By Laurence Nantel

Editor’s note: Laurence Nantel is Swine Nutrition Advisor, Trouw Nutrition. She can be contacted at ‘laurence.nantel@trouwnutrition.com.’

The Canadian pork industry cares about the environmental impact that comes with feeding its many global consumers. As consumers continue to demand healthier and more responsible agricultural practices, environmental concerns will inevitably define the future of food production.

This societal pressure has forced us to define a more durable agricultural strategy oriented toward carbon reduction. To achieve this objective, we first need to analyze the carbon life cycle of agricultural businesses. In doing so, it is possible to establish a benchmark to evaluate carbon intensity. Although it may seem difficult to quantify emissions, tools are available on the market to make it accurate and easy.

Measuring carbon footprint

Trouw Nutrition has long used Watson® software to help producers make day-to-day decisions about ration formulations, transport management, the use of feed additives or antibiotics, and more recently, sustainable development. This new sustainability component allows for the calculation of the ‘carbon budget’ of a farm and express it as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent: a unit of comparison between emission sources, including methane and nitrous oxide.

With this technology, it is now possible to predict the quantity of environmental pollutants associated with the pork value chain, from crop production and feed milling, to feed intake and manure management, to transportation. Watson generates various reports showing the carbon dioxide equivalent of a farm, with a breakdown representing different parts of an operation. This allows producers to identify areas of focus to potentially reduce carbon intensity. Producers also have access to several scenarios in which they can identify the impacts of genetics, health status, management practices and energy inputs.

To assess carbon intensity, we must examine the business in detail, taking into account management practices, the feeding program and animal performance. For example, since feed contributes most to the carbon intensity of a farm, it is important to calculate the transport distance for each feed ingredient, from the field to the feed mill, and from the feed mill to the farm. A farm that produces its own crops for feed reduces its emissions associated with feed transportation. Manure management has the second-largest influence on emissions. Enteric fermentation – the process through which livestock digest feed – results in the formation of methane, released with manure.

Though agriculture in general has a smaller impact on emissions compared to some industries, carbon reduction still matters. When the goal is to reduce emissions, several interesting strategies can be implemented. For example, manure pits can be covered or more responsible energy use can be targeted.

With a Watson analysis, it is also possible to identify how improvements to swine performance can support the environment. In other words, improved feed efficiency can not only potentially increase margins but also decrease a farm’s ecological impact. More specifically, a five per cent improvement in feed conversion reduces the carbon intensity of a farm by three per cent (Figure 1).

By using carbon intensity as a practical measure to improve the overall performance of a farm, it is possible to achieve both economic and ecological sustainability. Watson’s assessment tool also enables the ranking of pork producers against other types of livestock producers from around the world.

Altogether, a product with a smaller carbon footprint is more appealing for the consumer and the market. As such, the future of pork production involves measuring ecological impacts to improve performance and public trust.

By Swine Innovation Porc

Editor’s note: This article is a project summary prepared for Swine Innovation Porc, as part of a series of articles covering SIP’s work. For more information, contact ‘info@swineinnovationporc.ca.’

As group sow housing becomes more prevalent in Canadian pig production, understandings its unique dynamics is important. In such systems, proper management is key to minimizing stress for sows, thereby boosting sow reproductive performance and piglet development. Given the stakes for producers, scientists are working hard to find the best approach. 

As part of Swine Innovation Porc’s (SIP) Cluster 3 research activities, Jennifer Brown at the University of Saskatchewan explored the pros and cons of different group management systems, focused on dynamic versus static grouping and compared early and late mixing of sows. The University of Saskatchewan’s Yolande Seddon, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Nicolas Devillers and the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement’s (CCSI) Brian Sullivan also contributed to this work. 

With the dynamic mixing approach, multiple breeding groups are housed together in each pen. As small groups of sows are moved out to be farrowed, new groups of recently mated sows join the pen. In static groups, each pen houses only one breeding group of sows. The animals are only mixed at the start of gestation, and no sows can be brought in for replacement if a sow is removed. The choice to implement dynamic or static housing can have big impacts for barn design. 

