This presentation by Dr. Steve Dritz of the University of Kansas State was presented as the 5th in a series of 8 webinars on Feed Efficiency hosted by the Prairie Swine Centre. To access the presentation scroll down and click on Download PDF

The objectives of Swine Innovation Porc are to facilitate research, technology transfer and commercialization initiatives designed to enhance the competitiveness and differentiation of Canada’s pork industry.

The Swine Innovation Research program consists of 14 research projects in which 10 focus directly on increasing revenue or decreasing the cost of production, 4 focus on product differentiation, and 3 technology transfer initiatives.

It is truly a collaborative project involving the coordination of 22 private partners, 100 researchers, 14 universities, and 13 research centres (16 organizations throughout Canada). Prairie Swine Centre and CDPQ have been given the task of developing a coordinated technology transfer program that effectively delivers the research results to pork producers and the industry.

Benefits to the Producer

The ultimate goal of Swine Innovation Porc is to ensure adoption of research results in the Canadian pork industry, and ensure measurable results by the completion of the funding agreement (March 2013)..  This will happen in a number of ways including the translation of research results in both official languages, and the development of a lead users program (demonstration farms) that would implement new technologies or management strategies developed through Swine Innovation Porc.  Research projects have identified short, intermediate and long term benefits to the Canadian pork industry in the areas of swine nutrition, genetic improvement, animal welfare and environmental and engineering management.

Publications

Research Papers

R. Ball. Save $ with New Feeding Standards for Sows

S. Moehn, D. Franco, C. Levesque, R. Samuel and R. Ball. Phase feeding for pregnant sows

S. Moehn, D. Franco, C. Levesque, R. Samuel and R. Ball. New Energy and Amino Acid Requirements for Gestating Sows

Journal Articles

E. Avelar, R. Jha, E. Beltranena, M. Cervantes, A. Morales, R.T. Zijlstra.  The effect of feeding wheat distillers dried grain with solubles on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 160 (2010) pp. 73-77

R. Jha, D.N. Overend, P.H. Simmins, D. Hickling, R.T. Zijlstra. Chemical characteristics, feed processing quality, growth performance and energy digestibility among wheat classes in pelleted diets fed to weaned pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 170 (2011) pp. 78-90

J.L. Landero, E. Beltranena, M. Cervantes, A. Morales, R.T. Zijlstra. The effect of feeding solvent-extracted canola meal on growth performance and diet nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology. Animal Feed Science and Technology 170 (2011) pp. 136-140

J.L. Landero, E. Beltranena, M. Cervantes, A.B. Araiza, R.T. Zijlstra. The effect of feeding expeller-pressed canola meal on growth performance and diet nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology. In Press

R.W. Seneviratne, E. Beltranena, L.A. Goonewardene, R.T. Zijlstra. Effect of crude glycerol combined with solvent-extracted or expeller-pressed canola meal on growth performance and diet nutrient digestibility of weaned pigs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 170 (2011) 105– 110

Abstracts

S. Moehn and R. Ball.  New developments in energy and amino acid nutrition of sows

S. Moehn, D. Franco, J.K. Josephson, P.B. Pencharz and R. O. Ball. Isoleucine requirement of pregnant sows 

Moehn, S., D.J. Franco, J.K. Josephson, P.B. Pencharz and R.O. Ball. Isoleucine requirement for pregnancy in adult sows

S. Moehn and R. Ball. A Case for Phase Feeding Pregnant Sows

S. Moehn, D. Franco, J.K. Josephson, P.B. Pencharz and R. O. Ball. Tryptophan requirement of pregnant sows

S. Moehn, D. Franco, J.K. Josephson, P.B. Pencharz and R. O. Ball. Tryptophan requirement of young, growing sows during pregnancy

Powerpoint Presentations

S. Moehn, D. Franco, C. Levesque, R. Samuel and R. O. Ball. Phase Feeding for Pregnant Sows

Once you have logged into the site you can view the recorded webinar by highlighting the appropriate link in the text box labelled links (top left of web page) and clicking “browse to”.

March 5, 2012 – Dr. Candido Pomar of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada “The Future of Precision Livestock Farming”  http://wflc.adobeconnect.com/pscmar5/

March 27, 2012 – Dr. Bob Goodband of Kansas State University “Feeding and Barn Management Factors that Influence Whole Herd Feed Efficiency”  http://wflc.adobeconnect.com/pscmar27/

April 10, 2012 – Dr. Aaron Gains of The Maschhoffs ”Herd Management Factors that Influence Whole Herd Feed Efficiency”  http://wflc.adobeconnect.com/pscapr10/

April 24, 2012 – Dr. Tom Scott, University of Saskatchewan “New Processing Technology that May Influence Feed Efficiency” http://wflc.adobeconnect.com/pscapr24/

May 8, 2012 – Dr. Steve Dritz, Kansas State University ”Health Effect on Feed Efficiency” http://wflc.adobeconnect.com/pscmay8/

Details will be posted at a later date.

