NCERA_OLD89: Swine Management Research Committee
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
NCERA_OLD89: Swine Management Research Committee
Duration: 10/01/2001 to 09/30/2006
Administrative Advisor(s):
NIFA Reps:
Non-Technical Summary
Statement of Issues and Justification
Pork production systems continue to evolve in the U.S. as they have for over three
decades. Evolution in the swine industry is driven by the development, evaluation, and
implementation of new technologies. The progression from development to implementation of a
new technology cannot be completed without the middle step, evaluation. New technologies can be
evaluated in various ways by many different entities within the swine industry. Large, coordinated
pork production systems can evaluate a technology within their production system and determine
whether the technology is valuable. Typically, results of their evaluation are not public
information. Feed companies, genetic companies and equipment manufacturers can evaluate
management practices and technologies on their clients' farms but the results may be viewed as
biased because the company may have a financial interest in the technology. Independent pork
producers can evaluate a technology on their individual farm(s) but often do not have the
equipment and usually do not possess the expertise to conduct a scientifically valid study.
The scenarios listed above create a need for objective, unbiased evaluation of new technologies and
management practices. The NCR-89 Research Committee is uniquely suited to conduct these
evaluations. The breadth and wealth of swine management experience brought to the committee by
its members are the base of valid, scientific evaluations of management practices being considered
in the swine industry. The NCR-89 Committee includes nutritionists, geneticists, engineers, a
reproductive physiologist, and an ethologist. The variety of disciplines and viewpoints of the
committee members allows thorough understanding of complex production issues. Cooperative,
coordinated research among experiment stations permits evaluation of technologies in different
research units located in various parts of the central U.S.
The NCR-89 Swine Management Research Committee has a long history of conducting
cooperative, coordinated research and reporting the results of that research to stakeholder groups.
This continuum of generating and disseminating research results is evidenced by the respectable
number of publications for a large committee aimed at scientific audiences, producer groups, and
agriculturally-minded educators (see below). In addition to conducting and reporting original
research, the NCR-89 Committee provides a forum for scientists interested in swine management
issues to gather for an informal exchange of ideas. In the NCR-89 Committee, this exchange
usually occurs in an informal setting that is fraught with questions about new concepts, challenges
to underlying assumptions, and science-based defense of conclusions. All this happens in an
enjoyable, thought-provoking manner that stimulates committee members and fosters cooperation
among stations.
Objectives
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Evaluate feed intake management of sows during late gestation as it affects sow performance in the subsequent lactation.
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Study the impact of group size on the performance and economics of finishing pigs.
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Develop management schemes that decrease the variation in performance of growing-finishing pigs.
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Establish new standards for water and feed use in modern pork production systems that will guide discussions on environmental impacts of swine production.
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Procedures and Activities
Expected Outcomes and Impacts
Projected Participation
View Appendix E: ParticipationEducational Plan
Specific outreach objectives include: 1) Continue aggressive pursuit of publishing research results
in refereed publications as full length papers and abstracts; 2) Disseminate research results in the
popular press, in regional and national experiment station publications, and in extension service
publications targeted at pork producers; and 3) Author a publication through the Midwest Plan
Service or other suitable medium to provide standards for water and feed use in pork production
systems.
Organization/Governance
The recommended Standard Governance for multistate research activities include the election of a Chair, a Chair-elect, and a Secretary. All officers are to be elected for at least two-year terms to provide continuity. Administrative guidance will be provided by an assigned Administrative Advisor and a CSREES Representative.
Literature Cited
Refereed Publications:
Johnston, L. J., M. Ellis, G. W. Libal, V. B. Mayrose, W. C. Weldon, and NCR-89 Committee on
Swine Management. 1999. Effect of room temperature and dietary ammo acid concentration on
performance oflactating sows. J. Anim. Sci. 77:1638-1644.
Leibbrandt, V. D., L. J. Johnston, G. C. Shurson, J. D. Crenshaw, G. W. Libal, R. D. Arthur,
NCR-89 Committee on Management of Swine. 2000. Effect of nipple drinker water flow rate and
season on performance oflactating swine. J. Anim. Sci. (submitted).
Brumm, M. C., M. Ellis, L. J. Johnston, D. W. Rozeboom, D. R. Zimmerman, and NCR-89
Committee on Swine Management. 2000. Interaction of swine nursery and grow-finish space
allocations on performance. J. Anim. Sci. (submitted).
Abstracts:
Brumm, M.C., L. J. Johnston, D. W. Rozeboom, D. R. Zimmerman, and NCR-89 Committee.
1999. Interaction of nursery and grow-finish space allocation on performance from weaning to
slaughter. J. Anim. Sci. 77(Suppl. l):35(Abstr.).
Brumm, M. C., M. Ellis, L. J. Johnston, D. W. Rozeboom, D. R. Zimmerman, and NCR-89
Committee on Swine Management. 2001. Effect of slow growing pig removal on overall pig
performance and facility utilization. J. Anim. Sci. (submitted for presentation at 2001 ASAS
Midwest Section meeting of ASAS).
Miscellaneous publications:
National Pork Producers Council. 1999. Farrowing House Management Training Curriculum.
(Committee members used data generated in NCR-89 committee research in this educational
publication.)
Brumm, M.C. and J. Harmon. 2000. Facilities for early weaned pigs. National Hog Farmer
Blueprint Series, Oct. 15. NPPC. 2000. Grower-Finisher Management Training Curriculum (Committee members used data
generated in NCR-89 committee research in this educational publication).
Brumm, M. C., R. Goodband, and L. K. dark. 2000. Management of newly received SEW and
feeder pigs. PIH-111, Coop. Ext. Service, Purdue Univ, W. Lafayette, IN (Authors used NCR-
89 data on water flow in formulating management recommendations.).