Mixing and mingling 

To assess options for group management of sows, the researchers used a variety of mixing times and grouping strategies in the barn. They also followed two of the groups to farrowing and examined the piglets to gauge the impact of pre-natal stress. To assess the piglets, the researchers looked at vitality scores, stress levels, behaviour at tail docking, growth rate and length of time for piglets to approach the udder.

Dynamic mixing is a popular choice for producers, allowing use of new technology and providing individual feeding for sows. But researchers are concerned that there is potential for more conflict, aggression and stress as groups of sows move in and out of the pen. When it comes to sows, there is ‘mixing aggression’ and ‘ongoing aggression.’ Researchers were concerned that ongoing aggression in dynamic groups would be a problem. What they found was that mixing aggression, which happens only once at the beginning of gestation, was reduced in dynamic groups because there were fewer new group members. At the same time, they found that ongoing aggression resulted in more lesions in dynamic groups throughout gestation, but it was not enough to impact their production. This suggests that mixing aggression is more important than ongoing aggression in terms of the impact on reproduction. 

Late mixing, after 28 days of gestation, is also largely favoured over early mixing, but this may not be sustainable in the long term for the industry, given incoming regulatory changes to sow spacing during gestation in Canada and the U.S. As a result, researchers are examining early mixing more closely as a viable option. 

Interestingly, this study found less aggression in dynamic systems over static ones, in which both were mixed early. In dynamic systems, aggression levels were low when each small group was added, compared to one large mixing event for the static housed sows, which occurred in early pregnancy. The production results were also surprising: dynamic sows had higher farrowing rates than static sows, and even over a control group of late mixed sows. 

The research suggests there is not a clear winner between static and dynamic mixing; both systems are popular and will continue to be so. They require very different approaches, so producers must be more aware of those differences to fine-tune management strategies.  

Climbing the social ladder 

Another important factor influencing a sow’s reproductive performance during this study was social status within the pen. Researchers determined each sow’s rank within the group as dominant, intermediate or subordinate based on a feed competition test. A sow’s rank played a large role in setting their stress level, which, in turn, affected piglet behavior and physiology. The exact connection is not yet clear, but scientists hope to learn more as they review the data. 

As part of the project, the researchers also examined sow mortality. Using a survey and follow-up visits that covered 104 herds, they found higher mortality in herds with 3,000 or more sows, compared to smaller herds, and higher mortality in group gestation versus stalls. Scientists were especially concerned that the majority of deaths in group gestation involved younger sows. Apart from the animal welfare implications, early culling represents financial loss. Most producers can attest that sows with fewer than three parities don’t even cover their replacement cost. 

These mortality findings are critical for the industry going forward. The increase in lameness should spawn a greater focus on all aspects of gilt development, and genetics companies could prioritize conformation (functional legs and feet) and a calmer temperament that is less prone to aggression. Greater robustness traits would be beneficial as well, making sows more durable in group systems as they navigate concrete floors and interact with their pen mates. 

Addressing the mortality issue will take a combined effort from researchers and producers. Appropriate next steps for producers would include increased worker training and ensuring consistency in the use of mortality-related terminology – what constitutes ‘culled,’ ‘euthanized’ and ‘died on farm.’

As group sow housing continues to be more widely implemented across the industry, the more producers can learn about managing group gestation and limiting sow mortality, the better equipped they’ll be to face the future. 

By Ashlyn Scott & Meagan King

Editor’s note: Ashlyn Scott is a graduate student with the Department of Animal Science at the University of Manitoba. She can be contacted at ‘scotta12@myumanitoba.ca.’ Meagan King is an assistant professor with Department of Animal Science at the University of Manitoba. She can be contacted at ‘meagan.king@umanitoba.ca.’

Weaning is a stressful time for piglets. When weaned, they can be stressed because of sow separation, transportation and re-mixing. Our recently completed research project looked at ways to mitigate piglets’ stress around weaning to improve their behaviour, welfare and performance.

When looking for ways to mitigate piglet stress around weaning, finding solutions beneficial to piglets and feasible for large-scale producers can be challenging. This project took place in the summer of 2022 at a 6,000-sow operation.

The research team supervised by Meagan King compared the outcomes of two enrichment types and their combined effect: object enrichment and social enrichment. Object enrichment included hanging burlap in farrowing and nursery pens using C-clamps to secure the sheet over the plastic pen panels, while social enrichment included allowing groups of two or four neighbouring litters to mix before weaning by removing the plastic pen dividers when piglets were approximately three-days-old.

