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Tag: SVC Newsletter

Posted on November 2, 2021November 2, 2021

SVC Newsletter – October 2021

Are you ready for PRRS season?

This is the time of year that PRRS historically starts to move!

Since 2009 every year the PRRS epidemic begins either at the end of October or the beginning of November. As shown by Cesar Corso from the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring of 2021 was the exception over the last 13 years of SHMP re-porting, with the number of spring PRRS breaks exceeding the number of breaks each of the last 3 falls. With this history its likely we’re expecting more breaks this fall. Now is a great time to review biosecurity protocols for your farm.

  • Do you have all your bases covered?
  • Is there something that your are not doing correctly?
  • What can you change to help improve your odds?
  • Do you know what is in your neighborhood?

Generally, when we refer to biosecurity, we refer to bio-exclusion (keeping bugs out) which is the ultimate goal of the program. Remember the for-gotten part of biosecurity is bio-containment, if positive make sure we don’t carry the virus off site with the things we do. Make sure to shower out, change boots and coveralls and clean hands and any exposed skin. The goal is to not move the virus any further.

Questions about your farm? Interested in a comprehensive biosecurity audit? Swine Vet Center offers support and service. If you haven’t already, it may be a good time to do your Secure Pork Supply plan which takes your biosecurity to the next level even for foreign animal diseases also.

TIPS FOR BIOSECURITY SUCCESS

  • Supplies brought into farms should be removed from cardboard packaging and pass thorough a quarantine room to allow temperature and time to kill pathogens.
  • New animals are properly isolated and tested before entry.
  • Ventilation settings are properly made so that this is not an additional stress to the animals, especially tunnel barns at the curtain end with the cooler temperatures is easy to chill these animals.
  • Barn temperatures don’t fluctuate too much.
  • Feed mitigants in place to reduce this risk of entry due to feed or ingredients.

Good breeding season

October doesn’t bring all bad news. As we start into October, we enter the best breeding time of the year!

Sows in Heat

With the day length shortened, mother nature tells the sows it is time to be pregnant. Sows may come into heat a little quicker and less sows that have extended wean to first service intervals. We can also expect some of the best conception rates in the quarter going forward. Just want to make sure we take advantage of this as much as we can.

Watch the 30–35-day preg check to make conception rates and be ready to adjust breeding targets so we don’t over push the far-rowing resulting in very young wean age.

There are many factors to con-sider that can affect conception and farrowing rates season just being one. So, you want to be careful with making these adjustments but always good to be looking at the numbers and adjusting accordingly.

Look for Not-In-Pig (NIP) sows

Now that we are through the seasonal infertility time of the year as we get to the sows that will farrow in the mid-November to mid-December time frames there can be sows that lost their pregnancy early even after having preg checked positive once. These animals will often not cycle even if heat checked daily in their spot. Now we can visual-ly see them and double check with the preg checker to be sure that they are still pregnant.

If they are not you can choose to rebreed them or cull them from the herd. If the choice is to re-breed them, want to make sure to move them back to the open pool area. The move will get them to cycle and most of these will be in heat 4-7 days after the move.

The quicker we identify these sows we can reduce their impact on nonproductive sows days and overall herd performance.

Weighing feed boxes

Now that harvest is well underway and new crop corn is moving into feed mills on a regular basis, many herds are now seeing new crop corn in the feed. The addition of new corn can change the bulk density of the feed and change how much gets dropped to sows via the volumet-ric boxes. To make sure we can maintain a consistent sow body condition, it’s important to check with the feed mill and see for sure when the mill has changed over to new crop corn. Its also a good time to weigh multiple boxes through the breeding and gestation barns to know for sure how much feed is being delivered to sows.

A spring scale can be used to measure box weights. Check feed weights from boxes set at different settings to confirm box settings match with amount of feed being dropped. This will help to make sure box settings still are correct to deliver the proper amount of feed to maintain condition.

Celebrate National Pork Month!

Erin Krug, Anderson Farms, is 1 of 6 farmers showcased on the Minnesota Pork social media pages! Over the next year they will share stories and how they implement the six WeCare principles on their farms.

Erin is a 5th generation farmer on her family’s farm. They have a farrow-to-finish pig farm, fee out beef cattle and raise sugar beets, kidney beans and corn. Erin is primarily involved in the pork production department. She takes pride in being able to provide their pigs with all the great resources to ensure the animals are healthy and happy.

Congratulations Drs. Henry & Katharine!

