Adopting Best Practice

Since the last in person Pig Conference in 2019, performance and output on Irish farms has continued to advance. Emer McCrum & Ciarán Carroll highlight a number of relatively low cost but high impact best practices that can be implemented on farm to maintain and support improved performance.

In the last three years, national average figures indicate that born alive has increased by 1 pig per litter, pigs produced is up 1.2 per sow per year while FCR weaning to sale tightened by 0.04 in the same period. This is considerable progress achieved in a relatively short space of time and is testament to the hard work and dedication of pig farmers and staff across the country. Now ask yourself - what did you do differently? What changes have you implemented on farm in the last three years to support this progress? In order to maintain progression into the future, what changes will you make to support the modern pig, capable of superior prolificacy and growth rates? You need to ensure you are in a position to optimise and effectively manage performance improvement in order to keep pace with progress. This can be difficult however especially given the challenging financial situation in the last 14 months.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight a number of relatively low cost but high impact best practices that can be implemented on farm to maintain and support improved performance. The strategies discussed are centred on areas where relatively simple changes will yield quantifiable results to support progression into the future.

Pain Relief for Postpartum Sows

As discussed above, increasing litter sizes in the past decade has improved sow output but this has presented challenges for pig producers. One such challenge is in the area of colostrum intake, which as we know is essential for the lifetime performance of the piglet. Colostrum yield per sow has not increased in line with litter sizes, yet it remains critical that each piglet consumes sufficient colostrum (200g+) from the limited pool available. Adequate colostrum intake should help increase pre-weaning growth, weaning weight and subsequent lifetime performance.

The PigNutriStrat project at Moorepark recently looked at strategies to ensure all pigs in the litter received sufficient colostrum intake. One such strategy involved administering Meloxicam (Loxicom® Injection, Norbrook, Ireland) to sows as soon as possible after the placenta was delivered. The idea was that administration of pain relief would facilitate greater suckling by the piglets. The results show that administering pain relief to the sows increased piglet colostrum intake by ~18g (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Effect of analgesia (pain relief) on average colostrum intake

While this increase in colostrum intake at first glance does not look to be a major effect, it was sufficient to lead to an increase in average piglet weaning weight of 350g at ~26 days (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Effect of analgesia (pain relief) in sows on average piglet weaning weight

This study also recorded the number of clinically sick piglets identified per litter during the trial. Researchers found that on sows administered with pain relief, the number of clinical cases reduced by ~65%, which significantly reduced the need to treat suckling piglets with both anti-inflammatories (by ~55%) and antibiotics (by ~50%). Make sure to consult with your vet.

Figure 3. Effect of pain relief in sows on the volume of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories administered per piglet

We can conclude that administering pain relief to sows as soon as possible after delivery of the placenta will increase colostrum intake and weaning weight in piglets. It will also reduce the number of clinical cases of disease identified per litter thereby reducing the need to use injectable antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. At a time when farms are dealing with higher numbers born alive, the administration of pain relief to sows and gilts can help to ensure optimal management and performance of larger litters. 

Gilts

Gilt development and management is critical in the reproductive performance of the sow herd as future reproductive success is directly linked to a strong gilt breeding policy. The average replacement rate nationally has increased by almost 3% since 2019 equating to an additional 4,000 gilts required per year. While this may equate to just 18 additional animals per year on an average 600 sow unit, there are hidden costs associated with a high replacement rate. Aside from the direct rearing costs, disproportionately young herds are exposed to lower gilt litter sizes with poorer performing pigs and mortality twice that of other parities from birth to sale, which subsequently reduces the number of pigs produced/sow/year. A low average herd age also increases the risk of herd health destabilisation as a result of the lower immunity in gilt offspring. Gilts do not breakeven in the herd until the 3rd parity and yet currently in Ireland 13% of gilts are culled before the 1st litter and 32% are culled by the 3rd litter. 32% of sows therefore do not cover rearing costs. It is therefore extremely important to keep an eye on your annual replacement rate and if it is higher than recommended, investigate the factors that may be contributing to this.

