21 39 12 29 IT’S A SMALL WORLD -- NEVER STOP IMPROVING: BENCHMARKING DATA: A MILLENIAL’S PORK BIOCONTAINMENT GENETIC IMPROVEMENT THE TRUTH ABOUT FOR THOUGHT AND MORE! IN THE PIG INDUSTRY YOUR BUSINESS KEEPING YOUR PIGS HEALTHY IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.

3FLEX®, ENTERISOL®, ENTERISOL SALMONELLA TC®, INGELVAC®, INGELVAC CIRCOFLEX®, INGELVAC MYCOFLEX®, INGELVAC PRRS® and INGELVAC PROVENZA® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. INGELVAC MYCOMAX™ is a trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH. ©2019 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA, Inc., Duluth, GA. All Rights Reserved. The Newport Laboratories Logo is a registered trademark of Newport Laboratories, Inc. ©2019 Newport Laboratories, Inc., Worthington, MN. All rights reserved. POR-1111-BIO1118

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Canadian Office: 52 Royal Road, Unit A, Guelph, Ontario N1H 1G3 4 WELCOME 888-248-4893 x293 PigCHAMP Leadership Team A DAY IN THE LIFE Donna Hover 5 [email protected] NEVER STOP IMPROVING Jayne Jackson 12 [email protected] SICK OF DISEASE? Martin Widdowson 15 [email protected] Editorial Co-ordinator 16 GENES HELP SCIENTISTS GET SELECTIVE Donna Hover [email protected] SELECTING THE BEST PIG PigCHAMP Benchmarking Manager 18 Susan Olson [email protected] 21 IT’S A SMALL WORLD - BIOCONTAINMENT Farms.com Sales Manager Andrew Bawden USA 2018 YEAR SUMMARY [email protected] 23 Editor AFRICAN SWINE FEVER Denise Faguy 24 [email protected] THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL WELFARE Postmaster 27 Please send returns to: AND PIG PERFORMANCE 195 Raymond Hill Rd., Suite D Newman, GA 30265 THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS BENCHMARK RESOURCES ONLINE 29 These articles, along with articles from past Benchmark magazines and additional TAKE-AWAYS FOR A PROACTIVE SWINE expert information, can be found on the 32 PigCHAMP website: PigCHAMP.com/news/ PRODUCER benchmark-magazine

If you have any additional information IT’S TIME TO END TRADE DISPUTES or suggestions for future articles 34 please contact us at [email protected]. We will post these 36 BRINGING GLOBAL PORK PRODUCTION articles on the Farms.com swine news TO THE KITCHEN TABLE pages, or include them in future issues of Benchmark. To receive weekly swine newsletters (free 39 A MILLENIAL’S PORK FOR THOUGHT of charge), email [email protected] with the title Swine US. SOCIAL MEDIA All rights reserved. Editorial materials are copyrighted. 41 Permission to reprint may be granted upon request.

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Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 3 2019 Spring WELCOME TO BENCHMARK It’s a small world

It’s a small world. The 2019 issue of Benchmark features to informed decisions. It’s easy to get caught up in the day articles on the day in the life of swine producers around the to day, but at PigCHAMP we believe it is important to spend world. some time to reflect on yesterday’s events to look for trends This year, the global swine industry shares in the fear of and outliers that are in the data, with the goal of helping us the power of the African Swine Fever - as such, biosecurity improve our swine operations. has become 17a high priority in all parts of the33 world (see The daily10 monitoring of your operations27 accumulates article onIT’S page A SMALL 21). WORLD This -- is where the interconnectedness into NEVERweeks, STOP months IMPROVING: and years of data,BENCHMARKING allowing for DATA: a A MILLENIAL’S PORK of data aroundBIOCONTAINMENT the world is a strength, however the diversityGENETIC in data IMPROVEMENT that comprises not onlyTHE TRUTH small ABOUT segments, FOR THOUGHT interconnectednessAND MORE! of people and people movement is a but canIN THEdemonstrate PIG INDUSTRY a big picture performanceYOUR BUSINESS evaluation challenge. from which to anticipate changes and make sound What struck the PigCHAMP.com team as we prepared decisions. Hopefully, the PigCHAMP benchmarking data Benchmark was how very similar a swine worker’s day was and the articles in this issue of Benchmark, will help you like, regardless of what country they were in. As always, the think about how the past can improve the future, by highlight of Benchmark magazine is the Benchmark Data helping you make better decisions today. (page 23) and the viewpoints of a variety of industry experts The swine industry is a close-knit community -- a small as they analyse this data (see articles on page 29 and 32). world of like-minded individuals striving to improve the Every business seeks to improve itself to ensure its industry. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to continued business success. The need to make sound our contributors, advisors, advertisers and everyone who Business Decisions is what drives data acquisition and makes Benchmark an invaluable resource to this important management – the correct interpretation of this data leads community.

DONNA HOVER JAYNE JACKSON MARTIN WIDDOWSON GRAHAM DYER Director of Administration, Product and Sales Development President & CEO HR & Sales Manager Manager Farms.com Group www.pigchamp.com www.pigchamp.com www.pigchamp.com www.farms.com

4 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 A DAY IN THE LIFE Thousands of miles separate swine producers across the world. As you travel from country to country, you notice differences of geography, languages and customs, but what about swine production practices? We thought it would be interesting to hear from several swine producers pertaining to: What’s a typical day like, setting goals, motivation, etc. Read their stories and hear about “A Day in the Life”.

RUSSIA: Valentina Buss, Head Technologist at Commodities Pig Farm in the Kormilovsky district of Russia. “The farm consists of 10,000 sows, divided into 5 areas; 2 areas are in the Altai region and 3 areas are in Omsk region. Valentina has been in the swine industry for 18 years. Each day, she focuses on questions concerning vital activities in the barns. “When looking precisely at visits to the barns, I mainly pay attention to the general appear- ance of the section/premises: sanitary condition, animal health, availability and quality of fodder, livestock activity, a healthy glitter in the eyes, and the work of operators and their interest in it. My ultimate goal at the end of the day is to smoothly accomplish all of the tasks assigned with the highest efficiency.” One thing that motivates Valentina every day is obtain- ing information from the barns about the current quality of a particular group of animals and furthering them along the process of production. She enjoys being able to devel- op monthly and annual work plans for the operation and achievement of their operations’ projected indicators within 100 - 105%. She says it keeps the job interesting and gives her something to work towards. “Our team of specialists, Valentina Buss with the help of the PigCHAMP program, have achieved and sustained high indicators of productivity, both for the sows and for the herd as a whole. This is something we are The entire production process is united and reflected in the extremely proud of,” says Valentina. PigCHAMP program, and thus a weekly analysis of the entire Vytautas Grebliunas, Head of the Rassvet Plus Yug production is carried out, tracking successes and failures, complex has been in the swine industry since 2011 with and coordinates our future activities.” extensive veterinary experience and Elena Meshkova, Chief He says it is difficult to set a daily goal, because they set Livestock Specialist has been in the industry since 2006. fairly global tasks. “We increase indicators: maternal for the They work with a great team, consisting of veterinarians, sows, fattening for the finishers, and strive to get facility livestock technicians, and, most importantly, operators and repairs that increase performance, such as livestock genetic inseminators. The operation is in the Kaluzhskaya region. It improvement from Europe, feed stuff formulation develop- is a major farm consisting of 1,300 sows and a 30,000 head ment, housing conditions and microclimate improvement.” grow-finish operation that produces pork that is extremely In addition to his salary, Vytautas says he is motivated by lean and flavorful. It is recognized throughout the area and “the satisfaction from the work done and from the results all of Russia. obtained. And this is impossible without the coordinated Vytautas says it is impossible to describe his working day well-arranged work of the entire team of the pig complex.” precisely, “something new happens every day that requires a quick reaction. Every day of the week includes a variety of SPAIN: operations, starting with the collection and preparation of Ana works on a farm called Paulin Farm in Sevilla, Spain. semen, insemination, weaning, and veterinary treatments. She is originally from Hungary, but she has lived in Spain for

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 5 10 years working in the swine industry. Ana oversees a farm with 1,500 sows and lives next to the farm with her husband and her son who also work with her. Ana says she starts each day at 8 a.m. and finishes at 5 p.m. “Each day we have a working meeting in the farm office, talking about the job that each worker has to do. If anyone has any questions about the task, I talk with them one-on-one after the meeting and guide them in their work or help them if necessary.”

I have always worked in the swine industry and I love it.

After the meeting, Ana feeds the animals, then checks to see if everything on the farm is working properly. She con- tinues her day with heat detection and the artificial insem- ination of sows. “After that, the days tend to differ. I could be weighing animals, collecting data in all of the barns, and helping coworkers. At the end of the morning I send our data to PigCHAMP Pro Europa, because they manage my data in their office, and then continue on with various tasks.” When asked about her goals, Ana says “My main goal is Ana to ensure our farm is producing at an adequate level, our workers are happy and comfortable, and my boss is proud “Improving our production is a huge motivation for of the work I am doing. Since I started to work here, I had me,” says Fernando. “In our office, we have a board where focused on improving the production and have seen great we write key points of our production every month, such improvements. Now, I have been directing my attention to as repeat and farrowing rate, prolific values, etc. We hope improving the equipment that we have.” that our staff will see these key points on the board and get Ana says that she loves working with the animals, extra motivation to continue to work efficiently. I have two collecting data, and the relationship with her coworkers. main motivations when I wake up in the morning, the first She is pleased that her boss and the vet she works with are one is to do my best at work, and the second is to motivate very satisfied with the work she does, “it makes me feel very my team!” proud of my achievements and motivates me to continue to improve every day. I have always worked in the swine indus- try and I love it. I have also learned a lot about pigs, I have It’s essential to have a good, motivated improved at my job and have seen improvements on farms and trustworthy team. All the successes and I want to continue improving as I grow in my career.” and defeats are shared by the whole team, Fernando Iturri lives in a small city called Ejea de los Caballeros in Spain where he manages a big swine farm for making a collaborative atmosphere and a Cotaja. He says he begins each day in a manager’s meeting great opportunity to build friendships. with managers from different areas of the farm (gestation, maternity, nursery etc.). They have a short meeting to Fernando says he has spent his entire life working in the review the key tasks for the day. “With this meeting we get livestock sector. “When I was a child, my brother and I used information about our priorities, important facts to consider to see how my parents were working on our farm with dairy in our farm, and many other things. It’s only a 10-minute cattle and sows. Finally, the farm began to work only with meeting, but it’s a very helpful and an important start to the sows. In the late 90s, I started to work on big farms in our day.” area. I enjoy my work so much. I like the continuous activity Fernando’s main target is to have the tasks from the and being able to work with the animals. Additionally, I love morning meeting completed by the end of the day, “but as to work with my team. It’s essential to have a good, motivat- we all know, all kind of surprises suddenly appear on the ed and trustworthy team. All the successes and defeats are farm.” He says he works to ensure the main tasks are com- shared by the whole team, making a collaborative atmo- pleted, and any additional tasks at least started. sphere and a great opportunity to build friendships.”

6 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 SOUTH AFRICA: Michael Ras started as assistant farm manager on a cattle ranch in Zululand. After 23 years in the cattle and wild life industry, he made a transition to the pork industry in 2009. There he accepted a position as Farm Manager at PIC RSA Springtop Piggery nucleus herd in Magaliesburg, Gauteng, South Africa which is currently an 800-sow unit. Springtop Piggery follows a 3-week batch farrowing sys- tem, therefore, Michael says the major event for the week will determine his routine on the farm. “Due to biosecurity, I start my day at the office by showering in. Thereafter, I enter the piggery and discuss goals and targets for the day with the staff and then I proceed to the farrowing houses where I observe if the sows are content, fed, and have adequate wa- ter available. I observe the piglet health and behavior and encourage the staff to meet their daily targets. I then pro- ceed in the same manner to the weaning houses, followed by the gilt pool and thereafter, I continue to the dry sows and the grower section ensuring all pigs are fed, healthy, and content with their environment inside each house.”