Joined in marriage on September 11 at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church in Johnsburg, IL. A reception was held at The Wagon Wheel Barn, a beautiful vintage restored barn, located in Burlington, WI.

Dr. Henry Johnson is part of our veterinarian team and Dr. Katharine (Kancer) Johnson is a veterinarian at Minnesota Valley Vet in Le Sueur. Both veterinarians graduated from the University of Illinois.

We wish them much happiness!

 

 

 


 

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

Posted on October 6, 2021October 7, 2021

SVC Newsletter – September 2021

Fall is here and winter is just around the corner– is your barn ready?

Prepare for fall and winter by utilizing our Fall Checklist.

Disease pressure will likely increase this winter, so please ask your SVC Veterinarian about auditing the biosecurity of your farm to keep disease out!

Pit pumping safety

Harvest is officially underway and ground is rapidly becoming available for nutrient application. With pit pumping season commencing, people and animal safety is top priority. According to the U of MN Extension, there are 4 key principles to focus on during pumping to keep you and your animals safe:

  1. Extinguish– Extinguish any pilot lights or ignition sources and ensure power is turned off to anything that is not controlling ventilation to reduce the risk of flash fires. It is also a best practice not to smoke around barns during pumping.
  2. Evacuate– All people must be removed from the barn prior to pumping and agitation of a deep pitted barn. Pumping and agitation releases gasses (Hydrogen Sulfide, Methane, Carbon Dioxide and Ammonia being the most common) that are toxic and deadly to both people and pigs at certain concentrations.
  3. Awareness/Signage– Communicate with those accessing the site and place signs in front of barn entrance points when agitation or manure removal is occurring.
  4. Ventilation– Ventilation will need to be managed properly to provide fresh air to the pigs and remove deadly gasses but also minimize chilling the pigs and causing health concerns.
Click on Table to enlarge

Reminder: When pumping is complete, it is a great time to add Pit Crew to help break down solids. Please work with your SVC Veterinarian to fine tune these plans for your barn(s) this fall.

 


 

Click on image to enlarge

 


 

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

Posted on August 3, 2021

SVC Newsletter – July 2021

NPIC

The National Pork Industry Conference was recently held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. The meeting dates were July 11th through July 14th. This year the conference celebrated its 25th year. The organizers of this conference announced record attendance for 2021. It is a good venue for meetings and is very family friendly. The dates for the 2022 conference are July 10th – 13th.

Numerous SVC clients and SVC Veterinarians were in attendance. The opening reception was held on Sunday evening followed by meetings all day Monday plus Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.

There was naturally a lot of hallway talk with the main topic being the rapid spread of 1-4-4 PRRS virus throughout the upper Midwest. There have been an unseasonable number of farms (sow, nursery, finishing, and W-F) continuing to break recently. SVC Veterinarians have multiple research projects in the works to help try to sort out where this is coming from. Stay tuned for updates.

SVC Presentation

During the Monday after-noon session, SVC’s Dr. Chris Sievers and Dr. Ryan Strobel presented their “Top 10 Ways to Deal with PRRS Positive Pigs in the Nursery”

  1. Keep pigs warm and comfortable
  2. Utilize extra labor and support growers
  3. Raising acute positive pigs vs euthanizing and purchasing
  4. Keep feed and water fresh
  5. Utilize antibiotics strategically
  6. Pull extra diagnostics and use autogenous vaccine isolates
  7. Wean an older pig
  8. Change pig flow
  9. PRRSv vaccines
  10. Anti inflammatory treatments

 

NPIC
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, made a guest video appearance to announce that the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Act funds (>$300 million) are going to be re-leased in July. Additional funds are also being made available to target small producers that were harmed by the 2020 pandemic market disruptions.

 

China update

Another very interesting topic was presented by Jeffen Chen from Huanshan Group in China. He gave an update on the state of the Chinese pork industry.

Their industry has been rapidly rebuilding after being devastated by the African Swine Fever (ASF) virus. The trend is less small and backyard pro-duction and more large, modern farms.