Strategies to improve sow longevity must be targeted at replacement animals. Gilts must be managed, housed, and fed appropriately during the developmental phase to improve retention and reduce involuntary removals.

Rearing conditions

Research conducted on Irish farms found that lameness is a substantial contributor to the premature culling of sows and young sows in particular are more susceptible. Lameness may also be an underlying factor in other involuntary removals as sows culled for poor body condition or reproductive failure can often be lame. The GILTLIFE project at Moorepark found that rearing gilts in single sex pens from weaning to service benefitted the welfare and subsequent performance of the animals. Gilts reared in single sex pens tended to grow faster than mixed sex pens, possibly due to experiencing less stress as gilts reared with entire male pigs were exposed to higher levels of activity, more aggression and sexual mounting compared to gilts reared in female-only pens. Gilts reared in single sex pens therefore had lower body lesion scores and less hoof damage, probably as a result of less physical interaction taking place. In addition, sows reared in female only pens had fewer piglets born dead, which could have a positive effect on lifetime performance.

It is worth investigating if it is possible to sex pigs or separate replacement females at weaning to improve welfare and subsequent performance. Research has found that the earlier gilts are managed separate to males, the larger the reduction in lameness. With that said if separation at weaning is not possible, investigate whether there is opportunity later in the rearing phase to house gilts in single sex pens. Rearing gilts in female-only pens reduces their exposure to behaviours that can injure hooves and therefore increase the likelihood of culling for lameness in later life.

Nutrition

When examining strategies to improve sow longevity, it is impossible to ignore gilt nutrition. A gilt nutritional program should be tailored to meet the nutrient demands for adequate protein growth, target bone and reproductive tract development and avoid over conditioning upon entry to the sow herd. Inappropriate nutrition during the developmental phase can contribute to the problem of lameness in replacement gilts. Diets specifically for the developing gilt are formulated around the nutritional requirement for bone development and fat deposition. This includes a higher energy to lysine ratio plus higher Calcium and Phosphorus levels in addition to the vitamin and mineral premix containing zinc, copper and manganese.

The 'Limb Health in Pigs' project in Moorepark trialled ad libitum feeding of a developer diet from 70kg to ~130kg compared to feeding a finisher ration over the same period. Gilts fed ad libitum developer had reduced lameness and reduced claw damage without any negative impact on the target age at service compared to gilts fed finisher ration. The project found that over 90% of the gilts fed finisher were affected by claw lesions at the time of service. The GILTLIFE project investigated the effects of mineral supplementation (Copper, Zinc and Manganese) during rearing and found mineral supplementation increased bone mineral density.

As finisher diets are formulated for fast growth rates and high lean meat deposition, higher average daily gain in gilts fed this diet is associated with an increased incidence of culling for lameness. In addition, feeding finisher diets can cause gilts to become over conditioned at service which impacts subsequent performance as discussed in more detail below. The benefits associated feeding gilt developer over finisher feed from 60-70kg translates into improved longevity, welfare and productivity of the breeding herd. A recommended gilt feeding programme arising from this research is as follows:

• From 60kg commencing feeding gilt developer diet
• 5 MJ DE per kg, 0.8% lysine, 1% calcium, 0.8% phosphorus, 300ppm biotin
• Feed Level: 2kg per day at 60kg rising to 3kg per day at 100kg
• Target weight gain of 5kg per week

Age at service

Recent Danish research found that the target age at service for gilts is 34 to 38 weeks of age (238 to 266 days). After this point, the frame of the animal becomes too large and there is an increased incidence of leg problems. Older gilts also risk becoming too fat which is associated with a reduction in farrowing house intakes. In addition, the research found that the high service age resulted in 23% of the sows from the group culled before second litter service. This corresponded to a larger analysis of 33 Danish herds which found sow longevity reduced with increasing age at first service. 34 weeks is the minimum age as if served prior to this, the frame of the animal is too small and the gilt will struggle to achieve sufficient intakes in the farrowing house. This results in excessive condition loss, which can lead to a reduction in the numbers and quality of pigs weaned, a reduction in subsequent born alive and an increase in the weaning to service interval. Working within these targets will optimise the performance of the gilt in her first lactation and beyond.

