SVC Newsletter – Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – September 2020

Helping your grow-finish pigs grow

Average daily gain (ADG) is clearly one of the key profit drivers in the grow-finish production phase. When paying rent for space, it becomes obvious that the faster we can help them to grow, the quicker they get to market and then we can put another animal in their spot.

The following are a few ideas that could help to ensure that we’re maximizing average daily gain:

Genetics: We’re paying for genetics to maximize growth. Therefore, we should give them every opportunity to reach their full potential.

Pen Size: There have been a number of studies showing that pen size is related to average daily gain. The smaller the pen size, the better the ADG. It’s possible that you may be able to improve your ADG by dividing your larger pens into smaller pen sizes.

Feed Outages: This point is quite obvious but there’s research that for every feed outage, we lose ½ pound per pig. Therefore, the key to growth is to have feed in front of the pigs at all times.

Feeders: When considering ADG, making sure the pigs get enough feed is important. Proper feeder adjustment should be made a priority and monitored when doing routine daily chores. Feeder adjustments will vary according to pig age as well as the type of diet being fed (mash/pellet, wet/dry). Feeders should likewise be checked daily to ensure they are not plugged. Also, feeder pans should have only good quality feed. Pigs won’t eat even the most palatable ration if its old, moldy or has been soiled with feces or urine.

Feeder Space: In our business, we are always looking for the most cost-effective solutions. Feeder space can be expensive therefore we want enough with nothing wasted. The National Swine Nutrition Guide recommends two inches of feeder space per pig when feeding a mash diet.

There are other things that factor into the feeder space equation. The type of feed being offered also makes a difference. Pigs will generally consume wet feed faster than dry which will free up feeder space. They will also eat pelleted feed faster than mash. Another point to consider is it is in a pig’s nature to want other pigs next to them while eating, just like when the sow calls the pigs to nurse. Therefore, there needs to be room for the hungry pig as well as his buddies.

Keep Them Cool: We know that keeping pigs cool in the summertime can help them gain. Misters will help cool pigs in the heat and resulting in improved ADG. With the summer heat behind us, the cooler fall temperatures will be on our side. Making sure we have the right temperature and ventilation for them will keep their intake up and maximize ADG.

Sorting by Size: There has been some research done that by NOT sorting by size, you can improve average daily gain. If you put all the big pigs together and all the small pigs together when loading pens, its been shown that average daily gain will drop. Pigs want to find natural variation within the pen. Only sort off the extremely small pigs to give them better opportunities so they don’t lose ground to the group average.

Continually Strive to Improve Nutrition: Work with your nutritionist to ensure that the energy and lysine in the diet is up to the correct levels. It’s been noticed as genetics have improved, we may not have kept up with lysine requirements of these fast growing pigs. These levels will need to be evaluated continuously in order to maximize ADG. Research barn trials can help you evaluate different diets to discover what will work best.

Pig Space: ADG can also be linked to pig space. You may have to be careful when considering pig space because there comes a point of diminishing returns. It’s more expensive to provide extra pig space and it may not always pay back with improved average daily gain.

Health: One of the biggest drivers of average daily gain is health. Continuing to strive to eliminate diseases on the sow farms, as well as correctly vaccinating your pigs, greatly improves ADG. Work with your Swine Vet Center veterinarian to see what diseases can be easily controlled and/or eliminated.

Fall checklist for hog buildings

Item	Ideal date to complete	Completed	Initials
Check manure pit levels weekly	9/1
(>1′ clearance at pump for proper ventilation)	9/15
Clean fans	9/15
Fix shutters	9/15
Recondition pit fans	9/15
Curtains should be even	9/15
No sags in curtains	9/15
Repair holes in curtains	9/15
Blow out heaters	9/15
Heaters need to be ready to run and should be tested	9/15
Check LP level
Completely clean out feed bins	9/15
Clean soffit screens	9/15
Clean pit fans and louvers	9/30
Repair and clean inlets	9/30
Reset alarm Hi/Lo settings	9/30
Check approach around chute and front door to make sure of proper height for winter	9/30
Set ventilation controller for winter settings	10/1
Bubble wrap ready for curtains if wean to finish	10/15
Have covers ready for fans	10/15
Pick up around the building	10/15
Final mowing	10/15
Refill bait stations	10/15
Snow fence if needed	10/30
Plan for snow removal	10/30
Flags for LP tank, well, pit fans, etc	10/30
Pit covers should be tight	11/15
Curtains sealed tight, check and lubricate curtain machine	11/15
Plastic for sealing fans	11/15

To download a printable version of this chart, click here.

Swine Vet Center Veterinarians in the Spotlight

Due to COVID 19, the 2020 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, a global swine industry educational event, was held virtually this year.

Dr. Paul Yeske gave two presentations at this year’s conference. “The swine producer’s and veterinarian’s response to COVID-19” and “Taking advantage of COVID-derived interventions to improve health”. Dr. Paul also presented a poster entitled “Evaluation of Shedding and Effect on Pig Performance of Prevacent™ PRRS Vaccine”.

Dr. Alyssa Betlach presented a poster entitled “Effect of tulathromycin treatment on Mycoplasma hyopneumonia detection and infectious potential”.

Dr. Betlach also published an article in Veterinary Microbiology entitled “Natural transmission and detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in a naïve gilt population”. The article abstract can be seen here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32891949/

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – August 2020

Manure pits are pushing the limits

With the bad weather some sites experienced both last fall and this spring, some areas have had challenges getting pits pumped. The SVC veterinarians have noted that this, as well as other factors, has led to many very full pits already this summer.

