Making Improvements in Sow Lifetime Productivity

Chris Hostetler, PhD

Director of Animal Science

National Pork Board

Sow Lifetime Productivity Definition:

• The total number of quality pigs a female produces from the time she becomes breeding eligible until she leaves the herd

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Sow Lifetime Productivity

• Affected by a variety of factors• Reaches across multiple disciplines• Umbrella for collaborative research between

areas within Science and Technology• Accounts for both sow longevity and piglet

production, growth and viability

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Challenges

• Sow Lifetime Productivity is not typically monitored or benchmarked under commercial conditions

• Requires observing a large number of animals over an extended period of time so research is expensive, labor intensive and time consuming

• Variation in the number of pigs females produce during their lifetime is very high under commercial conditions

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Sow Lifetime Productivity Distribution

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NPB-supported Research – Historical Perspective• Maternal Line National Genetic Evaluation

Program of the 90s• Starting in 2005 research targeted increasing sow

longevity • Starting in 2008 research targeted increasing sow

lifetime productivity– Spanned multiple disciplines within Science and

Technology– Not coordinated

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Year Animal Science

Swine Health

Swine Health -PRRS Animal Welfare

2005 5 2 2

2006 4 1 3

2007 8

2008 3 3 12 5

2009 6 4 10 2

2010 1 2 8 1

2011 5 4 4 0

Current Projects

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Title Project IDDiagnosis of sow lameness using the microcomputer-based force plate system and pattern recognition methods

11-092

Evaluation of a Physiological Test for Sow Longevity 11-103

Reproductive performance and longevity in replacement gilts allowed different amounts of floor space during the nursery phase of rearing

11-118

The impact of the timing of relocation of replacement gilts from pens to stalls on gilt fertility and sow longevity

11-123

Effects of Preweaning Factors on Sow Lifetime Productivity 11-146

Research Priority• Animal Science Committee of the National Pork Board

identified Sow Lifetime Productivity as an industry priority.

• The ANS committee recommended a study to determine the feasibility of a coordinated national SLP research program with the specific purpose of improving SLP in a responsible and economically effective method.

• National Pork Board identified Sow Lifetime Productivity as a key initiative for future funding.

• A strategic plan was developed to focus on improvement of lifetime sow productivity.

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The Strategic Plan for SLP Research

Phase 1:1. Review international research models

2. Build model for program direction

3. Focus research priorities

4. Complete survey of research resources in the industry

Phase 2:1. Develop the strategic plan, leadership, and budget

2. Develop the outline of facility needs

3. Develop funding proposal to stakeholders

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Recommended Areas of Research Concentration• Optimizing gilt development to increase lifetime

productivity• Increasing number of pigs weaned per litter through

improved sow lactation performance and decreased pre-wean mortality

• Increase length of sow life in the herd through focused research on decreasing herd fall-out in the early parities

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Goal:

• Conduct research that will lead to a 30% improvement in sow lifetime productivity by 2018.– Currently sows in the US herd produce approximately

35 pigs during their productive lifetime– Raising the average parity from 3.4 to 4.3– Increasing total pigs weaned in sow lifetime by 10 –

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Current Industry Productivity

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Current Industry Averages

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Knauer and Hostetler, 2012

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Knauer and Hostetler, 2012

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Knauer and Hostetler, 2012

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Criterion 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Slope R2

Litters/Mated Sow/Year 2.31 2.34 2.34 2.35 2.34 2.34 0.004 0.39

Number Born Alive 10.77 10.92 11.11 11.33 11.61 11.83 0.217 0.99

Number Weaned 9.30 9.39 9.55 9.72 9.98 10.08 0.169 0.98

Preweaning Mortality (%) 13.68 14.08 14.03 14.15 14.03 14.75 0.152 0.67

Pigs/Mated sow/Year 21.50 21.94 22.37 22.87 23.40 23.63 0.444 0.99

Replacement Rate (%) 54.07 57.76 56.02 56.10 51.38 52.22 -0. 813

0.38

Sow Mortality (%) 11.18 10.67 10.43 10.26 9.81 10.39 -0.162 0.63

Knauer and Hostetler, 2012

Organizational Structure

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Sow Lifetime Productivity Structure• Project Coordinator• SLP Oversight Working Group

1. Review proposals submitted in response to RFPs

2. Make funding decisions• SLP Scientific Working Group

1. Establish a definition of sow lifetime productivity.

2. Determine how to measure sow lifetime productivity.

3. Develop a “road map” for research to be conducted

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SLP Scientific Working Group

• Definition of Sow Lifetime Productivity• Research Focus

– Gilt development:• “Are we optimizing gilt development relative to lifetime

productivity?”

– Piglet growth and survival:• “Piglets never get over either a good or a bad start.”

– Bioinformatic mechanisms:• “If you can’t (or don’t) measure it, you can’t improve

it”

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Gilt Development and Retention

Rate of Lean/Fat

DepositionImmune Status

Reproduction

Lactation

Environment Nutrition

Structural Soundness

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Piglet Size and Viability

Maternal Influence on Growth

Antibody Transfer Environment

Lactation Physiology

Neonatal Care Sow Nutrition

Milk Components

Future Direction

• What type of research needs to be conducted?

• What new or emerging technologies need to be

developed?

• How is information disseminated through

creation of educational programs or materials?

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Summary

• Research in sow lifetime productivity requires coordination across multiple disciplines

• Improving sow lifetime productivity will greatly impact all phases of pork production

• Research will focus on gilt development during 2012 and beyond

• Research will concentrate on piglet growth and viability and bioinformatics in 2013 and beyond

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This message funded by America’s Pork Checkoff Program.

Thank you for your time and support

Effect of neonatal litter size and early puberty stimulation on sow longevity and reproductive performance - #05-082 • 3 treatments– Season• Spring• fall

– Rearing environment (birth to weaning)• ≤ 7 littermates• ≥ 10 littermates

– Puberty stimulation• Boar exposure @ 140 d of age• Boar exposure @ 170 d of age

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Previous Projects

TitleProject Number

Association of compositional, structural soundness, health, and genetic marker status with the ability of a commercial line of young sows to successfully complete parity one

05-081

Effect of Neonatal Litter Size and Early Puberty Stimulation on Sow Longevity and Reproductive Performance

05-082

Analysis of periparturient risk factors affecting longevity and subsequent performance of sows of parities one to three in breeding herds

05-100

Discovery and Validation of Genetic Markers for Sow Longevity 05-107

Development of a Condition Scoring Guide - using live animals 05-172

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Previous Projects

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TitleProject

Number

Association of compositional, structural soundness, health, and genetic marker status with the ability of a commercial line of young sows to successfully complete parity two and three

06-031

Association of genetic markers with structural soundness and its relationship to gilt development and sow longevity 06-019

Sow Longevity Management Guide - Literature Review 06-188

Association of compositional traits and structural soundness with the ability of commercial line of sows to complete parities four and five (A continuation of the original projects 2005 and 2006 with a similar name)

06-192

Previous Projects

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TitleProject

Number

Evaluation of the lean content and trim of cull sows on their value at harvest. 08-010

Association of genetic markers with structural soundness and its relationship to gilt development and sow longevity 08-012

Influence of sow lean mass at first farrowing and estrus management after weaning on sow fertility and longevity 08-070

Effect of pregnant gilt zinc and lipid supplementation on neonatal piglet brain myelination and preweaning mortality

09-024

Identification of markers associated with sow life time productivity for whole genomic selection

09-032