Condition at farrowing

In order to ensure optimum first litter performance it is recommended to body condition score gilts prior to farrowing. Each week score the condition of the gilts (1 to 5) prior to transfer to the farrowing house and mark the number on the animals back. Once finished add up the numbers and divide by the number of gilts to get your weekly average and record this information. 3 to 3.2 is the target body condition for gilts prior to farrowing and if results outside of this range are detected, gilt management should be revised. As discussed above, gilts that are too fat will struggle to achieve the necessary farrowing house intakes whereas thin gilts will grapple with the demands of rearing her litter. Such stresses on first litter sows can contribute to early removal and an increased replacement rate. A five-minute weekly check-up on body condition however will highlight if problems exist here and the practices outlined above should be reviewed to rectify condition.

Staff

Your staff are your best asset and keeping them happy is key to the future success and profitability of your unit. Job satisfaction as opposed to money can often be the main career motivator for many people. In numerous employee surveys, criteria such as good communication with co-workers, being treated with respect, a feeling of accomplishment in a role and doing interesting work ranked higher than pay in job standards most valued by employees. This is good news for employers as such criteria add little or no cost to a business. Job satisfaction leads to higher production and performance on farms, in addition to reduced staff turnover. 

Staff who feel valued by their employer and who feel they are contributing positively to a unit are more satisfied. One key strategy to improve this is to share information with staff. Such information can include:

• ePM PigSys Herd Performance Reports
• Infographics
• Newsletters
• Skills videos

One of the most important aspects of managing a pig unit is ensuring that staff are aware of what performance is expected and whether the unit is hitting these targets. If you and your staff get a good handle on the week-to-week targets, the rest will fall into place.  A target board is a great way to keep track of weekly targets on farm. Each week the unit manager can update the weekly performance on the board by using a black marker if targets are reached, and a red marker if results are below target. This system gives all staff an immediate picture of how the unit is performing and has the benefit of making the target board more visual. It is a good idea to locate the target board in high traffic areas such as the canteen or office where the results will generate discussion.

Regular ‘roundtable’ sessions can be used to go over different topics with all staff.  It is an opportunity for staff to share ideas in order to improve farm performance. The manager should use this time to go over production records (e.g. Teagasc ePM PigSys Herd Performance Reports) with staff to let them know how the farm is doing, both physically and financially.  It also enables new goals to be set for the farm and this information can subsequently be fed into the target board. Open discussion in roundtable meetings allows for two-way communication between staff and management which is also important for job satisfaction. This is a great opportunity to ask for staff input – what are the problem areas on the farm, what are the causes, what targets would they set, how will they go about achieving them? It is important to act on good suggestions in so far as possible as employees like a manager willing to listen to their ideas.

In the case of new staff members, take time each week to walk together through their section until you have established the employee feels competent in carrying out their duties. While walking, draw attention to the pigs in their care in addition to the buildings and equipment. This is a great opportunity to share your own knowledge and answer any questions, which is a valuable support network for the staff member as they adjust to their new role. Investing this time in your employees demonstrates your interest in and commitment to their long-term success in the role.

References

Arnaud, E. & Lawlor, P. (2022) ‘Administering pain relief to sows after farrowing increased piglet weaning weight and reduced the need for medicinal treatment of suckling piglets’, Teagasc Pig Newsletter, March 2022, p.4

Hartnett, P., Boyle, L. & O’Driscoll, K. (2020) ‘The effect of group composition and mineral supplementation during rearing on the behavior and welfare of replacement gilts’, Translation Animal Science, 4(2), pp. 1038- 1050.

Quinn, A., Green, L., Lawlor, P. & Boyle, L. (2015) ‘The effect of feeding a diet formulated for developing gilts between 70kg and~ 140kg on lameness indicators and carcass traits’,  Livestock Science, 174, pp. 87-95

Bruun, T., Bache, J. & Amdi, C (2021) ‘The effects of long- or short-term increased feed allowance prior to first service on litter size in gilts’, Translation Animal Science, 5 (1)