  • There are now more than 40 million sows in China. To put this in perspective the U. S. sow inventory from the USDA June report was 6.23 million sows.
  • Due to this expansion, the extremely high market prices that were seen for approximately 2 years have now dropped to the point that some producers are losing money. Despite this, his opinion was that China will still continue to import pork from the U.S. because of our lower cost of production.
  • Some new farms continue to be farrow to finish but many are moving to multi-site production, taking a page from the U.S. industry.
  • One new project will sell 2.1 million pigs annually and has a feed mill and packing plant on site.
  • Some buildings are being built with multiple levels of pigs (“Highrise barns”) due to the lack of space in the country. Costs for this are estimated to be 30% more than traditional construction.
  • Due to the extremely high hog density and disease pressure they are also implementing filtration systems in many new farms plus retrofitting some old farms with filters. In addition to PRRS, China also has many diseases that are not pre-sent in the U.S. including ASF, Hog Cholera, Foot and Mouth Disease, Pseudorabies virus (PRV) among others.

INSECT CONTROL

Outside the Barn:
Optimate® CS, Tempo SC

Inside the Barn:
Microcare 3% CS, ULD BP-100, Stryker™ Insecticide

While much needed rainfall provided relief, it may cause the headache associated with an uptick of mosquitoes and insects. Along with the products that can be applied either on the pig or to the premise, there are also environmental factors that need to be tended to when insects are a problem. The following are all important components of insect control:

  • Routine lawn mowing
  • Eliminating standing water on the site
  • Removing water from curtains on a regular basis
  • Leaving the lights off in the barn at night

Click here to view our July 2015 Newsletter with product application rates. 

SVC Biosecurity Updates

You may have noticed the mess behind SVC this spring as we have been building an enclosed lift for unloading trucks. Once this is completed there will also be biosecure points for farms to pick up orders, both during and after business hours.

We will also be installing UV/Ozone equipment for disinfecting shoes. These will be installed at the key access points to enter SVC as part of our biosecurity project. Stay tuned for more information as these projects are completed this summer.

 

 

 

 


 

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

Posted on July 12, 2021July 12, 2021

SVC Newsletter – June 2021

Dr. Tim Loula honored with two industry awards

John B. Swisher Leadership Award

United Animal Health honored Dr. Tim Loula with the 2021 John B. Swisher Award on June 10, 2021, at the World Pork Expo. Nominees for this award are individuals who have significantly contributed to the advancement of the swine industry and who have exhibited extraordinary leadership throughout their career.

“We are very pleased to honor Dr. Loula for his contributions to the swine indus-try,” remarked Doug Webel, Ph.D., president and CEO of United Animal Health. “Dr. Loula is a well-respected leader whose professional footprint has touched everyone in the swine industry. He is a true leader that has dedicated his life to serving the swine industry. Tim is always passionate about the success of his customers and fights for them.”

Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Loula was presented the Distinguished Service Award, sponsored by Minnesota Farm Bureau, at the Annual Minnesota Pork Board Awards Reception. “The 2021 Distinguished Service award winner, Dr. Tim Loula, is a tireless leader who helped shape pig farming as we know it. His contributions to the state of Minnesota and the rest of the country have benefitted pig farmers, veterinarians, and researchers significantly and will continue to do so with future generations to come.”

SVC veterinarians take the stage at World Pork Expo

Swine Vet Center veterinarians participated in several events at WPX, including the learning seminars.

  • Dr. Laura Bruner led a discussion with a group of swine practitioners about recent PRRS 144 transmission across the Midwest.
  • Dr. Ryan Strobel was a panelist on the Metafarms session, discussing how technology is used in production systems to allow producers to be proactive vs. reactive.

Summer cooling

With the continued barrage of temperatures exceeding 90⁰F, it’s been a good reminder to have our cooling systems in full operation across growing and finishing pigs.

Dr. Mike Brumm, who was always an advocate for keeping pigs cool, would often comment, “Skin temperature of a growing pig is approximately 90⁰F. When air temperature is near 90⁰F or even above 90⁰F, there is no possibility of the pig loosing metabolic heat by a difference in air temperature. Blowing 90⁰F air across the sur-face of a 90⁰F pig results in no heat transfer unless we allow the pig to wet the skin surface and lose heat by evaporation.” This figure demonstrates the effect of air temperature on feed intake, feed efficiency and daily gain.

 

Sprinkler management tips

  • Get pigs wet and then allow enough time for evaporative drying – cooling occurs with evaporation, not by continuously wetting pigs.
  • Water droplets should be large, so droplets con-tact pigs. Fine mists don’t allow water contact with the pigs skin, increase humidity within the barn and risk that water gets into feeders.
  • Goal is to wet no more than 60% of the pen floor, so that those pigs that don’t desire to be wet while sprinklers are running can avoid it.
  • In curtain barns, drippers should start at 18-degrees above setpoint. Tunnel barn, drippers can start at 20-degrees above setpoint.
  • If your barn’s sprinkler system allows, set timers, so that the sprinklers don’t operate overnight, allowing for complete drying of the barns before sprinkling resumes the following day.