Over full pits are a big problem. Once the manure level gets too high in deep pitted barns, it begins to restrict ventilation from the pit through the pit fans. This becomes a health concern as air quality is reduced and can potentially be deadly if additional sources of ventilation are not locked on (as in the case of wall fans) or locked open (as in the case of curtains).

The following are some of the factors that can lead to full pits this time of year.

Solids build up on the bottom of the pit

Solids left in the bottom of the pit can build up over time, reducing the effective capacity of the pit and leaving valuable nutrients in the pit instead of getting them out onto your fields to be used as fertilizer. Keys to getting all of the solids out of the pit include:
- Good agitation while pumping is critical to get things moving and suspend the solids so that they can be pumped out.
- Pit additives can also help to promote good bacterial growth in the pit, leading to fewer solids as well as fewer issues with crusting on the surface of the manure which can lead to more flies in the barn.
- A good time to include pit additives is when you are finishing agitation since there is less volume and the agitation will help spread out the product.
- Additional pit additive should then be added at regular intervals to help maintain a healthy pit.

Water wastage

Some of the newer style pan waterers have helped to reduce water wastage compared to the older style cups and nipples. They can also be helpful for starting weaned pigs since there is water available even if that pig has not learned to work the nipple yet.
Water pressure regulators help to maintain the correct pressure to reduce water wastage and also regulate water flow. Recommended pressures vary depending on what drinker is being used.

Cool cell leakage

Using timers on cool cells reduces the amount of water that is needed to run the evaporative cooling system.
Timers also increase airflow through the cool cell pad when the water is off, leading to better ventilation rates and cooler sows.
Leakage at any point in the evaporative cooling system also contributes to additional water in the pit.

Rainwater

Rainwater can find its way into pits, adding to pumping costs and reducing capacity. Dirt work is an important part of the process to keep extra water out of the pits.
Once a new barn is completed and the dirt has had time to settle around the pit, additional dirt will be needed for backfill to create a slope that will drain water away from the pit.
Bait boxes should be added every 50-100′ around the perimeter of the building to discourage rodents.
- Bait boxes should be checked and refilled monthly.
- If you maintain a log when this is done, it will also satisfy the requirements for PQA.

Pit pump-out covers

Pit pump-out covers can allow rainwater coming off the roof steel to end up in the pit if they are not designed and sealed correctly.
Ideally the covers should be sloped so water runs off the covers away from the barn.
The new one-piece plastic pump-out covers eliminate leakage through the cover itself.
Adding support under the back of the cover (next to the barn) will prevent sagging in the back that leads to rainwater running towards the barn and into the pit.
Seal the edges of the cover with caulk, foam, or blackjack to prevent water and air from getting in.
- On filtered farms this is critical to prevent unfiltered air from entering the pit.
- This also helps unfiltered barns ventilate correctly by forcing all of the air the pit fan moves to come from the pit and not from leakage around the edges of the cover.
A 120′ wide 2400-head wean to finish barn with eight 6′ wide pump-outs could potentially add 1″ of water to the pit from a 6″ rain if the water runs off the roofline onto the pump-out covers and then into the pit. This is over 10,000 gallons of water going into the pit that you need to pay to pump out.
Transitions must also be sealed tightly to the wall of the pit to prevent standing rainwater from running into the pit.
Foaming pits will also reduce capacity and can be dangerous since the foam is made up of flammable gasses that can cause fires if ignited, especially when barns are empty and foam levels increase.
- Be especially careful when welding or doing other repairs when barns are empty.
  - If foaming is an issue, there are some potential pit additives that can help.
  - There is also speculation that Skycis® (an ionophore) fed to pigs can help reduce foaming of pits.

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – July 2020

Insect control

Although recent weather has been hot and at times dry, periods of wet, cooler weather provides a perfect environment for flies and mosquitos to live and breed around barns. An increase in mosquito populations bring with it an increased frequency of bites and the risk of carcass trim that can be costly. Flies are a nuisance and have the potential of spreading diseases. Several options are available for insect control in and around our swine barns. Before considering insecticides, work on managing the environmental factors that allow insect breeding.

Keep grass around barns mowed short
Eliminate standing water around the site
Run curtains up routinely (weekly) to eliminate pooled water
Shut-off night lights in the barn
Consider agitating pit if a considerable crust exists
Have adequate material to cover carcasses in compost bays
Clean-up feed spills outside and inside the barn

Insecticides are also an important part of a fly and mosquito control program. Several options are available. Consider the following:

House flies and fruit flies

Insect growth regulators (IGR) disrupt the molting process, which is essential for fly life. IGR’s are used to treat the pit, where the fly life cycle is most often taking place.

Neporex – for pit application

Dry scatter granules and wash into pit: 1 pound per 200 sq. ft.
Pouring into pit: 1 pound/gallon of water per 200 sq. ft

Clarifly – for in-feed application

Follow label directions for complete swine diet

Outside barn application

Optimate^® CS as a residual spray on surfaces where adult flies rest.

Mixing Rate: 1 oz. of Optimate® CS/gallon water.
One gallon will spray approximately 1000 square feet. Apply as a residual spray using a backpack sprayer. Make sure that the spray does not drift into the building when animals are present inside.

Tempo SC to spray the perimeter of the building.

Mixing Rate: 16 ml of Tempo SC/gallon water
Apply around the perimeter of the building. One gallon will spray approx. 1000 square feet.