The team recorded piglet behaviour, piglet body weights, and sow and piglet lesion scores. The results indicate that each type of enrichment was able to be implemented in a commercial setting and benefitted the piglets.

Evaluating enrichment options

By mixing piglets with other litters before weaning, the animals get the chance to interact with other piglets in a familiar environment, with their sow present, while developing social skills that they can use once weaned and mixed with unfamiliar pigs again in a new environment. Using this method, piglets are also provided with more space per pig when the dividers are removed, and more safe space is available away from the sow. In our trial, this significantly reduced the number of laid-on deaths – percentage of piglet deaths that were a result of being crushed by the sow (Figure 1).

Mixing piglets in groups of four litters before weaning decreased the amount of biting by weaned piglets, and as a result, improved their lesion scores one-week post-weaning. Before weaning, sow udder and teat condition also deteriorated less when piglets were mixed with four neighbouring litters. Mixing did not affect piglet weaning weights or total mortality.

By providing burlap in the pens, piglets are encouraged to engage in natural behaviours, such as chewing, rooting and exploring, and there is an element of familiarity between their environments before and after weaning. Having access to burlap reduced biting behaviours between piglets before and after weaning, because they had a more positive outlet for their chewing behaviours and performed less fighting and biting. As a result, fewer lesions were observed after weaning. 

Access to burlap also reduced the amount of manipulation of pen objects, potentially improving the longevity of the pens, flooring and feeders. Results indicate providing burlap did not affect piglet weights or mortality one week after weaning. Average daily gain was not measured; however, other studies have found that access to burlap improves weaners’ feed intake. Feed intake is improved because the piglets’ jaw and facial muscles are more developed after chewing on burlap. This practice also improves their transition to solid feed following weaning.

Both types of enrichment benefitted the piglets; however, their effects were not additive, meaning that either object or social enrichment can be implemented by producers, depending on preference and suitability to their operations. When deciding which enrichment type might have a greater impact on-farm, some key factors to consider are cost, biosecurity and welfare (Figure 2).

Overall, both types of enrichment allow piglets to socialize with others at a younger age and redirect their attention and aggression away from each other, which does not negatively impact performance and can improve behaviour around weaning.

Getting a better feel for burlap

Currently, our team has a follow-up project to evaluate if the timing of burlap presentation is important. For this project, there are four treatments: piglets have access to burlap only in the nursery; piglets have access to burlap only in the farrowing room and nursery; sow and piglets have access to burlap in the farrowing room, and piglets have access to burlap in the nursery; sows and piglets have no access to burlap.

The results of this project should indicate whether piglets need previous exposure to burlap in the farrowing room in order to benefit from it at weaning, and whether they learn from their sow to engage with burlap.

By Bruce Cochrane

Editor’s note: Bruce Cochrane is Reporter and Editor, Farmscape. He can be contacted at ‘farmscape@wonderworks.ca.’

The 46th annual Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium took place at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre on Nov. 7 & 8, welcoming more than 250 guests to learn about the latest developments in the sector.

“The purpose of symposium is to bring producers together to allow them to network and be exposed to new ideas and different production methods that they can take back to their farms,” said Mark Ferguson, General Manager, Sask Pork. “The goal is to not only strengthen their own operations but to help develop the industry, making it as economically stable and profitable as possible.”

The mood on the first day was upbeat and had been set just a week-and-a-half earlier with the official opening of the North 49 Foods sow processing plant in Moose Jaw – an exciting development for which Donald’s Fine Foods has received praise from producers, industry partners and government officials.

New cull sow plant strengthens Canadian industry

This year, in recognition of his significant and lasting impact on Saskatchewan’s pork industry, Donald Leung was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Leung immigrated with his family to Canada in 1975 and held several jobs before finding himself in meat processing. He worked his way up in the business, and in 1993, with the help of three employees, he founded Donald’s Meat Distribution, renamed Donald’s Fine Foods in 2005.

