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Reproduction
Management and future of hyperprolific sows. T. Sonderby Bruun. Seges Innovation, Denmark
They define hyperprolific sows as having more piglets born alive than their lactation capacity. For years, genetic improvement programs have focused on total born alive and alive at day 5, with the trade-off being a greater number of stillbirths and increased pre-weaning mortality, in addition to reduced average birth weight, greater variation in birth weights, and increased risk of piglets suffering hypothermia. This is greater in some dam lines and terminal boars than in others.
Colostrum production in sows increased between 2007 and 2020, decreasing colostrum intake per piglet. Future breeding sows' condition at first service, focusing on age, weight, and body condition, is crucial for their longevity. Every additional 10 kg of weight increases the total born by 0.4 piglets, with excess weight and low backfat at first insemination having a negative relationship with the percentage of sows inseminated in their second estrus. Weights less than 164 kg and less than 13 mm at first service are indicated as negative.
Gestation diets with digestible lysine levels up to 3.3 g/kg do not negatively affect piglet birth weight and they favor fat deposition. Excessive growth of gilts poses increased locomotor risks. Under practical precision feeding conditions, it is desirable to group sows in gestation by body condition and age (parities 1 and 2 and >3). The transition period requires that, between day 108 and farrowing, the sow eat a certain amount of feed (3-4 kg/day) to reduce the duration of farrowing, and requires an adequate intake of fiber and starches to minimize stillbirths. These have a linear relationship with daily protein intake.
In a study following the farrowing process every half hour, they intervened manually when a piglet was not born within the period, which reduced the number of stillborn piglets. The use of nurse sows results in an increased lactation period, and there is debate as to whether this causes stress in sows with controversial studies on cortisol levels. Nurse sows have 0.58 more piglets born at the following farrowing with a lower replacement rate. The selected nurse sows should have good body condition, high appetite, and good maternal behavior.
Lactation feeding is important to prepare sows for the next reproductive cycle and is critical for milk production since it mobilizes fat and protein reserves. The amount of milk is conditioned by the litter size, as well as by the balance of amino acids and protein. Feeding a lactation diet with 8.3 g digestible lysine/kg versus two diets, one with 13% less until day 9 and another with 13% more from day 10 to weaning, did not affect milk production. Observations were similar when the fat content of the diets was increased to 5%. In hot areas, the use of two diets does make more sense.
Under Danish conditions, the average feed consumption in a 27-day lactation is 6.3-6.8 kg/sow/day; between 5-20 kg of weight is mobilized by the sow; 2-3 mm of backfat is lost; milk is produced for an increase of 2.8-3.2 kg/litter/day; and the wean-to-estrus interval is 4-6 days. The negative correlation between selection for leanness and survival, both of piglets and sows, concerns them for the future. As topics for future genetic improvement, they are studying sow mortality on nucleus, multiplier, and production farms and their robustness in terms of longevity and reduction of locomotor problems, together with reducing pre-weaning mortality. The average mortality data in Denmark today is 15%, with large variations between farms and parities, concentrated in the first month of gestation and around farrowing. In other studies from different countries, sow mortality does not fall below 10% per year.
Optimizing production and uptake of colostrum and milk. C. Farmer. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Although sow milk production has been increasing, it has not maintained the daily amount per piglet, as prolificacy has been higher in percentage terms. Milk production is influenced by numerous factors related to both the sow and the piglets, an important one being mammary development.
The number of milk-synthesizing cells present during lactation is the major determining factor for future milk production. The main mammary development occurs in three distinct periods, and only in these periods can milk production be stimulated. At birth, the mammary duct system is very underdeveloped, and mammary tissue accumulation begins around 90 days of life, at which time the accretion of mammary tissue increases 4-6 fold. The second important period in mammary development is during the last third of gestation (>90 days) when high amounts of fat and protein begin to accumulate. Then, development continues during lactation, when the average weight of the mammary glands increases by 57%. The weight of the mammary parenchyma responsible for milk synthesis is greater in second and third parity sows than in gilts and is greater in multiparous sows than in gilts at the end of lactation, in accordance with their higher milk production.