Inside barn application

Microcare 3% CS—Apply to pigs and on barn surfaces as a light mist.

Mixing Rate: 4 oz. Microcare/gallon water
Apply ULD BP-100 to pigs and on barn surfaces.
Mixing Rate: Undiluted; apply at a rate of 1 oz./1,000 cubic feet.

Mosquitoes

Outside barn application

Tempo SC— spray outside the barn a couple weeks prior to topping if mosquitoes are an issue. Sites may need to be sprayed weekly until the site is closed out.

Mixing Rate: 16 ml Tempo/gallon of water
Apply around the perimeter of the building. One gallon will spray approximately 1000 sq. ft.

Inside barn application

Microcare 3% CS— Apply to pigs and on barn surfaces as a light mist.

Mixing Rate: 4 oz. Microcare/gallon water

Stryker™ Insecticide Concentrate for use on barn surfaces as a light mist

Mixing Rate: Mix 2 fluid ounces Stryker™ Insecticide Concentrate/gallon water

Supply Decontamination

Supply entry into a farm has always presented a biosecurity risk. Over time, multiple methods to attempt full disinfection of these supplies have been used. Fogging supplies with a disinfectant is a common practice used by farms to decontaminate supplies¼ although it may not be as effective as we all perceive it to be. Recent work presented in the student session at the 2020 AASV meeting, reviewed the fogging of supplies and showed that this practice does not apply full coverage of disinfectant on the surfaces of supplies.

In brief, three fogging procedures were compared to hand-spraying supply surfaces

1. 1. 1. A single Hurricane fogger
    2. A single Fogmaster fogger
    3. Two Hurricane foggers running simultaneously

A decontamination room was used that included 3-tier shelving for box placement
Foggers in the room were set up to create a disinfection cloud within the room and run for a 10-minute cycle
Colored dye was applied with the fogger and a percentage of surface coverage was measured with an imaging software program.

The manual application through a hand-sprayer was able to achieve a 95% coverage of all surfaces compared to the two Hurricane fogger method (57%) and the single Hurricane fogger and single Fogmaster fogger (40% and 24% respectively).

This study shows that creating a disinfectant fog within a decontamination room does a poor job in completely covering all surfaces of supplies with disinfectant. Considerations to increase the success of supply disinfection should include hand-application of disinfectant or updating supply entry procedures that allow supplies to be exposed to heating and a holding time before entered into the farm.

Leuck K, et al. Evaluation of location and fogger type on disinfectant surface area coverage of supplies entering a commercial sow farm. Student Research Presentations, 51 Am Assoc Swine Vet Annual Meeting. 2020;58.

Animal Health Product Updates

Manufacturing issues for many swine health products over the year has led to several backorders. An update on products that have recently become available again includes:

Tylan 200 is now available
Injectable Oxytetracycline is now available
Short-acting penicillin is now available

Work with your Swine Vet Center veterinarian to review treatment protocols and discuss where these antibiotics fit into your herd health management.

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – June 2020

Summer ventilation tips

Hot weather can be difficult and even dangerous for hogs if cooling systems are not functioning properly. Fans, cooling systems (such as misters), backup generators and alarms, all need routine testing and maintenance to ensure they perform when needed. The following are some suggestions for things to monitor so your pigs stay cool when the weather gets hot.

Fans and inlets

Ensure all fans are working. Check fan belts and replace any that are slipping. Loose belts will decrease fan efficiency. Winter bandwidths are often set to 1.5-2F for variable speed stages in the winter. Moving these down to 1F in the summer will begin cooling pigs sooner when the temperature increases.
Winter bandwidths are often set to 1.5-2F for variable speed stages in the winter. Moving these down to 1F in the summer will begin cooling pigs sooner when the temperature increases.
Make sure fans are clean. Dirty fan housings and shutters greatly decreases fan efficiency.
Sweep bird netting on attic eaves to avoid air restriction in attic space.
Iowa Pork Industry Center resources on ventilation: https://www.ipic.iastate.edu/facilities.html

Emergency Backup Systems

Emergency Curtain drops – test curtain drops regularly. Manually cut power to ensure magnets release, winches free-wheel, and curtains drop without hanging up. Also ensure the emergency curtain drop backup thermostat is functional and set to 95-100F.
Emergency backup thermostats – test fan backup thermostats by adjusting temperature below ambient temp while watching for fans to cycle on.
Test standby generators weekly – Most generators are set to automatically test run weekly. However, this does not always mean they will function as intended in a power outage. To ensure proper function, simulate a power outage by cutting power to the site and monitor that automatic transfer switches function to bring on the generator. Testing generator under full load of fans and feedlines would be advised.

Cooling Systems

Misters are an effective method of cooling for finishing pigs. It’s important to remember that pigs are cooled by water evaporating from their skin, not from cool water being applied to them. If pigs are not allowed to dry, they will not cool. The goal of misting pigs is to wet surfaces and allow them to dry and achieve evaporative cooling. Typical mister settings intervals of 3 minutes
on, and 27 minutes off will accomplish this.
Stir fans are important to aiding evaporative cooling in naturally ventilated barns. Ensure stir fans work and are set to turn on at no higher than 85°F for
finishing pigs.
Tunnel ventilation settings — Tunnel ventilation can be locked out in the controller by setting minimum age. In extreme heat, this will prevent barns from entering tunnel ventilation, causing temperatures to reach dangerous levels with only attic ventilation.
Cool cells — Wet cool cell pads reduce air-flow into the barn. Set timers to allow cool cell to be on long enough to completely wet the pads and off long enough so that the pads dry-out before another on cycle starts.