The company, based in B.C., operates pork processing, distribution and further processing facilities, including its Britco plant in Langley. In 2010, Donald’s acquired Moose Jaw Pork Packers, which was renovated and renamed Thunder Creek Pork. The renovated facility has been operating for more than a decade and is now Saskatchewan’s largest federally inspected hog slaughter facility. In 2019, Donald’s purchased the former XL Foods beef processing plant in Moose Jaw with the intention of converting it into a cull sow processing facility. That renovated facility was officially opened in October, under the name North 49 Foods.

There are an estimated 240,000 cull sows available in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the majority of which are shipped to the U.S. for processing. The expectation is that many of those cull sows could end up being diverted to North 49.

Conveniently, during his presentation, Brett Stuart, a market analyst with Global AgriTrends, predicted increased sow liquidations over the winter as the pork sector works to restore profitability.

“We’re still living in the post-COVID hangover of free and easy money, when global stimulus packages topped 18 trillion dollars,” he said. “And now governments are in a pinch to rein in inflation – a fact that hog farmers see every time they buy fuel, fertilizer or feed.”

In addition to reducing shipping costs, processing sows in Canada avoids potential hang-ups caused by moving so many animals across the Canada-U.S. border. This issue was placed front-and-centre just last summer, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) detected Seneca Valley Virus (SVV) in Canadian sows heading south. Since then, the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network (CWSHIN) has been steadfast in monitoring for SVV at Canadian assembly yards.

Industry experts champion biosecurity, handling

Preventing disease starts with proper biosecurity. Julia Keenliside, Veterinary Consultant, CWSHIN discussed CWSHIN’s biosecurity load-out project and provided practical tips for producers to make improvements.

“One of the biggest components when designing a load-out is it has to be easy to load pigs through,” she said. “It has to be easy for staff to work in and pigs have to move through it quite well.”

CWSHIN recently worked with Alberta Pork, Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork to develop a load-out fact sheet, which is available to producers through their respective provincial pork producer organizations.

In addition to ramping up biosecurity, effective animal handling can reduce stress of pigs and people alike, with performance benefits to follow. Jennifer Woods with J Woods Livestock Services explained why pigs do what they do, not what we want them to do.

“Usually, the animals are doing exactly what we are telling them to do according to where we are standing and our body language,” she said. “Once you understand their behaviors and their motivations, handling them will become much easier.”

Kendall Weger, Technical Services Specialist, PIC offered advice on piglet care and how to get the biggest bang for your buck.

“What happens on day one sets the stage for the piglets that we’re going to be weaning, and it affects the sow’s performance in subsequent liters,” she said. “It’s important to make sure the piglets are warm and dry, that they get their colostrum, and that the sows are also well cared for.”

Beyond production insights, the symposium also delivered a healthy dose of motivation, courtesy of its keynote speaker.

Long-rider’s journey inspires resilience

Best-selling author and filmmaker, Filipe Masetti Leite, brought a unique perspective to the symposium by delivering a keynote address covering his experiences as the youngest person ever to traverse the Americas by horseback – a journey that took eight years, over three separate stints, during which he visited 12 countries. Masetti’s adventure provided a compelling source of inspiration for producers who may see themselves as fighting an uphill battle, at times.

He suggested that strategic planning is the biggest step to prepare for success, getting your mind and body ready for any endeavour you choose in life. Before he embarked on his journey, Masetti spoke to other long-riders to learn of their experiences and to get advice.

“We tend to complicate things, but you don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “You have to learn who the successful people are in your field and what they did to get there, then find mentors to help you follow in their steps.”

Masetti told of the challenges he faced and of the support and generosity he received from those he encountered.

“Don’t listen to the nay-sayers,” he advised. “Understand your own mind and believe in yourself. Believe in your goals and your dreams, because if you don’t believe, no-one else will.”

Meeting Masetti was one of the highlights of the symposium for 10-year-old Reise Podhordeski, Sask Pork’s Whole Hog Youth Ambassador, who spoke with Lucas Cochrane, a youth reporter for Farmscape.

“People don’t know a lot about how we get our food,” said Podhordeski. “As the ambassador, I help represent Sask Pork and all the hog producers in the province. I’ve been able to go on tours, interview people in the industry and learn all about pigs. Then I get to share that information with other kids in their classrooms and on field trips.”

Clinton Monchuk, Executive Director, Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan echoed Podhordeski’s comments about connecting people back to what they eat.

