Pig Improvement Company Research Articles

Impacts on conceptus survival in a commercial swine herd.

An estimated 30 to 40% of potential piglets are lost before farrowing in U.S. or European pig breeds. Because these studies were conducted in limited numbers of university research herds, we decided to characterize the timing, pattern, and extent of conceptus loss in a commercial swine herd in Iowa (Pig Improvement Company; Camborough Line). Sows (parities 2 to 14) were slaughtered on d 25 (n = 83), 36 (n = 78), or 44 (n = 83) of gestation. These days coincide with periods before, during, and after uterine capacity becomes limiting to conceptus survival. At slaughter, numbers of corpora lutea (CL) and uterine horn length were determined, and conceptuses were removed and evaluated. Uterine horn length and CL number did not differ among these days of gestation, averaging 217 cm and 26.6 CL, respectively. In contrast, numbers of conceptuses decreased (P < 0.05) from 15.8 on d 25 to 12.9 on d 36, then remained relatively constant through d 44 (12.1). Thus, conceptus survival averaged 60.2% on d 25, 50.1% on d 36, and 46.3% on d 44, based on numbers of CL present. There was a positive correlation (P < 0.001; r = 0.50) between numbers of viable conceptuses on d 25 and ovulation rate, but this association was completely lost by d 36 (P > 0.10) when uterine capacity becomes limiting. In agreement with this premise, uterine horn length and conceptus number were not associated on d 25 but exhibited positive correlations (P < 0.05) on d 36 (r = 0.36) and d 44 (r = 0.40). On all 3 d examined, the numbers of viable conceptuses were not associated with fetal weight but were negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with placental weight. Compared with the commonly reported values for ovulation rate and percentage conceptus loss in university research herds, values from these production animals were extremely high. Data suggest that throughout this period, larger litters were associated with conceptuses exhibiting small placentae. These data lend support to the concept that increased placental efficiency (fetal weight/placental weight) may contribute to increased litter size in the pig.

Agroceres-PIC

A chance meeting at the Harvard Business School Agribusiness Seminar in 1976 is the backdrop for this case on the alliance of two agro-enterprises. The first, Agroceres, was a Brazilian producer of genetically improved corn seeds that was seeking to reduce its dependence upon a single product; PIC is a British animal genetics company specializing in the improvement of pigs that wishes to position itself in emerging markets. For both, the alliance a means of achieving corporate objectives. Alliances between enterprises of the northern and southern hemispheres are a means of facilitating technology transfer and access to new markets. In this case, a company with experience in plant genetics, Agroceres, becomes a full partner in a program to revolutionize the breeding of pigs on a large scale while PIC, the Pig Improvement Company, is well situated to tap the great expansion potential of the Latin American market. The case describes the world pig industry and recent technological improvements in pig breeding that allow superior genetic merit to be transmitted. By 1995, Agroceres-PIC had been highly successful in the adaptation of these technologies to the Brazilian market and was looking forward to another 20 years of growth. However, the Vice-President of Agroceres in charge of the Animal Division, Dr. Roberto Butteri, had some concerns about the future. These concerns reflected the more general problems and challenges of strategy formulation in the Latin American agro-enterprise. The first concern is how to ensure that technology benefits the small and medium as well as the large producers. The PIC concept, unfortunately, is designed to be used with very large-scale operations. If Agroceres wants to see the benefits flow to the smaller pig breeders, it must invest in training programs. A second challenge for a Latin American enterprise such as Agroceres that enters into an alliance with a multinational firm like PIC is how to maintain strategic flexibility to expand geographically and not be limited by the actions of partners in third countries. In this case, PIC has been acquired by another multinational whose long-term strategy in South America is unclear. A third challenge for the Latin American enterprise, which like Agroceres seeks to introduce a differentiated product to the market, is consumer education. It is not clear that the consumer is prepared to pay higher prices for pig meat (or any other product) with value added that may not be immediately evident. In the United States, pig producers have launched a campaign advertising their product as “the second white meat”. Will this approach work in Brazil? And if so, who should finance the advertising campaign? Amid these challenges is the spectre of competition. The case describes the acquisitions and fusions taking place among major players in plant and animal genetics. Brazil and its neighbors in the southern cone offer attractive markets. If Agroceres-PIC is to retain its advantage as first entrant, it must take measures to reduce costs.

A comparison of piglet production and survival in the Werribee Farrowing Pen and conventional farrowing crates at a commercial farm