Coccidia control

Summertime heat and humidity set up prime conditions for increased Coccidiosis in farms. Coccidia, a small parasite that infects and destroys the villi of the small intestine, causes diarrhea and poor weight gain prior to weaning. We know that Coccidia eggs are quite stable in the environment and that the severity of disease is directly related to the level of environmental contamination. In the severest cases, weaning weights can be 2# lighter. Marquis, a product commonly used to control Coccidia is unavailable. This means that control relies heavily on good sanitation practices.

Coccidia control options

Sanitation

  • Degrease prior to washing with a degreaser, soap or detergent. Include lay mats.
  • Whitewash all surfaces within the farrowing crate including lay mats. Allow to dry before loading.
  • Disinfect with a 25% bleach solution; preferably applied with a hand-sprayer to ensure correct concentration on surfaces.
  • Remove rubber lay mats and replace with disposable mats for multiple turns of farrowing.

Prevention Measures

  • Oral Coccigard/Sweet Iron (contact your SVC veterinarian to discuss)

 

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

Posted on June 28, 2021June 30, 2021

SVC Newsletter – May 2021

Basic early pig care

Farms that do not place enough labor & focus in this part of the farm, largely fall short on achieving the farms full potential.

Dr. Laura Bruner explains why time spent and labor dedicated attending farrowing sows is invaluable for a herd’s success. When you stop and think, the hours leading-up to farrowing, the farrowing process itself and the first days post-farrow influence so much of a farm’s productivity.

    • The way piglets are started post-birth effects prewean mortality
    • Often, >70% of sow mortality occurs in the days leading up to and a few days post-farrowing
    • Stillborn rate is directly tied to number of attended farrowings

The goal each day is to:

1) Get pigs out alive

Farms should be staffed so that somebody knowledgeable on farrowing sows is in attendance at all times, during operating hours, to assist farrowing sows.

Sows should be checked on every 20 to 30 minutes as labor is progressing.

At each 20 minute interval we can de- cide if a sow is in trouble and needs assistance.

Commonly, if a sow hasn’t progressed with a new pig from one round to the next, a check for stuck piglets should be made.

The reality is that to achieve this frequency of farrowing attendance, one person should be assigned to 15-20 actively farrowing sows.

On a larger day, with more farrowing, additional people should be in place to attend all farrowing sows.

2) Get pigs warmed up

Pigs that become chilled shortly after birth have a difficult time seeking out colostrum, regaining body temperature and are a higher risk of being a prewean death.

Infrared imaging of piglets at the time of birth show that it doesn’t take much time in a cool/drafty corner of a crate to lose significant body temperature.

Consider the following:

        • Is there enough heat-lamp capacity for farrowing sows? Two lamps for farrowing sows helps reduce the chance of cold areas.
        • Is there a process to dry-off pigs during the 20-minute rounds? Towels or drying-powder, like Quick Dry help dry the pig to reduce loss of body heat.

 

3) Get pigs full of colostrum

Once your pig is warm and dry, it needs to get “plugged” into a nipple to get colostrum.

Colostrum provides energy, warmth, and antibodies to fight off virus and bacteria. This colostrum can only be absorbed by the pig in the first 8 hours following birth.

We know that the last ½ of a litter born, especially litters with a large number born alive are at a disadvantage on receiving adequate colostrum.

Practice common sense when drying newborn piglets – if a recently born piglet has latched onto mom and is nursing, do not pull them away to dry, leave alone and allow colostrum intake to continue.

 

Think about large litters overnight or intensely farrowing several sows during the day – there are a lot of last half of the litter born that aren’t going to get as much colostrum as the first born did if we don’t intervene. Split-suckling and wet-sorting are both strategies to help ensure we get the most piglets with colostrum in the shortest amount of time.

 

Obviously, mom needs to also be a focus during this critical time. Can your farrowing team recognize sows that are in need of help?

    • Poor feed and water intake post farrowing
    • Abnormal post-farrow behavior; not getting up to eat or drink or laying on belly
    • Does the sow know where her water is located
    • Fever status and farm protocol to treat fever sows
    • Constipation
    • Lameness
    • Edema

Putting labor towards early sow and piglet care can have a positive impact on overall production. The impact of this time can easily be measured by monitoring stillborns, prewean mortality and sow death loss.