“When there’s engagement between farmers and consumers, there’s a higher level of trust,” he said. “Confidence among consumers means that, when questions come up in the future, the consumer has a degree of familiarity that generates enhanced understanding about how food is being grown and raised.”

Following the success of this year’s Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium, organizers are already eagerly looking forward to the 2024 event.

By Andrew Heck

The 52nd annual Banff Pork Seminar took place at the Banff Springs Hotel from Jan. 9 to 11, featuring a wide range of plenary session speakers, breakout session presenters, award winners, research presentations, networking and much more.

“The advisory committee has worked hard to bring in speakers to cover things like the economic picture, sustainability, new technology and more,” said Steve Davies, Senior Manager, Hog Production, Maple Leaf Agri-Farms & Chair, Banff Pork Seminar Committee. “We have speakers from all over the world to cover day-to-day farm operations, to help those who want to improve.”

More than 700 guests were flooded with informative and entertaining talks on topics that spanned the pork value chain, allowing them to consider their own operations and where improvements can be found.

Markets are bleak, but future looks better

Joe Kerns, CEO, Partners of Production Agriculture opened the seminar with an exploration of commodity market outlooks for the coming year. Based on margins for U.S. farrow-to-finish operations, late 2023 and early 2024 could be considered the least-profitable for producers in the industry’s history.

While COVID-19 ultimately caused a spike in U.S. domestic pork demand, due to restaurant closures and improved grocery sales, that impact has fallen off, levelling out demand last year and likely going forward. This, along with the high cost of production but increased productivity, has hurt profitability. With inflation not easing back to pre-COVID levels very quickly, this has had a significant impact across the board. Lack of available labour remains a challenge, but the cost of labour in all industries might be an even larger problem.

However, in the coming year, Kerns believes a lot of opportunity exists, and he cautions producers against forward contracting too early.

“I could see the second half of 2024 having sharply higher prices. I’m incredibly optimistic,” said Kerns.

In virtually every pork-exporting country in the European Union (E.U.), year-over-year production continues its downward trend, making room for other market players, including Canada and the U.S. On the farm side, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) cases in the U.S. in 2023 were at their lowest numbers in more than a decade, along with the average pigs saved per litter.

These positives, however, are tempered by a less lucrative Chinese market, where pork prices have fallen rapidly in the past year on account of a large domestic supply. Whereas foreign interest in China peaked during the initial stages of the country’s African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak, through 2018 and 2019, the Chinese government appears to be working to strengthen economic ties with South American partners.

In Brazil and Argentina, corn and soybean production are expected to be at a record high in the coming year, due to El Niño’s positive impact on growing conditions and better global market potential. Brazil has effectively doubled corn production over the past 12 years, and its soybean production continues to climb. An increasing proportion of food- and feed-grade Brazilian corn and soy is being bought by China.

“Last year will go down as a watershed moment where we [U.S.] forfeited our soybean export dominance to Brazil,” said Kerns. “They are the force to be reckoned with.”

Meanwhile, in the U.S., corn and soybeans for sustainable fuels are being pursued aggressively, cutting into supply that might otherwise enter the livestock feed market, pushing prices upward. The U.S. government is incentivizing these crops by providing a credit for farmers to sell to sustainable fuel processors.

“I think there are some unintended consequences that will be coming into play,” said Kerns.

Conestoga does things differently

Arnold Drung, President, Conestoga Meats presented his perspective on the industry as an integrated production-processing business.

As a processor, Conestoga traces its roots to the opening of its hog slaughter facility in Breslau, Ontario in 1982, along with the founding of Progressive Pork Producers in 1994: a collective formed between 120 farms in Ontario, during a time when U.S. tariffs on Canadian pork were a considerable threat to financial viability. In 2001, Progressive Pork Producers purchased Conestoga, and the two entities effectively became one.

Prior to joining Conestoga, Drung’s experiences working with Maple Leaf Foods in the 1990s share some parallels with the situation in the industry today, where the list of problems perpetually seems longer than the list of solutions.

“We ran into a train wreck in the hog industry [in 1998],” said Drung. “It was a very difficult time, with hog prices hitting record lows. That led to interesting changes, like increased consolidation.”

Worker strikes at Maple Leaf’s slaughter facility in Burlington, Ontario, along with the opening of the slaughter facility in Brandon, Manitoba, were challenges navigated by Drung that have contributed to his resiliency and poise in the face of struggle.

