environment. Organic acids can help grow probiotics in the gut and the enzymes can help enhance intake and digestibility. Electrolytes make sure the animal stays hydrated, especially in times of heat stress.
In a recent study, Alltech’s Acid-Pak 4-Way was administered through drinking water for the entire nursery period as a replacement for an existing antibiotic, vitamin and mineral program (FRIO, A.J.L., YU, E., AND R. SANTOS; 2009). In terms of overall performance, the researchers found the combination acidifier maintained optimum conditions for digestion in the stomach and small intestine to allow the pigs to maintain electrolyte balance and pH levels.
“Addressing heat stress and being prepared for its effects can have a major impact on the performance and overall value of your pigs when you take them to market. It can also help reduce the cost of added days on feed and additional health costs,” Gilliam said. “In times of stress, pigs can be more susceptible to disease and health challenges. It is essential your pigs’ nutrition is equipped with technologies that build their natural immunity.”

Kemin addresses lipid solutions for improved swine production

Oils and fats continue to be among the most critical ingredients used in feed. However, rising prices and varied sources have led to challenges among the industry. To discuss lipid nutrition and its unique biosurfactant Lysoforte, Kemin, in cooperation with local distributors, hosted technical seminars for swine customers across Asia Pacific.
Spanning the course of two months, the seminars were held in Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea and consisted of a panel of experts to discuss lipid consumption and its influencing parameters that can affect swine health and performance.
Dr. Hseih Hau Houng, professor from Pintung University in Taiwan, explained that like many raw materials, there is no homogeneity when it comes to oil and fat sources, and the varied nutritive values of lipids can greatly influence animal production. He further emphasized that an animal’s ability to properly digest and utilize fat sources affects profitability. In addition, Dr. Hseih Hau Houng shared his extensive research on Lysoforte, which validated the product’s ability to improve fat digestibility in broilers and thus help increase profits.
Also speaking at the seminars, Dr. Yoo Yong Kim, professor at Seoul National University in Korea, highlighted many practical tips for improving sow productivity and reducing feed costs for grower pigs. He recommended maintaining healthy sows by controlling body weight and body fat rather than body condition. Based on expertise and experience from managing his own swine farm, Kim suggested following a batch system and grouping sows together by age. An all-in, all-out production strategy, in which animals are moved to and from facilities in distinct groups, is designed to control the spread of disease by preventing the mingling of groups.
Furthermore, Kim advised on using alternative raw materials like palm kernel meal and coconut meal in pig diets to manage escalating feed costs. He also shared his latest research papers, which confirmed that exogenous bio-emulsifiers can help manage feed costs through its high energy sparing effect. His results showed that bio-emulsifiers can contribute up to 100 kcal of ME/kg and save more than 10 percent of total feed cost.
Further emphasizing the importance of oils and fats for improved production, Kemin shared its research on Lysoforte, a unique biosurfactant that can help to enhance feed digestibility, improve growth performance and boost profitability.
“Research findings by Kemin scientists show that Lysoforte can spare dietary fat up to 1 percent in swine diets and save more than 10 percent of feed costs,” said Dr. C. Sugumar, Kemin product manager. “Lysoforte improves overall fat digestibility and boosts the digestibility of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, thereby lowering fat excretion in feces to improve fecal structure. By reducing fat, the energy value in feed can be reduced by 60 kcal/kg in pigs without affecting weight gain and feed conversion ratios.”
According to Sugumar, poor fat digestibility is a common problem in young piglets. In a 30-day commercial trial administered by Kemin in piglets, the inclusion of Lysoforte at 500 grams/ton improved average daily gains at a rate of 583 grams/day vs. 564 grams/day for the control group. In addition, feed conversion ratios improved to 1.83 compared to 1.94 in the control group even though net energy was reduced by 43 kcal/kg from the standard diet. In this study, Lysoforte helped farmers lower feed cost by up to $3.4/ton.
In addition, Sugumar stated that Lysoforte increases emulsification, promotes more and smaller micelle formation and increases intestinal membrane permeability, which is essential for fat absorption. Improved fat absorption means less fat needs to be included in animal diets, ultimately helping formulators choose less expensive fat sources without negatively affecting growth performance.