Being part of the continuous improvement Berno Hambrook with Pinecone Forestry of quality pigs makes me feel proud to be part of a bigger picture. The industry is very marketed. They load for the market every day and they load 650-750 pigs per week at an average of 75 kg. dynamic which always keeps me at the top Wednesday they mainly focus on weaning, they follow of my game. an all-in all-out system. Keibees Piggery makes regular use of a vet to visit the farm and do monthly abattoir visits to Springtop is a Nucleus herd, where all the sire-lines for check their pig’s health status. The rest of the week they do PIC RSA, including the PIC337, PIC410, PIC408, PIC380 and the usual processing of pigs and pregnancy check sows and Line 19s are bred and raised. Michael’s daily goals include do backfat P2 measurements. Great care is taken to insure breeding the best boars and improving the genetics that no feed is wasted, feeder management in all departments is they provide to PIC customers. vital. Michael says he is motivated by seeing genetic improve- ment and quality animals which encourages him daily to Always improve, never get complacent keep on improving. “I find great joy in producing high quali- ty, good looking, breeding boars. PIC is the leading genetic and enjoy what you do. Your team is the company in the world and being part of the continuous key to successful production. improvement of quality pigs makes me feel proud to be part of a bigger picture. The industry is very dynamic which “It is a big priority for us to measure and compare all the always keeps me at the top of my game.” time,” says Nico. “Birth weights, weaning weights, back fat of Nico Louw, manager and co-owner of Keibees Piggery, a sows and weight of gilts before first insemination, because 1200-sow farrow to finish operation located in Paarl, West- to measure is to know. Record keeping is vital and breeding ern Cape, South Africa. Nico starts his day at 6 a.m. feeding of replacement sows is probably the single most important sows and pigs comes first and then they load the pigs for part of our production management. We only breed the the market. Mondays is mainly their breeding day and they best 5% of our sows with dam line semen. The sows wean- try to start that as early as possible. They have 10 boars ing weight and piglets weaned per sow is the selection that walk-in front of the sows to maximize heat stimulation. criteria, we only select sows that can produce 100kg litters. All sows are inseminated artificially, and they only use PIC We trust PIC to supply us with best possible boars through genetics. Keibees Piggery does its own dam line breeding fresh semen that is delivered twice a week. Our goal is to and started to import frozen semen at the beginning of make sure we supply top quality meat at affordable prices.” 2018. Keibees Piggery currently produce 28 pigs per sow Nico concludes by saying, “I love what I do, and in my

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 7 opinion, I have the best job one can have. And that keeps ing and disinfecting of weaner houses, and then weaning me motivated every day. Working on farm and interacting and weighing of piglets. Throughout the day Kevin also with my staff and challenging my team and myself to be- oversees and manages the feed-mill on the farm, as well as come the best production unit in South Africa is one of the admin work, like orders and data entry to be done. best parts of being a part of the industry. Always improve, “My goal at the end of the day is to finish all the work never get complacent and enjoy what you do. Your team is that I planned on doing, allowing me to start the next day the key to successful production. Invest in a good team and fresh, because every day has its own challenges,” says Kevin. the rest will follow.” “The swine industry is kind of competitive and everyone Kevin Venton is the farm manager and a shareholder wants to be on top and that makes things very interesting. I of Grassland Pigs PTY LTD, located in Rustenburg, in the am a very competitive person and that drives me to do my North West Province of South Africa. Kevin started in the pig best every day. What motivates me every day is knowing industry in 2013. He starts his day off with a staff meeting that I’m doing what I love - farming.” before they head out to the barns. This gives his staff some Berno Hambrock, Managing Director of Pinecone For- guidelines on what they should be accomplishing through- estry & Piggery, a 600-sow unit situated in the Northern out the day. Grassland Pigs is on a 3-week batch system, Kwa-Zulu Natal. Berno is a German Speaking South African farrow to finish, so every day is different. “A typical day will who is passionate about genetics, animal breeding, and start off by loading the pigs that are ready for market. After animal husbandry. that, I go through all the grower houses with one of my staff members. We start at the youngest aged pigs and move to Charlie says every day is different, “Data the oldest ones, where we check on feeders, water leaks, broken pens or slats, and look for sick pigs. Then it’s off to day is Monday, pregnancy testing are the farrowing houses to check if everything is going well.” Tuesday and Wednesday, weaning day Kevin says once these tasks are complete, each day can look is Thursday, and brandy is Fridays! a little different depending on what week it is. If it is mating week, there will be heat checks and artificial insemination. Berna says when he enters the piggery, his daily proce- If it is farrowing week, he will be checking on the sows that dure begins with counting everything he can, to get a quick farrow and piglets needing milk. If it is weaning week, he overview of the piggery, asking himself many questions: will be moving pigs to grower houses, overseeing the wash- How many sows are starting to cycle? How many have been served? How many piglets were born alive and dead? How many sows still have to farrow? How many milkable teats are there compared to the number of piglets? How many piglets will we be able to wean? How many pigs are ready to be marketed? How many sick pigs are there? Second, he starts analyzing the figures to see where Pine- cone Forestry & Piggery can improve on their efficiencies, like the FCR (feed conversion ration) and makes improve- ments or adjustments. Third, Berno makes sure that all the systems are running as they are supposed to. Every employee has to give a full report on all the activities they are managing. Every activity in a piggery must happen on a specific date. Berno needs to ensure that the correct activity has happened on the correct date. “My goal is to be efficient,” says Berno. “I want to give the pigs everything they need and to maximize their produc- tion without compromising their welfare. Health-wise, less medication versus more supplements (acids, probiotics and Production-wise), quality water, feed, housing, manage- ment equals optimum results. The pig’s behavior and body condition will tell ‘at one glance’ if something is not right.” Says Berno, “Genetics, breeding pigs and analyzing the Son of Charlie Fourie figures are what keeps me motivated every day, aside from

8 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 my craving for bacon, spareribs and pork schnitzel! Progress PigCHAMP performance list. in a piggery can be measured and monitored over a fairly “The pink little animals we get to work with each day are short period of time compared to other animals. This is very definitely a perk to being in a part of the industry! I enjoy exciting and it keeps me entertained.” witnessing the passion and drive the people in the pork in- Berno says that he loves many things about the industry, dustry have, especially Alzu. It seems they have created this but especially how quickly the technology is changing and hype in the South African industry and the positivity shows improving. He says many things have been simplified due to through each and every person that works for this business. the improved application of technology. “Pigs are growing Positive ethos pushes people like me to drive our industry faster; feed conversion rations keep improving, and sow to greater heights. I wish to thank Alzu PIC for continuously performance is gradually increasing. Technological improve- pushing our industry forward.” ments have been achieved in all areas of pork production: housing, vaccines, medication, biosecurity, health, automa- UNITED STATES: tion of ventilation, feeding, and waste water management.” Dave Moody is 56 years old and manages H&K Enterprise in Berno shares these fascinating pig facts: Nevada, Iowa. H&K Enterprise is a 320-sow batch farrowing I. A pig can produce the most kilograms of meat per farm that farrow 96 litters every 7 weeks. A farrow to finish year of all farm animals (1 sow = 2.4 litter x 11 weaned, operation that is all on one site. Dave is the only fulltime sold at 85kg carcass = 2,244kg meat per sow per year). employee, but has some additional help from college stu- II. The breeding cycle of a pig is 20 or 21 weeks, so your dents, as H & K is very close to Iowa State University. progress is very fast. There are always sows to take care of but Dave says the III. There are so many different products/dishes that you time of the flow dictates if there may or may not be pigs in can make with pork meat. the farrowing house or nursery. In the 7-week cycle there is Charlie Fourie is the Managing Director of a family owned one week of farrowing and processing litters, one week of farm, called GTG Fourie’s Piggery located in Potchefstroom breeding sows, one week of moving pigs out of the nursery in the North West province of sunny South Africa. Potchef- and cleaning, and then one week of cleaning the farrowing stroom is a small, university town with a large mining house. “The other 3-weeks are less structured,” says Dave, sector. According to Charlie, Brandy and Coke is the staple “but as we all know there is always maintenance to do in a diet in the community, with rugby keeping townspeople swine barn. Every day starts by feeding the pigs, taking care entertained. “My grandfather started this business as a side of their needs, doing multiple daily activities and then ends business to chicken farming, and now the farm has been in with feeding pigs again.” business for 68 odd years.” “My top priority and goal are to take care of the pigs and keep them comfortable and healthy. I love working with The pink little animals we get to work pigs and that is what motivates me. I also enjoy working beside people in the swine industry.” with each day are definitely a perk to Tim Brandt is 51 years old and owner of Brandt Swine being in a part of the industry! Farms LLC. “I started raising pigs when I was 10 years old and have never stopped loving it! When I was 10, I dreamed First thing in the mornings, it’s coffee time for Charlie. about the operation we run today. I could talk about all the Then a quick look at finances, including payments and plans struggles and tears it took to build our operation to where for the day. The gilt farrowing house is always the first place it is today, but I want to focus on all the positive things in- he starts his day. From there, it’s off to check heat detection stead. I’m so humbled to have my oldest son, Joe, come join at the gilt breading unit. Charlie continuously pushes his us in the operation. I am hoping my other two boys join the staff to reach their targets for the week. Once these checks family operation also, because family is so important to me. are done, it’s off to Unit B to meet their new piglets in their My wife understands the work it takes to run a successful controlled environment housing. Weaners are next on the farm and I thank her and all my kids for being there when list, and finally finishing off with a meeting with the latest needed. Amy and I have 6 children; Joey, Josie, Allison, Allie, PIC genetics in our mating house at 10 a.m. After this, Char- Matthew and little Adam. We now have 5 grandchildren lie says every day is different, “Data day is Monday, preg- and another one on the way. I use the word “Husbandry” a nancy testing are Tuesday and Wednesday, weaning day is lot and feel this is something the younger generation may Thursday, and brandy is Fridays!” have lost. My day always begins to make sure all the ani- “My goal is to have better results than the previous day. mals are comfortable and happy. Care is the most import- This would be more enjoyable if results could happen just ant part of raising animals, I believe. If the animals are not a little faster!” Charlie says he stays motivated by seeing happy, things will not work.” results in the barns and wanting to be on top of the Tim’s daily goals are to make sure everyone is doing their

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 9 jobs correctly and to improve one thing every day. Right now, his goals are not to get bigger but to do better with what they have. Brandt Swine Farms is concentrating on better production records to know where they are at every day. Tim says that it take a lot of effort from everyone to make it work. “PigCHAMP has really helped us and my son said, ‘Dad, it’s the most amazing company ever!’ I am just not saying that, I really mean it, but now it’s our job to make it work.” Tim says he is motivated by the new technology. “It just blows my mind how different we are doing things today. My favorite part is coming out in the morning and walking into the farrowing rooms and to see several big litters of

Illinois State University

health checks and of course routine cleaning. The Illinois State University farm utilizes PigCHAMP to monitor and track sow performance and breeding information. Far- rowing data such as number born alive, stillborn and cross fostering, are routinely kept on the farm and entered into the program. This allows the farm to track individual sow and boar performance and compare animals in the herd. “We have been able to use this program to illustrate our top and bottom producing sows and it has illuminated changes in herd structure that needed addressing,” says Dr. Tim & Joe Brandt Drew Lugar. Dr Lugar says the data entry for this program is primarily done by undergraduate students that work in the main office. He says the students have been able to quickly pigs. It’s just a great feeling watching the pigs grow. I also learn the program, which has taught them about animal love seeing my sons get excited about the industry. The record keeping and data entry skills. “We will continue to best part though, is producing a great product for consum- utilize the PigCHAMP program, with the potential to track ers to enjoy. I’ve always said lots of people don’t under- sow performance over multiple parities.” stand the hard work it takes to produce a great pork chop.” “As an educator, I am motivated by the lack of knowledge Illinois State University-Dr. Drew Lugar of agriculture in today’s society. Our students are becoming Illinois State University has a 120 sow, farrow to finish farm further and further removed from agriculture and I very that is used for teaching and research. The farm uses a much enjoy educating them on what the swine industry is batch farrowing system, where roughly 35 sows farrow today. I am passionate about the swine industry and try to every 5 weeks. Sows are housed in turn-around gestation encourage a similar passion in my students. I am an animal stalls throughout gestation and farrow in standard farrow- scientist, so of course I love animals and in particular pigs. ing crates. Piglets are weaned from sows around 24 days Their personalities and curiosity make them fun to work of age and then enter the nursery. Sows are moved to a with, but the great people in the swine industry really make breeding barn where they are eventually re-bred for the what is by far my favorite part of the industry.” next cycle. Piglets in the farm remain in the nursery for a period of 4 weeks, before being moved into one of our So, despite the distance and differences between global grow-finish barns. They will remain in this barn until they producers, there are similarities making it evident that “It’s are taken to market. Daily tasks at the Illinois State Univer- a Small World” and we all love working with pigs as well as sity farm include feeding the livestock, treating animals, working towards the same goal – producing a high-quality breeding, farrowing, neonatal piglet management, daily economical protein source to help feed the world.

10 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 The power of knowledge from the cloud.

PigCHAMP Online brings you all the features of PigCHAMP without the need for software installation or updates. Your entire database is securely stored and remains accessible via remote connection, allowing you the flexibility to manage your operation from anywhere you can connect to the internet. Lindsay Case & Saskia Bloemhof NEVER STOP IMPROVING: GENETIC IMPROVEMENT IN THE PIG INDUSTRY

The domestication from the wild boar to the domestic pig specific lines by breeding companies. centuries ago was the onset of genetic improvement in pigs. PIC started in 1962 in the UK as a small group of Oxford Since then, different breeds and lines have been developed. farmers that wanted to create the highest quality pig on the At the start of the 20th century herd books in Europe market by combining the latest science, pig biology, and started to maintain pedigree records and started selection pork production economics. on physical appearance. This continued in the 1950s by The introduction of Best Linear Unbiased Prediction focus on backfat reduction and growth rate improvement (BLUP) in 1991 was a real game changer. through measuring these traits on animals. At the same With BLUP it became possible to estimate breeding time physical appearance was still very important. values using information on relatives while correcting phenotypes for systematic influences. The introduction of Average production in the USA has BLUP resulted in huge changes in production. For instance, average production in the USA has changed from 11.5 total changed from 11.5 total pigs per litter in pigs per litter in 2004 up to 14.5 total pigs per litter in 2018 2004 up to 14.5 total pigs per litter in 2018. (source: PigCHAMP benchmarking). Growth rates have improved from 1.27 lb/day in 1980 to 1.61 lb/day in 2016 As data recording methods and genetic evaluation (Tokach et al., 2016). methods evolved, breeding goals changed. Additionally, Breeding goals have changed because of changing at the same time pig breeding moved from genetic economics as well as changes in relevance and improvement through herd books towards breeding measurability of traits. Today, traits with low heritability

