Swine Grist
VOL 2 ISSUE 3 | FALL 2015
A P E R I O D I C N E W S L E T T E R P R O D U C E D B Y G R A N D V A L L E Y F O R T I F I E R S LT D .
Jim Ross, Chairman Dear Friends, Once again we have the opportunity to greet you and provide some information which we trust will be informative and helpful when applied to your swine operation. Fortified Nutrition is sponsoring a series of Technical Swine Seminars, this November, where recent advances in swine nutrition will be presented. We believe by utilizing this information, producers will benefit from improved average daily gains and feed conversions while at the same time reducing feed costs. The locations, time and dates for these exciting seminars are included on the back page of this Swine Grist. Please plan to join us at one of these meetings. We look forward to having you with us. Wishing you good farming this fall. Sincerely, Jim Ross, Founder & Chairman
A PROMISING FUTURE FOR PORK DEMAND
by: IAN ROSS President & CEO, Grand Valley Fortifiers
A
fter decades of North American per capita consumption of red meat consistently decreasing, 2014 consumption leveled and even slightly increased in the face of record setting pork and beef prices in retail grocery stores. Whether this North American consumption pattern continues, remains to be seen. However, 2014 has certainly called into question, economists’ beliefs, that NA meat consumption levels are highly dependent upon the price that consumers have to pay for these proteins. With this North American experience in mind and realizing that Chinese per capita consumption of pork has risen 4.5 kg per person over a period of just four years, we believe that pork demand will continue to grow in the years ahead. Looking at China alone, 4.5 kg x 1.4 billion people equates to 6.35 million tonnes of new pork demand per year even if China per capita consumption doesn’t grow beyond 2014 levels. In 2013, before the PEDv crisis impacted US pork production, the second largest pork producing country “only” produced 10.53 million tonnes of pork. This Chinese consumption increase represents almost two thirds of US annual production. Recently, Rabo Bank released a report that states ”Over the last 18 months, China’s pork industry has experienced one of the largest culls on record—the ramifications of which are just now being felt globally. To put this change into perspective: the decline of nearly 100 million head in China’s hog herd and 10 million in its breeding herd is equivalent to the U.S., Canadian and Mexican pork sectors all disappearing from global supply in a span of less than two years.” Rabo Bank goes on to state that the EU, USA and Canada are well
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positioned to fill this supply vs. demand gap and expects to see pork exports to China increase accordingly in 2016. Back in North America, we are witnessing increasing demand for organic, “raised without”, and/or Certified Humane® pork products. It seems that as the US economy has continued to grow, more people are beginning to realize saturated fats are not “public enemy number one” in relation to human health and heart disease. As a result, wealthy consumers are willing to pay significantly more for red meat than they used to be. Demand for and the lack of supply of organic pork and “raised without antibiotics”/ Certified Humane® pork has resulted in committed retailers offering long term, Cost of Production based contracts plus premiums in order to secure pork for their higher end grocery shelves. Having been part of pork value chains for almost a decade now, our team at Grand Valley Fortifiers has never witnessed this level of commitment from retailers or food service companies previously. Due to the availability of these types of contracts, Grand Valley Fortifiers and our True Foods value chain facilitation and governance team is seeking to recruit enough Ontario producers to source 1000 organic hogs per week and 1000 “raised without” antibiotic Global Animal Partnership Level 1 pigs for US retailers. We continue to search for value chain opportunities like these for our Fortified Nutrition Limited customers in Western Canada to consider for their operations. As large US food companies scurry to address the growing demand for this perceived “better for you” food, opportunities are created for family owned and operated farms that have the desire and ability to produce differentiated, value added pork. Helping producers access and address these market opportunities is fundamental to our business and fits squarely within the GVF group of companies’ core purposes: Profitable Farms, Healthy Food, Improved Lives. If you or someone you know is interested in one of these unique opportunities, please speak with one of our GVF Swine Specialists or contact Heather Ferguson directly at heatherferguson@truefoods.ca. n
Ian Ross, President & CEO | Jim Ross, Chairman Clarke Walker, VP & COO Dr. Martin Clunies, Monogastric Nutritionist David Ross/Patti Bobier, Publishers
A NEW LOW INCLUSION GROW/ FINISH PREMIX THAT FLOWS.
