Expert Roundtable - From Pig Genes to Faba Beans

Friday, November 21, 2025

Ample Advice on Timely Topics

By Geoff Geddes

They say “what you don’t know can’t hurt you,” but they also say “knowledge is power.” For the pork sector, the latter is true. In this highly competitive sector with slim margins, what you don’t know CAN hurt you, and a little knowledge can go a long way. Three elements that can make a world of difference for producers are genetics, disease and nutrition

The gene scene

“Genetics play a key role in almost every facet of the pork sector,” says Brian Sullivan, CEO of the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement (CCSI) in Ottawa, Ont. “This includes cost of production, carcass value and quality, animal welfare, and the environment, to name a few.”

While traditional traits like sow productivity and feed efficiency are always top of mind, genetic companies continue to refine their approach and include additional traits like robustness, longevity and survivability.

“These added traits have always been important,” says Sullivan. “But as we gather more data and enhance genetic tools, we see greater accuracy in traits of interest to producers, such as getting more full-value hogs to market.”

Given the power and potential of this field, producers should ensure they have a good grasp of the basics and how to make the most of available genetics.

“If you have a genetic supplier, learn all you can from them. You want to know which traits they are selecting for and if these include the ones that matter most to you. Do their genetics align with your goals, environment and markets? That way, you will make informed decisions and get the biggest bang for your buck.”

Speaking of ‘bang,’ there are no silver bullets with pig genetics. Improvement is incremental, involving small steps that accumulate over time. Every genetic advancement builds on the progress from previous generations. That said, we now see advances like the automated collection of data and the use of genomics to identify which parts of pig genetics are associated with different traits.

“Buzzwords like big data and artificial intelligence are gamechangers, enabling genetic providers to move faster and focus on novel traits that were not accessible in the past. Companies that are investing in these technologies will be best positioned to adopt them and advance their genetics more quickly and broadly than ever before.”

Disarming disease

Whoever said “the only constant is change” could have easily been referencing pig disease.

“It seems that just as we wrap our head around one disease, it changes, or a different one emerges,” says Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinary counsellor for the Canadian Pork Council (CPC). “The story of biosecurity never gets old; it just becomes more and more relevant.”

Over the last year, livestock have faced dangers from every direction. While multiple countries are being bombarded by foot and mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF) continues to move and spread, and viruses like lumpy skin disease re-emerge.

New threats include additional strains of porcine circovirus and PRRS, and a challenge with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Though it began on poultry and turkey farms, it breached the U. S. dairy sector in 2024, and groups like CSHIN are closely monitoring the disease.

As fast as disease spreads, industry must keep pace.

“We have to constantly up our game,” says Brockhoff. “A prime example is truck washes, where more work is being done in the automation space. Prairie Swine Centre has made great progress on that front, and they recently began a new study to evolve automation even further.”

Experts are also exploring how viruses move through assembly yards and feed/water rest stations, and how industry could mitigate that flow.

Though it’s crucial to keep abreast of the latest in biosecurity, there is also great value in the tried and true.

“Creating lines of separation on your farm and segregating between clean and dirty; those concepts remain the same,” says Brockhoff.

The catch, of course, is that in order for these measures to work, they must be applied on a daily basis.

“Our biggest challenge on the disease front is fatigue. I think producers understand the basics of biosecurity, but they have so many demands on their time and attention – augers breaking, the ventilation shutting down, feed supply needing replenishment.”

To counter the fatigue factor, farm staff, management and service providers must be constantly engaged. Maintaining a high level of disease readiness means keeping current workers motivated while training new staff on the ins and outs of biosecurity.

Some farms have even hired biosecurity officers for continual oversight, often with good results.

“To have success, you need to address biosecurity on a regular basis at staff meetings. It must be part of the conversation at the ownership, management and on-farm levels. At the end of the day, it’s about intention, engagement and education.

A need for feed

Apart from being the greatest expense for pork producers, feed, if used properly, also provides opportunity.

“Through feed, you can maximize pig growth, control carcass and pork quality, boost gut health, enhance immune status and improve animal welfare,” says Dr. Ruurd Zijlstra, professor, Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alberta (U of A).

Though grow-finish pigs account for the bulk of feed consumption, the proper diet is also critical for sows and nursery pigs. Thanks to recent research, industry has gained a better understanding of how to feed sows in the last part of gestation.

“Pregnant sows, and piglets in utero, need more nutrients than what we currently give sows during gestation,” says Zijlstra. “Optimal nutrition is also vital during lactation, as sows need more and more milk to feed growing piglets.”

Achieving the right nutrient levels is a science, one that greatly impacts the bottom line. Underfeed, and you inhibit pig growth. Overfeed, and the extra nutrients wind up as manure, resulting in wasted expense.

“With nursery pigs, producers have a choice to make. Do you invest in high-quality feed and get piglets off to a great start, or feed an average diet and hope they catch up later on?”

For Canadian producers, another challenge looms, as pharmacological (very high) levels of zinc oxide (ZnO) will soon be banned in pig diets. Since antibiotics can no longer be used as growth promotants in Canada, zinc oxide has been embraced to control pig gut health. With the impending ban, researchers are seeking a viable alternative to prevent post-weaning diarrhea in nursery pigs.

Scientists are also aiming to reduce the amount of undigested protein in nursery pig diets.

“When not digested, that portion of the protein becomes a nutrient source for pathogenic material, which is bacteria that causes diseases like E. coli,” says Zijlstra.

At the U of A, there is great interest today in reducing anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) in animal feedstuffs, especially pulse grains like faba beans.

“This is an exciting area of study for the pork sector,” says Zijlstra. “By addressing ANFs, we can have a significant impact on the nutritive value of forages and feedstuffs, thereby enhancing the health and productivity of animals.”

By plugging into the latest advances in key areas, producers can make progress ASAP. And when it comes to genetics, disease and nutrition, there’s no such thing as TMI. BP