Welcome Erin Kettelkamp and Ethan Spronk to our veterinarian staff!

 

Erin Kettelkamp, DVM

Hello! My name is Erin, and I am excited to join the Swine Vet Center team in June after receiving my Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Illinois! I grew up on a small farm near Kaneville, IL, which instilled my love of animal agriculture. I honed my passion for swine medicine during summer internship and externships opportunities at several major swine companies. While in veterinary school, I enjoyed working on biosecurity research projects and presenting my findings at the American Association of Swine Veterinary conferences over the last several years. I am eager to begin my career in swine consulting, and work with the industry’s best producers!

Ethan Spronk, DVM

My name is Ethan Spronk and I grew up on a swine and row crop farm in Southwest Minnesota. I studied Animal Science at South Dakota State University and continued education at the University of Minnesota graduating with a DVM in 2015. I moved to Washington, Iowa to work for Eichelberger Farms for 6 years as their head veterinarian before joining the Swine Vet Center team in May 2021. My wife Elizabeth and I will continue to reside in Southeast Iowa where she works as a mixed animal veterinarian. In my free time, I enjoy wood working, hunting and farming with family.

 


 

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

Posted on March 3, 2021June 30, 2021

SVC Newsletter – February 2021

Tim Loula, DVM earns MN Pork Board Distinguished Service Award

It is with great honor that we at Swine Vet Center get to congratulate Dr. Tim Loula for being the recipient of the 2021 Minnesota Pork Board Distinguished Service Award. This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond to ensure the success of pig farming and pork production in Minnesota.

Dr. Loula, or “Doc Tim” as he is known by the many he has mentored, grew up in Northfield, MN and spent summers helping out on his cousin’s dairy farm. He also spent time riding around with a general practice veterinarian which allowed him to experience firsthand the life of a livestock veterinarian. Loula attended the University of Minnesota Veterinary College and while there, traveled to farms and meetings with Dr. Al Leman. It was there his passion for pigs led him to become a swine practitioner. It was also during his time at the University that he met his wife and #1 supporter of 40+ years, Ruth.

After graduation in 1978, Dr. Loula began working at the Nicollet Vet Clinic in Nicollet, Minnesota, where his focal point was on the swine portion of that mixed animal practice. It was there that Loula saw opportunities to improve the swine industry with new ideas for that time, such as multisite production, raising pigs indoors and using modern European genetics. Swine became his true focus when he partnered with Dr. Paul Yeske and started Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minnesota, a practice devoted exclusively to the swine industry, that has now grown to 14 veterinarians serving clients all over the Midwest.
Whether standing in front of a crowd of distinguished professionals and colleagues at leading industry meetings, or behind a farrowing crate teaching a new employee how to split suckle, Loula has always been a great teacher and communicator.

Tim has a voracious appetite for learning and keeps up to date with the swine industry, but his interest doesn’t stop with pigs. He also stays abreast with what’s new in the rest of the world, and with this knowledge and dedication he has been able to help implement new and innovative ideas for individual systems and the industry as a whole. Being in the “top 10%” and “move the carrot” are things most of us have often heard him say— and it’s been the way he has been able to keep himself and his clients continually moving forward, never satisfied with the status quo.

Dr. Tim Loula, the 2021 Distinguished Service award winner, is a tireless leader who has helped to shape the swine industry into what it is today. His contributions to Minnesota as well as the rest of the country have benefitted pig farmers, veterinarians and researchers alike, helping to feed the world with safe, delicious and nutritious pork!

The Importance of Record Keeping

There’s a line in a movie that goes something like “If nobody sees it, it didn’t happen.” Well, the same could apply to records. If nobody records it, it didn’t happen and eventually inaccuracies are going to catch up with you and your herd.

Good records have been the cornerstone to many of the improvements made in the swine industry over the last decades. Many important decisions like breeding targets, farrowing targets, culling, veterinary/treatment decisions, gilt acquisition, pig flows and others are all dependent on accurate records.

The following are suggestions for making your records more accurate and useful.

Record right away — It’s important to record data right away. Relying on memory and telling yourself you’ll take care of it later is a big reason for inaccurate records. The industry is moving more and more towards pen side electronic record with either QR (Quick Response code) readers or RFID (Radio-frequency identification) tag readers. This is to ensure records are recorded right away and you have the most up to date decisions being made.