In pork production, quality more important than quantity

While it is difficult to predict the future, it’s inevitable that it will take the swine industry some time to recover. With more than 6,600 cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus confirmed in 30 states thus far, March hog inventories were 3.7 percent lower when compared to March 2013, and this drop came despite farrowings that were 2.8 percent higher.
A recent USDA report showed April total pork inventories at 584.1 million pounds, up 8.6 million from March but down 116.9 million from April 2013. Even though the industry continues to produce larger litters, the number of pigs reaching market weight has been severely impacted by the disease outbreak.
With the goal of getting more piglets per sow, piglet quality is often sacrificed. More often, producers must contend with piglets that have lower birth weights, and as a direct result, require extra care and effort to reach full value in the market. Pushing piglets along quickly can also leave them with lower immune strength and greater susceptibility to health challenges. Lower quality pigs stay in production longer, adding to the cost of producing meat.
“We have to stay focused on producing pigs of higher value if we are to maintain optimum sow productivity,” said Russell Gilliam, U.S. swine business manager for Alltech. “We need to be careful not to produce pigs that require additional feed, care and costs.”
Starting with a quality piglet can make a vast difference in health care costs, additional feed, and the increased cost of extra days before market. As the saying goes “you are what your mother ate,” piglet quality begins with sow nutrition. One of the staples in proper sow nutrition is mineral management. The fundamental objective of mineral nutrition is to build optimum reserves that will support the pig in times of stress, prevent inadequacies and maximize health and performance.
While inorganic minerals are poorly absorbed, stored and utilized in the animal, organic minerals offer a more natural form for the animal and can perform even when supplemented at lower levels. Recent studies on the inclusion of Alltech’s organic trace minerals in sow diets showed considerable gain in performance and profitability for both sows and piglets. Data has shown that pigs with enhanced mineral status at birth and weaning, have reduced pre-wean mortality, higher piglet performance and weaning weight, and increased immune status. The trial work also showed a response in a mineral enhanced sow improves productivity and reduces mating intervals.
“When efficiency and value matter most, it is good to know that less can equal more, and it can be done the natural way,” Gilliam said. “The application of Alltech’s Mineral Management Program consistently delivers optimal results in swine operations in North America and around the world, while being a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly program.”

Veterinarian: Pig system stability works better than dosing pigs

Dr. Mark FitzSimmons, a pig farmer and veterinarian of Swine Graphics, presented at the 30^th Alltech Symposium that he believes maintaining stability in systems, rather than dosing, is the key to combating stress and disease in pigs.
“You can actually make an endemic disease become epidemic … if you try to use antibiotics to eliminate a bacterial disease out of your pig population,” FitzSimmons said. 
He went on to discuss the current eradication process of mycoplasma: “The disease itself is not that big of a deal. If you take your gilt production system, and because you can, you go in and you use antibiotics at a high level in pigs early in their life (basically in the farrowing house) and you eliminate mycoplasma from that pig population … that’s going to be a problem.
“You have gilts that come into the farrowing house; they farrow their pigs. Instead of getting exposed to [a small amount of] mycoplasma early in their life and getting colonized normally by the sow … they get exposed to [a large amount of] mycoplasma, because of the gilts that came in naïve into that herd are shedding at the rate that they should have been shedding at when they were 180 days of age and they weren’t anywhere near those pigs. By the time they got into a crate with their first litter of pigs, the level of mycoplasma they would be shedding would be back down to [a small amount]. 
“Now what you have is instead of a disease that we typically saw … in 80- to 100- to 120- or 150-pound pigs, we are now seeing it in 3-, 4- and 5-week-old pigs. Now you find the need to have to vaccinate for mycoplasma in pigs not when they’re 50 to 60 pounds, but when they’re 5 days old.” He explained that it wasn’t a change in the disease that causes it to show up in younger pigs, but a change in the upset of stability of the sow.
“If you have a myco-negative sow, and you can put myco-negative gilts into it, and you can keep those pigs myco-negative all the way through their lifecycle, without a doubt, they perform better. The problem is getting all those things lined up on the same day.” 
FitzSimmons also said that while producers can vaccinate for mycoplasma several times and the pig is more or less protected from that disease, they’re not taking into account the healthy bacteria getting killed by the multiple vaccinations, creating instability by leaving piglets more susceptible to other diseases.
He concluded that while it seems like a basic concept to have and maintain system stability, people are continuing to develop programs that promote instability.