“It’s a great business, but it’s not for the faint of heart,” said Drung. “A key differentiator for our business has been our unique pricing model. What drives the pricing in our system is what consumers are willing to pay for pork.”

Massive currency swings, disease outbreaks and geopolitical impacts were cited by Drung as major factors that have affected Conestoga over the past 25 years.

“If you can’t compete at par, you can’t compete at all,” said Drung.

Conestoga approaches its pricing in a way that keeps the company competitive. Like all major Canadian processors, export development remains a focus for the company, though inroads have been made more recently with domestic retailers.

“Different people want different things,” said Drung. “That’s good because certain jurisdictions like different parts of the animal. That’s why we still consider the Chinese market important.”

In places like China, and in other parts of the pork-loving world, Drung suggests that economic prosperity provides hope for the future of exports.

“When people’s incomes grow, one of the things they do is spend more money on better food, including protein, like meat,” said Drung. “If you look at global incomes, they’re rising.”

Touching on the environmental sustainability of the industry, Drung sees potential for greater public awareness of the gains made so far.

“We have to keep reminding people how much we’ve already done in the past 50 years,” said Drung. “We’ve produced a lot more with a lot less, and we’re continuing to do that. People tend to forget.”

Carbon markets make sense but need work

While the agriculture industry has been reluctant to fully buy in to the principle of carbon reduction, Marty Seymour, CEO, Carbon RX suggested the sentiment is misdirected.

“Carbon, to me, is a little bit of a lightning rod,” said Seymour. “It’s an anti-Trudeau play. We didn’t like the messenger, so we didn’t listen to the message.”

Seymour’s experience working in the livestock feed industry in the 2000s saw the rise of concerns over antimicrobial use (AMU). At the time, reducing AMU seemed lofty and impractical, but with enough time and pressure, the industry is adapting.

“We could not imagine raising pigs without antibiotics in feed. Fast-forward 20 years, and we’re doing it,” said Seymour.

While the topic of carbon reduction is certainly not new, in terms of widespread adoption and implementation, Seymour thinks the best time to take the plunge is now. For agriculture businesses, it requires only an open mind and an understanding that society is unlikely to back off the idea.

“If you’re not yet at the table in this conversation, you’re not late,” said Seymour. “There’s still time on carbon, but it’s happening fast.”

Assessing greenhouse gas intensity, methane is considered 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, while nitrous oxide is more than 250 times more potent. For pork, that represents opportunity when it comes to manure management. Manure injection sequesters methane and reduces reliance on fertilizers containing nitrous oxide. While carbon dioxide is often the focus in carbon markets, methane and nitrous oxide are avenues that are underexplored.

Carbon markets have two types: compliance markets, like taxation, and voluntary markets, which global businesses are approaching as part of their sustainability strategies.

“This is like the Kijiji of carbon,” said Seymour.

But there’s a problem: while compliance markets are essentially unavoidable – a form of negative reinforcement to discourage emissions – they’re not integrated with voluntary markets. In many ways, this serves to lessen the attractiveness of voluntary markets. While many companies are looking to cash in on climate incentives, Seymour warns against this narrow thinking. The co-benefits of carbon reduction and meeting sustainability goals hold value in today’s commercial landscape.

“Agriculture needs to learn what ESG means [environmental, social and corporate governance],” said Seymour. “What’s changing are the financial terms related to ESG. The financial nature of carbon markets makes them a sticky business.”

When it comes to net-zero commitments, as they relate to improving public trust for the pork sector, Seymour expressed skepticism.

“I don’t think this will actually drive consumer behaviour. It’s more complicated than that,” said Seymour. “But the risk of not being in this space still isn’t worth it. If you don’t know what’s for dinner, you’re what’s for dinner.”

Heat stress concerns on the rise

Bruno Silva, Professor, Swine Nutrition and Production and Environmental Adaptation, Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil), thinks that global warming naysayers in the pork industry need to think harder about how to brace for a hotter planet.

“In the coming 50 to 60 years, there will be a huge impact in the northern hemisphere. Winters will get shorter, and summers will get longer,” said Silva. “It’s clear that these changes will impact our society, including economically.”

