SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: S1012 : Nutritional Systems for Swine to Increase Reproductive Efficiency (S-288)
- Period Covered: 10/01/2006 to 09/01/2007
- Date of Report: 02/26/2008
- Annual Meeting Dates: 01/03/2008 to 01/04/2008
Participants
[Minutes]
Accomplishments
Short-term Outcomes: The recently published vitamin A study has the potential to have dramatic impact on the industry. When given vitamin A injections at breeding, young sows have an additional 2 pigs per litter. This has the potential to increase swine production in the U.S. by 16 million pigs with a benefit:cost ratio of 100:1.
While the fiber study, currently being reviewed for publication, does not show the dramatic effects on productivity, it does indicate that different fiber sources have effects on gestation weight gain and lactation weight loss and that properly managing sows with different fiber sources would be an effective way to maintain body condition scores and animal wellbeing.
Outputs: Over the past year the Committee has published one refereed journal article and has a second article in review. Data has also been published in several University reports.
Activities: Several members of the Committee have attended regional and national meetings to discuss the data with other scientists and industry representative. Several members of the Committee also attended the World Pork Expo and discusses the committee findings with industry representatives and producers.
Milestones: The committee continues to work toward the milestones of improving sow reproductive performance and wellbeing. The data being published shows that we are working toward that goal.
Impacts
- The injection of young sows with vitamin A increases the number of pigs born by 2 pigs/litter. Considering that 66% of the U.S. sow herd woud be considered young sows, this equates to 4 million sows, at 2 litters/year or 8 million litters or 16 million pigs a year of additional production. At a value of $20/pig this is an additional $320 million dollars a year for the U.S swine industry. This is a benifit:cost ratio of over 100:1.
- Feeding fiber to sows during gestation has no real impact on reproductive performance, however varying the fiber source does change how much weight a sow gains during gestation. This allows producers to more carefully control sow body condition score and therefore, sow wellbeing. The economic impact of this research is minimal, however the animal care and wellbeing impact is significant. Anything a producer can do to improve the welfare of his animals at little or no increase in production costs has a significant impact on the swine industry.
Publications
Lindemann, M.D., J.H. Brendemuhl, L.I. Chiba, C.S. Darroch, C.R. Dove, M.J. Estienne, and A.F. Harper. 2008. A regional evaluation of injections of high levels of vitamin A on reproductive performance of sows. J. Anim. Sci. 86:333-338.