Finishing pigs - English edition

Mark Roozen grew up on a farm with pigs. He works as a pig vet in the region of the Netherlands with the highest density of pig farms, so he spends every day advising pork producers and encouraging them to make improvements. ‘Nothing is better than visiting a farm where everything is running smoothly, but if things need to be improved, I like the challenge.’ Besides his work as a vet, Roozen also runs the pig website www.3drie3.nl and supervises practical tests of new pharmaceutical products.

A practical guide to growth, health and behaviour

Foto: Els Korsten

Kees Scheepens and Jan Hulsen are the driving forces behind the Pig Signals® concept. As a researcher, international vet and pig breeder, Scheepens has a background that enables him to make practical knowledge about pigs accessible to other pig farmers. As a breeder, he keeps Berkshire pigs for their highly valued and flavourful meat. ‘My primary aim in breeding is the flavour of the meat. I enjoy raising pigs and I enjoy the delicious meat.’ On behalf of Pig Signals®, Scheepens provides on-farm training sessions and lectures.

Marleen Felius is a professional artist. ‘Since childhood I have been fascinated by farm animals.’ She has been painting works with cattle as the central focus since 1968. She also illustrates trade journals and books, including Pig Signals, Het Varken and Cow Signals. Felius travels the world collecting information about livestock breeds and types of animal husbandry. This resulted in the standard reference work Genus Bos: Cattle breeds of the world and De Koe.

PIGS ‘ Fe e d c o nv e r s io n is n’t e v e r y t hing .

Yo ur p ig s a ls o ha v e s o m e t hing t o s a y.

P a y a t t e nt io n t o t he ir s ig na ls .’

The top priorities for a pork producer are growth and feed conversion. But managing a finishing pig operation requires more than just providing good feed. Raising healthy, peaceful pigs is at least as important, and the livestock manager can also have a great deal of control over these aspects. His aim is not simply to ‘keep’ finishing pigs, but to get them to the proper weight as quickly and efficiently as possible. This means constant monitoring and control: identify snags in the operation and smooth them out before they turn into problems.

Achieving good results starts before housing the piglets. This means making deliberate choices beforehand: select a type of pig that is compatible with you and your farm, choose between liquid feed or dry feed and outline a veterinary health strategy.

The key to success is alert observation during your inspection rounds. Is the daily gain too slow? Do you see an arched back or a tear-stained snout? Are the pigs agitated? These signals can indicate problems. Don’t limit your observations to the pigs. The building and feed also provide signals. Do you feel a draught? Does the feed smell good?

Finishing Pigs shows that what you think is ‘normal’ does not always have to be normal. Some managers accept a few pigs with diarrhoea, while others do not.

What are your target values? Finishing Pigs is full of practical tips. It is clearly written and illustrated with informative photographs and beautiful drawings. After reading this book, you will be more alert and respond better to signals. And you will return to the barn with renewed energy!

Finishing Pigs is part of the Pig Signals® series.

Pig Signals® provides access to practical expertise for animal-oriented pig production.

PIG signals

®

P ig S ig n a ls Finishing Pigs is part of the Pig Signals concept.

Pig Signals® comprises a broad assortment of books and training programmes which have the aim of increasing the expertise of pig farmers. Group presentations and study club evenings are based on photographs, images and sounds from the daily practice of pig farmers. In an unconventional fashion, the participants in these meetings become actively involved in the presentation and their questions about the problems a pork producer encounters in daily practice are answered.

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

FINISHING

FINISHING PIGS

A bo ut t he a ut ho r s and the ar tis t

FinishinG

PIGS

P ig S ig n a ls in t e rn a tiona l Pig Signals® has also become a household name outside the Netherlands. Pig farmers are benefiting from this expertise via training programmes and books in countries including Germany, Austria, the UK and France.

For more information, please contact:

A practical guide to growth, health and behaviour

Mark Roozen Kees Scheepens www.roodbont.com

On-farm training sessions are also provided during which the participants learn about behavioural signals which they may not have noticed on their own farms.

