Magnum Swine Genetics, which is based just outside Fort McLeod, Alberta, has seen some solid growth since its beginnings in the fall of 1996. MSG is Air Cargo Certified and approved by the CFIA. They have clients all across Canada.

“We started with 30 spaces for boars,” explained owner Andrew Beusekom, on a recent visit to the lab. In 1997 we added 30 more and then again in 1999 an additional 60. Currently Magnum Swine Genetics has 170 boars on site, with space for up to 200 animals. These boars represent all the major genetic companies.

The barn, which underwent a complete renovation in 2003, contains single pens not stalls, for their own safety.

After entering the main area, it branches off to the lab, office and the separate barn entrance. The barn staff which all staff continue through into shower in /out. Beusekom currently has six staff in the lab, eight in the barn doing collection and six delivery drivers. Some of the staff is local, some foreign workers in the barn and he added that has had a low turnover and values having dedicated staff. Currently they are doing collections and processing two times per week, Monday and Thursday. It is an early start to the day, beginning around midnight, wrapping up in about 5 hours, which then ensures they can meet delivery times whether it be by plane or driver.

Beusekom shared “in one day they delivered semen to a hobby farmer in Comox, BC, a smaller producer with about 30 sows in Goose bay, Labrador and another hobby farmer in Whitehorse, Yukon in addition to our local clients. They have quite a few customers in the Fraser Valley that receive their product through the Abbotsford airport.

When asked about what age does Beusekom and his team introduce a new boar to service he explained, “A young boar will be used one time per week beginning at about 14-16 months of age. A mature boar will be used three times in two weeks. Boars are usually in-service for 18 – 24 months.

Nutrition is a huge part of getting the best from your boys; more weight gain equals more semen.

Beusekom stated the animals enter the prep pens, and then continue on to the service area which is something like a diary parlor with animals around and control in the center. He added pigs are pretty smart and figure it out quick. Pigs mount the machines; semen is collected and marked immediately with date, time, and boar.

Collected semen from the barn travels through air tubes to a window beside the lab; it is kept warm under a heat lamp at 37ºC. All samples are tracked by a bar code; each station at the lab can read which boar, what date, and time of collection. Having each sample labeled can be identified at any time.

Once bagged semen is cooled to 16ºC and prepped for delivery be it by air or ground.

I’d like to give a huge thank you to Andrew for a tour of his lab and explaining the routine of a collection morning. For a moment I felt like I was back in Biology 30, but a more advanced version. Learning what each of the machines did and the part they play in getting the sealed tubes ready for delivery. •

— By Laurie Brandly