The management of lactating sows at their first farrowing will influence the next farrowing, such that a non-functional teat at the first farrowing will reduce milk production at the second farrowing. Piglets suckling at each teat during the first 48 hours is enough to be functional at the second farrowing. Mammary development during puberty is related to estrogen production, as it is done during gestation due to the estrogens synthesized by the fetal placenta. The level of circulating estrogens at day 110 of gestation is positively related to the DNA content as an indicator of the number of cells in the mammary parenchyma. The other hormone that plays an essential role in this development is prolactin.
Ergotamine from barley reduces prolactin synthesis via dopamine, decreasing mammary development and causing agalactia. Bromocriptine also inhibits prolactin in the last third of gestation. Domperidone, a dopamine antagonist, is used to increase prolactin circulation between days 90-96 of gestation, increasing the volume of mammary alveoli and increasing milk production by 20%. Insulin growth factor (IGF-1) also plays an important role in mammary development in late gestation. Injecting porcine somatotropin daily between days 90 and 110 of gestation increases IGF-1 concentration and mammary development in gilts (+22% mammary parenchyma).
Feeding restrictions in gilts before 90 days of life do not affect mammary development, but restriction of >20% after that does. In several studies, restrictions of up to 25% between 90 and 190 days of age do not affect milk production during the first lactation. Some studies show that intakes below 2.7 kg/day during this period may reduce mammary parenchymal development, although the cut-off point is unclear. Reducing the protein content of the diet from 90 days of life to puberty does not affect mammary development (18.7 vs. 14.4%).
Body condition affects mammary development at the end of gestation. Fat sows have fewer mammary cells than lean sows. Comparing gilts with the same level of backfat at insemination, those with less backfat at day 109 of gestation (12-15 mm) have about 30% less mammary development, affecting the fattest ones less. This situation is different when body condition at first insemination varies. Changes in feed composition during gestation can affect mammary development. High energy levels (10.5 vs. 5.76 Mcal ME/day) during gestation reduce mammary parenchymal weight and the amount of DNA at day 105 of gestation. At the same time, an increase in crude protein intake from 216 to 330 g/day does not affect mammary development. A higher lysine intake at the end of gestation in gilts (26 vs. 18.6 g/day) increases mammary parenchymal mass by 44%, although the role of lysine alone is not fully established since in other studies of multiparous sows no difference is observed when going from 20.8 to 14.8 g/day. This may be due to the fact that gilts need more amino acids for their own growth.
Maximizing whole herd performance by ensuring gilts reach their full potential to drive grow-finish productivity. Dr. D. Linhares – ISU
He presents a clinical case where the sow farm and nursery phase are doing well, but the finishing pigs show respiratory symptoms with high mortality. The most common agents are PRRSV, PCV2/3, influenza virus, Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. They analyze respiratory symptoms 24/7 using SoundTalks and make the diagnosis based on oral fluids and necropsies of pigs with clinical signs. On the first farm, they find interstitial pneumonia compatible with PRRSV complicated by Pasteurella multocida and Bordetella bronchiseptica. The PRRS virus was sequenced and is 98.5% similar to that found on the sow farm two years ago. The sow farms regain productivity when viral shedding is reduced and prevalence goes down, although the finishing phase is still at risk, so the solution is not in the final phase of finishing, but in the monitoring systems and virus survival in the population from the sows (sera, fetuses) and piglets both at birth and at weaning (stillborn tongues, oral fluids), including future breeding sows. In this case, vertical transmission is active, and the focus should be on farm immunity and management practices for its stabilization, as well as on the persistence of the virus in replacement gilts. It is important to work on health, body condition, birth weight, growth, and immune robustness by all means (environment, feeding, management, vaccination) to ensure that future breeding sows respond well to possible infections and do not shed the virus. Making an annual replacement plan with well-timed animal entries is critical to maintain a balanced inventory, with a stable percentage of replacement sows and gilts to reduce health risks. www.fieldepi.org
Bacterial contamination of semen reduces its quality, but the use of antibiotics (gentamicin) is limited by the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. The use of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is being used effectively against bacteria, fungi, and viruses, demonstrating efficacy against Escherichia coli (among others) in fresh semen samples. Its mechanism of action is based on adhesion to the bacterial cell wall, causing an uncoupling of its respiratory chain.
Piglets with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) have greater digestive immaturity and pre-weaning mortality, and worse production performance and carcass quality. They also have a different microbiota and a more compromised immune system.
