Dr. Dave Baumert - Impact of Batch Farrowing on Health and Productivity
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The document discusses the evolution of batch farrowing in swine production from the 1960s to the 2010s, highlighting the transition from weekly to monthly batch systems. It outlines the benefits of 4-week and 5-week batch cycles for breeding, farrowing, and weaning, emphasizing improvements in health and productivity through better management and biosecurity measures. Additionally, it addresses infrastructure demands and the importance of proper scheduling for efficient gilt and sow space utilization.
Dr. Dave Baumert - Impact of Batch Farrowing on Health and Productivity
- 1. Impact on Health & Productivity Leman Swine Conference September 19, 2016 David A. Baumert, DVM JBS Live Pork BATCH FARROWING
- 2. Batch farrowing in 1960’s/1970’s: Spring & Fall 1990’s: movement indoors brought ongoing breeding & farrowing programs / weekly or 2x/week weaning (i.e. ‘weekly batch’); 2010’s: movement to monthly batch breed/farrow/wean; History and Definition
- 3. 4-week batch (4-week cycle) ◦ Pigs weaned at ~3 weeks of age ◦ Sow population divided into 5 batches (A, B, C, D, E); 5-week batch (5-week cycle) ◦ Pigs weaned at ~4 weeks of age ◦ Sow population divided into 4 batches (A, B, C, D); Batch Farrowing Options
- 4. Batching efficiency requires the need to have sufficient sites to allocate them among each week of a 4-week cycle; Infrastructure demands do not change significantly if breeding demands over a system of farms are properly allocated into each week of a four-week cycle; ◦ Boar stud ◦ Transportation ◦ Gilt supply System Considerations - Batching
- 5. Sample Calendar (4-week batch) Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS/SOWS BREED SOWS WEAN DAY WEAN DAY WEAN DAY +/- FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS WASH WASH WASH WASH BREED SOWS BREED SOWS FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs GILTS Process Pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs RECEIVE GILTS (RECEIVE GILTS) CULL SOWS Lactation Week (14-day Matrix) Lactation Week (14-day Matrix) BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS/SOWS BREED SOWS WEAN DAY WEAN DAY WEAN DAY +/- FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS WASH WASH WASH WASH BREED SOWS BREED SOWS FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs GILTS Process Pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs RECEIVE GILTS (RECEIVE GILTS) CULL SOWS 1 2 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 28272625242322 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 141312111098 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
- 6. Traditional weekly flow(5% movement/week): required 2%-3% open sow spaces; 4-week batch(20% movement/batch): can work with <10% (~5%)open sow spaces; typically managed as farrowing house room- by-room ‘batch movements’; ◦ Open space requirements are also minimized if culling of weaned sows and gilt receipts are properly timed; Sow Space Adjustments (4-week Batch)
- 7. Gilts received into herd as the weaned, cull- sows leave; Short arrival-to-breeding interval managed with 14-day Matrix; 90% of gilts breed into first batch; 90% of ‘late- estrus’ fit into following breed batch; Non-breeder gilts are culled (at < 60 on-farm days); Improved Gilt Management
- 8. Ability to wash and disinfect farrowing rooms; Opportunity to attend farrowings; Efficiency of first day pig care and piglet processing; Ability to fill gilt litters; Improved sow feeding management; Attention to variation between suckling litters; Compliance to pre-wean vaccination and creep feeding goals; Improved Farrowing House Management
- 9. Removal of suckling pig population prevents ongoing movement of virus among naïve population; ◦ Influenza virus; ◦ PRRS virus; ◦ PED virus1; Improved biosecurity due to fewer service vehicles at the sow farm (semen delivery, weaned pig transportation); 1Day (as per Yeske): National Hog Farmer, August 2015 Improved Health
- 10. Improved pre-weaning pig health improves post-weaning health of Grow/Finish population; Opportunity for quicker, single-source nursery fill; Decreased wean-to-finish mortality; Improved feed efficiency; Improved Health (Beyond farrowing)
- 11. Electrical Supply: ◦ At farrowing . . .can you run 2X heat lamps and/or heat mats? ◦ At washing . . . can you run 2x power washers? Water Supply: ◦ Physically supplying water flow for power-washers? Potential Facility Considerations:
- 12. Based on a multi-site production system model; Requires attention to scheduling; Efficiency of gilt space utilization requires the use of estrus management tools; Negatives: Improved utilization of daily labor; All-in/all-out pig flow: ◦ Suckling piglet health Routine health issues Disease elimination ◦ Wean-to-Finish health Disease issues Rapid, single-source fills Biosecurity Potential to increase gilt lactation length Positives: Monthly Batch Flow Summary
- 13. Questions . . .