Researchers working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc are examining how different sow management practices may increase culling levels.
A multi-institutional team of scientists working in partnership with Swine Innovation Porc evaluates factors related to sow management and culling.
The team asks Canadian pork producers to participate in a national survey designed to identify the factors that contribute to sow mortality, culling, and strategies to reduce those losses.
Dr. Jennifer Brown, a Research Scientist Ethology with the Prairie Swine Centre, said sow mortality, deaths on-farm and euthanasia on farms are increasing worldwide over the last decade or more.
Major changes have occurred in recent years in the Canadian pig industry, with producers transitioning from crates to group housing, and with significant genetic progress being made related to sow productivity and large litters. All the same, anecdotal reports suggest that sow longevity has decreased.
“This is very costly to pork producers as observations show that almost 50 percent of the sow losses are in younger animals,” said Dr. Brown. “We know that the producer needs to retain a sow in a herd at least three parities before she pays for her replacement cost. The loss of these animals is costly to producers, and then it’s very concerning that the numbers are increasing.”
The producer survey has about 40 questions to determine the mortality levels and detailed information on the farm and management practices.
“Are sows in groups or in stalls, and some thoughts around bump feeding and the relationship to mortality or water quality so all of these questions are on the survey,” said Dr. Brown.
“One problem, often on farms, our record-keeping methods are sometimes lacking, and not consistent from one herd to another. How you record cull sows or sows that die on-farm or euthanasia and usually the cause of death is unknown or not recorded very well.”
She said starting with the survey, and they will look at farm factors and how they relate to the mortality levels on farms to do an initial analysis of the factors that might relate to higher mortality in herds.
Dr. Brown said the team would analyze the survey results to determine how different management practices relate to sow losses on Canadian farms.
Dr. Brown said the COVID situation impacts participation, so researchers hope for more responses to the survey. •
— By Harry Siemens