By analyzing different people's insemination practices on farms, they demonstrate significant differences in the results achieved by one individual to another in terms of returns to estrus, fertility, and born alive. Bacterial contamination of seminal doses is not infrequent and causes drops in fertility, embryonic and fetal death, as well as the risk of endometritis. Antibiotics are being replaced by antimicrobial peptides (PA-13) sensitive to both Gram + and Gram -, inhibiting their growth in just 24 hours.
In a study conducted in Spain from 2014-2022 with 37,000 seminal doses, they concluded that contaminations occur during the collection and processing of seminal doses. From 2014 until today, contaminations by aerobic bacteria, fungi, and yeasts have been reduced, except in 2020 when they increased. These are higher in the summer and autumn, with the most frequent agents being Pseudomonas spp, Burkholderia spp, Serratia spp, Acitenobacter spp, Providencia spp, and Alcaligenes spp.
The microbiome of piglets born from dams infected with PRRSV during gestation is different from those from healthy sows, with alteration in their beta diversity found, which also highlights that fetuses can be colonized via the uterus, which is not completely sterile as it was thought until not so long ago.
Piglets born with higher vitality at birth consume colostrum earlier and have lower pre-weaning mortality. Management practices for weaker newborn piglets during the first 24 hours are critical to their survival. We should select young sows with high milk production to adopt piglets and/or serve as nurse sows, which will favor their subsequent lactations.
High prolificacy has increased the incidence of anemia in sows at the end of gestation, related to the higher stillbirth rate. Farrowing duration is longer in sows with < 100 g/L hemoglobin (240 vs 206 minutes). Blood oxygen saturation of piglets born to anemic dams is lower (90 vs 95%). They have lower hemoglobin levels (114 vs 126 g/L), consume less colostrum (242 vs 307 g), and have higher mortality during the first 3-28 days of life. Piglets weighing between 1,270 and 1,340 g at birth are provided with oxygen (21%) by placing them in an oxygenation chamber for 10 minutes after birth and observed to have increased colostrum consumption, especially in litters of more than 11 piglets, with lower mortality in the first three days of life. The reduction in oxygenation causes a decrease in heart rate, initiating a metabolic anaerobiosis that reduces blood pH (acidosis) and increases lactate levels.
Anestrus (absence of corpus luteum) is still a concern and we continue to know little about its possible genetic causes or causes due to management, health, and nutrition. This problem is associated with three genes REC8, SREBF1, and SREBF2, which are necessary for the coordination of steroidogenesis and progesterone regulation.
The concept of placental efficiency, which relates fetal weight to placental weight, is being studied to better understand why some sows are more prolific than others. The greater uterine capacity and space, influenced by genetic selection, influence the increase in litter size, with uterine horns exceeding five meters.
The anti-GnRH vaccine enables us to suppress ovarian function in replacement sows for approximately 9 weeks following the second dose. This provides greater flexibility in managing the sows under practical farm conditions for their integration into production.
Temperatures in gestating sows affect their circadian rhythm of temperature; in summer they have the greatest differences. More studies are needed to understand their interaction regarding reproductive parameters.
Welfare and ethology
Global consequences of porcine animal welfare recommendation in the terrestrial code. M. Ángel Higuera. Anprogapor. Spain
The World Health Organization, in section 7, gives its recommendations for animal welfare in terrestrial animals with special points for swine: training of personnel, handling and inspection, procedures to avoid pain, provision of water and feed, environment, enrichment material, prevention of abnormal behavior, and housing, including animals in extensive systems.
In June 2022, the EFSA, in its expert panel on welfare, increased the recommendations- not legislation- in Europe: gestating sows up to 4 weeks in stalls and then free, free farrowing with 7.8 m2 - 4.5-6.3 m2/sow, weaning at 28 days (not 21), manipulable material (20 g straw/sow/day), teeth trimming, sows with less than 14 piglets born per sow, prohibited castration (immunocastration > entire males > surgical castration), tail docking, stocking density in finishing 1.17 m2 for pigs up to 110 kg and elimination of total slat floors in finishing.
How the different producing countries will support such legislation at a structural, commercial, and production level is a question for the future.
Regarding the animal protection index, countries are classified from A to G. To analyze this index, we have the ABM (Animal Based Measures).