For more information on hot weather cooling, please contact your Swine Vet Center veterinarian.

Prepare your herd for seasonal infertility!

We are currently in the seasonal infertility period. This period is typically the time of year when it’s more difficult to keep
sows pregnant. The time frame is usually from Week 29 to Week 40 of the year. Heat is the biggest factor among several
contributors including decreasing photoperiod during weeks 34-40. Here are some tips to help decrease the impact of
seasonal infertility:

Manage lactation feed intake — Decreased feed intake during lactation can lead to a prolonged return to estrus. Sows that return to heat >7 days post weaning are more likely to have a lower conception/farrowing rate. Maximizing feed consumption during lactation can decrease this impact.
Supplemental cooling systems — Ensure cool cells are functioning properly and/or dripper systems are working. Supplemental cooling will encourage sows to eat during summer heat.
Gilt supply — Take added steps to ensure an ample supply of gilts are available during this timeframe to take the place of weaned sows that may not have cycled.
Increase breed target in weeks 29-40 — A 2-5% increase in breed target can help compensate for the dip in conception rate and farrowing rate. Use your farm records to determine when a dip in conception is typically occurring and increase breed target accordingly. Monitor conception rate weekly and adjust breed target as needed.
Manage fallout — With decreased farrowing rate will come increased fallouts to manage. When identified, move these sows to the opportunity row or cull
accordingly. Be diligent with 30 and 60 day preg checks. Do visual checks at 70-90 days bred.

Planning ahead for this yearly challenge can help to maintain the continuity on your farms and avoid any shortfalls in production. Any questions, contact a Swine Vet Center veterinarian. They’ll be happy to help you.

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – May 2020

SVC Veterinarians — Helping to lead the way through the Coronavirus crisis

The hog industry is facing unprecedented times with the closures of packing plants leading to a severe back up of hogs to be processed in the United States. SVC veterinarians strive to be leaders in times of crisis.

Dr. Tim Loula with Sanford Health has developed a testing algorithm to try to best understand the health status of packing plant workers, and keep the plants open. (See the most recent article in the Farm Journal where Dr. Loula describes using our knowledge of herd immunity and testing to keep plants open or get them back up and running. Herd Immunity in Pigs: A Case Study for Getting America Back to Work. )

As a follow up article for the Farm Journal, Dr. Loula describes the pig industry’s experience with a Chinese Coronavirus, PEDv. The pig industry utilized herd immunity to eliminate PED from sow farm populations. Dr. Loula describes PCR vs. antibody testing (ELISA) in this article and how we can further utilize antibody testing to our advantage.

Click here to read the article.

Click to enlarge

Drs. Brad Leuwerke and Jake Schwartz led a webinar sponsored by the National Pork Board, “COVID–19, Tools for Managing the Current Situation”. It is a tough decision that producers have to make when they decide to euthanize pigs. Drs. Leuwerke and Schwartz provided insight on how this could be done humanely and effectively.

Dr. Jordan Graham has written a proposal to the states of Minnesota and Iowa for support of a swine mass depopulation plan. This plan would provide a safe and humane option for producers to have market hogs euthanized and disposed of in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. It would also act as the accounting piece in anticipation of a Federal Indemnity Program.

Dr. Paul Yeske along with NPPC and AASV submitted a proposal which could help turn a negative situation for the industry into a positive one. We do not see the packing plants returning to 100% for the foreseeable future, which leaves us with too many pigs and not enough shackle space. If producers are forced to make the decision to euthanize market weight animals, could we turn it into a positive for the industry by possibly reducing disease pressure? They are suggesting just that by developing a program similar to the Accelerated Pseudorabies Eradication Program from the 90’s (APEP). The culling could be targeted towards herds with chronic diseases.

If forced to make the decision to remove swine herds, AASV is encouraging farmers to work with their veterinarians whenever possible and strategically remove populations or herds that have long-term active health problems from endemic diseases. The industry goal of this targeted effort would be to help improve the overall herd health of the entire swine industry. Endemic diseases pose a significant loss in performance and increased vaccination and medication cost to farmers. Minimizing disease challenges also enhances animal wellbeing.

Ideally the industry would be able to work cooperatively with USDA APHIS to structure a program similar to what was used in the Accelerated Pseudorabies Elimination Program (APEP) to help fund this. But with government funding still uncertain, we need to act on our own for now.

Other COVID-19 Resources

Dr. Brad Freking of New Fashion pork lays out nicely the status of the pork industry and the importance of testing 100% of the packing plant employees. In this podcast, Dr. Freking reveals some preliminary results of these tests. 2400 total employees were tested at Triumph Foods. Of the 2400, 750 of the samples have been tested and results revealed 71 COVID-19 PCR positives. The most interesting piece of information is that 90% of those individuals that tested positive, did not have any clinical signs of COVID-19.

Swine Vet Center New Arrivals

In the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s a pleasure to get to report some happy news!

It’s a Boy for Tina and Levi Witte!

Henry James Witte arrived March 26, 2020 weighing in at 8lbs. 2 ounces and 21 3/4 inches long. Baby Henry has already begun sleeping through the night and loves when big brother Charley gets to hold him. Showing early signs of being quite the adventurer, Henry also enjoys going for stroller rides. Congratulations Tina and Levi.

Dr. Ryan and Sarah Strobel Welcome a Baby Boy

Jack Donavin Strobel arrived Sunday, April 11, 2020, weighing 7 pounds, 1 ounce, 19″ long. As you can imagine, big brother Levi (2) was quite excited to finally get to meet and hold his new little brother and will surely be a big help in taking care of baby Jack. Congratulations Ryan and Sarah!