The activities, for breeders as well as pork producers, have the following aims: • to help you really see your pigs and prevent ‘farm blindness’ • to show you how to include evaluations as part of your daily routine • to brush up your practical knowledge • to teach you how to work with check lists • to improve the performance of your pig herd

FarmulaOne Hogevleutweg 5 5681 PD Best The Netherlands T/F +31 (0)499 31 01 42 mobile +31 (0)6 12 50 79 34 E info@farmulaone.nl I www.farmulaone.nl

Credits Authors

Mark Roozen

Kees Scheepens Content editors

Dr. Steven Jagger (Pig nutritionist)

Dr. Rob ten Doeschate (Poultry Nutritionist) Translation

Charles Frink,

Language Centre Wageningen UR

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

English editors

Sue Stewart, Stewart Translations

Ian C. Anderson BVM&S MRCVS

P.O. Box 4103 7200 BC Zutphen The Netherlands T +31 (0)575 54 56 88 E info@roodbont.com I www.roodbont.com

Photography

Mark Roozen, Marrit van Engen

and Willem Hissink

Marcel Bekken (cover and p 38, 39, 40, 41)

Goruppa|Dreamstime (p 38),

Big Dutchman (p 41),

Pfizer Animal Health (p 39, 40)

Provieh (p 38) Illustrations

Marleen Felius

Design

Dick Rietveld, Erik de Bruin, Varwig Design

Special thanks to:

Klaas van Aken, Paul Bens, Piet Dirven, Marrit van Engen, Wouter van Herten, Jan van der Heijden, Wilbert Hilkens, Anita Hoofs, Jan Hulsen, Leo van Leengoed, Laurens van Lierop, Jan Manders, Paul Ottink, Hendrik Relou, Wout Rovers, Jan Smeijers, Harry Smits, Hans Spoolder, Peter van de Voorst, Alfred de Vries, Tijje de Vries, Nico Wertenbroek and many pig farmers, vets, feed consultants and others.

Hogevleutweg 5 5681 PD Best The Netherlands T/F +31 (0)499 31 01 42 E info@farmulaone.nl I www.farmulaone.nl

Š Mark Roozen/Roodbont Publishers B.V., 2012

No part of this book may be duplicated, photocopied, reprinted or reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The authors and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and completeness of information contained in this book. However, we assume no responsibility for damage, of any kind whatsoever, resulting from actions and/or decisions that are based on this information.

Pig SignalsÂŽ is a registered trademark of Dr. C.J.M. Scheepens Consultancy B.V. ISBN 978-90-87400-13-2

Introduction 4 1 Good preparation 6

3 Battle of the sexes; gilt – hog – boar 36

The difference

6

Machismo and women’s things

Farmer and finisher must be a good match

7

Castration, health and welfare

Choose your pig deliberately

8

Boar taint

Know yourself

9

Efficient growth costs quality

37 38 39

40

Always room for improvement

10

Butchers want gilts

Biosecurity: common sense

12

The right feed for the right animal

Preparing the unit

14

The day of arrival

15

4 The finish 42

Time to eat

16

Almost at the finish

42

Dry feed

16

Large temperature fluctuations

43

Liquid feed

17

Cold

43

Water

18

Climate control

44

Reduced water intake

19

Heat stress

46

Can you do something about it?

20

Ventilation systems

47

Who’s the boss?

21

Growth: lean and fat

48

Natural dominance order

21

To go or not to go?

49

21

Leaving the farm

50

The trip to the slaughterhouse

50

At the slaughterhouse

51

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Contents

A stimulating environment

2 Growing properly? 22 Rumbling in the belly

22

Keep on eating

23

Sick – dangerously sick – dead

24

No energy to grow

26

The lungs: oxygen for growth

27

The intestines: gateway to the body

28

But that’s not all…

29

Giving medication

30

The hospital pen

31

Pain

32

Seeing

33

Hearing

33

Touching

33

Alert stockman, healthy pigs

34

Work calm, work smart

35

40 41

Index 52

Introduction The pig behind the growth curve You will quickly get a return on the time invested. A great deal can still be achieved in pork production by the manager who pays attention to these signals.

This applies not only to pork producers, but also to the many advisors who visit the farm.

Look-think-act Look, think, act: you will be reminded of this crucial process throughout this book. Don’t nip out to make your inspection rounds while the kettle’s boiling, but really take the time you need. You also look in different ways: you observe signals with an open mind, look at the group as a whole, look at an individual animal and look at the details: legs, nose, hindquarters. But you also look at the building and the feed.

Successful pork production means working hard and looking carefully. But you don’t do this alone: the vet, feed consultant and other people will help you look.

