Swine Grist
A PERIODIC NEWSLETTER PRODUCED BY GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS VOLUME 24, ISSUE 3 | FALL 2022
Dear Friends, Happy belated Thanksgiving and best of the fall harvest to you. With bean harvest pretty much complete and soon well into corn harvest, the impact of very regionalized rains are being realized. Ontario crop yields and bushel weights will be all over the map this harvest as some regions received timely and significant rains, while other areas suffered through drought like conditions. Most people associate mycotoxins with an over abundance of moisture, but mycotoxins can develop through untimely rains as well as heat and drought stress. As always, regardless of your yield and visual crop quality, be sure to test your fall harvest corn for mycotoxins before incorporating into your swine diets – especially sow diets. With new, significant geo-political news at least weekly, impacts on energy supply, energy costs, Fx, freight costs, grain costs and pork prices are seemingly in constant flux. In this issue of the Swine Grist, Brian Gonder and Matt Schoenmaker provide some updates on what we are experiencing in terms of premix ingredient prices and why. With this kind of price inflation and volatility and the constant reporting surrounding climate change and (we believe, incorrectly) the “poor” role livestock agriculture is playing in this, it is easy to fail to recognize the incredible improvements, and increases in productivity, efficiency and production that the pork industry has achieved over the past 100 years. Dr. John Carr has provided a very positive retrospective perspective on these realities as well as a reminder that the growing relative affluence and population size in Asia and Africa will continue to drive the need for the production of significantly more pork each year in the ensuing thirty years. As it seems for various reasons that globally we have moved from the challenge of abundance to the challenge of scarcity, we believe that societal priorities will shift from what we have experienced in the past several decades back to the more basic priorities of life – a key one being the provision and consumption of amino acid rich protein food sources. Thankfully, that is what we are all in the business of producing. Sincerely, Ian Ross, President & CEO, GVF group of companies
IT’S GREAT TO BE IN PIGS!
by: DR. JOHN CARR BVSc PhD DPM DiplECPHM MRCVS
This is a further increase of 2.5 to 3 billion people and about a billion more pigs per year are going to be required to feed these people.
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he next 25 years are gonna be real exciting! What the global pig industry has done in the last 100 years is impressive: moving from weaning 6 to 8 pigs at weaning with 2 litters per year (14 pigs per year per sow) we have doubled this output per sow. The growth has also doubled from less than 0.5 kg to over 1 kg average daily gain in finishing pigs. The genetics have also moved from the lard hog to the bacon pig. But the vital role of the pig in being the primary meat protein source feeding the human population has not changed. The population in 1920 was about 2 billion, in the 2020’s it is now over 7 billion. In 1920 there was about ¼ billion pigs a year (pigs finished at a year) thus one pig per 8 people. In 2020 there are 1.5 billion pigs a year (given our pigs now live 6 months) thus one pig per 5 people. In the last 100 years the pig industry has increased output by 600%, a most impressive achievement. Currently, there are about 800 million pigs on the planet at the same time. The Canadian industry in the 1920’s was just over 1% and now it is 2% of the global population and many pigs go next door (the States) to finish! The role of the Canadian pig is only set to become more important. The next 25 years are going to be the most difficult time for the human population and the pig farmer is going to be key. We are beginning to control our population growth, but it will still reach 10 billion people in 2050. GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS PO Box 726 Cambridge ON N1R 5W6 1-800-567-4400 grandvalley.com
The world’s population changes over time. | Source: www.worldometers.info
The most significant aspect is that this population growth is going to be in parts of the world, which like us, love pork! Typical Asian household preparing dinner African pork market
Ian Ross, President & CEO | David Ross, VP & CMO Martin Clunies, Ph.D. | Tom Reidy, M.Sc. | Adam Totafurno, M.Sc. | Youngji Rho, Ph.D., Monogastric Nutritionists Curtis Ebanks, Layout Editor
The bottom line is we need to accommodate, feed and look after 50% more pigs on the planet. Given the issues with politics, fewer people wiling to work with pigs, less arable land and global warming, the next 25 years is going to be the most challenging time the global pig industry has ever experienced. WHAT IDEAS CAN WE CONSIDER? Farm building design China is leading the way with new farm building design. While multistorey pig farming has been developing for the last 20 years, from 3 story open sides buildings in Thailand to 6 story buildings in Korea and using elevators to move the pigs from floor to floor, the development of pig hotels in China takes this revolution to a new level!
A 3000 sow Outdoor pig farm in 2 dimensions.