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – April 2020

Tough times don’t last but tough people do

The swine industry is seeing downward economic trends and prices. We are starting to see packing plants slow down due to COVID-19 cases which is causing backups in production and grow finish space. Labor on our farms is concerning if we start to see positive cases within a farm. We as an industry are using many strategies to manage through these challenging times.

Loads and space availability

Loads are backing up and some producers are having loads canceled right now that would normally be heading to market. Many producers are intentionally slowing pigs down on ADG. There is a wide variety of strategies to accomplish this but here are a few we are hearing about today:

Warm up room temperatures to 72-76 degrees F.
Less square feet/pig
Increasing minerals to slow intake (calcium chloride, monosodium phosphate)
Adding fiber to reduce growth (DDGs if available, or soy hulls)
Tightening up feeders to reduce intake.

Be sure to discuss with your nutritionist/SVC veterinarian to come up with a plan that makes sense for your system.

Sow farm/ Grow finish labor

Farm workers are considered essential employees and we are working hard as an industry to keep a safe food supply during these uneasy times. Sow farms are doing several things to reduce transmission from employee to employee, such as:

Staggering entry times into farms so employees aren’t gathering before the shower.
Staggering break times and spreading out tables in the break room.
Disinfecting tables/counters after every use and at the end of the day. Disinfecting the entire office daily and fumigating weekly.
Educating all employees on how the virus spreads.
Making sure employees are following the stay at home order to reduce exposure outside of work.
Splitting crews in half to a morning and evening crew.
Half the crew works four 12-hour days. The other half of the crew works the next four 12-hour days. So workers are split (4 days on, 4 days off).
This way if one crew member tests positive we are only down half the crew for stay at home quarantine.

Wean to finish sites are taking multiple precautions to reduce the transmission of Covid-19 to employees:

Limiting any unnecessary visitors
Supervisors/veterinarians are planning their site visits to avoid contact with the caretakers or contract growers.
Reducing the size of vaccination crews and having them split up to different sites.
Social distance.

Strategies to reduce cost:

Most systems are looking at ways to reduce cost or inputs. It’s a good time to review usage of vaccinations, routine injectable antibiotics and feed grade medications. Be sure to consult your SVC veterinarian before you reduce any vaccinations or prevention strategies.

Other strategies include reviewing sow herd inventory and making sure we don’t have extra sows on the farm. There are instances where we can keep up with production but reduce the carrying cost of sows on that herd. Check body condition across all herds and make sure you aren’t overfeeding sows.

Farm safety: Handle with care

While focusing on keeping African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease out, the U.S. has been broadsided with a different enemy…COVID-19. Instead of being a threat to the livestock, it is a danger to the people who care for the pigs. While we’ve always been aware of our farm workers’ value, it’s become even more apparent how important our labor is to our success. With different routines, shifting schedules and the strong possibility of being short staffed, we still need to make sure we’re doing our jobs safely. The following items are not meant to be new, revolutionary ideas that you’ve never heard before, but rather a review of safety points that everyone should be practicing every day.

Pit gasses – can be both toxic and explosive. Never enter the pit without safety gear. Never shut off ventilation (even when building is empty). Pit foam is explosive but can be reduced at pumping time with additives during agitation.
Safety glasses – should be worn when there is a danger of flying objects. Power washing, blowing alleyways, clipping needle teeth are all jobs that require safety glasses.
Keep things picked up and neat– don’t leave afterbirth behind the crates to slip on. Put equipment like sort boards away after use so the next person doesn’t need to hunt them down. Clear away junk so it doesn’t get tripped over.
Aggressive animals – Watch for signs of aggression in boars and sows with piglets. Use the crates as a safety shield so aggressive animals can’t reach you. When giving injections, be careful so they don’t smash your hand in the crate.
Use sort boards when moving animals – Sort boards are huge knee savers and are a major deterrent for animals that might otherwise “take you on”. Keep them handy by putting them away after use.
Augers – Shut off the power when working with augers and make sure others know you’re working on them. Use lock outs/tag outs on the electrical box to signify they’re not to be turned on.
Heavy lifting – Use your knees, not your back, when reaching down to pick up heavy objects. Use the dead cart for removing large animals. Ask for help with big jobs!
First aid kits – need to be in every barn. Know where yours are located in case of emergency.
Sharp edges/broken crates – Sometimes crates have welds that are broken or sharp. Either grind them down yourself or make a note so maintenance can fix it.
Showers – COVID-19 should not be the reason you clean up the shower. That dirty, slimy build-up can cause slips and falls and shouldn’t be allowed to form. Breeding mats can also be put down on the floor to help prevent falls.
Fire extinguishers – should be located in several places throughout the barn. Take the time to know where they are and how to use them.
Avoid needle sticks – Piglets should be properly restrained before injecting. Take the time to aim properly at sows and boars. Slower, smoother movements often work better when injecting sows and boars, rather than lunging at them. Dispose used needles in a sharps container. When not in use, cover the needle with a needle cap.
Checking bins—Watch for slippery ladders, especially on windy days. Keep feed bin lids in good repair so it’s not a struggle to open them.