The ‘Werribee Farrowing Pen’, which was developed as a loose housing alternative to the conventional farrowing crate for sows and litters, was evaluated as a practical alternative to farrowing crates. Four Werribee Farrowing Pens and 5 crates were installed side-by-side in an uninsulated grower pig shed at a commercial farm. The trial was conducted over 18 months and involved 17 batches of sows with a total of 146 commercial Pig Improvement Company Camborough sows and litters, 66 in Werribee Farrowing Pens and 80 in crates. The sows ranged in parity number from 1 to 8 (mean s.d., 2.8 1.77). Staff conducted an internal examination of sows at farrowing to manually deliver piglets half as often (P&lt;0.05) in the Werribee Farrowing Pen compared to the crate treatment (13.6% v. 27.5% of sows, respectively). Whether this difference reflected a greater incidence of farrowing problems for crate treatment sows, or a reduced willingness by piggery staff to interfere with unrestrained sows in the Werribee Farrowing Pen treatment, is not known. There were no differences due to the farrowing system on the number of piglets born per sow (11.5 piglets) or weaned (9.4 piglets). Sows were fed ‘to appetite’ after the first week of lactation, and in 6 farrowing batches, the quantity of feed provided to sows each day was measured. Werribee Farrowing Pen compared to crate treatment sows received more feed (P&lt;0.01) in week 3 of lactation (55.0 v. 48.2 kg/sow.week). We conclude that although piglet production and survival rates were similar in the two systems, the main disadvantage of the Werribee Farrowing Pen for intensive pig buildings, viz. extra floor space required per sow, may be partly offset by improved feed intakes by sows later in lactation.

The effect of parity, litter size and sow body reserves on Ig content of sow colostrum

The transfer of passive immunity from sow to piglet is important for neonatal disease resistance. Piglet immune status will be influenced by the Ig concentration in colostrum, the amount of colostrum ingested and the duration of absorption of intact macromolecules across the gut. Despite the importance of the maternal contribution to this process, there has been no published information on the level and variability of colostral Ig concentration in modern sow geno types. A study was therefore designed to remedy this lack of knowledge.Colostrum samples were taken at farrowing, prior to suckling by the first piglet, from 63 Landrace x Large White sows (Pig Improvement Company Ltd) on a large commercial unit in Scotland. During pregnancy, sows were housed in stalls and fed a standard commercial dry sow diet. At 2-3 weeks prior to expected parturition, they were vaccinated against E.coli, A.pleuropneumoniae and Clostridium.

Dietary and plasma branched-chain amino acids in relation to tryptophan: effect on voluntary feed intake and lactation metabolism in the primiparous sow.

Seventy-six gravid gilts of different genotypes, Yorkshire x Duroc (YD) and Pig Improvement Company (PIC), were used in two trials to test the effect of decreasing the dietary ratio of tryptophan: branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) on feed intake, plasma metabolites, and body weight change during a 4-wk lactation period. The dietary ratio of tryptophan: BCAA was .063 in the Control and .041 in the experimental diet (BC). Gilts were fed 1.8 kg/d from d 107 of gestation until farrowing and given ad libitum access to feed during lactation. Feed consumption was measured daily. Body weights and preprandial blood samples were taken on d 107 of gestation and on d 1, 7, 14, and 21 postpartum. Plasma glucose, NEFA, urea nitrogen, ammonia, N tau-methylhistidine, and alpha-amino nitrogen were measured. The plasma tryptophan:BCAA ratio was higher (P < .05) on d 1 postpartum than on d 107 of gestation and d 7 postpartum in the Control group. Dietary addition of BCAA (BC) reduced (P < .06) the plasma tryptophan: BCAA ratio during the early postpartum period compared with the Control group but did not affect the other plasma metabolites measured. Feed intake was lower (P < .08) between d 6 and 12 of lactation in sows fed the BC diet. Regression of d-1 plasma NEFA concentration on d-1 postpartum feed intake was significant (r2 = .41; P < .05). The PIC sows showed a tendency for positive lactation body weight response to the BC diet (P = .2), whereas the response of YD sows was not significant (P < .8).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of genotype and sex on the response of growing pigs to recombinant porcine somatotropin.

The dose-dependent effects of porcine somatotropin (pST) on growth performance and composition of carcass gain were investigated in 150 growing pigs. The experiment involved two genotypes (barrows from the Pig Improvement Company [PIC] and a University of Nebraska [NEB] gene pool line) and two sexes (PIC barrows and boars). At 30 kg, pigs were randomly assigned within each genotype and sex subclass to receive daily i.m. injections of 50, 100, 150, or 200 micrograms of pST/kg BW or an equivalent volume of an excipient. A diet (3.5 Mcal of DE/kg) supplemented with crystalline amino acids and containing 22.5% CP was available on an ad libitum basis until pigs were slaughtered at approximately 90 kg live weight. Excipient-treated PIC barrows exhibited faster and more efficient growth (P less than .001) and a higher capacity for carcass protein accretion (P less than .001) but similar rates of lipid deposition compared to excipient-treated NEB barrows. Within the PIC genotype, control boars grew at a rate similar to that of barrows, but they were more efficient (P less than .05) and deposited more carcass protein (P less than .05) and less lipid (P less than .001). Carcass protein accretion rate increased (P less than .001) up to approximately 150 micrograms of pST.kg BW-1.d-1, whereas lipid deposition decreased (P less than .001) with each incremental dose of pST. Although differences between PIC boars and barrows for all criteria were negated with increasing pST dose, they were maintained between the two genotypes. Polynomial regressions suggested that a slightly higher pST dose was required to optimize the feed:gain ratio compared with rate of gain and that the dose (micrograms per kilogram BW per day) was a function of the genotype and sex (feed:gain: 185, 170, and 155; rate of gain: 155, 155, and 125 for NEB barrows, PIC barrows, and PIC boars, respectively).