The modern pig hotel in China in 3 dimensions requiring less footprint.
One obvious advantage of this is that valuable agricultural land is not taken up when pig farms are in 3 dimensions. Farmed pigs live in buildings which are environmentally controlled. All modern concepts of welfare can be incorporated into these pig hotels. These enterprises are going to create a similar challenge to the pig industry as did the introduction of 3 site production from the States in the 1980’s. Many of these ideas are being driven by biosecurity and perimeter security, which is much easier in such accommodation, essential in a world with African Swine Fever. Canada must remain free from ASF so we can provide genetics and pork to Asia and the developing African market. These pig hotels are being placed in the mountain areas, but I think a better place is actually in a port. This provides great transport links, a modern sewage system to manage the manure but most importantly a source of people to work on the farm. Stockpeople- Time We need to value time, stockmanship and the people we employ. This has always been a primary concern, but I think as we become more and more professional with our staff we are going to have to incorporate time. How can you achieve more kg of pork will less time. How can we save time? The ideas to be explored: Farrowing • Stopping male castration and tail docking to save time. • Robotic cleaning Farrowing • Single serving and heat checking once a day. Wean to finish • Combining litters pre-weaning to improve social behaviour of the pigs. • More autosort and wean to finish so buildings are only washed 2 times per year. • More adoption of computer recording systems for feed and water usage. Medicines • The adoption of more needleless technologies to the entire vaccine range.
Feed •
The increase in human population is going to put great pressure on swine feed resources and moving to alternative protein from insect farming, I think is inevitable. • We need to consider the cost of feed conversion not growth rates. The pig was designed to turn poor quality feed into an excellent human food product. Genetics • I think genetic companies should only sell full length tail gilts and boars. This will force genetic companies to produce and select animals who have the correct temperament to be able to finish with whole tails. • Improve Feed Conversion and sell boars on FCR basis. The basis of single serving is to enhance our use of the very best boars. Carbon If we can reduce FCR by 0.1 this is 10 kg of feed less per 100 kg liveweight pig. For Canada producing 30 million pigs per year, this is a saving of 150,000 tonnes of feed a year. This would be a lot of trucks, which do not have to be driven and a considerable saving in carbon production. We must become much more carbon conscious to compete with poultry production, our number one competitor. Alternatives to meat? Vegan food. In the next 25 years there will be great advances in the production of nonmeat food. But 50 years ago it was soya and we are still waiting. The extra 3 billion people love pork and as they become more capable, they will want to eat more pork. While artificially reared meat will become a bigger reality, the next 25 years is not long enough. While the reduction in meat and pork in Canada is a feature of our developing society, I do not think this will be significant in Asia and Africa in this near future timeline. The next 25 years will be real exciting for all of us in pork production. The Canadian pig industry will lead the way in producing great food for the kids of today and tomorrow. Looking forward together.
STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE AND REDUCE LAMENESS IN SOWS
by: DR. YOUNGJI RHO, M.Sc., PHD Monogastric Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers
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t has been reported by PigChamp that the culling rate in Canada is approximately 40%, as shown in Figure 1. Sows are removed from their herd through voluntary or/and involuntary culling or sudden death. Lameness is one of the major issues when it comes to sow longevity, since it can result in removal of the sow, and impaired animal health and welfare. In addition, the pain and uncomfortableness from lameness affects sow mobility, which can negatively effect their feed intake (FI) and fertility causing an economic challenge to pig farmers. There are more concerns surrounding lameness as sow housing systems are being switched to loose housing systems that require more movement and interaction with other sows. Loose housing is related to higher incidents of lameness compared to individual stall systems due to the need by sows to establish a dominance hierarchy.
Swine Grist in detail in this article. Briefly, the hoof is composed of rigid keratin surrounding the wall and a sole/heel, although it is much more complex. In harder keratins of the wall, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) levels are greater than in the softer keratins found on the heels. To develop and maintain healthy bones and hooves, nutrients must be adequately supplied. When the supply of nutrients is not properly provided, legs and hooves will suffer as they will be more susceptible to getting damaged from physical, chemical, and microbial activities. Zinc, copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) have been known to play a key role in the process of keratinization. But other minerals and vitamins such as selenium (Se), vitamin A, D, E and biotin have been a great contributor in producing and preserving healthy keratinized tissues which translate to healthy hooves. Figure 1. Culling rate from 2017 to current (data adapted from PigChamp).