Necropsies are important — When deciding on death reasons, getting to the bottom of the case will always improve the accuracy of the mortality reason.

Keep it simple — Too many options when it comes to death reasons can lead to confusion and guessing. Keeping a simple list of the main death reasons will make it easier and more accurate.

Notes to self and others —Not all records need to make it to the computer. There are many things that should be written down as a way of communicating to others and yourself, special things that might be happening to a room/barn. High-low temperatures, whole litter treatments, sows that are actively farrowing, reminders you need to do something later or even a warning sign on a crabby sow to keep your coworkers safe. These are all important messages that make your barns more efficient.

Separate sow deaths from euthanasia deaths—This becomes important information when considering the timing of the cull truck and different accommodations could be considered if too many animals are euthanized vs being put on the cull truck.

White boards—White boards can tell you at a glance how you’re doing and can be a quick and handy way for everyone at your barn to see how things are going. Progressive producers are switching to TV’s in the breakroom with up to date information on all key performance indicators.

Training staff on records—It is not only important to show everybody how to record all aspects of our production but to teach them the reasons behind the information so they understand it. Explaining that mortality reasons will have an impact on vaccinations, medication in feed and how we flow our pigs will give everybody more reasons to record accurate information.

Erysipelas and ileitis vaccine reminder

After the record cold temperatures we’ve had this chilly February, it’s a nice break to think ahead to the vaccinations your pigs will need to protect them from summertime diseases. Your Swine Vet Center veterinarian would be happy to develop a vaccination plan to keep your hogs safe.

 


 

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

Posted on January 6, 2021January 18, 2021

SVC Newsletter – December 2020

Ventilation fundamentals to optimize pig performance

Air quality and barn temperature are two of the most critical environmental components that effect pig health and performance. Poor ventilation increases disease and reduces growth rate by creating a barn environment high in humidity and excess gasses. Many ventilation mistakes are the result of efforts to save utility costs. This month Dr. Sam reviews some fundamental ventilation concepts that will help set up a barn environment that both optimizes pig health and performance while keeping utility costs in-line.

Minimum ventilation

Minimum ventilation is the amount of fresh air needed to be brought into the barn to control humidity and gas contaminants (i.e., carbon dioxide, ammonia, etc.). Accuracy with minimum ventilation settings is crucial as over-ventilating will inflate utility costs (propane and electricity) while under-ventilating will produce an environment detrimental to pig health and performance.

In most barns, the fans assigned to minimum ventilation are variable speed fans which have two important settings – minimum speed and bandwidth. Minimum speed is a controller setting that signifies the speed at which the minimum ventilation fans will operate at any time room temperature is below set point. When the room temperature rises above set point, minimum ventilation fans steadily increase speed until the  maximum speed is achieved. The number of degrees for variable speed fans to go from the minimum speed setting to 100% is called bandwidth. Bandwidths can be widened or narrowed based on ambient temperatures, number of fans, pig size, motor curves, or other factors that impact pig comfort.

We recommend minimum (stage 1) bandwidth settings of 1.5-2.0°F. A bandwidth setting of 1.0°F or less is too narrow for most barns and will increase fan speed too quickly, potentially chilling pigs. Wider bandwidths (above 2.0°F) reduce the ability to efficiently remove heat from the barn.

It is important to note that the setting on the controller does not necessarily equate to the percentage of maximum cubic feet per minute (CFM) output by the fan. For most variable speed fans, there is good alignment between controller setting and CFM output between 75-100%. However, the reduction in CFM output is disproportionate to the reduction in minimum speed controller setting at 70% and below (Figure 1). Most variable speed fans will produce 50% of their maximum CFM output with a minimum speed controller setting between 55-60%.

Figure 1. Variable speed fan output vs minimum speed controller setting

Minimum ventilation needs are calculated based on the number and size of pigs in a barn. Controller settings to achieve the needed minimum ventilation are dependent on the number and size of fans on stage 1. Take the time to calculate the minimum ventilation rate needed rather than set minimum ventilation fans at an arbitrary minimum speed. Reference charts for fan CFM output (Figure 2) and required CFMs per pig (Figure 3) are helpful for these calculations.

Figure 2. CFM output by fan size
Figure 3. Recommended ventilation rates

As an example, consider a 2400-head wean-to-finish barn receiving newly weaned pigs. Minimum ventilation needs are 3600 CFM (2400 pigs x 1.5 CFM/pig). If stage 1 consists of 1 x 24-inch variable speed pit fan, 60% of the maximum CFM output would be required for minimum ventilation (3600 CFM needed ÷ 6000 CFM max output x 100). Therefore, a minimum speed controller setting of approximately 65% would be needed to obtain 60% of the maximum CFM output (Figure 1).