by: BY NATALIE LITVAK, B.SC., M.SC. Swine Nutrition Group, Grand Valley Fortifiers
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n late 2013, GVF launched the new generation BioForce® Hog GF 25 grow-finish premix. We were very excited to share this product with the industry after some exciting preliminary benchmarking results. Since then, we have conducted 40 trials on this product; a total of almost 17,000 finishing hogs. The product was specifically designed with today’s lean genotypes in mind. Genetic progress has resulted in a disconnect between amino acid and energy ratios, with pigs responding very well to high amino acid levels irrespective of the energy concentration of the diet. By pushing the limits of synthetic amino acid recommendations, we can capitalize on the muscle growth potential of lean genotypes to drive gain and reduce the excess nitrogen circulating in the pig. In doing so, we redirect the energy that would have been used to eliminate the excess nitrogen from the body towards improving feed efficiency. The BioForce® Hog GF 25 also contains a full complement of B vitamins, which are involved in almost every enzyme system of the body, including energy metabolism, as well as exogenous enzymes. These allow us to further maximize the metabolic efficiency of the animal and improve the digestibility of the diet. The numbers speak for themselves. Hogs on the program are gaining almost 1kg per day, with an incredible feed conversion of 2.44 (Table 1). With every success story though, there are always challenges. Technologies used to formulate this premix take advantage of the macro-minerals in commodities, which allow us to reduce those nutrients in the premix (for example, making use of the phosphorus from DDGS allows us to reduce the mono-di-calcium phosphate or dical inclusion in the premix). Many ingredients in our premixes are also very finely ground to improve surface area exposure in the gut. This improves absorption and digestibility of nutrients. The end result is a product that is more concentrated with finely ground micro-nutrient rich ingredients, which naturally will attract and pull water. The changing seasons can often cause significant challenges with premix flow, as they typically include periods of rain, high humidity, and often cool nights which lead to heavy dews, all of which contribute to problems with premix flow, especially when a bin “sweats”. From our observations over the years, the best option to prevent premix flow issues is a well-sealed bin ensuring that minimal moisture enters the bin, boot or flex auger. However, over the past two years we have seen an increase in the number of producers experiencing flow issues and in response we have made some modifications to the BioForce® Hog GF 25 to help resolve these issues. Dr. Martin Clunies has been working diligently this past year examining different flow agents, ingredient particle size, how various ingredients interact with each other, as well as, the quality and source of ingredients used. As a result of this research we have made some discoveries which have paved the way for some significant improvements. Recent reports from the farm have indicated that BioForce® Hog GF 25 flows much better during unloading, reducing the unloading time at delivery, as well as from the bin into the auger. Additionally, producers using this product have indicated that their augers are clean and that the premix withstands humidity much
better than previous formulations or competitor products. With these changes, we are pleased to say that the BioForce® Hog GF 25 premix is performing exceptionally well, not only in the barn, but also in the bin! For more information on the BioForce® Hog GF 25 premix and to see if it is right for your operation, please contact your FNL sales rep or contact a member of the GVF Monogastric Nutrition Group by calling 1-800-5674400.. We would be happy to discuss the merits of this product with you. n Table 1.0 Grow/Finish Feeding Program Results Number of Trials
40
Total Number of Pigs
16,749
Starting Weight (kg)
25.0
Weight at Market (kg)
121.6
Average Daily Gain (g/d)
977
Average Daily Feed Intake (kg/d)
2.37
Feed/Gain Ratio
2.44
NUTRITION’S ROLE IN MODERN SOW PRODUCTIVITY
by: DR. MARTIN CLUNIES, PhD. Swine Nutrition Group, Grand Valley Fortifiers
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n a previous article, titled “Modern Sow Productivity”, in the spring 2015 FNL Swine Grist(Volume 2, Issue 1), we outlined the key role that nutrition plays in eliciting the genetic potential of modern sows. From ensuring the number of eggs ovulated, embryo implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, increasing the viability/survival of pigs born alive, and improving the weaning weight of individual pigs; nutrition, like management is linked to those critical days in the lifetime productivity of sows. A subsequent article discussed the effect of nutrition and the onset of reproduction as it relates to initiation of estrus, ovulation and implantation. In this article, we will