AB Vista launches technical swine blog series

AB Vista has introduced a brand new technical blog series for the swine industry covering both topical issues within the sector and the specific opportunities to improve performance through nutrition. Authored by Dr. Casey Bradley, AB Vista's technical swine manager for the Americas, the blog can be found on the AB Vista website and will contain content relevant to swine producers worldwide.
"I want readers to gain an insight into areas where swine performance and business profitability can be significantly enhanced through improved nutrition," explained Bradley. "Although we will be covering some technical topics, the aim is to keep the overall feel very informal, in keeping with the blog format."
The first post covers topics as wide-ranging as the current United States grain harvest, the results of a phytase superdosing nursery trial showing a 12.7 percent increase in daily gain, and an insight into Bradley's long-standing connection with pigs. Future topics include a look at the value of fibre-degrading enzymes in swine diets, on-farm comparative trial design, the value of betaine and highlights from the Inspire: International Non-starch Polysaccharide (NSP) Forum 2014.
"More than anything, I'm looking to get people involved in the discussion around these topics, to generate some debate and maybe open a few eyes as to the level of innovation that's currently driving swine nutrition forward," Bradley continued. "These are exciting times in the swine sector, but too often opportunities are missed through a simple lack of awareness or misunderstanding. If this blog helps open up those opportunities to a greater number of swine producers worldwide, then it will have had the positive impact I'm hoping for."

The first Topigs Total Feed Efficiency webinar is March 25

On March 25, the first of two Total Feed Efficiency webinars will be held. Two prominent speakers will give insights into the latest developments in pig feeding.
Dr. Piet van der Aar, managing director of the internationally respected Schothorst Feed Research, The Netherlands, will talk about the use of new feed alternatives, feed production methods and other new insights and technologies concerning the production and use of feed.
Professor Bruno Silva, professor and researcher in nutrition and swine production and environmental adaptation at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Brazil, will explain the possibilities of precision feeding, where feeding the right amount of nutrients leads to higher results and greater efficiency.
These two presentations will inform pig producers about new, improved nutrition sources and feed alternatives and how these can dramatically improve feed efficiency, pig health and grow out when combined with precision feeding.
The Total Feed Efficiency webinars are being sponsored by Topigs and presented by WATT Global Media. The webinars will be accessible via internet to everybody who has registered for them. For further information about the webinars and to register for them, visit the Topigs website or the WATT Global Media website.

Coalition notifies swine producer of intent to file Clean Water Act suit

A coalition of community, environmental and animal welfare organizations sent a notice of intent to sue Illinois-based The Maschhoffs over alleged repeated discharges of hog manure to waterways from one of its Iowa farms. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and the Humane Society of the United States intend to file suit alleging violations of the federal Clean Water Act unless the facility obtains a Clean Water Act permit and the company can guarantee that its almost 7,500-head sow facility will not discharge any further pollution into Iowa's waterways.
Iowa CCI is represented by The Environmental Integrity Project, and the Humane Society of the United States is represented by David Sykes of David E. Sykes, P.C. in Fairfield, Iowa, and lawyers with the HSUS' animal protection litigation section. The groups will file suit in January.
The sow facility, located in Van Buren County, Iowa near the Des Moines River, is one of the largest factory farms in Iowa, and annually produces more than 11 million gallons of manure that it spreads on less than 600 acres of surrounding land.
The coalition alleges violations at the farm took place earlier in 2013, as well as in 2011 and in 2007.

Pig production articles highlight maximizing capacity

Optimizing pig production means evaluating different production and marketing options and choosing the combination to generate the most profit while meeting the expectations of the processor, the consumer and society, according to a series of articles from Hypor.
A MAX'ing capacity philosophy supports bottom line profits by optimizing multiple factors, rather than focusing on increasing performance in individual traits, and applies throughout the entire pork chain, optimizing weaning- and finishing capacity. In the final article in this series, Hypor focuses on MAX'ing meat capacity.
"MAX'ing meat capacity means evaluating different production and marketing options and choosing the combination that results in the most profit, while meeting the expectations of the processor, the consumer and Society," said Ernie Meyer, Manager of Production and Technical Services, Hypor USA.
"Answering society's needs is the third key success factor in optimizing meat capacity. This means using specialized sires, ensuring carcass uniformity and ensuring optimal predictability and consistency of meat and carcass quality," he said.