Lameness can be caused by many reasons. One of the main reasons is concrete flooring. In general, solid concrete, slatted concrete, or a combination of the two are used as a flooring material, and the abrasive concrete can cause hoof and leg injuries leading to lameness. Using bedding can lessen the frequency and severity of the injuries; however, more effort is required to maintain floor hygiene Group size is another reason for injuries that can result in lameness. More fighting and aggressive behavior have been seen in larger groups compared to smaller groups of sows. Fighting can cause hooves to get stuck in the slats causing injuries to the leg and hooves. In general, two types of housing systems can be seen; static group and dynamic group. A static group system keeps gestating sows together in the same group for the entire gestation. A dynamic group, on the other hand, is a larger group where sows are constantly introduced to new sows during gestation. Keeping sows in a smaller group or in a static group can reduce this issue. However, even in a static group system, aggressive behavior can be a challenge early on when grouping until their hierarchy is set. Yet, there are many farms running a dynamic housing system as it can be more flexible for space requirements and locating animals. In dynamic group systems, keeping the weekly mixing number small can reduce the incidence of fighting. If space allows, it has been found that grouping sows by their parities can help lessen the aggressiveness in the group. Nevertheless, in static or dynamic group, sow aggressiveness is inevitable as they must set their hierarchy overtime. To reduce the incident of fighting, fiber can be added to the diets. In general, sows in gestation are restricted fed to prevent them from getting too fat or skinny. This is because under or over-conditioned sows will have many issues (fertility, milk yield, piglet quality etc.) in the future. However, restricted feeding results in sows getting hungry, which makes them feel frustrated, making them more aggressive and competitive. Adding fiber sources can improve this as dietary fiber makes them feel more satiated for a prolonged time due to the better gut fill effect and delayed gastric transition. But it should be noted that different types of fiber (soluble vs insoluble) can act differently. In short, soluble fiber increases digesta viscosity, hydration properties, and digesta retention time, while insoluble fiber increases fecal bulk and decreases digesta retention time. This topic can be talked about in more detail in a later article. Sows that have long hooves have a greater risk of getting their hooves damaged or ripped off which can lead to infections causing a severe lameness. Hoof trimming can be beneficial, however, proper training, equipment and care is required when hoof trimming is attempted. In order to understand the importance of nutrition in reducing lameness, it is important to understand the structure and the regenerating mechanisms of bones and hooves. However, that will not be discussed
Nowadays, sows are hyper-prolific, and therefore they require much more minerals and vitamins than older genotypes. Consequently, these nutrients must be well provided. It is important to understand that nutrients can interact with each other, making them insoluble and unavailable for the animal to absorb. Chelated minerals are more likely to be soluble and have a greater digestibility than inorganic minerals. Thus, using chelated minerals in feed can ensure that the animals are absorbing adequate amounts. Calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D are critical when it comes to healthy bones. Insufficient amounts of Ca, P and vitamin D can result in poor bone quality. Deficiency in these can even result in bone fractures, rickets and osteomalacia which is a condition where bones become soft and weak. The availability of Ca in diets is fairly high, whereas P availability can vary depending on the ingredients used. This can be managed by using phytase, an enzyme which breaks down phytate P, making P more available. Vitamin D is also important as it regulates Ca absorption for bone formation and maintenance. Therefore, making sure that the sows are getting an adequate amount of these nutrients is essential. The requirements for Ca and P is highest during the late gestation and during lactation. Especially in lactation, as sows use their body reserves to mobilize Ca for milk production, it is important to make sure enough Ca and P is being provided to the animal. Checking their feed intake is also crucial during lactation. There may be enough nutrients in the feed, but if the sow does not eat, she will not get those nutrients. To have your sows eating during lactation, monitoring body condition during gestation is crucial. However, we must keep in mind that not just minerals, but also other nutrients such as proteins (amino acids) are also important. When protein (amino acids) is short, developing hooves may result in inefficient protein synthesis causing lameness. Among the amino acids, cysteine specifically has been found to play an important role in keratinisation. Hence, amino acid balance should also be looked at. Clearly nutrition plays a significant role in maintaining sows’ leg and hoof health. However, it is important to understand that lameness can be caused by many other factors as mentioned above. Simply walking the barn and monitoring the sows everyday can reduce the number of sows becoming lame as they can be treated before its too late.