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Pork producers are primarily concerned with efficient feed conversion and a good daily gain. But sometimes they forget that these are only two of the many criteria necessary for successful pork production.

Carcass quality, delivery strategy, housing and animal health are neglected, even though these aspects can be greatly improved by good management.

A good farm building is a major investment. It is a shame not to achieve the maximum possible yield from this investment. Good building preparation and high occupancy ensure good yields. Health care is another aspect that can never be given enough attention. Prevention is better than cure. Not to mention cheaper. If health problems can’t be prevented, then intervening in time will keep the disease in check. This not only saves you money but increases production. Pigs that are one week behind in growth result in a significant loss in production.

By focusing during your inspections, you are sure to notice everything.

‘Get off to a good start and you’re halfway there.’

brought in. This is also part of livestock management. After arrival, everything steps up a gear: all your senses must be open to signals until the lorry with the last batch of slaughter-ready pigs drives away from the farm.

After repeatedly paging through Finishing Pigs, you will perhaps look at your animals differently, think about what you see and act quickly and appropriately where necessary. But more than anything, you will enjoy your work even more and go into the barn with renewed energy!

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Not a handbook Finishing Pigs is not a handbook of production standards. There are other books for that. Finishing Pigs is a book to page through; it constantly reminds you that things can be improved and shows you where they can be improved. After all, you are the only one who can establish target values and procedures and implement them in practice.

This book follows the production cycle of finishing pigs. It deliberately begins with the phase before housing new piglets: starting with a well-conceived strategy. Once the strategy is clear, the building must be in perfect condition before the animals are

Growth-health-behaviour

For the pork producer, daily gain is the primary target and therefore the top priority, but this aspect is related very closely to health and behaviour. And these relationships work in both directions. An agitated group of pigs not only wastes energy; stressed pigs are also more susceptible to disease. Taking health as the starting point, it is clear that a sick animal has a lower daily gain. Disease can in turn also be determined from behaviour. Finally, growth also affects the other two aspects: underdeveloped pigs have lower disease resistance and heavier animals are generally more dominant in the group. The triangle can be approached from any one of the three starting points.

Health

Growth

Behaviour

CHAPTER 1

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Good preparation

The successful pork producer has a good business, with good profits and low

costs. But to achieve this, he has to make well-considered choices. These are the basis not only for sound long-term results, but also for each production cycle: choice of bloodline, analysis of the delivered pigs from the previous production cycle and good preparation of the production facility.

The difference

Theoretically, the finishing pig is the ultimate grower, producing one kilogram of growth for every 2.2 kg of feed. And the sow? She can theoretically raise 30 piglets per year. How is it that the breeder can come close to the maximum technically feasible results, while the finishing pig producer usually falls short?

The fixed housing costs in sow farming are high.

Producing large numbers of piglets ensures a lower percentage of fixed costs per piglet. In finishing pig production, the variable costs (feed and piglet) are the most important. The finishing pig producer therefore usually calculates the feed profit per finished pig: feed conversion has the highest priority. However, this

6

Placing good – and especially healthy – piglets is the most important step for a successful production round. Carefully inspect the piglets upon arrival.

calculation does not consider the actual daily gain.

A better indicator would be the margin over feed per finishing pig place, which would also take account of stocking density in addition to daily gain.

In addition, sow farming (breeding) has been a specialised sector for many years. Finishing pigs were, and still are, often a secondary source of income, where the most important consideration is producing a batch of pigs easily. Sow farmers (breeders) often work with indicators and therefore consistently improve their results. Finishing pig producers use indicators less often.

Finishing P i gs

Farmer and finisher must be a good match

Are the piglets purchased from one or more farmers?

Bringing together piglets from different farmers on a single farm always leads to problems. Screen the supplier carefully, especially regarding health status. This effort quickly pays off.

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

The farmer lays the foundations for the finishing pigs’ performance, so a close relationship between farmer and finisher is important. For example, vaccinations or antibiotic treatments should never be stopped without mutual consultation, even though this frequently happens. The finishing pig producer must know which bloodlines are used and be fully informed about the farmer’s situation. For example, if the farmer is having problems with weaning, a different strategy could be called for when the piglets are placed on the finishing unit. In order to maintain a good ‘marriage’ between farmer and finisher, the farmer must be interested in the success of the finishing pigs: they must stay together for the sake of the children.