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – March 2020

Foreign Animal Diseases (FAD) and African Swine Disease (ASF)

Disease events are clearly in the forefront of everyday news. COVID 19 is dramatically affecting our lives. In the swine world, African Swine Fever (ASF), Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF) continue to affect animals globally. North America is constantly at risk to be infected due to world travel and the bringing of contaminated products into our country. Farm biosecurity is critical to being on the winning team with or without an FAD event. Biosecurity can be strengthened by the following 10 items:

Communication – Talk about farm biosecurity with all team members every week. Talk about events going on in the world, in the US and in your neighborhood. Constant communication keeps everyone focused on doing the right things every day and helps instill the culture of biosecurity on the farm.
Help people realize they fight an invisible enemy –Viruses and bacteria are microscopic and because we cannot see them it is easy to dismiss them. As humans, we are a million times bigger than bacteria and 10 million times bigger than viruses! In general, on a dry surface, the PRRS virus can live a week at room temperature. So you can see that without intervention, this virus and others can enter your farm and infect your animals.
Clean up people before they enter – The use of a bench in front of the shower to remove footwear prior to entering the shower area is a good process. Make sure staff and visitors respect the clean/dirty sides to the shower. Keep all farm equipment, clothing and towels on the clean side of the shower. If no shower is available, consider using a bench, change into farm clothing and footwear, and wash or use disinfection wipes on hands. If you have a shower but it needs to be upgraded to be used routinely, now is the time.
Clean up supplies before they enter – Good protocols exist on how to clean up potentially contaminated supplies. Normally cardboard and other difficult to disinfect materials are removed and sprayed with disinfectant. Often heat is added to shorten kill time. Make sure the incoming supply room flows all in/all out and does not become a storage room.
Know the status of animals before they enter – A pre-ship test of incoming animals to sow farms is recommended. The test should occur as close to the ship date as possible. Incoming animals should be isolated in a separate area with proper airflow. A post arrival test can also be done 48 hours after arrival to make sure the transport event occurred without contamination.
Protect key physical entry/exit points of your farm –Have protocols in place each time an exit door opens. Often a change of clothing and disinfection occurs after an exit door is opened and then closed before farm workers are allowed to return to normal farm operation. Key events would be weaning pigs, getting garbage out and removing cull sows.
Feed can be a vector for disease – Many agents are available to put in feed to help reduce viral and bacterial contamination. Retrieval feed should not be used for sows and should not be used if from a contaminated site. Also, broken feed augers should be disinfected prior to putting back into feed lines from the outside.

Mitigant	Company	Mitigant Type	Inclusion rate lbs/ton
Captisure	Kemin	Medium chain fatty acid	20
Vigilex	Provimi	Medium chain fatty acid	8
Activate DA	Novus	Organic acid blend	Up to 11
SalCURB	Kemin	Formaldehyde + propionic acid	6.5
Termin-8	Anitox	Formaldehyde + propionic acid	6

Contaminated feed can serve as a vector for viral infection in pigs. Feed additives containing various acids have anti-viral properties. Several feed additives have been studied to assess their ability to reduce viral load of contaminated feed as a method to reduce risk of introducing high-risk pathogens (PRRS, PED, foreign animal diseases).

Know status of transport vehicles –Truck washes and disinfection as well as heating and drying are effective methods to clean up livestock transport trailers. Ensure the inside of the cab is cleaned and disinfected after each load as well as all tools used to help with animal movement. For finishing pigs, review the location of the clean-dirty line and where the trucker is allowed to go.
Air as a pathogen vector -Farms with air filtration systems already know that air is a vector for disease. Routine inspections of all filters should be mandatory. A routine inspection of the entire farm looking for air leaks is also needed. Included in this process is monitoring of rodent control as rodents can quickly damage filters.
Audit key events – We often think we know what is going on at the farm without being present. An audit of key biosecurity processes is essential to ensure they are being done correctly. The audit is also a great opportunity to have an educational discussion with farm staff. Often a specific person at the farm can be used as a “biosecurity expert” to support the biosecurity culture of the farm.

Conferences

Swine Vet Center at the 2020 Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Conference

Dr. Laura Dalquist spoke at the MVMA (Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association) conference on February 20th in Minneapolis on “Antibiotic Stewardship in the Swine Industry.”

Swine Vet Center at the 2020 A.A.S.V. Conference

Once again, Swine Vet Center had a great presence at the 2020 American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting.

Dr. Alyssa Betlach gave a presentation named “Development of Cost-Effective Surveillance Protocols to Minimize the Risk of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Introduction to Sow Farms” in the Research Topics session.

Dr. Paul Yeske along with Prairie Systems presented “Utilizing LeeOTM Individual Animal Identification System” in the Industrial Partners session. Dr. Paul also judged the posters.

Dr. Brad Leuwerke presented “A Practitioner’s Perspective on Managing Bacterial Pathogens” in the Disease Control, Prevention and Elimination session.

Dr. Ross Kiehne chaired the session “Pigs are Easy; People are Hard”. Topics covered were how to influence people, review of characteristic profiles and how to use them, and how to identify and deal with depression with colleagues and clients.

Dr. Mike Eisenmenger gave a presentation in the Biosecurity session of the meeting called “Day to Day Transport Biosecurity: The Real World”. Dr. Eisenmenger also participated in a Q&A round table discussion on transportation.

Dr. Chris Sievers won the practice tips award with his tip “Taking the Sour out of Scours with 2 Easy Steps”

SVC Office Hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – February 2020

Optimizing pig survivability with the resources and knowledge available

Pig survivability is an important parameter to consider for maximizing farm productivity and efficiency, while improving animal welfare, in all phases of production. In 2018, Ross et al. estimated that approximately 33% of pigs born in the US do not reach market. Although there are many unknowns related to this topic, below are several factors to consider when developing strategies to help optimize pig survivability:

Instill a good culture on farm

One of the most (if not the most) important thing to do is to instill with employees the value of a good working culture.
As a team, discuss potential obstacles that may be contributing to sow/pig mortality and outline a plan to best address them.