Swine Grist
discuss the effect nutrition has on gestation up to the point of farrowing. Commercially, gestation is often assumed to be a period of low nutrient requirements for the sow, where there is an opportunity to reduce the cost of feed. However, this period of nutrition is more critical than we have previously thought. There are three equal periods of gestation to consider, often referred to as trimesters. From a nutritional perspective, we prefer to define these as; 1) the conditioning period (breeding to 60 days of gestation), 2) maintenance period (60 – 90 days of gestation) and 3) pre-farrowing period (90 – 114 days of gestation). With each period there are different objectives for the management of sows. During the conditioning period, the objective is to feed the sow back to her correct body condition. For sows that are very undercondition, this strategy is important to sustaining the pregnancy and subsequent farrowing. Over-conditioned sows need a prolonged period of time for weight loss, as too short a period of great weight loss could compromise pregnancy. During the three periods of gestation, different tissues of the sow grow at different rates, and so the nutrient requirements change. Figure 1 (below) shows the changes in body weight, fetal and mammary weights throughout a sow’s pregnancy. Restoring the sow’s body condition represents a balance between energy and protein while growth of fetal and mammary tissues are primarily composed of proteins. The newborn pig is primarily composed of lean muscle tissue and bone, with very little fat reserves. The mammary gland is composed primarily of cells with high metabolic rates. While the changes in body weight appear to be consistent throughout pregnancy, most of the changes in fetal weight begin at 45 days of pregnancy, roughly doubling every 20 days throughout the remainder of gestation (Mahan 2007). Mammary development occurs more slowly and then accelerates in the last 10 days pre-farrow with milk synthesizing cells increasing in metabolism in the last few days of gestation (Mahan 2007).
a very poor conditioned sow could have as little as 10mm or less of back-fat. These poorly conditioned sows may be in a life threatening situation. Typically, sows that have less than 15 mm back-fat at the time of farrowing run the risk of being prematurely culled from the breeding herd. A minimum of 17–19 mm back-fat should be the target for properly conditioned sows. For highly prolific sows, with the objective of weaning 12 or more pigs, a back-fat measurement of 20–22 mm is suggested to provide a greater fat reserve for nursing large litters. Sows with more than 22 mm back-fat are difficult to manage reproductively and usually do not wean as many pigs. In conclusion, recommended feeding levels for the conditioning period are as follows, however this does depend on body condition and the energy concentration of the feed. Thin sows should be offered 2.6 – 2.8 kg of feed per day for a period of 45 – 60 days, fat sows should be offered 1.8 – 2 kg of feed per day, while sows with good body condition, should receive 2.2 – 2.4 kg of feed per day to attain the ideal body score.
Figure 1. Changes in tissue weight during gestation (kg).
2.5 Somewhat thin
Hips and backbone Tube shaped but flat felt without (slab) sides palm pressure
2 Thin
Hips and backbone noticeable and easily felt
Table 1. Estimating Sow Body Condition Score. (by John Carr) Score Number Condition 5 Over-fat
Description
Shape of body
Hips and backbone heavily covered
Bulbous
4 Fat
Hips and backbone cannot be felt
Tending to bulge
3.5 Good condition
Hips and backbone only felt with great difficulty
Tube shape
Hips and backbone only felt with firm palm pressure
Tube shaped
3 Normal
1 Emaciated Hips and backbone visible
Conditioning Period During the conditioning period most sow herd managers typically use a scoring system for assessing the body condition of sows. Table 1 is an example of a sow condition scoring system used for adjusting the feed allocation of gestating sows. A score of 2.8 – 3.2 is ideal for gestating sows. While these provide guidelines, they do not provide any information as to what the composition of that body weight is. Measuring back-fat provides an additional guide when trying to properly condition sows, ensuring that a good proportion of those reserves are fat, which provide more energy per kg than muscle. Weaned sows typically have between 12 – 15 mm of back-fat, while
Ribs and spine can be felt Bone structure apparent (ribs and backbone)
