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Lameness and its effect on swine reproduction are now responsible for the culling of more gilts and first-parity sows — up to 50 percent of the sow herd, according to some estimates — than all other factors combined.
“Sow lameness is the most costly, yet under-recognized element in pork production today,” emphasized Mark Wilson, PhD, reproductive physiologist with Zinpro Corporation. “It is a stealthy thief that has a huge impact on cost and efficiency of production.”
Wilson was one of several presenters at the Feet First® Sow Lameness Seminar held in Xi’an, China. The one-day educational seminar for Chinese veterinarians, nutritionists and producers was sponsored by Zinpro Corporation and the Feet First team.
Lameness and reproduction
Recognizing and understanding the factors contributing to sow lameness is the first step toward dealing with this growing problem, Wilson added. Sow lameness affects all aspects of swine production, including gilt-development schemes, parity distribution and nutritional requirements.
Claw lesions associated with sow lameness also can affect joint, muscle and skeletal development. “One of the keys to helping gilts develop structurally is their nutrition program,” Wilson added. “They need to be fed slower and with more attention to complexed minerals as early as 18 kg continuing through 150 kg to ensure strong bones and joints at maturity.”
Bringing mature, structurally sound gilts into the herd improves their chances of reaching their fourth parity or litter — the point at which they begin making money for the swine operation, Wilson said. In fact, data shows that increasing the number of sows in parities 3 through 6 has a significant impact on the overall productivity of the herd (Smits, 2011).
According to Jerry Torrison, DVM, swine veterinarian with Zinpro Corporation, the pain associated with lameness causes a negative physiological reaction for the sow, including decreased appetite, less milk production and slower return to estrus leading to culling for fertility reasons. “A sow that doesn’t experience lameness is twice as productive as a lame sow over her lifetime,” he reported.
Researchers presented data showing that supplementing diets with zinc, manganese and copper as complexed trace minerals helped sows experience a decrease in claw lesions while producing more pigs born alive with higher litter birth weights (Anil, et al. 2010).
Hands-on demonstrations
Following the morning presentations, a series of informative workshops gave participants a firsthand look at foot injuries related to sow lameness and how they could be prevented with routine examinations and maintenance.
Instructors reviewed the anatomy of the sow foot, including possible injury scenarios and their consequences on foot health and structure. The workshop segment also featured a presentation that examined reproductive tract and ovarian function.
International Expertise, Global Impact
Six years ago, recognizing sow lameness as a serious problem affecting the global swine industry, Zinpro Corporation established the Feet First Team — an international collaboration of researchers, veterinarians and nutritionists dedicated to further advancing the swine industry through the identification and prevention of lameness.
Zinpro Corporation and the Feet First team hosted the world’s first international Sow Lameness Symposium in Minneapolis, USA, in 2008. Since that time, two additional international symposia were held — the most recent in September 2012 — to promote research and discussion on this important global swine industry issue. Zinpro organized the regional Feet First Seminar in Xi’an to help the rapidly growing Chinese pork industry address this issue and improve herd performance.
Octpober 17, 2012 - Zinpro