K-State’s Swine Day to emphasize pig disease prevention, management

Kansas State University's annual Swine Day will focus on ways to improve net returns for swine producers, with a special emphasis on pig disease prevention and management with two prominent Kansas veterinarians discussing porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). PEDV was first discovered in the United States in the spring of 2013.
The event, scheduled for November 21 at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan, includes a technology trade show, which starts at 8 a.m., with the program starting at 9:45 a.m. K-State faculty members will provide updates on current swine production research occurring at the university. A poster session also will be held that allows attendees to talk one-on-one with graduate students who conducted some of the research.
Presentations include: "Recent Disease Challenge to our Industry - Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea" by Steve Henry, veterinarian at Abilene Animal Hospital and Dick Hesse, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State; and "Recent On-Farm and Commercial Feed Mill Innovations to Improve Whole Herd Feed Efficiency" by Charles Stark, K-State associate professor of Grain Science and Industry.
The day ends with a tour of the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center Feed Mill and a reception featuring K-State ice cream.
The fee to attend is $25 if paid by Nov. 9 and $35 after that date. The fee includes swine day presentation materials, lunch and the closing reception. More information is available online or by calling 785-532-1267. 

WEDA releases self-catching pig pens

WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp have released a new self-catching pig pen SF3. The self-catching pig housing pens were designed to fulfill the requirements set down in the EU Directive 88/2001 as well as in the ordinance on animal welfare.
Based on a new lever technology, the ergonomic construction principle of this maintenance and wear-free opening and closing system ensures easy release by humans and by animals. For sows, the pen's opening and adjustment of the desired function can accommodate up to 20 sows.
The springless SF System is designed to prevent problems with corrosive part, and the barrier-free locking system is advantageous for animals that can take up their feed in a considerably more relaxed way. After a sow has entered the pen, the mechanism installed inside the trough immediately releases the locking device.
For the animals which follow, the entry into the pen is now barred. The sow inside the pen can release the locking mechanism on her own and then leave the pen. In particular lower ranking sows are considerably less exposed to stress during feed.
The pig pen does not require mechanical suspension and can be employed as a retrofit system for SF1. 

New pig software designed to improve sow management

Software updates from WEDA provide new tools designed for pig farmers to help increase the efficiency of their operation by comparing data between the animal house segments of mating station, waiting section and farrowing section.
Based on the new software architecture, the sows can now also be identified as individual animals in the group at the feed valve. Animals standing at the feed trough will not be anonymous any more. Also data from an external computer, as for instance the demand feeding station "4PX SowComp" can be read in from the liquid feeding computer via interface. This way, important data is stored in the main computer, for example, the number of the sow, the number of the responder, or the day of the cycle. The sow only has to be allocated to the respective feed valve.
Additional applications complete the WEDA program. The exchange of data by means of Mobile Data Recording (MDE: offline solutions for sows with eartag reader. The Search Function with the help of the MDE is practical in sow managements as the mobile device is cross-linked with the work schedule of the computer.
If the sows have considerably fallen short of their target feed, the pig farmer is able to identify the animals in question by scanning their eartags. In case of the animal in question, the device acknowledges the scan of the eartag with an acoustic signal. A look at the display tells the pig farmer immediately the reason for the alarm by presenting him the respective data.
Furthermore, sows are able to receive a reduction or a supplement of their feed rations depending on the number of piglets. Finally, the system allows the adding of an animal-individual amount of water at the valve by integrating the water curve for each sow into the feed graph.
As an online solution it is also possible to control the processes with the W-Mobile. This way, all important feeding data can be looked at or altered by Smartphone, Tablet or other mobile terminal equipment - worldwide or inside the house.

Animal agriculture faces tough opponent in HSUS, World Pork Expo speakers say

Brian Klippenstein, executive director of Protect the Harvest, speaks at World Pork Expo June 6.