Currently, summers in Europe and Asia average about 25 degrees-Celsius for more than half of the time. This is the threshold for heat stress on sows and finishing pigs. In the U.S. livestock industry, losses to heat stress total between $1.9 billion and $2.7 billion annually.

“When we look at heat stress, it’s a cascade of effects,” said Silva.

Silva reminded producers that pigs cannot sufficiently regulate their own body heat. When pigs are too hot for too long, they experience hormonal changes. As pigs begin rapidly panting to cool themselves off, intestinal hypoxia can occur, leading to reduced amino acid digestion and inefficient growth.

Heat stress also increases sow infertility and abortions, along with worsening maternal microbial transmission to fetuses, which compromises born piglets’ immune responses. Under heat stress, microbiota modulation is key to managing sows’ glycemic response. Sows fed high-starch diets experience the effects of hypoglycemia – or low blood sugar – more intensely than those fed lower-starch diets when it’s hot.

“This is the McDonald’s effect. You order the Big Mac, the milkshake, the fries — it’s all starch, and then you’re hungry again four hours later,” said Silva.

Regardless of season, Silva suggested 80 per cent of total feed intake of lactating sows happens between midnight and 7 a.m.; however, many farms do not program their feeders for the sows’ benefit, according to this range of time, but for their own ease of management, which is less effective.

Choosing palatable feed flavours can also increase feed intake, which prevents body weight loss and stimulates milk production, partly countering the effects of heat stress. Likewise, feed formulation can play a role. Feeding less crude protein and more supplemented amino acids keeps sows cooler as they digest feed.

Prop 12 dos and don’ts 

PJ Corns, Director, Sow Production, JBS Live Pork provided lessons learned in the wake of California Proposition 12: the new sow-spacing regulations that have caused some discomfort in the U.S. pork industry, as producers are left to trial-and-error experimentation, in many cases, to figure out what works and what doesn’t.

“One thing we learned in Prop 12, if you put a thin animal in the barn, she’s going to have a tough time,” said Corns.

Unfortunately for JBS, as Prop 12 compliance reared its head, the company and other producers facing the same struggles have not been assisted very proactively by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, including vague direction on exactly how pens would be measured.

When auditors visited JBS’ barns, the new set-up was already mired with difficulty, as auditors took measurements smaller than what JBS had planned for. The result was a half-square-inch less per sow, which caused headaches and necessitated further barn renovations. This prompted JBS and some of its major competitors to form a working group, to share information and resolve any common problems experienced by all.

“We had to act fast,” said Corns. “Every farm and every system we’ve done for Prop 12, we’ve gotten better.”

Corns suggested proper gilt selection, an expectation of increased labour and a change of mindset are the path to success. Sorting sows according to body condition, and then assigning pens on those factors, has helped manage the process. Not only space, but length of time in the pen, is covered under Prop 12. JBS diligently records the time sows are in pens, as an easy way to communicate compliance to auditors.

“I thought about all kinds of digital options, but nothing beats good, old pen and paper,” said Corns.

Corns also reflected on the impact of social hierarchy within the sow groups, which is even more critical to understand with loose housing. Identifying the ‘bullies’ and the ‘bullied,’ and separating them, works better for all.

On the whole, compared to pre-Prop 12 practices, Corns indicated JBS has experienced an increase in sow death losses due to injury but decreases across most other categories, especially prolapses and sudden deaths.

When to wean when zinc oxide is out

Mike Tokach, Professor, Kansas State University looked at nutrition and management of weaned pigs fed low-zinc diets. Zinc oxide supplements are commonly used to prevent diarrhea, but their usage globally is under growing scrutiny for their negative impacts on antimicrobial resistance and the environment.

“We know it’s being restricted in places like the E.U., and we want to prepare for a time when that could happen here [in North America],” said Tokach.

Producers around the world are now being tasked with using zinc oxide at lower levels – or not at all – while being mindful of how to overcome the loss of its benefits, using strategies related to genetics, management and diets.

Tokach suggested that lower-zinc-oxide diets need palatable ingredients that stimulate feed intake, have reduced but highly digestible crude protein and coarser-ground grains. Acid-binding capacity also matters. In the gut, products containing lactose increase calcium, which has a high acid-binding capacity. Lower-calcium diets for first two diets after weaning are recommended to help balance it out.