Minimize disease pressure

Economic losses associated to increased mortalities can occur and vary depending on level of immunity, disease strain, management strategies, etc.
Develop, implement, and adjust vaccination and medication strategies to best prevent and/or reduce diseases in herds.
Maintain good and simple biosecurity practices year-round for all production phases.
Develop a robust, gilt acclimation program to help promote immune development towards existing pathogens in the herd and disease stability.

Pig management (see figures A and B)

Optimize day one care to promote good colostrum intake as this can influence pre-weaning mortality.
Ensure that every pig is being evaluated and getting up daily.
Monitor and adjust ventilation accordingly to provide an adequate environment.
Several factors can influence post-weaning mortality, in which those related to birth weight, weaning age/weight, farrowing management, and season were suggested to have a higher influence compared to others. (Gebhardt, www.piglivability.org)

Nutrition (see figure C)

Maintain adequate body condition as too heavy and light conditioned sows can have fewer pigs born alive and higher stillborn.

Track and monitor

Ability to recognize opportunities for improvements and assess changes post-interventions relies heavily on measurable parameters.
As technology advances, production can be evaluated realtime, allowing for modifications to be made earlier.

Mortality of piglets until 42 days of age according to intervals of birth weight (A) and colostrum intake (B). the numbers of piglets are shown within columns. (Ferrari et al., 2014)

Pig ski highlights

Managing the high producing sow:

Kiah Gourley, a graduate student from KSU, presented on best feeding strategies for sows in farrowing prior to parturition based on her recent study.

Key points driving sow feeding programs:
- Simplification
- Moderate impact of nutrition on birth weight
- Maximize feed intake in lactation
Goals of transition period feeding:
- Meet changing demands of reproduction and lactation.
- Supply nutrients to maximize piglet viability and survivability.
- Improve quantity and quality of colostrum.
- Supply energy without contributing to excessive body weight gain and backfat, negative lactation feed intake, poor milking ability, and reduced litter growth.
Frequency or amount of feed prior to farrowing did not impact farrowing duration.
Reduction in sow body weight and backfat loss during lactation for sows fed ad libitum.
Improved piglet survival to weaning in sows fed 1.5 lbs/6 hrs (77.6% weaned) compared to sows fed 6 lbs/day (74.3% weaned) prefarrowing.
Farrowing assistance was lower in sows fed 1.5 lbs/6hrs (13.7%) prefarrowing compared to sows fed 6 lbs/day (16.1%) or ad libitum (19.6%) prefarrowing.

Integrating farm cultures:

Tim Schwartz from Schwartz Farms Inc. gave a presentation on how to best integrate farm cultures.

Commitment from everyone is required and continuous effort to build and carry culture through is important.
Ensure that employees know what is expected of them.
Have a leader that listens, understands, responds, builds trust, and achieves results.
Efforts to build a culture include annual company meetings, educational sessions, employee gatherings, and keeping track of culture progress over time via employee turnover rate, continuous engagement, employee promotions, etc.

Vaccination reminder

Vaccination is key towards preventing Ileitis and Erysipelas disease. Clinical signs for these diseases are often more prevalent during the summer. Therefore, Ileitis and Erysipelas vaccines should be administered starting in February to help protect finishing pigs from these diseases during the heat of the summer.

Please contact your SVC veterinarian with any questions!

For more information, visit www.swinevetcenter.com

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

SVC Newsletter – January 2020

Good practices to optimize total born in multiparous sows

One of the easiest ways to minimize cost on a sow farm is to increase the number of pigs weaned per sow. There are many factors that determine how many pigs will be weaned for each sow such as genetics, day one pig care, and average birth weight of piglets. However, total born is arguably the most important factor in the equation. Below are some key strategies to focus on that will help you get the most out of your sows each time they farrow.

Maximize feed consumption during lactation

Maximizing feed consumption during lactation is directly correlated with milk output and with increased total born on the next litter.
A good target would be averaging 13 to 15 pounds of lactation feed intake per day per sow (depending on your genetics and length of lactation).

Lactation length

The industry still remains at a 21-day average across the board.
Breeding early-weaned sows on their first heat can be very detrimental to your total born numbers.
Sows require a minimum of 17 to 18 days of lactation to achieve optimal total born on their next farrowing.

Body condition

An obvious point that often gets overlooked.
Maintaining good body condition is extremely difficult on younger parity animals as they tend to have the largest litters after fostering while still growing and maturing themselves.
It’s best practice to full-feed in the farrowing house as well as full-feed low body condition sows until first service.
Lower body condition animals should not be bred until they have regained the condition lost during lactation.

Sow movements

Do not move sows from Day 5 to Day 35 post breeding.
Movements during this time can cause the newly formed fetuses to detach from the uterine wall.

Insemination timing

Semen needs to be delivered at least 6-8 hours prior to ovulation. If it’s not, the late timing of insemination can lower farrowing rates and result in fewer total born pigs.

Semen handling

Rotate semen twice a day—morning and afternoon.
Utilize freshly collected semen and avoid using semen that is greater than 5 days old.
Maintain semen in a refrigerator at 63 degrees Fahrenheit— record refrigerator temperature morning and afternoon.
Only take the amount of semen you need out to the barn with you—don’t let it sit around too long.