Maintenance Period During the maintenance period, fetal tissue begins to form. However, the amounts are so small they have no effect on nutrient requirements of the sow. During the maintenance period, sows should ideally be fed 2.2 – 2.4 kg of feed per day to maintain body weight and condition. Herd health will result in some fine-tuning of the feed allocation daily, with high health herds requiring less feed and herds with health challenges requiring more feed. Pre-farrowing Period During the pre-farrowing period, nutrient requirements increase. The growth of the fetuses accelerate tremendously, with more than 50 % of the growth taking place in the last 14 days before farrowing. At this time, the rate of growth exceeds the ability of the gestation feed to provide sufficient protein, amino acids and minerals for the fetal development. If the sow’s reserves were not adequately replenished during the first two periods of gestation there could be negative effects that carry
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over to lactation. If the diet is deficient in nutrients, due to low intake or nutrient concentration, then the sow will mobilize nutrients from her own tissues for the needs of her developing litter. Hence the sow will “borrow nutrients” (protein and minerals) from her tissues to meet the requirements of her developing litter. One of the tissues that provides a readily available source of proteins and amino acids is the digestive system. In most situations, during the pre-farrowing period, the sow mobilizes protein from her digestive tract. The result is a decrease in gut size and hence poorer feed intake during early lactation. “Bump feeding” or increasing feed allocation at the end of gestation reduces the protein mobilized from the gut and helps preserve early lactation feed intake. Another important consideration for gestation is that the daily vitamin and trace mineral requirements of the sow increase as her body weight increases. However, feed allocation is actually reduced from a per kg of body weight perspective as the sow matures in size. This common practice is used to control sow body weight as she matures. In this manner, older sows are more likely to be underfed vitamins and trace minerals as they age through their subsequent parities. Comparison of daily mineral intakes of parity 1 sows with that of parity 3–4 sows shows that there is a reduction in vitamin mineral intake of between 15% and 23% daily (based upon body weight). This may explain why, in many countries, the average sow’s productive lifetime is very short lived, with only 3 to 4 parities instead of the expected 6 plus parities. Research has also shown when these differences in requirements are accounted for, by adjusting the mineral and vitamin content of the diets, there is an increase in the number of pigs born alive per litter farrowed. In conclusion, gestation is a critical period for sow nutrition. During the conditioning period the gestation sow diet must restore body reserves, found in the bones, fat and muscle tissue, lost during previous prefarrowing and lactation periods. During the maintenance period when the accumulation of fetal and mammary tissue are very small, the diet is used primarily to maintain sow body weight. During the pre-farrowing period the diet provides protein and amino acids along with minerals for the rapidly developing fetuses. As you can see the gestational diet needs to be carefully balanced to provide the proper levels of energy, protein, amino acids and minerals. Careful attention to the formulation of sow gestation diets will result in improved sow productivity, through more piglets born alive, heavier birth weights, better milk production and more piglets weaned per litter. If you are interested in taking a closer look at your gestation sow diets please contact your FNL sales rep or contact a member of the GVF Monogastric Nutrition Group by calling 1-800-567-4400. We look forward to serving you. n
Thought for the Day Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to the people you can, for as long as you can. – John Wesley From all of us at Grand Valley Fortifiers
You're invited to join us for a one-day
Swine Technical Seminar What to Expect Fortified Nutrition invites you to join us for an informative technical seminar where you’ll hear about the latest in product innovations, an update on industry trends & opportunities, and best practices to improve the efficiency and profitability of your swine operations. Guest speakers include: Ian Ross, President & CEO, GVF Kevin Dolan, Nursery Feeds Specialist, PD Dr. Martin Clunies, Senior Swine Nutritionist, GVF Dr. Barry Watson, DVM, Consultant to FNL
Schedule for Each Day 9:30am 10 - 12pm 12 - 1pm 1 - 3pm 3 - 4pm
Brought to you by
Registration/Coffee Seminar Session Hot Buffet Lunch Seminar Session Social Time
Enhanced with:
ASSURED NUTRITION FOR PIGLETS
Nov 2nd Great Falls
Best Western Plus Heritage Inn 1700 Fox Farm Rd, Great Falls, Montana
Nov 3rd Lethbridge
The Keg (Lower Level) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr, Lethbridge, Alberta
Nov 4th Red Deer
Quality Inn North Hill 7150-50th Ave, Red Deer, Alberta
Nov 5th Swift Current
Days Inn 905 North Service Rd E, Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Nov 6th Saskatoon
Sandman Saskatoon 310 Circle Dr W, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Please reserve your seat as soon as possible by contacting your FNL sales rep or the FNL Lethbridge Office at 1-866-610-5770.