“In places like Denmark and the Netherlands, where zinc oxide is removed, producers are weaning at 28 days,” said Tokach.

From one genetic background to another, recommended weaning age can differ; however, early-weaned pigs have more permeability in the gut, which reduces immune response to E. coli. In general, non-Duroc genetics and later weaning ages provide the best scenario for preventing E. coli, as Duroc sires tend to have less resistance to the bacteria.

Water hardness also impacts E. coli prevalence. Water found in most parts of the Canadian prairies and U.S. Midwest is considered ‘extremely hard.’ These are areas of significant pig production where zinc oxide supplements might otherwise come in handy.

Tokach also pointed out that Rotavirus precedes E. coli in many cases, as an early warning sign. Decreasing the environmental load in the barn is important for controlling the build-up of pathogens, including Rotavirus. Effective sanitation is one solution, including a process of degreasing, pressure-washing, disinfecting and drying thoroughly at a warm temperature.

Luc Dufresne, Veterinarian, Demeter Veterinary Services took a deeper dive into weaning age, evaluating older weaning strategies to support piglet and sow performance. Deciding on the ideal weaning age, for any operation, largely depends on a cost-benefit analysis. Using an accurate production model, with good data, is essential.

“If you put garbage information in, you’re going to have garbage information coming out,” said Dufresne.

Dufresne reflected back on the popularity of segregated early weaning, which resulted unintended consequences for weaners’ gastrointestinal (GI) tracts. The GI tract is the single largest immune organ in the body. As in humans, the presence of healthy gut bacteria supports pig immunity, but earlier weaning creates stress, which disrupts the normal development of the GI tract and increases disease susceptibility, as a result.

 “We used to think of the GI tract like a big stew, on an element, and whatever you put into it just mixes,” said Dufresne. “We now know that’s not how it works.”

In attempting to wean later, farrowing crate efficiency is also important. While costs will increase across many variables with later weaning, this increase is offset by reduced mortality. In Demeter’s trials, a 21-day weaning age seemed to be the sweet spot, though a multitude of production factors can come into play for individual operations.

MealMeter 2.0 wins Aherne Prize

The F.X. Aherne Prize for Innovative Pork Production recognizes individuals who have developed either original solutions to pork production challenges or creative uses of known technology. The prize is named for the late Frank Aherne, a professor at the University of Alberta, who was a major force for science-based progress in the Canadian pork industry.

This year’s Aherne Prize was awarded to Iowa-based equipment manufacturer PigEasy, for its MealMeter 2.0 technology.

MealMeter 2.0 is a smart feeder designed to monitor and improve the health and productivity of sow herds. PigEasy’s system uses sensors to track feed and water intake and alerts workers in real-time via a virtual dashboard if there are dips or irregularities. This allows workers to quickly identify and treat individual sow issues. MealMeter 2.0’s dashboard tools can also help barn managers make informed decisions about ration changes, treatments and culling.

“For technology to truly improve productivity and efficiency on the farm, it must be easy to implement and user-friendly,” said Katie Holtz, Vice President, PigEasy. “MealMeter 2.0’s tracking and alerting technology achieves this by integrating into an already high-performing feeder. The PigEasy team is honoured and grateful for this recognition.”

Sows use intuitive feeding behaviors to dispense feed and water from MealMeter 2.0. With its innovative design, MealMeter 2.0 simulates the natural rooting and drinking behaviors of sows, encouraging them to consume the feed and water they dispense. There are no complicated feed curves to set, adjustments required or motors to maintain.

MealMeter 2.0 is available in Canada through Manitoba-based Buckingham Ag.

“The common-sense approach to this feeder enables the producer to have minimal electrical requirements, which dramatically reduces the cost to install,” said Rick Bergmann, President, Buckingham Ag. “The fact it doesn’t have a motor eliminates costly maintenance issues. It’s a very well thought out product that brings savings back to the farm.”

Banff’s legacy lives on

From far and wide, to the heights of the Rockies, the Banff Pork Seminar continues to represent Canada’s longest-running and one of the best pork conferences in the world, when it comes to blending informative content with networking opportunities and a stunning location.

Guests from Canada and across the globe are excited to spread the knowledge – and get the word out – about this must-attend annual event.