Better Pork is published bimonthly. After each edition is published, we share two feature articles online. Each magazine includes much more content. If you enjoy reading the Better Pork articles below, be sure to subscribe to the magazine!
A Reminder to Review Your Procedures & Keep Your Stock on Track
By Colleen Halpenny
As part of the Canadian Pork Council’s Canadian Pork Excellence program, the Canadian Swine Biosecurity Initiative aims to protect the health of the Canadian swine herd, enable rapid zoning to prevent disease spread, and provide producers with simple self-assessment tools.
CPE guidelines state that producers must maintain a housing sanitation standard operating procedure, and that it must be carried out at least once per year.
Bridging the Gap Between Science & Actual Farm Practices
By Atta Agyekum, PHD, Trouw Nutrition
Swine producers often require real-world proof to be convinced of the efficacy of new innovations before implementing them on their farms. That is why commercial validation farms are utilized to conduct research to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and actual farm practices.
Research study by Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
By Danyel Bueno Dalto, J. Jacques Matte, & Jérôme Lapointe
The National Research Council [1] recommends 80 to 100 mg/kg of dietary zinc (Zn) and 5 to 6 mg/kg of copper (Cu) for 7 to 25 kg piglets, but the swine industry worldwide uses levels up to 3,000 mg/kg of Zn and 250 to 500 mg/kg of Cu during the first weeks post-weaning [2, 3, 4] as a strategy to reduce the prevalence of diarrhea and improve growth performance.
Tiny particles pack a punch.
By Geoff Geddes
The world offers much to marvel at: Childbirth; space travel; a massive group of fungi. The last one might sound out of place, but how else to describe trillions of tiny organisms working in concert?
Stopping Truck-Based Disease in its Tracks
By Geoff Geddes
Though hitchhikers with their thumbs out could pose a threat, it’s those unseen stowaways that can really be a handful. As transports take animals from site to site, they may also carry harmful material that endangers pig health, and, in the process, producer profits. Since pig movement is not optional, finding ways to minimize the risk is essential.
Choosing the Right Organic Acid Sources
By Mohsen Abedin, PHD.
Water is often referred to as the forgotten nutrient, yet it plays a vital role in the overall health and performance of pigs.
Alongside nutrition and housing, providing pigs with continuous access to high-quality drinking water is essential for optimal growth and production. Water serves a multitude of functions in the pig, including regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients, eliminating toxins, aiding digestion, and protecting vital organs.
Infectious Pig Diseases are a Problem for Both Producers & Consumers.
By Qiang Zhang & Amy La, University Of Manitoba
For producers, diseases can cause a loss of productivity both in mortality and growth and increase the costs associated with medical care and bio-security (Holtkamp et al. 2013).
For consumers, disease spread will cause shortages and price increases of pork products as well as food safety concerns.
Tasting Success with Electronic Sow Feeders
By Geoff Geddes
Though the lack of opposable thumbs keeps them from cracking a textbook, pigs are fast learners. As a result, high-tech systems like electronic sow feeders (ESF) are a solid option on-farm to get the most from your animals while reducing feed wastage.
For the best results, however, workers must also learn the ropes and be well-versed in such systems. By focusing on proper training, you can ensure that your pigs and your people are set up for success.
How Do We Help Pigs During Heat Stress?
By Maude Richer-Lanciault & Marion Mogire
For many of us, the hot days of summer are a welcomed change from our long Canadian winters – but for our pig barns the warm and humid weather conditions can create the opportunity for performance and profitability losses.
Meteorologists predict that we should expect above-average temperatures in the coming years, and that summers will start earlier than in previous years. With this, heat stress in pig production will become a bigger concern across Canada.
Consumer Demand Stays Strong During Rising Grocery Prices.
By Emily Croft
The cost of living has been increasing and many Canadians are concerned about the rising cost of groceries. Consumers may become more selective to save money, leading to concerns about the impact on meat demand and what it might mean for profits on pork and other livestock farms.
In September 2022, Statistics Canada stated that the yearly price increase for food purchased in stores was the greatest it had been since 1981.