12 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 that require extensive data recording become more and $4.00 per pig per year. RBGS replaced the assumed pedi- more important. Over time breeding goals have changed gree-based relationship between animals in the traditional from the sole focus on physical appearance, feed efficiency, BLUP genetic evaluation by the actual genomic-based lean % and growth, to today’s breeding goal with focus on relationship between animals. lifetime reproduction, robustness of pigs, and meat quality. PIC’s genetic farms at the top of the pyramid have seen However, feed efficiency and lean % remain included due to significant advancement in traits that directly impact the their economic impact. efficiency, throughput and robustness of pork production. Within every genetic improvement program, elite This is a direct result of the introduction of RBGS and other genetic farms are producing boars and gilts. On these farms on-going investments in technology. detailed data capture is performed which includes the A specific xamplee of this additional value is the impres- performance potential of each individual pig. These genetic sive change in both total born and average piglet birth farms have a high health status, higher amounts of labor weight. PIC has been measuring individual piglet birth per pig, are generally located in temperate climates and weight for several years and has incorporated it into the animals are purebreds targeted for selection purposes. selection process while implementing RBGS. As a result, the PIC genetic farms have been able to realize an improve- The introduction of Relationship-Based ment in total born of over 1.5 pigs per litter. Simultaneously, direct selection on individual piglet birth weight has led to Genomic Selection (RBGS) into PIC’s an increase of birth weights by over 100 grams per piglet. genetic program in 2013 has increased the Total born is a critical measure of success on a sow farm, but traditional rate of genetic progress by over if birth weight and survivability of piglets are low, the value of increased total born is minimal. Now that birth weight is 35 percent per year for all traits, product also increasing, these additional pigs are more viable and lines, and commercial products. will increase the producers’ productivity and profit poten- This translates to a profit improvement of tial. Linked to the improvement in birth weight, pre-wean survival has seen a sharp improvement of 0.8 percentage $3.50 to $4.00 per pig per year. points on average per year for the last five years. Maternal improvements at the genetic farm level take The environment in genetic farms is different from approximately two to three years to disseminate through commercial production systems where focus is on low cost a multiplication system to the commercial level. Now, production and health status and is often compromised by approximately four years after implementation of RBGS, disease (PRRSv, PED, APP, Mycoplasma etc.). Additionally, customers are starting to see the impact from this improved the commercial pig is a crossbred pig, typically the product rate of gain at their commercial sow farms. The full benefits of an F1 female and a terminal boar. Studies have shown of these genetic changes in PIC lines are being observed as that animals that perform best in a genetic environment commercial finisher pigs start reaching market. PIC main- might not always be the best animals in a commercial tains a customer database of commercial performance data environment and might even re-rank. However, pigs must reproductive results and growing pig performance data in perform in a range of environments from Iowa, USA to North and South America. The database includes reproduc- Yucatan, Mexico to China. To select pigs that perform best tive results from over 710,000 sows and performance data in commercial systems, PIC introduced its Genetic Nucleus of 6.3 million growing pigs. The performance data are show- Crossbred program (GNX-bred program) in 2003 and has ing strong year-over-year gains. The phenotypic trends of been using it ever since. This program allows PIC to test elite traits ranging from total born to feed conversion to average genetics in commercial environments. Young elite boars are daily gain are showing trends equal to or greater than the used to produce crossbred pigs in real-world production predicted genetic trend. facilities to measure and select for robust, predictable com- mercial performance. The sow farms and finishers are locat- ed across 4 continents, and they are located in pig-dense Linked to the improvement in birth areas, having conventional health and typical commercial weight, pre-wean survival has seen a sharp production environments. improvement of 0.8 percentage points The introduction of Relationship-Based Genomic Selec- tion (RBGS) into PIC’s genetic program in 2013 has increased average per year for the last five years. the traditional rate of genetic progress by over 35 percent per year for all traits, product lines, and commercial prod- The next step in the long tradition of innovation in ucts. This translates to a profit improvement of $3.50 to pig breeding is the utilization of sequence information.

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 13 Lindsay Case & Saskia Bloemhof

The genome of the domestic pig has around three billion netic improvement are gene-editing techniques. Genus plc nucleotides, similar in size to humans. With the current announced in 2015 that in collaboration with the University genomic technology 60,000 locations on the pig genome of Missouri it was able to produce a PRRSv resistant pig. The are captured. With full sequence information available, PIC PRRSv resistant pig had been developed using gene-edit- will be able to improve the understanding of the genotypes ing technology and does not contain any foreign DNA or that impact phenotypic traits. This will accelerate the rate any new combination of genetic material. Once ready for of genetic improvement. Genome sequence information market this will save millions of pigs from dying from this can help to improve the rate of genetic improvement by disease. optimizing the genomic based relationships between Clearly, genetic improvement of the pig has rapidly animals. Other possibilities include identifying genes that progressed over the past 50 years moving through various can impact resistance to diseases that challenge the pork levels of technology utilization. The next window of time industry. promises to be more exciting as new technologies evolve Another advancement that will allow acceleration of ge- that benefit global food production.

Lindsay Case Saskia Bloemhof

Lindsay Case leads the Genetic Services Saskia Bloemhof-Abma is PIC’s technical team for the Americas at PIC, focused communication manager. Her continuous on ensuring PIC’s genetic technology focus is to exchange technical information improves the efficiency and productivity in an easy to understand manner that of commercial farms and food systems. helps PIC’s customers to become the most The genetic services group is continually successful producers globally. motivated by seeing improved profitability of pork producers through a combination of genetic potential and on-farm support as across multi-disciplinary teams.

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14 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Abe Huisman SICK OF DISEASE? GENETICS CAN HELP.

If you think a sick child is a handful, how about a 300 kg sow LESS IS MORE with a fever? From lost production to treatment expenses, Just as disease has become a major concern for the pork pig health problems can be hazardous to your financial industry, the impact of antibiotics used to treat disease is health. Fortunately, when a problem persists in the pork also receiving attention. Regulations are already in place industry these days, the solution might be found in your which do not allow antibiotic residues in meat, through the favorite pair of genes. use of withdrawal times before slaughter. Global efforts are Though some work has been done targeting specific also underway to minimize the development and spread of pathogens, a more well-rounded focus for genetic research antimicrobial resistance in humans and animals. is how to make pigs more resilient to disease in general. In keeping with that effort, companies like Hypor have A prime example is the recent project led by PigGen Can- adopted “minimal use” protocols at their nucleus farms. ada, with participation from Hypor, aimed at devising tools Facilities are not antibiotic-free, but antibiotics are used as to select more resilient pigs. Animals were taken from high little as possible, treating pigs only when necessary for their health herds and placed in disease-challenged environ- health or comfort and never including antibiotics in feed. ments to distinguish pigs that reacted well to the challenge The underlying goal is to raise animals that possess a natu- from those that became sick or died. Researchers looked at ral ability to fight disease rather than relying on assistance which genetic markers differed between those two classes from antibiotics. of pigs to determine how best to select for resilience in the Hypor is also talking with clients who employ antibiot- next generation. ic-free production to identify which boars and families do well in such a system. READY FOR ANYTHING As with many aspects of livestock and crop production, This approach represents the present and future of genetic genetics is the ultimate game changer, altering what we do, breeding for pig health. If companies select for resistance to how quickly we do it and how far we can go. If “winning the a certain disease because it’s currently a threat, what hap- game” means healthier animals, happier consumers and an pens with other pathogens or the next “big disease” that’s industry that’s built to last, it’s best to have genetics on your on the horizon? team. Instead, the quest is for immunocompetent animals who are better equipped to react to anything; this is the concept of disease resilience. Pigs may be bred in one environment, Abe Huisman but they are shipped around the world and need the best chance to withstand the challenges that await them. Abe Huisman (1975) started his education in September 1993 at Wageningen Of course, genetics are never simple. One complexity Agricultural University in the Netherlands that arises with breeding for health and other traits is that and graduated with a Master of Science while pigs are purebred on the nucleus farm, the final prod- in Animal Science, with specializations in Breeding, Genetics and Statistics, 5 uct at a commercial farm is a crossbred. Consequently, the years later. He earned his PhD in 2002 from Wageningen University genetic potential of an individual (boar) producing pure- with his extensive research focusing on the possibilities to change bred progeny in a nucleus environment is not necessarily growth and feed intake patterns of pigs through genetic selection. Abe Huisman has had a distinguished career that started at the comparable to the result when that same boar is used to Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) in Armidale, Australia. produce crossbred progeny. His career at Hypor, the pig breeding division of Hendrix Genetics, In response to this challenge, Hypor uses the concept of a leading multi-species animal genetics organization, started in Combined Crossbred and Purebred Selection (CCPS). The 2007. Abe Huisman was responsible for the improvement of the genetic evaluation of the Hypor pig breeding program. In 2011 he intent is to collect data on both purebred and crossbred joined the Research and Technology Centre of Hendrix Genetics progeny of a sire and use that information to estimate as Research Geneticist where he dedicated most of his time to his genetic potential. From a disease standpoint, this also the implementation of Genomic Selection for Hypor, helping the organization to be first-to-market with this application of the provides information on how crossbred progeny are dealing technology in pig breeding. In January 2014 Abe Huisman was with challenging situations on commercial farms, such as appointed as Director R&D for the BU Swine of Hendrix Genetics health issues. and is responsible for gearing up the global breeding program, implementation of new technologies and realization of maximum progress of the full product portfolio.

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 15 Patrick Charagu GENES HELP SCIENTISTS GET SELECTIVE

Given that none of us would be here without them, genes and the information is passed to the producer to aid in the are very important. As technology continues to advance at selection process. lightning speed, scientists are learning more about genes and how to harness their power for selective breeding. The No foreign genetic material (DNA) is idea sparks a variety of burning questions, but perhaps the most fundamental one can be simply stated: What IS selec- added to the organism; instead, it involves tive breeding? deliberate selection for desirable traits. When it comes to running the show in human and ani- mal systems, genes wear the pants. These bits of DNA that As far as which traits to target, a lot depends on the determine who we are at the cellular level have a huge task focus of a breeding/genetic line. With maternal (dam) lines, -- directing billions of cells to create the proteins that keep prolificacy is the main driver, so reproductive traits, litter us going. characteristics (like number of piglets born alive) and moth- ering ability are paramount. Terminal (sire) lines, meanwhile, GENES ARE HEREDITARY…PASS IT ON focus on traits like growth rate, feed efficiency and leanness. We inherit our genes directly from our parents. Though Breeders must avoid including too many traits into a single most genes are identical from person to person, less than breeding line, as some traits correlate negatively with oth- one percent of genes have small variations, and those differ- ers. Also, selecting for too many traits at once will slow the ences are what give each person, animal or plant, its unique progress of each one. set of physical features. In spite of the breeding line distinctions, however, there Altering those features in animals and plants is where are some exceptions. In the past, geneticists selected dam selective breeding comes in. It’s a form of genetic modifi- lines solely for reproductive traits and sire lines strictly for cation in which no foreign genetic material (DNA) is added growth traits. Yet females also have a need to grow faster to the organism; instead, it involves deliberate selection for and be leaner. It is also important to consider that a com- desirable traits. mercial (crossbred) pig gets 50% of its genes from the dam In the pork industry, whether it’s making pigs more feed and 50% of its genes from the sire, so some overlap in the efficient or supporting them in fending off disease, genetics trait selection is needed to create the optimal commercial is helping breeders hone in on the traits that matter most to pig. producers and consumers. Not surprisingly, selective breeding is all about selection, GOING GLOBAL as it’s critical to choose the right animals to create the next With the global nature of agriculture today, companies like generation depending on the targeted trait. That choice Hypor are factoring that into the selection process. If all is generally made in one of four ways, or a combination of genetic information is collected from a high health herd them: in Saskatchewan, Canada for example, there’s no guar- 1. visual appraisal antee that performance will be duplicated when pigs are 2. production testing shipped to Colombia and exposed to different tempera- 3. progeny testing, and tures and disease stresses. This phenomenon is known as 4. marker-assisted selection (collecting and analyzing genotype-by-environment interaction, where genotypes a DNA sample for specific markers that have a respond to environmental variation in different ways. measurable effect on a trait). To allow for those variations, Hypor takes a global ap- proach, testing the same genetics in multiple environments DATA FEEDING HUNGER FOR KNOWLEDGE and incorporating data from a range of sites in determining At Hypor, information is collected from a range of farms and the best candidates for breeding. systems on a wide array of traits such as birth weight, 14- Like any field of genetics, selective breeding continues to day weight, test weight, feed intake, and backfat and mus- evolve. More companies today are experimenting with arti- cle depth. The data is fed into a breeding database which ficial intelligence or machine learning to aid in data collec- runs a genetic evaluation and calculates genetic values tion and analysis. The success of selective breeding hinges for each pig and each trait. Those values are combined to on high quality data, and the more the merrier. Information generate a selection index that identifies which pigs excel is constantly flowing to Hypor’s genetic database from all in which traits (essentially a report card for each animal), over the world.

16 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 At the same time, environmental data such as barn ability of pigs to respond to disease challenges in a natural temperature or air quality can be hard to measure. As environment. new technology emerges in the form of sensors and other It may be a cliché to say “the sky is the limit”, but that cutting-edge equipment, more environmental details can clearly applies to genetics and selective breeding. While be gleaned, which should make it easier to distinguish trait it’s encouraging to think how much animal breeding has differences linked to genetics, from those caused by the improved livestock performance, it’s even more intriguing environment. Combine this with artificial intelligence, and to imagine where it will go from here. companies are well on their way to improving the accuracy of genetic predictions and the resulting benefits for the industry. Patrick Charagu

To meet producer needs, genetic selection must be at- Dr. Patrick Charagu was born and raised tuned to the latest practices. As feed costs continue to rise, in Kenya. He did most of his education companies are pinpointing feed intake and feed conversion there, obtaining a Bachelor’s of Science in as traits that warrant even further attention and improve- Agriculture and subsequently a Master’s Degree in Animal Breeding and Genetics ment. Can pigs get by on second grade, less expensive, or from the University of Nairobi. He then alternative feed ingredients (to leave more food for hu- worked for 2 years as a Research Assistant in the International mans) and still perform as needed? Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA – now called International Livestock Research Institute - ILRI) before going back to the University of Given the financial implications of disease for producers Nairobi as a junior faculty member. He proceeded to the University in the form of medication, labor costs, compromised perfor- of British Columbia where he attained a Ph.D. in Animal Breeding & mance, and higher mortality, disease resilience is another Genetics, working with dairy cattle. He did a post-doctoral research fellowship with Agriculture Canada, working on beef cattle carcass trait that the swine industry is pushing to improve. Because genetics. Patrick started working in R&D for Hypor in early 2002. animals are kept on high health farms for breeding, im- He is currently a Senior Geneticist with Hypor (Hendrix Genetics – provement in resilience may be difficult, as it’s hard to select Swine Business Unit) in the Americas. Patrick has served in the board for something that can’t be measured. With that in mind, of directors of the National Swine Improvement Federation and of PigGen Canada. new research is underway that investigates the genetic

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Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 17 Caitlyn Bruns SELECTING THE BEST PIG

The swine industry faces many challenges, such as imple- Increasing the proportion of grade one market pigs has menting loose sow housing, reducing antibiotic use and a very high economic value for pork producers. Selection to contending with labor shortages. In light of these chal- improve overall survival can be difficult in a nucleus system lenges, providing producers with a pig that is self-sufficient throughout its life will be a vital role for genetic suppliers. When implementing a selection program, genetic sup- pliers must first determine their breeding objective, or the combination of traits that will bring the most value to pro- ducers in the target market. The breeding objective defines the goal for genetic improvement and provides a vision for the future product. Without a strong breeding objective, a genetic company can lose focus. DNA’s vision for its terminal line is “A market pig that is the most profitable pig within the integrated production chain by achieving 97% grade one market pigs that excel in efficient lean growth and have carcass and meat quality characteristics that exceed the expectations of purchasers of high-quality pork.” Efficient lean growth has been the focus of genetic programs for numerous generations and will remain a focus. Given that throughput drives profitabil- ity, increasing the genetic potential for key performance indicators, such as growth rate and efficiency, will continue to provide value to the customer.