MetaFarms sow data for Q4 2019

Compiled by MetaFarms Analytics Team (CLICK CHART TO ENLARGE)

The Q4 2019 MetaFarms Sow Production Index is based on MetaFarms Sow customers only. Data has been scrubbed and made anonymous to protect confidentiality. Data sources are from pork producers using the MetaFarms Platform, and represents over 360 sow farms located in both the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

Keep in mind that Sow performance is for the time period of October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. Each metric is ranked independently against the others. Over 35 sow farms make up the Top 10%/Bottom 10% with nearly 295 as the average.

MetaFarms production index Q4 2019

The Q4 2019 MetaFarms Production Index is based on closeout performance for nursery, finishing and wean-to-finish groups and how they compare with the same period last year. Data has been scrubbed and made anonymous to protect confidentiality. Data sources are from pork producers using the MetaFarms Platform and represents over 500 pork production companies located in both the US and Canada. Nursery data includes over 2,000 closeouts, finishing data includes over 2,400 closeouts and more than 900 single stocked wean-to-finish closeouts.

Keep in mind that nursery groups closed in Q4 started on feed between July and November, finishing groups started on feed in April through September and wean-to-finish groups started on feed in March through July.

Family of the year – The Hugosons

Swine Vet Center would like to congratulate the Hugoson family, this year’s recipients of the “Family of the Year” Award at the 2020 Minnesota Pork Congress. This award honors a pork producing family who has contributed to the long term success of the industry through leadership and pork promotion on both the local and state levels. The Hugosons are a 5th generation farm family. Their farm was homesteaded in 1888 by Kevin’s great grandparents who immigrated from Sweden.

Thanks for your service—Reuben Bode

Courtland, Minnesota native Reuben Bode will be retiring from the Minnesota Pork Board. Reuben has served on the Minnesota Pork Board Executive Board for the last seven years. For two of those years, Reuben served as Chairman of the Board. Swine Vet Center would like to recognize Reuben for his years of serving the Minnesota pork industry. Thank you!

For more information, visit www.swinevetcenter.com

No portion of this newsletter may be used/copied without written consent of Swine Vet Center

Site biosecurity ‒ Time to tighten up!

Dr. Chris Sievers and wife Brooke welcome son Carter

Helping your grow-finish pigs grow

Fall checklist for hog buildings

Swine Vet Center Veterinarians in the Spotlight

Manure pits are pushing the limits

Solids build up on the bottom of the pit

Water wastage

Cool cell leakage

Rainwater

Pit pump-out covers

Insect control

House flies and fruit flies

Mosquitoes

Supply Decontamination

Animal Health Product Updates

Summer ventilation tips

Fans and inlets

Emergency Backup Systems

Cooling Systems

Prepare your herd for seasonal infertility!

SVC Veterinarians — Helping to lead the way through the Coronavirus crisis

Other COVID-19 Resources

Swine Vet Center New Arrivals

Tough times don’t last but tough people do

Loads and space availability

Sow farm/ Grow finish labor

Strategies to reduce cost:

Farm safety: Handle with care

Foreign Animal Diseases (FAD) and African Swine Disease (ASF)

Conferences

Swine Vet Center at the 2020 Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association Conference

Swine Vet Center at the 2020 A.A.S.V. Conference

Optimizing pig survivability with the resources and knowledge available

Instill a good culture on farm

Minimize disease pressure

Pig management (see figures A and B)

Nutrition (see figure C)

Track and monitor

Pig ski highlights

Managing the high producing sow:

Integrating farm cultures:

Vaccination reminder

Good practices to optimize total born in multiparous sows

Maximize feed consumption during lactation

Lactation length

Body condition

Sow movements

Insemination timing

Semen handling

MetaFarms sow data for Q4 2019

MetaFarms production index Q4 2019

Family of the year – The Hugosons

Thanks for your service—Reuben Bode

Iowa scientist sees ‘a lot of genetic diversity’ in swine influenza viruses

Ct values predict PRRS nursery mortality, can guide vaccination decisions

Three ways to assess your herd’s ‘positive welfare state’

Fostera® PRRS protects against diverse PRRS virus field strains

Pork’s future relies on trust throughout the pork value chain

Genetic diversity makes swine influenza a challenge for producers

Decontamination protocols fail to disinfect incoming hog supplies

What they don’t tell you in veterinary school: Take care of yourself

Neonatal pigs with low levels of viremia may benefit from PRRS vaccination

Pork industry makes progress on pain management

Can the processing-fluid toolbox expand beyond PRRS?

Take a process-driven approach to influenza control

Committing time, attention to pig’s first 24 hours key to health, uniformity

COVID-19 impact on swine industry headlines 2020 virtual Leman Conference

Researchers ‘look beyond the normal’ to identify emerging disease

Addressing ‘unknown factors’ in sow mortality

Rate of PCV2 recombination not widely recognized

Swine Health Information Center: Preparing for emerging diseases

Veterinarians, mind your mental health

Pen-side diagnostic comparisons for nursed-off sows and fallback pigs

Vaccine trial data versus lineage: What’s the best way to predict PRRS vaccine performance?

Antimicrobial resistance causing few clinical problems in swine

Comparing diagnostic sampling prospects from M. hyo-positive-source boar studs

Watch your Strep: Keep your guard up for this evolving bacterium

Processing fluids provide an option to monitor PCV2 and PCVAD

Comparing PCV2 gilt vaccination protocols and progeny status