The Welfarmers project focuses on four main points: elimination of crates in gestation and lactation (Sweden), tail docking ban (Sweden and Finland - large differences between countries), avoidance of pain by surgical castration, space and floors currently at >0.65 m2/110 kg (Sweden, Finland, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Austria). Animal welfare has a cost. A study in five countries, including Spain, analyzed only the change of crates and giving the farrowing space per sow would mean an extra cost of 9.51€ in farms in production and 3.06€ per piglet in newly built farms. As for the extra cost of increased space for finishing, it would be up to 5.42 €/pig at slaughter. A COPA COGECA study on the impact of the elimination of crates in lactation (5.5 to 7 m2 with a 30% reduction in the number of pigs), estimates the impact in Europe to cost 6.2 billion, which means a severe impact on the EU27 pig trade balance, increasing costs for producers and consumers, which would lead to a concentration of farms, affecting food security, as well as impacting the carbon footprint and climate change. The impact of the cost would vary by country, observing how the price in Europe continues to rise compared to the USA and Brazil, which are more competitive, requiring harmonization and informing consumers and society well (One World - One Health - One Welfare).
European approach to advanced pig welfare. H. van de Weerd. Cerebrus Advies, Netherlands
The European Union has the highest animal welfare standards in the world, thanks to its policies and numerous legislations over the past 40 years, reflecting changes in scientific knowledge, animal management, public expectations, and the emergence of numerous influencers' opinions. In terms of community sentiment, the Eurobarometer indicates that 91% believe it is important to protect farm animal welfare, 88% say it is important to improve welfare at slaughter, and 60% would be willing to pay more for products from animal welfare-friendly systems. In a 2024 survey by the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC), at least 90% of consumers support new laws to increase farm animal welfare. Directive 2008/120/EC is the main instrument covering the life of pigs on farms, with other regulations applying to transport and slaughter.
Animal Welfare Platform was established in 2017. It is comprised of multiple expert groups from public entities, agricultural business organizations, civil society (NGOs), and independent scientists. The swine subgroup was established between 2018 and 2020, which works on the tail docking ban and the risk of tail biting.
Another new group was formed in 2022, focusing on free gestation and farrowing. The EU Reference Centers for Animal Welfare provide technical and scientific expertise, with a specific one for pigs (EURCAW-pigs). The European Commission takes into account EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) opinions derived from its working group AHAW (Animal Health and Welfare Panel), developing a list of measures to assess welfare (ABMs - animal-based measures) that the European Commission includes in its Animal Welfare Strategy plan. In 2012, it started on the subject of manipulable materials and routine tail docking, evaluating its application in each of the member countries, with very different results. Already in 2020, the Farm to Fork Strategy included new animal welfare objectives such as the need to reduce medications, which led to the consideration of welfare category options to transmit value to the food chain. Numerous countries developed technical regulations or certifications whose cost is borne by the producer with regular inspections/audits, prioritizing traceability and food safety through identification with animal welfare quality seals. Recently, the European Commission has studied the 51 certifications in use within the EU, of which 32 cover predominantly swine and 15 cover numerous other species. The impact of our legislation on trade between countries and third parties should not be overestimated, taking into account the additional production costs as well as the competitive position with other exporting and importing countries.
In order to abolish the use of farrowing crates, reducing pre-weaning mortality in piglets in free farrowing systems is crucial. To this end, some genetics companies are working on sows with greater maternal care/behavior (mothering ability) to reduce the percentage of crushing.
Unilateral or bilateral ear necrosis appears between 6 and 8 weeks of life due to multiple factors, such as infections, high densities, poor ventilation, mycotoxins, or insufficient environmental enrichment.
Nutrition
Global Trends in pig nutrition. Dr. K. Goris, Cargill, Minneapolis
Feed accounts for 50-60% of the total cost of production in swine, so optimizing nutrition in different situations is important for the producer's benefit. Advances in genetics, health, nutrition, and greater knowledge of their interactions have led us to improve the feed conversion ratio. Genetic improvements have focused on increased prolificacy and increased lean tissue content in both maternal and paternal lines. In this situation, to adjust diets to nutritional needs we must consider feed intake capacity in commercial situations.
First of all, we must understand the interaction between health and nutrition. Nutritional modifications do not prevent infection, but they can reduce its severity. Structural fiber is involved in intestinal peristalsis, water retention capacity, and satiety. Fiber that can be fermented by the microbial population, in correlation with structural fiber, is important to optimize production results in relation to its health. Digestible protein is also important for enteric changes, such that the non-digestible protein reaches the large intestine, where it is fermented, producing toxic and pro-inflammatory products in the intestinal epithelium.