18 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 given the relatively good health status of a nucleus herd large litter sizes. Understanding the genetic factors impact- compared to a commercial herd. The goal is to find those ing weaning weight will be a required to improve weaned genetics more robust within challenging environments. pig quality. Another trait that can aid a sow in nursing her To create the best scenario, DNA has established a litter is functional teat count. It is important to capitalize on pedigreed commercial herd with the aim to select sires that the litter sizes that are already being achieved across the improve the survival of their offspring within the environ- industry by weaning more of the pigs that are already being ments more typical of the commercial industry. Better sur- born. vival rates will result from disease resistance and tolerance Regardless of the genetic company’s vision, the founda- for any pathogens present in the herd and other character- tion of a genetic program is the phenotypic data collected istics such as birth weight and appetite. Additional methods within the production system. Having a production team to incorporate disease resistance into a selection program, committed to genetic improvement is a key asset for a such as gene-editing, can only be utilized in a selection genetic company. The data collected on-farm must be accu- program at the expense of continued improvement in other rate and consistent from site-to-site and day-to-day. If mea- economically relevant traits. surement of a trait cannot be executed effectively within a As consumers become more sophisticated in their production system, it is not a strong candidate for selection. purchasing, meat quality will become a priority for packers, DNA is committed to its AccuGainTM philosophy. These six which in turn will put meat quality on a genetic company’s principles define the genetic program and represent areas radar. Packers are already targeting certain breeds due to of the program that are never compromised. their relative carcass value. In addition, producer ownership Last year, genomic selection was incorporated into the of production will likely impact the genetic improvement DNA selection program as a means to improve the selec- that needs to be provided to the industry by moving the tion accuracy. This addition to the selection program has pig’s value proposition further down the supply chain. A increased the rate of genetic gain without infringing on challenge with many meat quality traits is that the pig must the AccuGainTM principles. DNA is committed to vetting all be slaughtered in order to collect a phenotype. With ultra- new technologies and being prepared to implement any sound technology, intramuscular fat, or marbling, is one technology that aligns with the AccuGainTM philosophy and meat quality trait that can be recorded on the live animal. will create value for the customer. As new traits are added to the selection objective, it will The data collected on-farm must be be crucial to determine the relationship of the new trait with traits currently under selection. An undesirable genetic accurate and consistent from site-to-site correlation can cause indirect selection in a negative direc- and day-to-day. If measurement of a trait tion for a trait. Going forward, genetic suppliers will need to cannot be executed effectively within balance an increased focus on new traits with a continued focus on maintaining current performance for economically a production system, it is not a strong relevant traits. Implementing a genetic program that loses candidate for selection. sight of the key performance indicators will lead to a prod- uct that does not meet the needs of producers. DNA’s vision for its maternal line is “A parent female that, as a sow, is easy to manage, is culled by choice, has mini- mum maintenance cost, produces and weans 14 uniformly sized pigs weighing 14 pounds and reduces the level of management required for achieving industry leading sow Caitlyn Bruns productivity.” Like growth rate and feed efficiency, litter size has been emphasized in selection programs for genera- Caitlyn obtained her PhD from Iowa tions. In recent years, the focus has shifted to pig quality. State University with co-majors in Animal Live pigs at day 5 (LP5TM) has been utilized to select for Breeding and Genetics and Statistics. Since graduating in 2013, Caitlyn has litter size and pig quality simultaneously due to its associa- been on the DNA Genetics team. Her role tion with number weaned. Birth weight’s relationship with includes working with the team on trait pre-weaning survivability makes the trait an indicator of pig development and implementation of the genetic program. DNA Genetics is a genetics supplier servicing commercial pork quality. operations in North America and internationally. DNA Genetics is While litter size must be maintained, selection emphasis committed to providing customers with a product that is designed will continue to move toward maximizing the number of for production efficiency and profitability by investing in the latest technologies proven to increase genetic progress. DNA strives to quality pigs weaned. A sow that can wean her own pigs bring the industry the “Best People. Best Pig. Best Genetic Option.” without intervention is needed to capture the full value of

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 19 The power of knowledge.

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[email protected] www.pigchamp.com Dr. Tom Gillespie IT’S A SMALL WORLD - BIOCONTAINMENT AND MORE!

Biosecurity is a top concern in the livestock industry since it affects performance, economic results and can even close Swine unit in China that moved their markets for trading when catastrophic disease occur. Excel- feed bins out to the lent examples of current international biosecurity concerns perimeter fence to include African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever restrict feed trucks (CSF), and Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) that could dramati- from entering the cally affect export sales. site. The staff can From a biosecurity perspective, bio-exclusion is the sim- plant gardens within plest way to reduce the risk of pathogens from entering the the unit’s fences. production site or even a country. The US swine industry leaders and groups are working feverishly on improved methods of monitoring and detecting major pathogens in feed stuffs and other items entering the country. Individu- als within AASV, SHIC and NPB are communicating with the Figure 1 USDA to be prepared and hopefully detect food items that travelers are carrying from their home countries that often contain a federally reportable foreign animal disease (FAD) PEOPLE TRANSMIT PATHOGENS AROUND A UNIT pathogen. Several years ago, a study was conducted to look at how All biosecurity programs need to be practical; to encour- people transmitted hemolytic E. coli around a unit.1 In this age implementation of the plans. The most difficult aspect study, people mechanically transmitted E coli without ex- to implementation is ensuring that the individuals perform- traordinary measures to enhance caretaker contact with pig ing the daily biosecurity procedures completely understand excretions and secretions beyond that which would occur in the importance of their actions. Additionally, the individu- a typical pork production unit. Hand washing and donning als need to know that it is a team approach by everyone on clean outerwear did not prevent E coli transmission. How- staff and that everyone must be committed to undertaking ever, showering and donning clean outerwear did prevent the correct procedures each day. The understanding of the transmission. procedures is usually easily adopted, but the motivation to Dr. Will Lopez2 and others have established an easy perform the proper procedures each day can be lacking. non-invasive PRRSV detection method in piglets at process- Every employee must embrace all aspects of the biosecurity ing time. This method is enlightening all of us on PRRSV program for successful implementation. In spite of all the transmission, when the prevalence rate is extremely low in training, staff meetings, educational meetings, and more, the sow herd. It also has improved the author’s knowledge pathogens still find ways to enter a unit which reduces pro- on the transmission of PRRSV within the confines of the duction. In addition, flow logistics are often changed due to farrowing area of units by employee activities. In the last health status differences. few PRRSV elimination programs, mistakes have been made by employees that appeared to be associated with “mov- DEVELOPING THE CLEAN-DIRTY LINE ing” virus into young rooms that prolonged the elimination The picture in Figure 1 shows a perimeter fence which is time. Eventually the PRRSV was eliminated in all cases with usually considered the first step in establishing a clean-dirty lessons learned. At the end of the day biosecurity is never line. It is equally as important for a daily reminder that stagnant, but a dynamic ongoing program that needs mon- pathogens can be carried on our person so properly en- itoring and frequent discussions. The science on pathogen tering a unit has changed. The physical bench in Figure 2 transmission is ever evolving which means the person who is the reminder for the person entering that a “change” is is the champion for biosecurity in each unit must re-exam- about to occur. A properly managed clean – dirty line with- ine all programs. The key is to develop an employee culture in all structures is often lacking on swine farms throughout that empowers them to come along side and work together the world. A clean – dirty line for entering any unit needs for the best health of the unit. to be correctly administered to provide further “insurance” The author would like to thank numerous individuals against pathogen entry into modern units. for challenging and educating him on biosecurity by

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 21 Dr. Tom Gillespie

participating in exercises and meetings illustrating the need Drs. Gene to improve current traditions. Shepherd and Megan Inskeep References are illustrating 1. Amiss, S., Halbur, P., Byrne, B., Ragland, D. et al. (2003) Mechan- the proper ical transmission of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to weaned pigs by techniques of people, and biosecurity procedures that prevented such transmission. Journal of Swine Health and Production 11, (2): 61-68. using a bench 2. Lopez WA, Angulo J, Zimmerman JJ, et al. Porcine reproductive entry plus shower syndrome monitoring in breeding herds using process fluids. Journal of system. Swine Health Production. 2018;26(3):146-150.

Dr. Tom Gillespie

Tom Gillespie has a lifelong involvement in the swine industry, beginning with his 4-H participation on his family’s hog and grain farm. He graduated from Purdue University with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1979. In 1981, Gillespie moved to Indiana and joined as an owner in a mixed animal practice. He soon specialized in swine medicine. Gillespie obtained diplomate status with the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Swine Health and Management Specialty in 1989. He recertified in 2008 and again in 2017. Gillespie consults with swine operations worldwide. He is the past president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV). He was selected as the AASV Swine Figure 2 Practitioner of the Year in 2010.

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22 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Total number of farms 375 USA 2018 YEAR SUMMARY

UPPER 10TH LOWER 10TH VARIABLE MEAN SD MEDIAN PERCENTILE PERCENTILE Total number of services 5128.59 5278.660 3548.00 13304.00 260.00

Number repeat services 290.72 367.951 152.00 773.00 13.00

Percent repeat services 6.60 4.433 5.99 11.80 1.54

Number of sows farrowed 4473.40 4685.450 2969.00 11355.00 219.00

Total pigs born 65614.09 69140.260 40882.00 167084.00 3185.00

Average total pigs per litter 14.43 1.086 14.59 15.66 13.06

Total pigs born alive 58899.22 62389.750 36918.00 149787.00 2721.00

Average pigs born alive/litter 12.90 0.951 13.00 13.94 11.95

Liveborn/female/yr 28.62 4.323 28.51 32.48 24.53

Total stillborn pigs 4693.34 4870.230 3381.00 11141.00 240.00

Average stillborn pigs 1.13 0.378 1.08 1.56 0.72

Total mummified pigs born 2021.51 2881.890 1026.00 4846.00 34.00

Average mummies per litter 0.40 0.282 0.37 0.71 0.10

Farrowing rate 83.90 5.960 84.78 90.30 76.98

Pre-weaning mortality 14.85 3.825 14.40 19.81 10.31

Sows farrowed and weaned 4440.35 4608.970 2966.00 11381.00 204.00

Average age at weaning 20.74 2.237 20.35 23.00 18.80

Total pigs weaned 49490.07 51558.380 32772.00 120595.00 2127.00 Average litter weaning weight 132.95 40.946 141.82 167.15 98.74 (n=74) Pigs weaned per litter weaned 11.23 0.788 11.27 12.15 10.45

Pigs wnd / mated female / yr 25.28 3.371 25.38 29.22 21.20

Pigs wnd / female / year 24.11 3.389 24.16 28.01 19.94

Females entered 1020.57 1089.080 605.00 2638.00 41.00

Sow and gilt deaths 242.68 267.957 164.00 607.00 8.00

Death rate 11.68 3.701 11.80 16.20 7.20

Sows and gilts culled 931.53 985.205 618.00 2278.00 37.00

Culling rate (n=369) 45.06 14.210 45.90 61.60 28.30

Total sows 2176.19 1828.650 1728.00 4977.00 469.00

Ending boar inventory 7.85 31.799 3.00 13.00 0.00

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 23 Dr. Liz Wagstrom AFRICAN SWINE FEVER: ONE OF THE BIG THREE IS SPREADING

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral disease that causes high not infect other animals or humans, there are no food safety mortality in domestic and wild pigs. It, along with Classical implications. There is no vaccine for ASF. Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease, is one of the Big While strains of ASF may vary in their virulence, in most Three highly transmissible diseases that would stop our cases ASF causes severe illness and high mortality rates export markets cold if identified in the United States or in pigs of all ages. Pigs will exhibit high fever, decreased Canada. appetite and reluctance to move. Skin may be red, blotchy or have bloody/black lesions on the ears, tail and lower There is no vaccine for ASF and due to the limbs. They may also have diarrhea, abortion, or respiratory signs. Upon necropsy the spleen is enlarged and friable, complexity of the virus and the difficulty in lymph nodes will be black and enlarged, and blood may be identifying the protective proteins of the observed throughout the body cavities. There is no vaccine for ASF and due to the complexity virus, no vaccine is aniticpated in the near of the virus and the difficulty in identifying the protective future. proteins of the virus, no vaccine is aniticpated in the near future. African Swine Fever spreads through close contact with infected animals or their excretions, or through feeding un- ACTIVE OUTBREAKS OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER cooked contaminated meat to susceptible pigs. In Africa, it ASF had been largely eliminated from most of the world, ex- is also spread by warthogs and other native pigs that do not cept for Africa, prior to 2007. In 2007 an outbreak was iden- show clinical signs of the disease, as well as by soft bodied tified in the Caucuses region of Georgia. The disease spread ticks. ASF is very hardy in the environment. ASF virus does through wild boar movements and illegal movements of

Province 119 reported Date of first reported Updated 4-9-2019 cases case Liaoning 22 3-Aug-18 Urumqi, Henan 2 16-Aug-18 Jiangsu 3 19-Aug-18 Xinjiang Zhejiang 2 23-Aug-18 Anhui 8 30-Aug-18 Heilongjiang 6 5-Sep-18 Inner Mongolia 6 14-Sep-18 Jilin 4 21-Sep-18 Tianjin 2 12-Oct-18 Shanxi 5 17-Oct-18 Yunnan 6 21-Oct-18 Hunan 8 23-Oct-18 Chongqing 3 25-Oct-18 Guizhou 4 25-Oct-18 Hubei 5 7-Nov-18 Fujian 3 8-Nov-18 Jiangxi 3 8-Nov-18 Shanghai 1 17-Nov-18 Sichuan 6 17-Nov-18 Beijing 3 23-Nov-18 Shaanxi 4 2-Dec-18 Qinghai 1 12-Dec-18 Guangdong 3 19-Dec-18 Gansu 3 13-Jan-19 Lichuan Ningxia 1 20-Jan-19 city, Hubei Guangxi 2 20-Feb-19 Shandong 1 21-Feb-19 Hebei 1 24-Feb-19 *Most recent outbreaks are indicated by yellow stars Dr. Chris Rademacher - ISU Extension - IPIC Xinjiang 1 4-Apr-19

24 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Results: Summary of virus survival from batch 4 samples (37 DPI or 30 DPI) arcoss both models.