Keep fans clean – it is essential to routinely clean exhaust fans. Even an 1/8 inch of dust or dirt can reduce fan efficiency by up to 40%. This will significantly alter the minimum ventilation settings required to attain the correct barn environment.

Temperature probes

Ventilation controllers rely entirely on temperature data received from multiple probes located throughout the pig space. If probes are placed incorrectly, the controller will receive inaccurate readings resulting in incorrect controller operation and barn environment.

Recommended height and location of temperature probes varies by barn type and stage of production (Figure 4). Make sure to adjust probe height between nursery and finisher stages in wean-to-finish barns. Probes should be positioned away from ceiling inlets and heaters to avoid artificial fluctuations in temperature from cold or hot air.

Figure 4. Recommended probe height and location

Heaters

Improperly set heaters are a surefire way to waste propane and skyrocket energy expenses. Like variable speed fans, heaters also have two primary settings to consider- offset and differential. The offset is the number of degrees below set point that the heater shuts off. Differential is the number of degrees that the heater will run. Adding the heater offset and differential together determines the number of degrees below set point that the heater will turn on. For example, with a set point of 80°F, heater offset of 2.0°F, and heater differential of 1.0°F, the heater would turn on at 77°F and run until the room temperature reached 78°F (Figure 5). Some controllers have simplified these settings to “heater on” and “heater off” temperatures.

Figure 5. Example heater and minimum ventilation settings

Setting heater offset and differential correctly are keys to achieving consistent room temperatures and limiting propane waste. The most common problem found in barns are furnaces that shut off too close to the setpoint temperature. In these cases, room temperature rises even after the furnace shuts off as it takes some time for the heated air to circulate and the probes to detect the increase in room temperature. If the heater is programmed to shut off too close to set point, the room temperature will rise above the set point causing minimum ventilation fans to ramp up and exhaust the heated air to cool the room – essentially blowing recently burned propane right out the exhaust fans.

A suggested heater offset of 1.5°-2.0°F and differential of 1.0°F are good starting points. Understand every barn is different based on the number and size of furnaces in a room as well as the cubic feet of room to heat. An effective way to fine-tune furnace settings is to make note of the current settings and observe the room temperature as it cycles through a heater on and off run. Ideally, after the heater shuts off the room temperature should rise to just below the set point without going over. If the room temperature rises above set point, increase the heater offset so that the heater shuts off further below set point. Correct heater settings can reduce propane use by several gallons per heater per day resulting in significant energy savings.

Summary

Barn environment has a substantial impact on pig health and performance. Incorrect minimum ventilation, probe placement, and heater settings will be detrimental to both pig health and performance. Understanding and implementing these ventilation fundamentals will help maximize performance and control utility costs.

 


 

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

Posted on December 1, 2020

SVC Newsletter – November 2020

Goal setting for 2021

With all that has happened in 2020, it will be good to look forward to 2021. As we approach the end of the year, it is a good idea to review the production records for the year and set goals for 2021.

 

 

  • Review the production parameters with the farm staff, breaking it down and looking at monthly numbers to look for trends.
  • Compare with the previous year’s production goals to see how well the farm performed against those former goals.
  • Breaking it down into quarterly periods will help you to see the goals unfold rather than waiting until the end to see how things turned out.
  • Pick parameters where you can make a difference, then provide an action plan for how you will reach these goals. Each farm should have their own unique action plan to turn those goals into reality.
  • Put some stretch into the new goals. Just setting a number you can easily achieve defeats the purpose.
  • Make sure all goals align together as certain numbers are tied together.
    • Total born, stillborn and mummy percentage is an example of this. These values will drive what born alive will be.
    • Once you have calculated the born alive number, you can determine the prewean mortality goal and from there, the wean number.
    • The number of sows farrowed per week/group will drive how many total pigs weaned for the year.
    • Then you can work to get the Pigs/sow/year by dividing the total weaned pigs by average sow inventory.

Meaningful goals are those that will challenge the system but are yet obtainable. It is good to take the time, set the numbers and have them documented as a point in reference. Breaking these numbers down into quarterly assessment timeframes allows you to go through the year and makes it more likely to be attainable at the end.