The main feed additives used that work on the microbiota are probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, together with phytobiotics that protect the mucosa against certain pathogens' attacks, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Incorporating enzymes such as phytases and xylanases continues to progress in different feeds at higher doses.
Precision feeding also requires accurate/fast evaluation of raw materials and feeds (on-line IR spectroscopy) in their quality control, feeding systems in electronic feeding stations for gestating sows which allow us to adapt the precise amount of feed to each sow according to her production phase, reaching a 3.7% reduction in feed cost and up to 18.5% reduction in excreted nitrogen (Gaillard & Dourmad 2022), as well as the feasible use of such systems in fattening pigs, where the production cost savings exceed 8%, reduce nitrogen and phosphorus excretion by 40%, as well as greenhouse gases by 6% (Pomar & Remus 2019). Feed accounts for 65% of the production of greenhouse gases in pigs. The energy cost of diets continues to rise, so the use of high-fat diets must be reconsidered in heat stress situations and according to selling prices. We must take into account particle size and pellet quality to obtain the expected benefits from its precise manufacturing technology. Considering alternative raw materials that provide sufficient quality nutrients to reduce feed costs is always desirable. From a nutritional standpoint, linked to animal welfare to prevent aggression, stress, and neophobia, consider nutrients according to fiber quality, protein digestibility, tryptophan, and magnesium. Nutritional needs drive consumer demand and climate change. Precision feeding increases profits and sustainability. The nutrition/health interaction and the collaboration between nutritionists and veterinarians are important.
Alternative feed sources and feeding strategies. Prof. S. Schneider, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Germany
The demand for protein per person is increasing, so pork production will have to increase (by more than 60% from 2005 to 2050). In the past, diets were based on corn and wheat. Cereals supplemented with soybeans, synthetic amino acids, and additives such as enzymes are the foundation of today's diets. According to FAO, the arable area per person continues to decrease, so the biomass of animal farms to feed people is a critical issue, and alternative food sources and feeding strategies are needed.
The use of insects in swine feed was already being studied in 1941. These new (novel) sources have high nutritional value and conversion efficiency. Insects use little water and their larvae are rich in protein and fat. For large-scale production, the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), and the house fly (Musca domestica) are the most evaluated. IPIFF has produced a guide to good insect production practices in the EU for feed and food (https://ipiff.org/insects-eu-legislation-general/). The number of publications on soldier flies for swine feed has multiplied in recent years. Insects have a significant and high-quality essential amino acid composition of lysine (2.2%), methionine, and threonine, which can be incorporated at levels of 5-10% in piglet and fattening diets, respectively. Crude protein levels are 40% and crude fat 37%. Amino acid digestibility is high.
The use of microalgae and seaweeds (Spirulina platensis) is being studied for their high protein, carbohydrate, and fat content, compared to vegetable protein sources including soybeans, with 55-65% crude protein. Results in pig trials have been very variable so far with a reduction in average daily gain of 9.1%-10% compared to soybeans in finishing pigs and piglets respectively, while the feed conversion rate deteriorates. Spirulina has an antimicrobial effect, limiting intestinal damage. Another alternative is using biorefinery products, although they have a high cost.
Nutritional strategies also have an interesting impact on adjusting to the different production phases (feeding phases and precision feeding). Using enzymes such as glucanase and xylanase together with 6-8 amino acids is currently being proposed. Precision on-farm production systems to maximize protein production efficiency, limiting crop area, and minimizing environmental impact are the feeding strategies of the future, as well as selecting animals that are more robust to climate change and better adapted to transform lower-quality feed (local feed, by-products) into meat.
Several studies analyze including vitamin D in gestating and lactating sows based on two sources (25OHD3 at 50 g/kg and D3), as well as in their piglets from birth to slaughter, resulting in higher plasma levels with the former, as well as fewer locomotor problems. In humans and rodents vitamin D metabolism stimulates muscle cell differentiation and contractility.
Calcium plays a vital role in uterine muscle contraction. In a trial including calcium chloride at 25 g/sow/day, seven days before the expected farrowing until seven days after, they observed no differences in litter size, farrowing duration, or wean-to-estrus interval, but a decrease in the number of stillbirths (numerical, not statistically significant, 4.5 vs. 3.8%), especially in farrowings outside of working hours.