Red = viable virus recovered, Green = no evidence of viable virus, Blue = not tested meat across Russia and many of the Eastern European and swinehealth.org Baltic nations. On August 3, 2018 it was reported that China had its first WHAT STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO PROTECT THE case of African Swine Fever. The sequence of the Chinese UNITED STATES PORK INDUSTRY virus is very similar to the virus found in Georgia, Russia and Europe. Since then the disease has spread widely in China. National Pork Producer Council (NPPC), the National Pork Board (NPB), the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) WHAT IS THE RISK TO THE UNITED STATES PORK and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) INDUSTRY? have been in close contact with the United States Depart- There are several potential vehicles that could carry the ment of Agriculture (USDA) and Customs and Border Protec- ASF virus to the United States (or Canada). These include: tion (CBP) to discuss ways to prevent ASF from entering the international travelers that would have either contaminated United States. The organizations developed a list of poten- footwear/clothing or be carrying infected meat products, tial actions for prevention, and if needed, response to an importation of contaminated meat products, and impor- ASF outbreak. tation of contaminated feed ingredients. In each of these The industry organizations and USDA are committed to cases the contaminated article would need to either contact open and timely communication on this situation and the or be fed to, susceptible pigs. potential for increased protective actions. The USDA has a We know from work done by Dr. Scott Dee, et al, that Risk Identification Unit that monitors the disease situation some virus contained in certain feed ingredients can survive globally and evaluates changes in risk status. The Risk Iden- a simulated transport model. The chart above shows which tification Unit is in the process of developing a qualitative of the feedstuffs tested could support survival of various risk assessment looking at potential entry points of the virus viruses. There are other imported products that were not into the U.S. so that potential gaps in protection can be tested in this model that may potentially support virus identified and addressed. survival. Further research by Niederwerder, et al has now USDA prohibits the import of fresh meat from ASF posi- demonstrated that the risk of ASF transmission through tive zones (including entire countries that do not have rec- feed increases with multiple feedings and is more efficient ognized zones or regionalization), and industry has worked in liquid than in dry ingredients. closely with USDA to understand the European ASF zoning These researchers have also been involved in research to and regionalization. USDA also prohibits the import of live determine the half life of virus in feed ingredients to help animals from ASF positive zones. in the calculation of holding times that would inactivate Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has enhanced 99.99% of virus in an ingredient. More information on all inspections of passengers/luggage on planes arriving from these studies, as well as information sheets on holding China and Russia, as well as other Eastern European loca- times and questions for producers to ask of their feed tions. Targeting of other flights based on the origination suppliers can be accessed at http://nppc.org/asf/ or at www. country of passengers is also a tool utilized by CBP. The

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 25 Dr. Liz Wagstrom most visible tool is the Beagle Brigade, but the canine teams Preparation Checklist found at https://library.pork.org/me- are one of many steps taken by CBP to prevent the entry of dia/?mediaId=FD08BB0E-C446-4433-8D722BF983B30B1C. dangerous products into the country. Additionally, producers should consider enrolling in the The industry organizations have worked closely with Secure Pork Supply program at www.SecurePork.org. USDA for over a year to validate foreign animal disease Producers should consider visiting with their feed suppli- (including ASF) testing using oral fluids. At the beginning ers to ascertain the origin of the feed ingredients they are of the Chinese outbreak whole blood was the validated using in their diets. Below is a list of questions they should sample for ASAF testing in the National Animal Health Labo- consider asking: ratory Network (NAHLN) laboratories, which are most of 1. Describe the facility’s biosecurity program to the state veterinary diagnostic laboratories. USDA has now minimize the spread of pathogens from people, also validated spleen and lymph node for use by the NAHLN vehicles and ingredients. laboratories during a foreign animal disease investigation. 2. Describe the facility’s employee training on USDA has conducted an evaluation of laboratory capacity feed safety. to test for ASF. 3. Describe the facility’s pest control program. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has fund- 4. Describe the facility’s traceability program. ed projects that are underway to evaluate mitigations 5. Describe the facility’s supplier approval program. to neutralize the virus in feed ingredients. SHIC has also 6. Is the facility certified by a third-party certification funded projects to develop validated sampling methods body for food safety? Third-party certification for testing feed ingredients for viral contamination. Also, programs may include the Feed Additives currently being researched are feed pathogen mitigation Manufacturers (FAMI-QS), the International options including: Feed additives, component holding time Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Safe and temperature before processing, Hazard Analysis and Quality Food (SQF), Safe Feed/Safe Food, etc. Risk-Based Preventive Controls, and blockchain are being 7. Does the facility utilize ingredients that were investigated with urgency. Available results can be accessed manufactured or packaged outside of the United at SwineHealth.org. States? Since feeding uncooked or undercooked infected meat to pigs is a known pathway for ASF transmission, NPPC has IN SUMMARY asked USDA to increase their compliance inspections for In summary, the industry is working closely with USDA licensed waste feeders and searches for non-licensed waste to prioritize preventing ASF from entering the U.S. swine feeding facilities. herd and, in the case of an ASF outbreak, being prepared to A series of ASF-specific emergency response exercises respond. are being conducted with allied industry, NAHLN and state and federal animal health officials participating. The first one was held in December 2018 with further exercises scheduled throughout 2019. Coordination of response and communication plans with Canada and Mexico is underway.

WHAT CAN PRODUCERS DO TO PROTECT THEIR HERDS? With the best information currently available, and until we Dr. Liz Wagstrom learn more, we recommend extreme caution if considering hosting someone from an ASF positive region of the world Dr. Liz Wagstrom is recognized as an expert on pig health, food safety and on US farms. If visitors are hosted, the USDA Foreign Animal public health. Dr. Wagstrom has a wealth Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on Plum Island recommends of experience in production agriculture a 5-day downtime for anyone planning to have contact with and public health as a result of her 9 years with the US National Pork Board, first as susceptible species after working with diseases and animals Director of Veterinary Services and later as Assistant Vice President on the island. for Science and Technology. Following a stint as the Director Producers should review their biosecurity protocols. If of the Public Practice Residency program at the University of producers have workers from ASF positive regions, they Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine she joined the National Pork Producers Council as the Chief Veterinarian in 2011. She has should also review their down time policies for workers also held positions within a state department of health and with a returning from visits home. It must be stressed to such major swine production company. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary workers that they are not allowed to bring meat from their Medicine Degree, a Masters in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from Iowa State University and she is board certified by the American home country into the United States or the farm. College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Producers should fill out the Foreign Animal Disease

26 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Beth Tharp THE LINK BETWEEN ANIMAL WELFARE AND PIG PERFORMANCE

As the swine industry continues to grow and progress, we are faced with new challenges. One topic that is making its way to the frontlines is animal welfare. Producers are con- stantly challenged with improving living conditions for their animals to continue producing a safe end-product, as well as building relationships with consumers. There are many different factors that contribute to the welfare of the animals, such as air and water quality, living conditions, nutrition, and disease management. All of these factors contribute to the animal’s quality of life and the quality of the pork product. Legan Livestock and Grain, Inc. is a family farm raising swine and crops in Putnam County, Indiana. Modern animal welfare practices have been a factor to their success for nearly 25 years. Beth Tharp lent us some insight into their operation – how animal welfare is practiced on their farm we can assess the situation and carry out the best course of and their thoughts into its importance in the industry. action.

PIGCHAMP: Do you feel that animal welfare is an important PIGCHAMP: In what ways do you promote animal welfare piece of a successful operation? to the general public on your farm? What ways have you found to be the most successful? LLG: Extremely. We have a moral obligation to care for our animals. We care for our animals and they care for us. LLG: We promote animal welfare and agriculture in various ways to ensure our message gets out. We have a newsletter PIGCHAMP: Why is it important that we continue to update that we send out with articles about what we do on our welfare practices within the swine operation? farms, like antibiotic use and how we care for sows. We also use Facebook to promote our business and the swine indus- LLG: We strive for continuous improvement in our opera- try. And, whenever we can, we use personal conversation so tion. We want to be better tomorrow than we are today. By that consumers can get an inside look at where their food keeping up with welfare practices and observing animals comes from and feel that they can relate to the people who every day, we can decide if we need to make changes to produce it. our practices to make sure the animals are comfortable and healthy. PIGCHAMP: What do you think is the biggest welfare issue facing the swine production industry today? PIGCHAMP: Is there a system in place to evaluate the suc- cess of animal welfare on your farm? LLG: I’m not sure there is just one. The industry has faced a lot of pressure regarding societal concerns of sow stall use. LLG: PQA Plus is a great program that allows us to ensure I think pain management is a big one that we will continu- that we, as an operation, are meeting industry standards for ally have to evaluate. To us, it’s important to be transparent pork production. Additionally, we work very closely with our about what happens on our farm and educate people about herd veterinarian, and take into account any suggestions he how we raise pigs. might have in terms of animal welfare. When we feed, we There’s a lot to be said about the way agriculture is can tell a lot about how well our animal welfare practices changing. Farmers are producing more food on less land are working by looking at the performance of our pigs. If a than ever before. As consumers become further removed pig is underperforming, it could be related back to welfare from the farm, it’s imperative that we, as producers, contin- practices. When walking through the barns, we are also ue to advocate for the industry and educate the public on able to tell if an animal is ill, uncomfortable, or injured and our practices.

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 27 Beth Tharp WHAT IS PQA PLUS?

PQA Plus is an educational program representing the indus- try’s commitment to continuous improvement of produc- tion practices. It addresses food safety, animal well-being, environmental stewardship, worker safety, public health and community. It is administered through the Pork Check- off? There are two components to PQA Plus. First, individu- als can become certified through an education program. Second, farms can receive PQA Plus site status through an on-farm site assessment with a PQA Plus. Advisor PQA Plus is the industry’s way of demonstrating accountability for the pork produced, as well as a solution to customers’ (restau- Beth Tharp rants, food retailers and consumers) concerns over food safety and animal well-being. Legan Livestock and Grain, Inc. is a family The U.S. pork industry has had a 100 percent legislative farm raising swine and crops in Putnam checkoff program since 1986. Congress created the Pork County, Indiana. Modern animal welfare practices have been a factor to their Checkoff as part of The Pork Promotion, Research and Con- success for nearly 25 years. Beth Tharp sumer Information Act of 1985. The National Pork Board ex- lent us some insight into their operation – ecutes specific programs in the areas of promotion, research how animal welfare is practiced on their farm and their thoughts into its importance in the industry. and education.

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28 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Dr. Joe Connor BENCHMARKING DATA: THE TRUTH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

Comprehensive records exist to allow us to benchmark variation provides significant motivation for improvement. reproductive and growing pig performance. A “benchmark” Optimizing sow reproduction is challenging because of is, in the truest definition, a point of comparison. We often the variability of the numerous drivers. When evaluating think this is a modern concept, but in fact the practice dates performance, it is advantageous for veterinarians and pro- back to ancient times when Japan sent teams to China in ducers to compare outcomes over time and by key drivers 1607 A.D. to learn the best practices for business. such as genetics, lactation length, age of gilt at first service, This dataset includes multiple genetics and is not stratified production system, climate, nutritional program, housing, by herd size or health. These quotes put the value of bench- etc. Many of these drivers are interrelated compounding marking in perspective: positive or negative effects. Benchmarking quantifies these drivers and their effect on the system as a whole and on “All Good to Great companies began the process of each individual farm. Linear time charts allow us to com- finding a path to greatness by confronting the brutal facts pare periods to minimize some of the negative drivers. about the reality of their business. When you start with an With the ongoing changes in several of these parameters, honest and diligent effort to determine the truth of your the outcome will change, making the use of benchmarking situation, the right decisions often become self-evident.” comparisons more valuable. Each producer and system — Jim Collins needs to establish their individual goals.