The Humane Society of the United States is an "opponent" whose agenda includes disrupting animal agriculture, according to two speakers at the World Pork Expo.
Animal rights advocates have gotten much more sophisticated than in the past, and animal agriculture faces a long-term war with the Humane Society of the United States, according to the speakers.
"The old PETA movement didn't sell themselves," said Brian Klippenstein, executive director of Protect the Harvest. Klippenstein said the PETA movement had an image of being radical, but HSUS is a "serious and capable" opponent.
Klippenstein told an audience at the World Pork Expo June 6 that pork, poultry and egg producers shouldn't think of the HSUS as an opponent with a cause, but as an opponent with a large financial motive. Klippenstein said their strategy is to attack one industry and identify states that can set regulation by ballot initiatives, such as the California cage ban for the egg industry.
"These nonprofits have become lucrative," said Klippenstein. "They have specific targets, and they rely on success for  further fundraising. The HSUS is a big operation that takes care of itself and means to stay in business. They will do that by opposing animal agriculture. They want to impose their preferences, increase your costs, sour your image and try to put you out of business."
That view was backed by the second speaker, Rick Berman of Berman & Co. He said the HSUS raises money from the public, many of whom support animal shelters, though Berman said 1 percent of that money goes to shelters. He said the money instead goes to support HSUS and fight animal agriculture, which industry aims to show the public.
"HSUS would rather spend money helping chickens than saving cats and dogs. If everyone was against farming and was donating money to be against farming, we would have a problem," said Berman. "People are giving money to protect cats and dogs, not to fight animal agriculture."
In referring to HSUS' current campaign against the pork industry's use of gestation stalls, he said controlling the terminology used can do much to sway public opinion.
"If you tell people we use individual maternity pens, rather than gestation stalls, we will be better off," said Berman. "Maternity pens sound much better and still describe the process."
To combat the HSUS campaign to pressure restaurants and groceries to require their pork sources to ban gestation stalls, Berman worked with HumaneWatch to send a video to retailers with industry's side of the story on maternity pens. "If we tell people that veterinarians and farmers believe that these pens are humane, you can change public opinion," he said.
Berman also works with the Humane Society for Shelter Pets, which is educating the public on how little of the money the HSUS raises goes to shelters. The campaign encourages people to support local shelters with direct donations, instead of responding to HSUS ads that represent the HSUS as an organization focused on supporting animal shelters.
According to Berman: "We have stopped the momentum on HSUS drive to get restaurants and grocers to stop sourcing pork from suppliers who do gestation pens. Now we need to attack their misleading fundraising ads.
"Animal agriculture has to defend against this. Agriculture needs to be on the offense, not defense. Do you want to be on offense and defense?"
He said agriculture, by its nature, is at a disadvantage: "HSUS is in the marketing-message business with 130 million budget. Ag is in business of producing food and doesn't have that budget." 

Deworming pigs early will save money in the future

Now is the time to be thinking of worming your pig herd, reminds Ian Watson, ABN's national pig specialist, who warns of the cost implications of harboring a worm burden. ABN is a pig and poultry feed producer in the UK.
The result of not treating your herd for intestinal worm infestations is a potentially impaired performance, says Watson. "Growth rates and feed conversion can be majorly affected, potentially dropping by 10-13 percent in individual pigs."
Watson suggests that for every 0.1 change in feed conversion ratio between 40 to 100 kilogram live weight is equivalent to £1.50 per pig at today's feed prices or £3,450 per annum per 100 sows.
"The cost of including an in-feed wormer from ABN works out at around £1.25 per sow, which pales into insignificance compared to the potential financial loss at stake," says Watson.
He added that a further problem might be seen at the abattoir as a result of the migration of ascaris worm larvae (large,  round worm) causing liver condemnation as result of milk spot.
Watson recommends farmers speak to their vet to discuss a tailor-made anthelmintic program for their herd, "At ABN, we provide a biannual service of reminding customers on the value of in feed wormers by mail and at customer point of order through our Customer Support Center at Peterborough."
In most cases within a breeding herd, treating the sow is usually sufficient to keep on top of any potential worm issue, noted Watson, "since 'cleaning up' the sow will help improve the prospects of the piglet remaining worm free. Also it's a good practice for those producers buying in weaners to treat their pigs on arrival to ensure any worm burden does not drag down performance."