Soluble fiber in the transition phase of sows provides energy from short-chain fatty acids to support the increased requirements around farrowing and insoluble fiber prevents constipation. Inclusion of wheat bran, lignocellulose, citrus pulp, and guar gum (40, 25, 25, 10%) reduced farrowing duration (224 vs. 247 minutes), with no difference in born alive, stillborns, and mummies. Water holding capacity, viscosity, and fiber satiation are positively correlated with the degree of gas production, maximum degree of fermentation, and butyrate production. There is no correlation between hydration properties and fermentation parameters. Raw materials rich in soluble fibers (apple pulp, citrus pulp, beet pulp, and guar gum) have higher hydration properties, indicating a potential benefit on sow metabolism and physiology, reducing hunger and increasing their well-being, compared to insoluble fibers (lignocellulose, DDG, soybean hulls, wheat bran).
Supplementing lactating sows with phytogenic vitamin C (300 g/t) reduces the effect of heat stress, allowing better milk production than the negative control (10.96 vs. 9.87 kg) with better piglet weaning weights (6.05 vs. 5.80 kg).
The incorporation of different probiotics in numerous studies (Bacillus spp, Saccharomyces cerevisiae), both in gestating sows, lactating sows, and weaned piglets, have shown positive results in colostrum and milk production, as well as in feed efficiency.
The addition of acids, both inorganic and organic, in water and feed demonstrates their efficacy in the control of Gram + and Gram - bacteria. The combination of these, their doses, and the age of the pigs to which they are supplied must be considered.
Miscellaneous
Economic view on staff management. M Pfützner, Germany
Effective management of personnel is essential to thrive in day-to-day business dynamics and competitive environments. This includes making strategic decisions on hiring, retaining, and utilizing the organization's human resources effectively. From an economic standpoint, managing people involves optimizing the location of labor and other resources for maximum productivity, minimum cost, and ultimately increasing profit. The labor market is governed by forces of supply and demand. The business must rely on the ability to have skilled workers as needed and adjust its recruitment accordingly. In the tight labor market, where qualified candidates are scarce, we must be steadfast in offering high wages, better benefits, and other incentives that attract and retain talent. Therefore, we must make an effort to be very selective in this process. The concept of marginal productivity plays an important role in staffing decisions. According to economic theory, companies should hire workers up to the point where the product of the marginal revenue of labor equals the wage. At this point, we should go as far as minimizing costs while maintaining a balance between labor expenses and profit generation. Investing in human capital through training, education, and development opportunities improves the workforce's skills, knowledge, and capabilities, leading to greater productivity and competitiveness and reducing labor replacement.
Economic incentives play a crucial role in creating a better environment and performance (pay, bonuses, promotions, and recognition programs). Designing a careful incentive program based on objectives and consequences is important to avoid conflicts of interest. A cost-benefit analysis is required when making staffing decisions. The concept of efficiency salary suggests paying a salary according to the market rate based on the expected benefit in terms of motivation, productivity, and retention. Such an efficiency wage is attractive for retaining top talent, reducing the cost of staff replacement, and increasing the organization's reputation and brand value. Logically, economic regulatory policies have a direct impact on the hiring and labor cost decisions of businesses, and companies must navigate market regulations as efficiently as possible, balancing legal obligations and operational requirements with strategic objectives.
Emotional intelligence as applied in pig farming. E. Martins Lopes. Florida Christian University
We live in the age of artificial intelligence (AI) and in the digital world, where the importance of the connections between humans and emotions is intensifying. AI helps humans to analyze and generate data for better results, but emotional intelligence (EI) is the determinant when it comes to making the best daily decisions. Today we can analyze a multitude of data that, in the past, was time-consuming and costly. With minimal processing times, they help to make decisions in real time and anticipate certain risks. AI contributes to animal welfare and health, making the swine industry more efficient, beneficial, and sustainable. We should also be concerned about people's well-being, including empathy and intuition as skills for identifying problems, which is where EI comes into play. This concept was mentioned by Dr. Daniel Goleman in 1990, defining it as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and those of others (awareness, motivation, empathy, and social skills). In the agricultural/swine sector there have been numerous changes regarding the behavior and management of emotions, derived from numerous factors such as the pressure for higher productivity, animal welfare, pathologies, and unclear political and economic scenarios. Numerous studies have shown that human-animal interaction, if positive, reduces stress and improves the productivity of both, signifying the importance of EI in this regard. EI provides a series of benefits in the workplace, since leaders with EI inspire and motivate teams more, creating a more collaborative environment, which results in better benefits for both the team and the animals, resulting in greater production efficiency. Calmer and more rational decision-making, taking emotions into account, allows the best solutions to be found and reduces conflicts in the workplace. For a successful career, maintaining a positive and proactive attitude in changing scenarios is necessary. Companies that care for their employees' well-being and invest in behavioral development obtain an environment with higher productivity and quality, higher profits, and greater customer satisfaction.