However, if you do purchase piglets from different farmers, you will have fewer disease problems if you keep these piglets separated. Keep piglets from different farmers in different units or buildings.

Problems are as big as you let them become. Make sure the piglets are healthy. Additional keywords are: solve problems without delay, use preventative techniques and provide good nutrition. A pig that remains healthy until slaughter can always earn a profit if it is fed properly.

C h ap t e r 1 : G o o d p re p a rati o n

7

Choose your pig deliberately primarily on management or, more precisely, professionalism. A true professional can feed a pig, even one with an extremely high feed intake capacity, in such a way that the lean percentage always meets high standards (We believe the English standards to be very high!).

Pig breeds are distinguished according to feed intake capacity, where lines with high or low intake capacities have specific advantages and characteristics. Every bloodline therefore requires a different approach. However, good technical results can be achieved with every bloodline; this depends

Needs & Characteristics of a finishing pig bloodline La r ge

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d Sma ll

• High-energy feed • Feed with average protein • Needs average temperature • Requires good care • Average medication requirement • Less fat, less lean

F eed in take

L ean poten tial

La r ge

• Low-energy feed • Feed with extra protein • Needs average temperature • Requires good care • Average medication requirement • More fat, extra lean

cap acity

• Low-energy feed • Feed with average protein • Needs lower temperature • Requires average care • Low medication requirement • More fat, less lean

• High-energy feed • Feed with extra protein • Needs higher temperature • Requires extra care • Higher need for medication • Less fat, extra lean

Sma ll

The customer is always right!

The choice of breed depends on your market. All markets demand good quality, but preferences differ. For the Dutch market, the cuts of meat must fit into the retail packaging and produce little drip. The Belgian market prefers big hams which hang at the butchers and are sliced to order.

Youth hostel or five-star hotel? Every breed has a preference. A new building like this one with good climate control is suitable for a sensitive pig, a type that would perform poorly under suboptimal conditions. Consider the conditions on your farm and choose the bloodline with this in mind.

8

Finishing P i gs

Know yourself A generalist is capable of working in a very perfectionist fashion, but this is harder for him than for a perfectionist. On the other hand, it requires more effort from a perfectionist to deal with the big picture; he runs the risk of drowning in details.

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Like every pig, the pork producer also has a predetermined behaviour pattern. This behaviour can be broken down into various classifications, such as generalist or perfectionist. A perfectionist deals well with individual animals, while the generalist tends to prefer group treatments.

A perfectionist works very precisely when dealing with feed composition and intake. He observes even the smallest change in the pigs.

Everyone has a different business style based on their degree of focus on professionalism or technology. This involves personality and motivation. Do you aim for the latest technical advances or the best technical results? Are you more of a stockman who takes good care of his pigs? Or do you aim for a financial result, as a calculating entrepreneur?

There are two basic types of business style: • Competition: achieving targets has priority.

• Care provision: fulfilling needs is the primary motivation, the needs of the businessman’s family or his pigs.

The Stockman prioritises the needs of the pigs.

The farm is designed to provide the best welfare for the pigs. He prefers bedding the animals on straw or giving them access to an outdoor pen.

The Family man is motivated by the family farm.

The family has traditionally had a pig farm, and he is going to uphold that tradition. His aim is to have a business with a balance between family life and work. Mid-sized farms are often of this type.

The Professional wants to control the pig. The farm must operate perfectly. How can I achieve maximum daily gain? Which diseases can I eliminate? He invests in increased production: good piglets, good feed. His aim is to achieve maximum performance from the finishing pig.

'The Professional' technical aims

COMPETITION focus on achieving aims

'Family man'

'The Entrepreneur'

family needs

Focus on technology

Business style

A generalist is able to use simple tools to aid his work.

A ‘handful’ of antibiotic medication is too imprecise; the cap of an aerosol could be a solution. If you write down how many grams of each type of antibiotic fit into the cap, you have an exact volumetric measurement.

financial aims

CARE PROVISION focus on fulfilling needs

'The Stockman' animal needs

The Entrepreneur focuses on factors outside the pig. Where can I get feed at the lowest cost?

What is the best market? He invests in innovation. Profit is his aim.

