Impact on Health & Productivity

Leman Swine ConferenceSeptember 19, 2016

David A. Baumert, DVMJBS Live Pork

BATCH FARROWING

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

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

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

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 SOWSFARROW SOWS

FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process PigsGILTS 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 SOWSFARROW SOWS

FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process PigsGILTS 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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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:

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

Questions . . .