An alternative to surgical castration is immunocastration with GnRH vaccines.
Carcass analysis between inmunecastrated males and entire females at slaughter measured by AutoFOM III (1,1613,600 pigs from 182 farms from 2018 to 2022) obtained similar parameters. Immunocastrated animals had higher hot carcass weights with similar ham yields between all three (18.5-19 kg ±1.33). They conclude that carcass parameters have similar values in the three groups of animals. Comparing immunocastrated males versus surgically castrated males, they observed lower feed consumption (5.3%), lower average daily gain (5.1%), and better feed efficiency (11.2%). The weight of hot carcasses did not differ with 1.6% less exudation loss, 0.9 mm less fat, and 0.65% more lean. Logically, with low- and medium-energy diets, pigs consume more feed than with high levels, with worse growth and conversion rates. Administering the vaccine in females shows a higher average daily gain without any negative impact on the feed conversion rate with a high coefficient of variation compared to entire females.
Using probiotics in finishing pigs to replace antibiotics in some studies improved nutritional efficiency, thus improving production parameters and animal health, and reduced the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
In the last decade, the number of veterinary students from a total of 73 universities in 35 countries in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia who show no interest in swine production is 88%. The main reasons lie in the lack of knowledge about or disconnection with the rural environment. They think that it is linked to low animal welfare, that the salary and working conditions are unattractive compared to other veterinary disciplines, and they do not consider it sustainable.
PLF implementation in pig farming. C. Piñeiro, Animal Data Analitics, Spain
Precision livestock farming (PLF) is a novel approach that integrates technology, communications, and data analysis to improve farming practices. It allows farmers and veterinarians to continuously monitor an animal or group of animals, which can enhance the decision-making processes in terms of management, health, welfare, productivity, labor efficiency, and resource use. Numerous technologies are available, including load cells and current meters to monitor feed and water consumption and live weight, cameras to determine live weight and animal behavior, thermal cameras to monitor body temperature, and microphones to detect coughing. Thus, precision livestock farming is part of the digitization process and subsequent digital transformation (conversion of information into non-physical formats) that can encompass different areas from the most classical (reproduction, production parameters) to the most recent (biosecurity, precision feeding, antimicrobial uses, transportation, and slaughter). The information generated must address the most basic needs (alerts and monitoring) to the most sophisticated (explanatory, descriptive, and prescriptive analyses).
Precision livestock farming in pig farms is the basis for the sustainability of the sector in terms of economic efficiency (reducing operating costs), environmental sustainability (improving the use of resources and reducing emissions), and social responsibility (improving the quality of work and adding transparency). To this we must add new professional profiles and greater opportunities, in addition to improving animal welfare. Two decades ago, precision livestock farming was associated with technology and less with the protocols to implement it, which has changed as a consequence of technological improvements (isolation of electrical equipment, pneumatic systems, protection of wiring, and interactive interfaces), the possibility of remote operations (farm connection to the internet and computer resources). There has also been significant evolution in terms of data processing, privacy, and cybersecurity, and each company can make decisions based on data spaces. To this we add the human factor both internally (workers) and externally (customers and suppliers), requiring training and sensitivity from everyone. To monitor the biosecurity protocols (internal and external) and the health status associated with the prevention programs of our farms, we can also rely on the digitization processes to reduce the risk of spreading diseases.
The circular pig farming: a possibility for the future? L. Chou Hsia, National Pingtung University, Taiwan
Precision and circular pig production not only reduces operating costs but effectively minimizes waste generation. They created a new terminology known as Precision Clean Pig Farming (PCPF), which encompasses sustainable pig production, precision farming, organic farms, and circular pig farms.
According to a Chinese proverb, cleanliness includes two dimensions: external and internal. The external encompasses maintaining a clean production environment, effective waste management (elimination of solids, liquids, and air - odors and particulates), and ensuring hygienic food production (minimizing contamination by drugs, chemicals, bacteria, and viruses).