grandvalley.com
FEED ADDITIVES MARKET COMMENTARY– OCTOBER 2022
by: MATT SCHOENMAKER Purchaser in Production, Grand Valley Fortifiers
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eptember has been a month of change in the market. Many suppliers of various goods have seen increases in activity after a slow summer. This is likely due to many different companies holding greater volumes of product, working to use it up before bringing in new inventory. Recent news suggests that Chinese cost-of-production has increased on several ingredients, meaning that due to inflation and increased costs of raw materials, it is unlikely that we’ll see a drop of prices previously seen before the pandemic on several ingredients. With that being said, we have still seen several ingredients drop in the past month. Below is more ingredient specific information on downs seen across the market. Downs: Overall, there has been a continued reduction in prices of amino acids over the past month. This is due to the delivery of ingredients spoken about earlier this year that were purchased at a lower value. However, we have already seen prices begin to turn and believe that prices could start to head up in the next few months. China is coming off a weeklong national holiday. It will be intriguing to see how pricing changes in the next few weeks coming out of these weeklong plant shutdowns. We will need to watch both the energy situation in Europe and the world’s response with regards to energy prices. Earlier in the week, we saw OPEC decrease oil supply by two million barrels a day, which will signal energy price increases, and likely more pricing increases in the future. It is possible that we run into an energy shortage this fall, causing cost-of-product to increase for several facilities, and potential supply limits on several products coming from overseas. This could have a large impact on several ingredients, including vitamins and amino acids. For the meantime however, producers will benefit from well-priced inventory. Vitamin B5 and Choline Chloride also saw strong decreases in price as demand for the product dropped. Minerals have not seen much of a change. Other Macro-Economic Factors: While many prices have dropped significantly, there are also some factors which have kept prices from dropping further. Recently, we have seen the Canadian dollar decrease in value quite significantly. This is due to two main reasons: the first being a strong US dollar, and the second being poor macro-economic numbers in Canada. These factors combined with strong inflation have caused our dollar to weaken impacting three significant ingredients, salt, dical, and sodium bicarbonate, all of which have seen minor increases in prices due to the exchange rate. Dical continues to sit at near record high prices as North American producers faced a 10% impact on supply after hurricane Ian hit Florida. China continues to face increasing pressure from several nations around the world with their political tone towards Taiwan. Nations such as the USA and Japan have recently put military ships in waters around the nation and we will be watching to see if and how shipping lanes could be affected by potential escalations. With many ingredients including amino acids, acidifiers and vitamins being manufactered in China, we will be watching this situation closely to see if it could affect availability of product.
JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR NEW SPECIALISTS TO OUR TEAM! OCTOBER 3RD We were very pleased to have Renee DeBruyn start with Grand Valley Fortifiers in the role of Monogastric Support Specialist. Renee was raised on a cash cropping operation in Ridgetown and her family also had a contract finishing barn. Upon completion of her degree at the University of Guelph in 2019, she then worked at Metzger Veterinary Services as their Swine Technician, helping clients RENEE DEBRUYN with barn support and CPE validation. Swine Support Specialist She also worked on the beef side of their business. In Renee’s role at Grand Valley Fortifiers, she will help our monogastric team by servicing our customers through mill calibrations, barn walks, sample submission etc. We are excited to have Renee on our team and welcome her agricultural experience and positive attitude. Our team members are very excited to see Renee further enhance and broaden the service they provide GVF customers.
Renee can be reached at:
reneedebruyn@grandvalley.com. Grand Valley Fortifiers is also pleased to have Aaron Lantz join our team in the role of Monogastric Specialist. Aaron was raised on a broiler operation near Petersburg, Ontario. Upon completion of his degree in Biochemistry at Redeemer University, Aaron missed his roots in farming and with a keen interest for agribusiness decided to look for job opportunities in the livestock feed AARON LANTZ sector. Aaron’s enthusiastic and positive Monogastric Sales attitude will be a great addition to our sales force, and we are looking forward Specialist to getting him more involved with our customers and prospects. We look forward to Aaron bringing his expertise in the poultry industry to our team. Aaron can be reached at: aaronlantz@grandvalley.com.
Thought for the Day Freely Give “Freely you have received, freely give.” | Matthew 10:8b When we begin to struggle in giving what we have to others, we have forgotten where we received our possessions. Every good thing we have ever received has come from God (James 1:17). All that we have acquired has been dependent upon His grace (1 Cor. 4:7) If you struggle to give freely to others, you have become more attached to the gift than to the Giver. The account of the rich young ruler shows the tragedy of becoming too attached to worldly treasures (Luke 8:18 – 24). Take time to reflect on all that you have been blessed with, and freely give. - Adapted from Experiencing God Day by Day, Henry T. Blackaby & Richard Blackaby