Prairie Swine Centre will be hosting a series of eight one-hour interactive webinars. Starting March 5 and ending in June 2012.

Focus on Feed Efficiency webinars are accessible with any internet connection and will include presentations from Research Scientists and pork producers who are making a difference in improving on-farm feed efficiency.

A variey of topics will be introduced to help producers use feed efficiency including the effect of feed processing, herd management effects on feed efficiency, amino acid nutrition, understanding dietary energy concentrations and new feed processing technologies.

Advantages of Attending the Webinars

In order to be competitive in the pork industry producers must know their cost of production. Feed costs represent approximately 60 to 70% of the total cost of production, and therefore represent the greatest opportunity to reduce costs.

During the course of this webinar series Research Scientists and pork producers will present information on improving feed efficiency in swine. By attending the live webinar events pork producers and industry personnel may not only ask the speaker specific questions but receive the answer right away, directly from the expert.

Schedule of Times and Speakers

May 22, 2012 – 10:30 am CST, Dr. Rod Johnson, University of Illinois “Fueling the Immune Response: What is the Cost?”

June 5, 2012 – 10:30 am CST, Dr. Denise Beaulieu, Prairie Swine Centre “Emerging Technologies with Potential to Influence Feed Efficiency”

June 19, 2012 – 10:30 am CST, Dr. John Patience, Iowa State University “Dietary Energy Concentration and Feed Efficiency Targets: What are the Right Questions, and Do We Have the Answers?”

This study found that there is a large variation in facilities and handling skills across the swine industry, and often little opportunity for producers or barn employees to gain new knowledge. Lighting, flooring, alley and ramp dimensions, and animal handling techniques all have the potential to cause problems when moving pigs through a facility. The best loadouts in Saskatchewan are ones which take these factors into account.  The results highlight the fact that handling of pigs can be improved by a variety of measures, ranging from extensive load-out renovations, to simple changes in lighting and handling techniques.

The results suggest that the use of the trough with the side panel and constant water level for drinking has the greatest potential for water savings without affecting pig performance. High pressure washing using the rotating turbo nozzle led to lesser time and water consumption during the cleaning process. Also, high pressure washing in fully slatted concrete flooring can be done without prior water sprinkling (soaking).

When sows consumed an n6:n3 ratio of 1:1, their piglets had elevated body temperatures and a greater response to the immune challenge compared to piglets from sows consuming the other diets. When fed to piglets, a ratio of 5:1 n6:n3 tended to increase production of some inflammatory cells, but did not affect body temperature.

Based on these results we hypothesize that either the n6 fatty acids are not as inflammatory as we originally thought; or alternatively, that there is an ‘optimal’ n6:n3 ratio in the diet. Going below this ‘optimal’ ratio, the energy required to generate the immune response takes nutrients away from growth and can actually be a hindrance to piglet productivity and health.

Based on our preliminary results, we can recommend that pork producers include plant based n3 fatty acids such as those found in flaxseed, into the diets of lactating sows or newly weaned piglets, but to ensure that the ratio does not go below 5:1 n6:n3. Further experiments are being conducted to determine the consequences of generating immune responses, and the implications on animal health and performance.

Since feed costs represent the largest portion of cost of production, it also represents the greatest opportunity for reducing costs in particular the grower-finisher barn.  With the higher feed costs there has been a greater push towards managing feed efficiency within operations. At current feed costs an improvement in feed efficiency of 0.1 kg of feed per kg of gain will result in a greater than $2.00 net income per pig marketed.

There are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account when examining feed efficiency in pork production: These are environmental (temperature, humidity, air circulation), social (space allocation, group size, re-grouping), immunological (disease, pathogen concentration), and management (particle size, feeder adjustment).

While this is not an inclusive list, it gives us the perspective of the multi-disciplinary approach that is required to achieve the full potential of managing feed efficiency. One of the ways in which Prairie Swine Centre is delivering this message is through a series of webinars specifically dedicated to a “Focus on Feed Efficiency”.  This series of eight Feed Efficiency webinars are being delivered in partnership with the Farm Leadership Council starting March 5 and concluding June 19. Webinars will run on two week intervals by well-known experts in the area of feed efficiency discussing a wide range of topics including: feeding and barn management, whole herd factors, feed processing, new technologies and health impact on feed efficiency.