“The opportunity is in the variance…You can have Optimizing sow reproduction is challenging your head in the freezer and your rear in the oven and still be at an average temperature. Averages don’t really because of the variability of the numerous tell you what’s going on. If you understand the distribu- drivers. When evaluating performance, tions, you can make better decisions.” — Dennis DiPietre, Vita Plus Swine Summit 2012 it is advantageous for veterinarians and producers to compare outcomes over time. The PigCHAMP® 2018 database includes 375 farms. Benchmarking compares the key performance indicators to In the 2018 PigCHAMP® data, producers in the upper the mean, standard deviation, and 90th and 10th percen- 10th percentile had their herds delivering total born of tiles. This allows you to identify your individual herd pro- 15.66 per litter and live born of 13.94 while the mean total ductivity strengths and weaknesses and the industry trends. born was 14.43 per litter and live born of 12.90 per litter. Anticipating that genetic improvement occurs at a given This equates to total born per sow per year of 38.83 and live rate per year, one anticipates that outcomes such as total born per sow per year of 32.38 respectively at the upper born and pigs weaned per sow farrowed will increase year 10th percentile, and the mean at 35.78 total born and 31.99 over year. Comparing your own individual herds to those live born per female farrowed per year. trend lines gives you areas of focus. Inherent within evalu- Stillbirths per litter in the upper 10th percentile averaged ating outcomes is the understanding that a records system 0.72 compared to 1.13 for the mean and 1.56 for the lower such as PigCHAMP® utilizes meaningful reference standards, 10th percentile. Stillbirth reduction remains an opportunity which is important when comparing different databases. on most herds. Numerous interventions continue to be ap- Herds with standardized inputs and processes have inher- plied, but the largest impact often resides with the staff and ent advantage over systems without standardization. hours of staffing. With very few herds able to effectively staff As you analyze benchmarking data, remember that each 24 hours per day, and with 60% of the farrowings occurring variable is independent of another variable. An example in the non-attended hours, this opportunity is difficult to is percent repeat services with the mean at 6.6%, upper capture. Induction of farrowing is an effective strategy if 10th percentile at 11.80%, and the lower 10th percentile at farrowings are closely attended. Mummies per litter for the 1.54%. All herds would prefer to be in the lower 10th per- upper 10th percentile were 0.10 compared to 0.40 for the centile in this category. The upper and lower percentiles will mean and 0.71 in the lower 10th percentile. Mummy rates also shift by variable. Within the dataset, variation within are highly dependent on the staff’s desire to identify early each variable is illustrated by the standard deviation. This gestation losses. Mummies form at approximately 40-45

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 29 Dr. Joe Connor days of development when skeletal calcification occurs. These strategies are well understood, but rely on consistent These early mummies are frequently lost in the placentas or staffing and are hindered by staffing hours. Herds that staff naturally discarded below the flooring. 24/7 have opportunity to improve this parameter. Piglet survivability is another large economic opportu- Pigs weaned per litter for the upper 10th percentile was nity for producers. Preweaning mortality in the database in 12.15 with the mean at 11.23 and the lower 10th percentile the upper 10th percentile was 10.31% compared to mean at 10.45. Pigs weaned per mated female per year for the percent at 14.85% and the lower 10th percentile at 19.81%. upper 10th percentile was 29.22 with the mean at 25.28 As total born increases, average birthweights generally and the lower 10th percentile at 21.20. Average age in days decline and individual birthweight variability increases for weaning for the lower 10th percentile was 18.80, mean contributing to lower survivability. In good health herds, at 20.74, and the upper 10th percentile at 23.00 days. It is 60-70% of the mortality occurs within the first 72 hours interesting that given the correlation of weaning weight to post birth. Strategies improving survivability include proper weaning age and post weaning performance, this para- piglet environment, colostrum management via split-suck- meter remains relatively static. Farrowing rate for upper ling and balancing pigs per sow based on functional teats. 10th percentile was 90.30% with the mean at 83.90% and

YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISON

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

UPPER UPPER UPPER UPPER UPPER VARIABLE MEAN 10TH MEAN 10TH MEAN 10TH MEAN 10TH MEAN 10TH PERCENTILE PERCENTILE PERCENTILE PERCENTILE PERCENTILE

AVERAGE TOTAL PIGS 13.49 14.63 13.64 14.91 13.95 15.20 14.22 15.44 14.43 15.66 PER LITTER

AVERAGE PIGS BORN 12.29 13.15 12.39 13.46 12.58 13.63 12.71 13.89 12.90 13.94 ALIVE/LITTER

LIVEBORN/FEMALE/YR 27.82 31.44 27.79 31.83 27.74 32.23 28.53 32.27 28.62 32.48

AVERAGE STILLBORN 0.90 0.49 0.92 0.54 1.01 0.61 1.08 0.67 1.13 0.72 PIGS

AVERAGE MUMMIES 0.30 0.07 0.33 0.08 0.36 0.09 0.42 0.12 0.40 0.10 PER LITTER

FARROWING RATE 84.27 90.79 84.53 91.74 82.51 90.79 83.73 90.68 83.90 90.30

PRE-WEANING MORTALITY 15.62 9.23 13.72 9.52 15.37 9.28 14.69 9.61 14.85 10.31

AVERAGE AGE AT 20.17 21.80 20.42 22.08 20.54 22.35 20.71 22.60 20.74 23.00 WEANING

AVERAGE LITTER WEANING WEIGHT 131.57 159.57 133.28 166.65 148.32 166.29 141.00 166.96 132.95 167.15 (N=74)

PIGS WEANED PER 10.81 11.62 10.92 11.75 11.03 11.90 11.16 12.05 11.23 12.15 LITTER WEANED

PIGS WND/MATED 24.38 28.01 24.91 28.87 24.12 28.35 24.95 28.65 25.28 29.22 FEMALE/YR

DEATH RATE 8.81 5.57 8.94 4.97 10.00 5.93 10.73 6.36 11.68 7.20

CULLING RATE 43.46 28.64 48.81 30.81 44.51 26.80 42.31 24.18 45.06 28.30 (N=369)

30 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 the lower 10th percentile at 76.98%. The number of produc- continues year over year and needs to be an area of focus. ers recording litter weights was 20% of the total farms with- The reasons for this trend are related to earlier euthanasia of in this database. These herds had a mean litter wean weight rectal prolapses, the increase in uterine prolapses, and the of 132.95 pounds with the upper 10th percentile at 167.15 increase in open pen gestation. In our comparison, open pounds and the lower 10th percentile at 98.74 pounds. pen gestation averages 2% higher mortality than stall hous- Death rate percentage for upper 10th percentile was ing. Culling rate increased 1.60% for mean and decreased 7.20% with the mean at 11.68% and the lower 10th percen- for the upper 10th percentile. tile at 16.20%. Culling rate for the upper 10th percentile was Trend variables worth comparing between the 10th and 28.30% with the mean at 45.06% and the lower 10th per- 90th percentile are stillborn, mummies, death rate, and centile at 61.60%. Culling rate variable is highly herd specific culling rate as these do not necessarily correlate within the and driven by genetics, health, and economics. Genetic same herds. For stillborn, the lower 10th percentile herds herds target annual replacement rates of 65%, while herds have increased 0.1 per litter while the 90th percentile herds with closure for PRRS or Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae will increased 0.23 per litter. This difference is logical if associat- have low replacement rates for a period. ed with increasing total born. Mummies per litter increased Trends over time are an important aspect of benchmark- 0.03 per litter for the upper 10th percentile while increasing ing and when linked to the yearly database provide addi- 0.21 per litter for the lower 10th percentile. tional value of your herd’s performance to other producers. Death rate of sows interestingly increased during the Comparing the upper 10th percentile to the mean over time 5-year period in both 10th and 90th percentile categories also identifies if biological and management limitations are indicating a generalized shift. Culling rate varied year by being reached. The following table illustrates key produc- year with some decline or increase trend within the 10th tion variables of the mean and the upper 10th percentile and 90th percentile suggesting other factors such as mar- from the historical PigCHAMP® database over the period kets’ influence. If variables such as stillborn, mummies, and of 2014–2018. Comparing the upper 10th percentile to death rate remain at the 90th percentile (low) year after year the mean over time also identifies if biological and man- within the same herd, these are the ones to deep dive into agement limitations are being reached. If the upper 10th their processes, procedures, and drivers. Lastly, mean and percentile improvement delta is higher than the mean, the 90th percentile sow inventory trended up during the 5-year best herds are improving at a faster rate. analysis period. Total born increases year on year are approximately 0.235 In summary, producers have to be excited to have pro- piglets per litter while born alive is 0.16 piglets per litter. ductivity continuing to increase. These increases are critical Improvement rate is slightly higher over the 5-year period to maintaining or lowering costs in our globally competitive between the mean and the upper 10th percentile. Liveborn industry. This variation in productivity pales in comparison per female per year increased by 0.8 pigs for the mean and to variation in financial performance. Linking production 1.04 for the upper 10th percentile herds over the five-year data with financial data is key. Opportunities exist for period. Stillborns increased 0.23 for mean and similarly for continual increases with staffing, staff training, and health the upper 10th percentile during these five years. Increasing being critical components to capture the genetic potential total born with an increasing stillbirth rate resulted in the in- in productivity. crease in live births per litter. Mummies per litter increased 0.10 for mean, 0.03 for upper 10th percentile. Dr. Joe Connor Pre-weaning mortality decreased by 0.77% for mean and increased by 1.08% for upper 10th percentile. Average age Dr. Connor obtained his D.V.M. from the University of Illinois in 1976, obtained a at weaning increased 0.57 for mean, and 1.20 days respec- Master of Science in Veterinary Medicine tively for upper 10th percentile. Average litter weaning from the University of Minnesota in 2006, weight increased 1.38 pounds for mean and 7.58 pounds and completed the Executive Veterinary Program in 2009 with the University of for upper 10th percentile. Pigs weaned per litter weaned Illinois. Dr. Connor is the founder and past president of Carthage increased 0.42 for mean and 0.53 for upper 10th percentile. Veterinary Service, Ltd. (CVS). Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd. Pigs weaned per mated female per year increased 0.90 for provides consulting to producers throughout the United States, the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Connor focuses on disease mean, 1.21 for upper 10th percentile. management and elimination and production economics. Dr. Connor Farrowing rate decreased 0.37% for the mean and 0.49% was a leader in segregated production and wean–to-finish technology. for upper 10th percentile. There has been a general industry Dr. Connor was recognized as a member of the PIC Hall of Fame concern that farrowing rates have declined. This dataset in 2016, and received the Master’s Award from The National Hog Farmer in 2009, the Leman Science in Practice Award in 2004 from would support this decline. The goal of a 93% farrowing rate the University of Minnesota, and American Association of Swine seemingly is difficult to achieve. Death rate increased 2.87% Veterinarians (AASV) Swine Practitioner of the Year Award in 1995 for mean and 1.63% for upper 10th percentile. This trend from the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 31 Bruce & Nelson Sensenig TAKE-AWAYS FOR A PROACTIVE SWINE PRODUCER LOOKING AT BENCHMARK DATA

LOOKING AT 2018 SUMMARY DATA, WHAT INITIAL slowly advancing higher, as well as pigs weaned per mated THOUGHTS DO YOU HAVE ON INDUSTRY WIDE female per year, making a positive impact. One item that I INFORMATION AND TRENDS? think we would be interested in considering is the increase When I first looked through the summary data, the item of average gestation length from 114 to 117. To analyze this that sticks out to me is Death Rate. In my opinion, death information, we would need to look at data from farms that rate seems to be a “flashing red” concern. Thinking of this do not induce, as that would skew the information. Longer I decided to look back at previous Benchmark reports and gestation length can be problematic for the flow of pigs do a comparison. Comparing data over the years showed a on the farm causing a negative impact. The farm could be continuous higher trend of Death Rate in sows. As you read impacted by weaning pigs at a younger age. Then you ask articles and attend seminars you hear that the industry has yourself, how does earlier weaning age for pigs affect their also recognized higher mortality rates in sows. On our farm, viability? Is this a negative impact? we moved to large pen gestation 10 years ago. Since that time, we have seen increased lameness and a noticeable WHAT VALUE DO YOU SEE IN BENCHMARK DATA? uptrend in sow Death Rate. Benchmark data helps you to look at your farm and size Is lameness caused by loose housing a major contribut- it up with the industry. Farm staff can be very isolated ing factor in the up-trending Death Rate in sows? How great in their job due to their work schedule. They don’t have a part do genetically influenced factors such as sturdiness of the networking opportunity within the industry to follow frame and leanness play in the upward trending sow Death production trends. Our staff was shown the Benchmark data Rate? These are questions the industry needs to explore. and thought it is very insightful. Benchmark gives them a How large a part does the large pen \ loose housing con- better glimpse of how our farm measures up to other farms cept play in the lameness and resulting mortality? I wonder and helps to set targets. The data keeps us moving forward if we were able to compare death rate of animals, crated in the right direction. vs large pen, would that data confirm this? Since large pen gestation was driven by the consumer, I assume they would WHAT ARE YOUR PROJECTIONS OR THOUGHTS want to know if this change has negatively impacted the CONCERNING THE SWINE INDUSTRY FOR NEXT YEAR? health of the animal. In 2019, I think that biosecurity will become an even bigger attention getter than it has been. Farms will have a higher Sow Death Rate on PigCHAMP Annual Benchmark percent of protocols for disease prevention. All producers, not just large farms, will need to become extremely consci- entious of biosecurity. Biosecurity is easier to implement in the sow farm because staff are working in the barn through- out the day. Being in the same environment throughout the day make protocols such as shower in – shower out easier to implement. On grower/finisher farms, staff activities occur throughout the day at many barns and sites. This in- creases the chance of infecting one farm from another farm. We need to ask ourselves: Are we doing enough? Should we change or increase our biosecurity protocols? Will we be able to shut down/cleanup/move on swiftly when faced with herd health challenges?