COVID 19

After battling with it for months now, we are certainly ready for COVID 19 to just be over and done. The vaccine companies appear to be making huge strides in having effective vaccines. The initial work looks very good and 3 companies are reporting success. Yet, it will be a while before these vaccines will be available to everyone.

As we’ve learned from pig viruses, there will be more challenges as we go into winter months. The following are some tips to help keep everyone safe.

  • Keep office surfaces free from clutter helps make the numerous daily cleanups and disinfection possible
  • Stagger break times so entire crew isn’t in the break room at once

Say “Yes Please” to Pork this Holiday

Don’t let COVID stand in the way of preparing magnificent meals and snacks featuring pork this holiday. The Pork Board has put together hundreds of delicious recipe ideas for you to try. They all look so good, you’ll have a hard time deciding which to try first!

https://www.yummly.com/page/pork

Wondering what to give people during this time of social distancing? Pork gift certificates travel great and with them, the recipient can purchase whatever pork product they choose. (507) 345-8814 is the number to call.

The veterinarians at Swine Vet Center are in a unique position and know where to find the best pork products around. If you’re looking to give the gift of pork to friends and neighbors, our clients have mouth-watering pork specialties available which can be sent straight to their door or yours! Visit one of these pages, or give a call . We’re certain you will discover something delicious.

Reicks View Farms: (800) 461- 4044 www.reicksviewfarms.com
Compart Family Farms: (877) 441-2627 www.compartduroc.com
Tollefson Family Pork: www.tollefsonfamilypork.com

Swine Disease Reporting System

The Iowa State Disease Reporting System gathers and organizes information from diagnostic labs across the midwest. Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, Kansas State University and South Dakota State University are the universities that are participating in this project. The idea behind this program is to better understand what is trending across swine herds by looking at the diagnostic data. This information can help predict diseases that are occurring in the industry on a wider basis and not just their own herd or system. The goals are to generate more knowledge to allow for better outcomes.

Some of the data shared at the ISU James D. McKean conference looked at the relationship between the increased incidence of PRRS positive samples and the stage of production, particularly wean to market vs. the adult sow farms. If you reference the chart below, you can see the number of positive wean to market animals goes up, starting in August or September. An increase in positive sow farm numbers follows 1-2 months later.

 

One of the nice things with the data being done as a greater regional basis is that we can look at trends by state as well. The following chart shows the regional distribution of positive samples in the month of October and where the activity is happening.

 

As we get more activity in the wean to finish pigs, the pigs can become the source for the sow farms to sero-convert and break. The time frame fits with what we have seen in the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring project, showing the peak of the epidemic is usually in the mid-October to mid-November time frame. This would be consistent with the diagnostic data and helps to predict what will happen.

Both the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring project and the Iowa State Disease Reporting system are pointing towards increased PRRS activity in the wean to finish, wean to market and sow herds. It’s important all the farms are following biosecurity procedures and vaccinating so that it can help mitigate the challenges.

Everyone at Swine Vet Center wishes all of you a safe and wonderful holiday season.

 

 


 

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

Posted on October 29, 2020October 29, 2020

SVC Newsletter – October 2020

Site biosecurity ‒ Time to tighten up!

It’s that time of the year again ‒ according to historical SHIC data (see PRRS and PED epidemic monitor charts below), PRRS typically reaches the epidemic threshold each year between the middle of October and the middle of November. PED is also more active in the winter, with historical December and January epidemic beginnings.

 

As temperatures cool this fall and winter, many pathogens find it easier to survive outside the pig and are looking for an opportunity to enter your barn. It is important to our  pigs’ health, well-being and productivity not to invite these pathogens into our barns. Careful review and monitoring of our on-farm biosecurity practices are essential to keep these pathogens out. The following chart contains a list of common biosecurity practices/areas of focus for pig farms. It may be helpful to look at this list, make edits and complete a self- assessment of your farm(s). All areas of the farm where animals, people or items/supplies come into and/or go out of the farm, are key focus areas for biosecurity. Have you addressed these items with your team/system? Your Swine Vet Center veterinarian will be happy to help you complete a site biosecurity assessment this fall.

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


Dr. Chris Sievers and wife Brooke welcome son Carter

Please join Swine Vet Center in congratulating Dr. Chris and Brooke Sievers on the birth of their son, Carter James Sievers. He was born on October 5th, 2020. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. and 20.5″ long, Carter will surely be a fun playmate for his big brother, Gavin!

 


 

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

Posted on October 5, 2020October 5, 2020

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

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