Focus on professionalism Adapted from M. Commandeur, 2003

C h ap t e r 1 : G o o d p re p a rati o n

9

FINISHING

Mark Roozen grew up on a farm with pigs. He works as a pig vet in the region of the Netherlands with the highest density of pig farms, so he spends every day advising pork producers and encouraging them to make improvements. ‘Nothing is better than visiting a farm where everything is running smoothly, but if things need to be improved, I like the challenge.’ Besides his work as a vet, Roozen also runs the pig website www.3drie3.nl and supervises practical tests of new pharmaceutical products.

A practical guide to growth, health and behaviour

Marleen Felius is a professional artist. ‘Since childhood I have been fascinated by farm animals.’ She has been painting works with cattle as the central focus since 1968. She also illustrates trade journals and books, including Pig Signals, Het Varken and Cow Signals. Felius travels the world collecting information about livestock breeds and types of animal husbandry. This resulted in the standard reference work Genus Bos: Cattle breeds of the world and De Koe.

‘ Fe e d c o nv e r s io n is n’t e v e r y t hing .

Yo ur p ig s a ls o ha v e s o m e t hing t o s a y.

P a y a t t e nt io n t o t he ir s ig na ls .’

PIG signals

®

P ig S ig n a ls Finishing Pigs is part of the Pig Signals concept.

Pig Signals® comprises a broad assortment of books and training programmes which have the aim of increasing the expertise of pig farmers. Group presentations and study club evenings are based on photographs, images and sounds from the daily practice of pig farmers. In an unconventional fashion, the participants in these meetings become actively involved in the presentation and their questions about the problems a pork producer encounters in daily practice are answered.

The top priorities for a pork producer are growth and feed conversion. But managing a finishing pig operation requires more than just providing good feed. Raising healthy, peaceful pigs is at least as important, and the livestock manager can also have a great deal of control over these aspects. His aim is not simply to ‘keep’ finishing pigs, but to get them to the proper weight as quickly and efficiently as possible. This means constant monitoring and control: identify snags in the operation and smooth them out before they turn into problems.

C o pr py ot ri ec gh te t d

Foto: Els Korsten

Kees Scheepens and Jan Hulsen are the driving forces behind the Pig Signals® concept. As a researcher, international vet and pig breeder, Scheepens has a background that enables him to make practical knowledge about pigs accessible to other pig farmers. As a breeder, he keeps Berkshire pigs for their highly valued and flavourful meat. ‘My primary aim in breeding is the flavour of the meat. I enjoy raising pigs and I enjoy the delicious meat.’ On behalf of Pig Signals®, Scheepens provides on-farm training sessions and lectures.

PIGS

FINISHING PIGS

A bo ut t he a ut ho r s and the ar tis t

Achieving good results starts before housing the piglets. This means making deliberate choices beforehand: select a type of pig that is compatible with you and your farm, choose between liquid feed or dry feed and outline a veterinary health strategy.

The key to success is alert observation during your inspection rounds. Is the daily gain too slow? Do you see an arched back or a tear-stained snout? Are the pigs agitated? These signals can indicate problems. Don’t limit your observations to the pigs. The building and feed also provide signals. Do you feel a draught? Does the feed smell good?

Finishing Pigs shows that what you think is ‘normal’ does not always have to be normal. Some managers accept a few pigs with diarrhoea, while others do not.

What are your target values? Finishing Pigs is full of practical tips. It is clearly written and illustrated with informative photographs and beautiful drawings. After reading this book, you will be more alert and respond better to signals. And you will return to the barn with renewed energy!

Finishing Pigs is part of the Pig Signals® series.

Pig Signals® provides access to practical expertise for animal-oriented pig production.

FinishinG

PIGS

P ig S ig n a ls in t e rn a tiona l Pig Signals® has also become a household name outside the Netherlands. Pig farmers are benefiting from this expertise via training programmes and books in countries including Germany, Austria, the UK and France.

For more information, please contact:

A practical guide to growth, health and behaviour

Mark Roozen Kees Scheepens www.roodbont.com

On-farm training sessions are also provided during which the participants learn about behavioural signals which they may not have noticed on their own farms.

The activities, for breeders as well as pork producers, have the following aims: • to help you really see your pigs and prevent ‘farm blindness’ • to show you how to include evaluations as part of your daily routine • to brush up your practical knowledge • to teach you how to work with check lists • to improve the performance of your pig herd

FarmulaOne Hogevleutweg 5 5681 PD Best The Netherlands T/F +31 (0)499 31 01 42 mobile +31 (0)6 12 50 79 34 E info@farmulaone.nl I www.farmulaone.nl