AS YOU LOOK AT THIS DATA, DOES ANYTHING STAND Bruce & Nelson Sensenig OUT AS A (-) OR (+) IMPACT TO THE INDUSTRY? The first item, of course, would be sow mortality as previ- Sensenig Farms is an Antibiotic Free (ABF) Independent farm located ously stated. This has a significant negative impact and it is in Pennsylvania, producing approximately 34,000 weaned pigs per year. getting worse. Next, I look at the average born alive, it is still

32 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 The PigCHAMP Grow-Finish program PigCHAMP Farrow to Finish offers gives you the broadest range of options powerful reporting that allows you to: for managing and improving your grow- • Make precise decisions for today with finish operation. When used in tandem real-time information with PigCHAMP Reproductive, you have • Analyze results to improve profitability all the tools you need to manage your • Plan for tomorrow with farrow-to-finish operation. sophisticated planning tools

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[email protected] www.pigchamp.com Nick Giordano IT’S TIME TO END TRADE DISPUTES

Retaliatory tariffs from major U.S. trading partners are what was expected to be a profitable year and amid record wreaking havoc with American agriculture and other sec- U.S. hog and pork production fueled by rising exports and tors of the U.S. economy. Pork producers have taken a big the expectation of more trade deals. financial hit because of punitive duties on their products. The U.S. and Mexico concluded free trade agreement The U.S. pork industry now is on three retaliation lists: negotiations in August, and Canada joined the deal about a two from China and one from Mexico. month later -- the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The USMCA preserves the zero-tariff access for As a result, U.S. pork exports to Mexico U.S. pork shipped to Mexico, access that has been in place for 24 years through the North American Free Trade Agree- during the July-September period fell by ment (NAFTA). Consequently, NPPC supports USMCA. more than $61 million. However, the expectation in the private sector in all three nations was that the metal tariffs – and the punitive Canadi- Mexico’s tariff on U.S. pork has been particularly detri- an and Mexican tariffs levied in retaliation for them – would mental for pork producers. That country is the pork indus- be lifted by the time of the formal signing of the USMCA on try’s No. 2 export market. Mexico in early June 2018 placed November 30. Unfortunately, the metal issue has not yet a 10 percent duty on U.S. pork in retaliation for U.S. tariffs been resolved, and the Canadian and Mexican retaliation on its steel and aluminum exports to America. The Mexican remains in place, including the 20 percent Mexican tariff on tariff was raised to 20 percent in early July 2018. pork. As a result, U.S. pork exports to Mexico during the Ju- In addition to pork, many sectors are being hurt by the ly-September period fell by more than $61 million from the Canadian and Mexican retaliation. Other food and agri- same period in 2017. Iowa State University economist culture products such as cheese, yogurt, apples, potatoes, Dermot Hayes calculated that the Mexican tariff is costing processed foods and whiskey are under retaliation. Many each U.S. pork producer $12 per animal, meaning indus- fabricated steel products, aluminum products, washing try-wide losses of $1.5 billion annually. machines, personal care products, boats and sailboats The Mexican tariff – and ones from China – came during are under retaliation. Separate from the economic impact

34 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 on pork and the other products under retaliation, alumi- property and forced transfers of U.S. technology – have cost num and steel consuming sectors in the United States are American pork producers $8 per hog, or $1 billion industry- complaining bitterly because of much higher input prices, wide on an annualized basis, according to Hayes. which make them less competitive. Indeed, the aluminum The urgency of resolving the trade issues with China and, industry, concerned about the impact of higher prices on more importantly, with Mexico become even greater in ear- demand for its product, opposes U.S. import tariffs on alu- ly 2019 because of implementation of the Comprehensive minum. and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Japan and 10 other Asia-Pacific The Mexican tariff on pork imported nations, and the trade agreement between Japan and the European Union. from nations with which it does not have preferential trade deals is 20 percent, the The U.S. pork industry will lose the entire same rate currently being applied punitively Mexican market to domestic Mexican pork on U.S. pork. So, pork producers are getting and, to a lesser extent, to pork from Canada a glimpse of how things will start to look if and other nations that have zero-tariff NAFTA goes away and/or the USMCA is not access to Mexico. passed by the Congress. The CPTPP and the Japan-EU deal reduce tariffs on pork NPPC and the other affected sectors of agriculture have going to Japan – the U.S. pork industry’s No. 1 export mar- been joined not only by the aluminum industry but by ket – from several of the industry’s major competitors. many steel-consuming sectors such as autos and energy in While the United States and Japan are expected to soon raising deep concerns about the negative financial impact begin negotiations on a trade agreement, a deal likely of the metal tariffs. Many members of Congress, from both wouldn’t be concluded and implemented before the U.S. political parties, have engaged on the metal issue arguing pork industry starts losing market share in the Asian nation. that the negative impact of the metal tariffs far outweigh The only trade issue that realistically can be resolved now any benefit to the U.S. economy. Indeed, the metals issue is NPPC’s top priority: the metals tariffs. NPPC is leading the now has become a significant issue in Congress, diverting charge in the private sector on the issue and has several attention and support from getting the USMCA passed. important initiatives underway. NPPC and other groups that depend on North American free trade are concerned that the financial pain inflicted on their members from the metal tariffs may undermine grass- Nick Giordano roots support for the USMCA. The irony is that the Mexican tariff on pork imported Nick Giordano is Vice President and Counsel, Global Government Affairs for from nations with which it does not have preferential trade the National Pork Producers Council deals is 20 percent, the same rate currently being applied (NPPC). He leads NPPC’s D.C. office and punitively on U.S. pork. So, pork producers are getting a is involved in all aspects of policy issues as they impact the interests of U.S. pork glimpse of how things will start to look if NAFTA goes away producers. Those issues include, but are not limited to, agriculture, and/or the USMCA is not passed by the Congress. The lon- economic, energy, environment, food, immigration, production, ger the 20 percent tariff remains in place – either because science & technology, tax and trade. Giordano’s specialty and most significant work for NPPC is in the U.S. metals tariff isn’t rescinded or the USMCA isn’t ap- international trade policy. Among other things, Giordano represents proved and the current North American trade agreement is U.S. pork producers in all U.S trade negotiations. On behalf of terminated – Iowa State’s Hayes forecasts that the U.S. pork NPPC, he has taken a leadership role in working for congressional industry will lose the entire Mexican market to domestic passage and implementation of every major trade agreement over the past 20 years. He has chaired various food and agriculture trade Mexican pork and, to a lesser extent, to pork from Canada coalitions, including the Agriculture Coalition for U.S.-Colombian and other nations that have zero-tariff access to Mexico. Trade, which was formed to help secure congressional passage of The U.S. pork industry losses from the Mexican retalia- the FTA with Colombia, and the Agriculture Coalition for U.S.-Korean Trade, which was formed to help get the Korean FTA passed by the tion are compounded by the tariffs China imposed on U.S. Congress. pork in early April and in early July. The punitive 50 percent Giordano received his bachelor’s degree in political science duties – 25 percent related to U.S. tariffs on Chinese steel from Gordon College, a master’s degree in international affairs from American University and a law degree from George Washington and aluminum and 25 percent to U.S duties put on other University’s National Law Center. Chinese products over China’s theft of U.S. intellectual

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 35 Lauren Honegger & Dustin Boler BRINGING GLOBAL PORK PRODUCTION TO THE KITCHEN TABLE

According to the Pork Checkoff, pork is the number one visual marbling and visual coloring scores allows chops to consumed meat animal protein in the world. Many factors be assigned to different quality grades for evaluation by contribute to the steady annual increase in pork consump- trained panelists and then later recognized by consumers. tion around the world. A retail audit conducted in 2013 assessed two types Over the past few decades, the pork industry has shifted of pork chops. The two types included enhanced chops from outdoor production to a confinement setting. Current- (chops that were infused with water and other ingredients) ly, 52% of global pork production is produced in an indoor and non-enhanced chops. These were used for visual mar- setting. In the United States, about 91% of market pigs are bling and color assessment. The majority (53%) of enhanced raised indoors. Utilizing indoor production, farmers have chops were rated a visual color score of 3 which is described greater control over the environment, temperature, air flow, as reddish pink color. Only 15% of enhanced chops were and exposure to disease. Indoor pork production, helps to described as grayish pink as indicated by a color score of 2. eliminate the risk of contaminations via Trichinella sprilis, While 25% of enhanced chops received a color score of 4, allowing for pork to be safely consumed at lower internal which is described as dark reddish pink, non-enhanced cooking temperatures. chops followed a similar distribution of color scores of 2, 3, Genetic improvements have also attributed to more and 4 (19%, 48%, and 26%, respectively). A majority of en- efficient production of pigs with better feed to weight gain hanced and non-enhanced chops scored a 2 for visual mar- conversion. Nutrition has not deviated much from a corn bling (45% and 47% respectively). Visual marbling scores and soybean-based diet, but additional alternative feed are intended to represent the percentage of lipid in a pork sources have a positive contribution to pork production. chop. As an example, a chop with a visual marbling score Nutritional requirements of growing-finishing pigs have not of 2 should have 2% lipid. Only 14% of enhanced chops and changed, but energy sources have become more expensive. 9% of non-enhanced chops had a visual marbling score of 1. So, alternative energy sources are sought which increases A marbling score of 3 represented 31% of both enhanced the need to monitor fat quality. With improvements and and non-enhanced chop populations. Variation within a changes in production practices, genetics, and nutrition, the retail case can lead to confusion on which chop will pro- meat industry works to ensure improvements made on the vide the best eating experience for a consumer. Research is live pig provide positive improvements to pork products. needed to continue to improve producing chops that meet The industry must constantly evolve to meet the con- consumers’ expectations of what they want to buy. sumers’ needs and demands, as the consumer makes the Genetic potential of pigs to have darker colored meat final estimation of quality for all meat products. Consumers’ can be correlated to muscle fiber type that a pig possesses perception of the meat industry is important and helps at birth. However, proper handling and harvesting of pigs to guide the type of research that meat scientists need to will have a greater impact on pork color regardless of the focus on. Consumers desire a pleasant eating experience genetic potential. In addition, accelerated chilling methods every time they sit down to their kitchen table. Making pork are used to ensure pork carcasses are cooled quickly, to tender, juicy, and flavorful is influenced by several quality prevent pale-colored, lean, and poor water holding capac- factors that can occur before, during, and after the harvest ity. Research has been conducted using trained panelists process. to determine differences in eating experiences attributed Consumers use visual color and marbling as indicators of to different quality grades (combination of visual color and an expected eating experience. In the past several research- marbling). In one study, trained panelists were unable to ers used visual color and marbling to develop a pork quality detect sensory tenderness differences among high, aver- grading system. In general, a darker colored pork chop with age, and low-quality grade chops cooked to 160˚F. However, more marbling is perceived as greater quality than a lighter high quality chops when tested with instruments were colored pork chop with less marbling. Some consumers more tender than average and low-quality chops cooked prefer a dark color chop, others may appreciate a chop to 160˚F. Trained panelists were able to detect differences with a paler color. Additionally, consumers have different in sensory juiciness, where high quality chops were juic- preferences for the amount of marbling within a chop. ier, compared to average and low-quality chops cooked Some prefer a chop with a lot of marbling and others prefer to160˚F. a chop that is leaner appearing. Using the combination of Additionally, the color of chops that consumers see in

36 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 a retail case is influenced by the pH of the pork chop. The a study using chops with specific visual marbling and visual ultimate pH is the pH of pork 24 hours after harvest. Normal scores to represent different quality chops were served to pH is approximately 5.70. Chops that appear darker in color consumers. Chops were cooked to either 145˚F or 160˚F to tend to have a greater ultimate pH, and chops with a lighter determine consumer preferences. Consumers were unable color will have a lower ultimate pH. Generally, pigs that to identify differences between chops considered high or are handled calmly, provided adequate rest at the abattoir, average quality; however, consumers rated chops cooked and have carcasses that are properly chilled tend to have a to 145˚F as more tender, juicy, flavorful, and overall more greater ultimate pH. acceptable compared to chops cooked to 160˚F regardless Studies have shown that chops with a high ultimate of the quality of pork chop. pH have improved sensory tenderness and juiciness when An additional consumer study, using pork loin chops cooked to 160˚F. According to one study, as ultimate pH with high ultimate pH values (5.88-6.23) and chops with low increased from a lower pH (5.05-5.50) to a higher pH (6.68- ultimate pH values (5.36-5.56) were served to consumers 5.95) tenderness scores increased by 14% and juiciness cooked to 145˚F, 160˚F, or 180˚F. A greater percentage of scores increased by 12%. This study emphasized that a chop consumers rated chops in the high ultimate pH category with a greater ultimate pH will result in superior eating ex- juicier, compared to chops in the low ultimate pH category perience than a chop with a lower ultimate pH when chops regardless of the final internal cooking temperature. How- are cooked to 160˚F. ever, tenderness, flavor, and overall acceptability were not Even though consumers define quality differently, final influenced by ultimate pH categories. cooking temperature seems to universally improve eating These studies indicate that it is the final internal tem- experience. In 2013, the USDA lowered the recommended perature that impacts overall eating experience, regardless final internal cooking temperature of whole pork muscles of visual marbling, visual color, or ultimate pH. Educating from 160˚F to 145˚F. Pork is now safe to cook to a lower consumers on proper cooking temperatures will ensure degree of doneness without compromising food safety. positive eating experiences for consumers regardless of the Lowering the cooking temperature of pork chops will in- type of chop they select from the retail case. The regular crease tenderness and juiciness scores by a trained sensory use of a meat thermometer will help to ensure the correct panelist. Additionally, chops cooked to 145˚F were about internal cooking temperature is achieved. 7% more tender measured by instruments, than chops In conclusion, cooking whole pork muscles to 145˚F cooked to 160˚F. rather than 160˚F will improve tenderness, juiciness, flavor, Data on tenderness based on instruments, was support- and consumer acceptability. Neither ultimate pH nor the ed by consumer data, with more consumers rating chops combination of visual color and marbling impacted con- cooked to 145˚F as tender compared to chops cooked to sumer sensory ratings of pork loin chops cooked to 145˚F. 160˚F. Emerging research has utilized the revised inter- Regardless of the visual color or marbling of a pork chop in nal cooking temperature and different quality grades on the retail case, preparation of the chop by the consumer has trained sensory panelists. Trained panelists were unable to a greater impact on the pork chop than its visual appear- detect differences in tenderness or juiciness among chops ance. Education of proper preparation methods need to of different quality grades when cooked to 145˚F. Addition- be emphasized to all consumers to ensure positive eating ally, color and marbling did not influence sensory traits in- experiences with pork. dependently when chops were cooked to 145˚F. Therefore,

Lauren Honegger Dustin Boler

Lauren Honegger is a graduate research Dr. Boler is an associate professor in assistant at the University of Illinois, the Animal Sciences department at working on her Master’s degree in Meat the University of Illinois. Originally Science. Lauren is originally from Forrest, from Spencer, Indiana Dustin Boler Illinois and earned her Bachelor’s degree earned degrees in Animal Sciences and in Animal Sciences from the University of Agricultural Economics from Purdue Illinois in 2015. Her thesis research is focused on pork quality factors University (BS ’04) and Animal Sciences degrees at the University influencing consumers’ pork preferences. During her time as a of Illinois (MS ’08, PhD ’11). Prior to Illinois, he was an assistant master’s student, Lauren has executed several research projects and professor at The Ohio State University. His research activities focus was the assistant manager of one of the University of Illinois farrow on fresh and processed meat quality of beef, swine, and poultry. He to finish commercial/research farms. She facilitated and supervised interacts with various industry partners to evaluate the effects of on- multiple projects, from four separate lab groups, encompassing farm practices on carcass characteristics and cutability. Additionally, genetics, nutrition, and meat science. Lauren has also served as a he investigates further processed meat quality, especially, issues teaching assistant. relating to fat quality and bacon production.

