Scientists Seek to Identify Management Factors that Influence Sow and Piglet Welfare and Productivity

Farmscape for June 21, 2019

Scientists working on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc are assessing differences in the management of sows and their piglets in an effort to increase the longevity and productivity of the sows, maximize the performance of their piglets and improve overall animal welfare.
The Prairie Swine Center, the Centre de développement du porc du Québec and the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement are working in partnership with Swine Innovation Porc on a program to fill knowledge gaps related to the management of gestating sows that influence sow productivity and longevity and piglet vitality.
Brian Sullivan, the CEO of the Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, explains scientists are looking to gather and compare objective historical data from Canada and other countries that can quantify the trends for the last ten years to help zero in on what's most important in terms of management.

Clip-Brian Sullivan-Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement:
This is a proactive initiative to help provide more information to pork producers related to sow management.
It's prompted by some significant changes that are happening in the industry.
One big change for producers is the movement from housing gestating sows individually to housing them in groups and another big  change is the increase in litter size from genetic selection and environmental improvements on farms.
This project is focused on how such changes are impacting the sows and subsequently the piglets born from these sows.
What we want to understand is what are the factors that impact the sows and their piglets and help to identify best management practices to enhance welfare and productivity.

Sullivan says scientists are looking to enhance the well being and survival of the sows and their piglets in the context of changes, such as moving to loose housing, by determining the differences among herds that have the best results compared to herds that may be having greater challenges.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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