The concept of internal cleanliness is related to psychological well-being, which contributes to waste reduction and improves production results, which, in practical terms, refers to animal welfare.
The main strategies to minimize wastage during production are focused on improving reproductive parameters, properly balancing feed diets, taking into account the different feeding phases, incorporating functional amino acids, including short and medium-chain fatty acids, essential oils, and phytobiotics to improve productivity, optimizing temperature conditions to avoid thermal stress - both due to high and low temperatures, which pigs are very sensitive to due to their low thermoregulatory capacity, managing allergens - anti-nutritional factors in feed, understanding the interactions between nutrients and their relationships and balances, and maintaining a clean environment (environmental antigens activate the immune system, causing loss of nutrients for production).
Circular pig farms can be divided into three main types. The first type (First Kind) uses primary waste (feces, urine, water) for fertilization of the fields either in liquid or semi-solid form (C:N ratio 25/1) and aerobic or anaerobic treatment of the liquid.
The second (Second kind) tries to maximize the efficiency of the products of the first. Compost is the first product that contains high levels of N and P, but not potassium, which is good for vegetables, fruits, and flowers. In this category, methane gas production is considered for its CH4, SH2, CO2, and H2O content, and there are technologies to minimize the presence of the most dangerous gases, using the methane, above all, to produce energy. Sludge is the product of aerobic and anaerobic waste treatment. Dried sludge has a high protein content (>90%) due to its high bacterial content, which is a good fertilizer for golf course turf, as it only acts as such when watered. It is also good for horticultural work and soldier fly breeding which can then be used as a source of protein in feed.
The third meaning of circular farms (Third Kind) refers to methods to reduce greenhouse gases. Here we assume that pigs have good feed efficiency, with low CO2 production, and that the use of balanced diets based on ideal protein results in a low level of excreted nitrogen, with low N2O production. What causes high CO2 production is heat stress. The largest production of greenhouse gas emissions on pig farms comes from waste. Its fermentation produces a large amount of CH4, without having yet solved the problem of CO2 produced by burning the CH4. In their research, they are providing this CO2 to certain algae as a nutrient for their growth with encouraging results.
Precision clean pig farming integrates technological advances to optimize the production of animals and their products, seeking maximum efficiency while minimizing waste, leveraging insights into the knowledge of various domains including swine production, behavior, welfare, health, biosecurity, waste management, housing, and precision production techniques.
Post-weaning piglet mortality is a key production indicator (KPI) for optimal post-weaning productivity. The use of a Wean Quality Score (WQS) can give a very accurate forecast of mortality in the subsequent phase (P2) based on variables available at the time of weaning.
They establish a model using a Random Forest (RF) to predict groups with high or low mortality (><5.3%). They include 12 pre-weaning variables, obtaining a prediction value of 90.7%, which is higher for those with high mortality.
Reduced water consumption is one of the primary signs that a pig is sick. Automatic monitoring of water consumption indicates the presence of pathologies, both subclinical and clinical, in real time. Different models (ARMA) are established to determine finishing pigs' water consumption behavior, both by time of day and by age/weight of the pigs in order to have patterns that allow us to assess variations and detect possible health problems as soon as possible.
The use of sound monitoring systems in finishing barns correlated with environmental parameters (temperature and humidity) and key production parameters (weight gain), together with water and feed consumption, using Granger causality analysis, allows us to correlate variables between farms. A first conclusion is the demonstration of a correlation between respiratory health and changes in environmental parameters. A first experience in a finishing unit with 25,000 places and a 125-day stay where respiratory signs were observed (dyspnea, cough), as well as pulmonary lesions (bronchointerstitial pneumonia), with negative/positive to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia, Circovirus, Influenza, and PRRSV, depending on the animal studied and the time of sample collection. They placed the Soundtalks detectors taking oral fluids, where all were positive for circovirus and only some for PRRSV, and were negative for influenza, having higher viremia to PCV later and all to PRRSV. In the respiratory health status by Soundtalks >60% were estimated as good. The temperature and humidity peaks coincided with those of the respiratory status. Several studies in several countries using SoundTalks show a positive correlation with the improvement of the average daily gain, even referencing that each 5% increase in the respiratory alarms has a 10-gram impact on growth difference.
Antonio Palomo Yagüe