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 37 For iPhone, iPad and all Android Devices! The PigCHAMP Mobile Application All of the data you would generally allows for remote data entry of record in the PigCHAMP computer PigCHAMP Reproductive information application can now be easily entered while providing reporting functionality into the PigCHAMP Mobile App. This and validation to users. This phone gives you the convenience of not just or tablet app, allows users to interact data entry, but reports such as active directly with PigCHAMP Online via an animal lists, sows due for attention, internet connection. and more.

866.774.4242

[email protected] www.pigchamp.com Becca Moest A MILLENIAL’S PORK FOR THOUGHT

I am rapidly approaching the ripe old age of 29, and there- fore that makes me at the tail end of the “Millennial” gener- ation. For my fellow Millennials reading this, I am also doing the eye roll and deep sigh with you don’t worry! Be that as it may, there are truly some major differences among the generations and the way we interact in the world, especially our food. I cannot speak for all my generational peers, but it seems there are many self-proclaimed “foodies” out there with me.

This incredible meat is nutritious, healthy, clean, and raised by passionate people who dedicate their lives to it. It is also extremely affordable to feed families, and IT TASTES SO GOOD!

What exactly is a “foodie” for those of you wondering? In simple terms, it’s just a catchy way of saying we love food. Since I’ve never met someone who doesn’t like food, that makes all of us foodies, right? It’s essential to being a hu- man. Despite all the clichés the term invokes, it has sparked an amazing wave of creativity to have more fun with our food and embrace a positive relationship with it. Consider- ing all the ways mainstream media tries to make us feel that food is the enemy to our bodies and physical image, I am all about embracing this “foodie” movement in hopes we can keep spreading the positivity about food! Since I am immersed in the pork industry every day of my life, pork product is something I think about every day. Becca Moest This incredible meat is nutritious, healthy, clean, and raised by passionate people who dedicate their lives to it. It is also everything else we consume in life. As sad as that sounds, extremely affordable to feed families, and IT TASTES SO it is the reality of living in today’s world. Men and women GOOD! So why has domestic pork demand in the U.S. barely both have careers, and ain’t nobody got time for cooking changed in 50+ years and beef is still the “king” of meat and complicated meals! poultry outsells us all? From a millennial’s standpoint, I have some thoughts. If you go to high pork consuming regions Besides bacon, most people my age see pork as boring and difficult to cook. Everyone is one dry and tasteless pork of the world such as Mexico, most of Asia, chop away from keeping less pork on his or her fork. We and Europe, they consume pork much have all been there and suffered through that unpleasant experience! Staring into the meat case at all those big cuts differently than we do ... These other of loin, ham, and shoulder roasts is intimidating. I immedi- cultures cook pork in flavorful and fun ways. ately start thinking to myself, “This is going to take hours” and “There’s no way I can cook this”. These thoughts are The U.S. pork industry needs to be focusing more on scary to me, because I’m a pig farmer! My stereotypical mil- reinventing pork and increasing domestic demand. We lennial self is no different than anyone else my age. We want need to have a focused effort on marketing and teaching quick, easy, and delicious food to appear in front of us like consumers about how to cook pork and think about it in a

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 39 Becca Moest

different light. “The Other White Meat” campaign no doubt defined path to success. However, I like to be a solution-ori- drew attention to pork, but I think it also gave people the ented person in this world, and the best way to get the ball idea they should cook pork like chicken, which is the worst rolling is to throw your thoughts and concerns out into the thing you can do to this delicious meat. world and get us buzzing and brainstorming together. From the barn caretakers to meat packing executives, this is our How can we start thinking about pork in a collective duty and challenge to embrace if we want to see our industry thrive for the generations beyond. new light? What relationships should we With that, I’ll leave you with some pork for thought: focus on in the food industry to help us How can we start thinking about pork in a new light? What relationships should we focus on in the food industry to reinvent this highly underrated protein? help us reinvent this highly underrated protein? Who else should we be speaking to about getting consumers to eat If you go to high pork consuming regions of the world pork differently? How can we share new food traditions and such as Mexico, most of Asia, and Europe, they consume experiences to help pork appeal to the masses? pork much differently than we do. For example, Ireland makes loin into bacon, Mexico consumes shredded ham and pork shoulders in tacos, and Germany consumes a Becca Moest majority of their pork in the form of sausages. These other Becca was born and raised on a pig cultures cook pork in flavorful and fun ways. Primal cuts farm in NW Illinois with her sister and are broken down and cooked in glorious spices, herbs, and two brothers. She attended Iowa State broths and served up with simple starches and veggies. University and earned a degree in Animal Science with an Agricultural Business These meals aren’t complicated and can usually be cooked minor. In 2013, she returned home to work in one pot. They don’t require large smokers, grills, and on the family farm full time. When she’s not working, she likes to ovens to get the food on the table either. They’re simple spend time with her two wild nephews, family, and fiancé. She also greatly enjoys travelling, eating, and learning about her new venture meals that taste amazing! with her Hereford heifer! I’m not claiming to have the answers, or believe there’s a

40 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 Morgan Fitzsimmons & Kate Lambert SOCIAL MEDIA – MAKING CONNECTIONS

In the past, communication in farming was typically isolat- click of a few buttons. Effective social media managers can ed. Social media can be a positive platform for agriculture reach thousands of people per day with awareness on who to use to battle industry relevance, help to advance de- the farm is, what they offer and where they are located. By velopment, add value to the ag business and change the using content that resonates with your target audience, you behavior of our audience. can quickly build awareness among thousands who never What social media tool is best, what are the positives and knew you existed. negatives of social media, are there any guidelines to follow, and so on. CHALLENGE 1: Treat your social media presence like you Communication today through the tools of social media would a booth at an event where all your customers are. gives more access, quicker access, connects people around Work it to build awareness of who you are and what you the world, gives agriculture an equal voice, helps revolu- do. tionize ag business, gives increased transparency, provides A strong social media presence does not stop with just consumer insight, offers educational opportunities, and creating awareness. Additionally, it should give you an enables real-time global news; giving the Agricultural Com- opportunity to share your story. This is important in agricul- munity the vision that “It’s A Small World”. ture. Agriculture is a very relationship-based industry – we However, be careful what you post because it can also prefer to do business with people we like, people we know open avenues for those that wish to exploit your news to have shared values with us. Social media allows farms to push their own agendas go beyond advertising the who, what and where. It allows farmers to share their history, traditions, goals and more. KATE LAMBERT Those who use social media effectively, leave their followers It’s the first thing many of us check in the morning to with a feeling of connectedness and those followers will get quick updates on viral news, see what’s happening in seek you out to do business. the local area and what’s happening in the industry. It’s the place many of us go for entertainment and education. It’s Before posting any content, ask yourself certainly a place we go when we are looking to buy because anything from small kitchen appliances to large farm ma- these questions: Is it true? Is it consistent chinery can be researched and reviewed on social media. with the brand image I have created? You know how to use social media in your personal life. But do you know how to use social media for your business? Does it add value to the conversation? Below are three challenges to encourage you to start using CHALLENGE 2: Don’t only talk about what’s for sale. Use social media to benefit your farming operation. social media to tell your story to your followers. First, social media has changed the game when it comes Once you become effective at awareness, the next step is to awareness of your operation. By nature of the business, to use your social media presence to showcase yourself as farms tend to be away from where people can visibly see a thought-leader for your industry. Social media platforms them. Awareness is not created by people simply driving have made it easier than ever to share your thoughts and by. Historically, farms that needed to promote products build influence within your industry. had to do so by more traditional media outlets or by being But be cautious. Creating thought-provoking content physically present at events. on social media can come with a lot of drawbacks as well. Livestock farmers typically relied on print media as their Before posting any content, ask yourself these questions: Is traditional media source. While still impactful today, print it true? Is it consistent with the brand image I have created? media has its limitation, including cost and audience. You Does it add value to the conversation? And finally, my own can only reach existing subscribers and it’s costly to adver- personal test, “Would my father, boss and preacher approve tise consistently, which is what it takes for awareness. The of this content?” same is true for events such as shows, sales and meetings. If your content passes all those tests, then start posting. Those events have tremendous and irreplaceable value to our industry, but also come with their own limitation such CHALLENGE 3: Create thought-provoking, valuable con- as cost and time commitment. tent that will build your influence. According to Statista, 77% of Americans are on social me- As stated above, many people use social media, but some of dia. With this exposure, a farm can create awareness by the

Spring 2019 www.pigchamp.com 41 Morgan Fitzsimmons & Kate Lambert them use social media poorly. You can quickly sort yourself, sharing more in-depth information about the pork indus- and your business, to the top, by becoming a master user of try. How can we help consumers understand? Virtual farm the most relevant platforms. tours could be a key to overcoming this challenge and to show a swine facility. Even speaking with agriculturalist can MORGAN FITZSIMMONS help many consumers understand pork and reasons behind Communications and social media are fast and changing in actions. These tours can help those outside of the swine today’s swine industry. There are new and exciting ways that industry have a clearer understanding and answer some of we, as members of the swine industry, can take to help the their questions. public learn more about the ways of pig farming through Not only can these tours be uploaded to places like social social media. As a college student, I believe there are fresh, media platforms, but we can also connect with schools, exciting approaches that we can take to better communi- 4-H clubs, or FFA chapters to show off swine facilities and cate pig farming and the techniques used to produce some how we provide the best care for our pigs. There are even of the world’s highest quality protein. programs through Iowa Farm Bureau and Iowa Agriculture Social media is a great tool to make connections. I am Literacy Foundation that can help you succeed in virtual sure we have all reconnected with a long-lost friend from farm tours! This tool can truly allow swine producers to high school, or recently added a new friend onto our page, share their story. whom we met at a conference. These connections and oth- Being a student at Iowa State University, I can have a lot ers are important in building our networks, and the more of access to activities and events that promote the swine people we connect with, the more we can share our story. industry. One of the most exciting events that promote pork In fact, as a college student, it is a great time for me to products is the Iowa State University Bacon Expo! I love this make connections in the swine industry, but also outside event because it brings together media promotion, events, of agriculture! The campus is such a diverse place where and of course, bacon! This event is coordinated by Iowa we can meet people from all walks of life and create bonds State students who have a passion for the pork industry and and connections that can help us better promote the pork promoting pork products. There are many things to try like industry. We can also create relationships anywhere from bacon cupcakes, normal bacon, or even bacon macaroni the gym to the school playground and making the connec- and cheese. Food is a great way to make connections and tion allows us to reach more people to allow them to learn allows us to try new things. Events like the Iowa State Uni- about the swine industry. versity Bacon Expo allow promotion of pork products and When we break it down, we can post on social media, brings many people from the community to learn about and then those who have an established relationship with bacon and how it travels from farm to fork. us are willing to reach out and ask questions. There are There are many ways that as individuals in the pork times my phone cannot be passed around quickly enough industry we can promote pork and help to share our story to look at the pictures of baby pigs. Many consumers want with consumers. New and innovative ways like virtual farm to know where their food comes from and young profes- tours and food festival events are ways the next generation sionals who will be graduating will incorporate social media will contribute to promoting our industry. It is important to more and more into their jobs and lives. They will be sharing be creative and innovative to share our story. By developing with those previously created relationships about the pork relationships, we can share our story with more people. industry and will be able to convey the message that pro- Communications is fast pace and changing, and the young ducers want to share with their audience. leaders of tomorrow will be changing the way we share our Social media can also play a role in the pork industry story.

Kate Lambert Morgan’s Bio

Kate Lambert did not grow up on a Morgan hails from Southwest Wisconsin, farm but gives credit to the National where she got her start in agriculture FFA for sparking her love of agriculture. on her family’s dairy farm. She had the When she graduated high school she desire to learn more about agriculture knew she wanted to pursue a career in and joined 4-H and FFA. Her passion for the agriculture. Today, Kate serves as the swine industry started while showing the Director of Marketplace Education and Engagement for FCS pigs, judging livestock, and participating in skill-a-thon events. From Financial, a Farm Credit Cooperative that covers 102 counties in there she became passionate about communications after serving Missouri. Kate and her husband Matt raise corn, soybeans, wheat as a Wisconsin State FFA Officer. She is a student at Iowa State and hay as well as commercial Red Angus cattle and registered University majoring in Agricultural Communications with a minor Hampshire Sheep. Kate is passionate about being a voice for farm in Animal Science. She loves combining her passions for pork and families. communicating whenever possible.

42 www.pigchamp.com Spring 2019 F A

a o each o ocal os ow 8.2.87 agcaees@agcaees.com www.agcaees.com TN Tempo. Bred for toughness.

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