National Pork Board Initiative to Improve Sow Lifetime Productivity - Dr. Chris Hostetler, National Pork Board, from the 2012 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 15-18, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2012-leman-swine-conference-material

1. Making Improvements in Sow
Lifetime Productivity
Chris Hostetler, PhD
Director of Animal Science
National Pork Board

2. Sow Lifetime Productivity Definition:
• The total number of quality pigs a female
produces from the time she becomes breeding
eligible until she leaves the herd
2

3. Sow Lifetime Productivity
• Affected by a variety of factors
• Reaches across multiple disciplines
• Umbrella for collaborative research between
areas within Science and Technology
• Accounts for both sow longevity and piglet
production, growth and viability
3

4. Challenges
• Sow Lifetime Productivity is not typically monitored
or benchmarked under commercial conditions
• Requires observing a large number of animals over
an extended period of time so research is expensive,
labor intensive and time consuming
• Variation in the number of pigs females produce
during their lifetime is very high under commercial
conditions
4

5. Sow Lifetime Productivity Distribution
5

6. NPB-supported Research – Historical
Perspective
• Maternal Line National Genetic Evaluation
Program of the 90s
• Starting in 2005 research targeted increasing sow
longevity
• Starting in 2008 research targeted increasing sow
lifetime productivity
– Spanned multiple disciplines within Science and
Technology
– Not coordinated
6

7. Year
Animal
Science
2005
2006
Swine
Health
Swine Health -PRRS
Animal
Welfare
5
2
2
4
1
3
2007
8
2008
3
3
12
5
2009
6
4
10
2
2010
1
2
8
1
2011
5
4
4
0
7

8. Current Projects
Title
Project ID
Diagnosis of sow lameness using the microcomputer-based
force plate system and pattern recognition methods
11-092
Evaluation of a Physiological Test for Sow Longevity
11-103
Reproductive performance and longevity in replacement
gilts allowed different amounts of floor space during the
nursery phase of rearing
11-118
The impact of the timing of relocation of replacement gilts
from pens to stalls on gilt fertility and sow longevity
11-123
Effects of Preweaning Factors on Sow Lifetime Productivity
11-146
8

9. Research Priority
• Animal Science Committee of the National Pork Board
identified Sow Lifetime Productivity as an industry
priority.
• The ANS committee recommended a study to determine
the feasibility of a coordinated national SLP research
program with the specific purpose of improving SLP in a
responsible and economically effective method.
• National Pork Board identified Sow Lifetime Productivity
as a key initiative for future funding.
• A strategic plan was developed to focus on improvement
of lifetime sow productivity.
9

10. The Strategic Plan for SLP Research
Phase 1:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Review international research models
Build model for program direction
Focus research priorities
Complete survey of research resources in the industry
Phase 2:
1. Develop the strategic plan, leadership, and budget
2. Develop the outline of facility needs
3. Develop funding proposal to stakeholders
10

11. Recommended Areas of Research
Concentration
• Optimizing gilt development to increase lifetime
productivity
• Increasing number of pigs weaned per litter through
improved sow lactation performance and decreased
pre-wean mortality
• Increase length of sow life in the herd through
focused research on decreasing herd fall-out in the
early parities
11

12. Goal:
• Conduct research that will lead to a 30%
improvement in sow lifetime productivity by
2018.
– Currently sows in the US herd produce approximately
35 pigs during their productive lifetime
– Raising the average parity from 3.4 to 4.3
– Increasing total pigs weaned in sow lifetime by 10 –
15
12

13. Current Industry Averages
Current Industry Productivity
13

14. Knauer and
Hostetler, 2012
14

15. Knauer and
Hostetler, 2012
15

16. Knauer and
Hostetler, 2012
16

17. Criterion
2005
2006
2007
2008 2009 2010
Slope
Litters/Mated Sow/Year
2.31
2.34
2.34
2.35
0.004 0.39
Number Born Alive
10.77 10.92 11.11 11.33 11.61 11.83 0.217 0.99
Number Weaned
9.30
Preweaning Mortality (%)
13.68 14.08 14.03 14.15 14.03 14.75 0.152 0.67
Pigs/Mated sow/Year
21.50 21.94 22.37 22.87 23.40 23.63 0.444 0.99
Replacement Rate (%)
54.07 57.76 56.02 56.10 51.38 52.22 -0. 813 0.38
Sow Mortality (%)
11.18 10.67 10.43 10.26 9.81 10.39 -0.162
Knauer and Hostetler, 2012
17
9.39
9.55
9.72
2.34
2.34
R2
9.98 10.08 0.169 0.98
0.63

18. Organizational Structure
18

19. Sow Lifetime Productivity Structure
• Project Coordinator
• SLP Oversight Working Group
1. Review proposals submitted in response to RFPs
2. Make funding decisions
• SLP Scientific Working Group
1. Establish a definition of sow lifetime productivity.
2. Determine how to measure sow lifetime productivity.
3. Develop a “road map” for research to be conducted
19

20. SLP Scientific Working Group
• Definition of Sow Lifetime Productivity
• Research Focus
– Gilt development:
• “Are we optimizing gilt development relative to lifetime
productivity?”
– Piglet growth and survival:
• “Piglets never get over either a good or a bad start.”
– Bioinformatic mechanisms:
• “If you can’t (or don’t) measure it, you can’t improve
it”
20

21. Gilt Development and Retention
Reproduction
Nutrition
Environment
Rate of
Lean/Fat
Deposition
Lactation
Immune Status
Structural
Soundness
21

22. Piglet Size and Viability
Milk Components
Sow Nutrition
Neonatal Care
Maternal
Influence
on Growth
Antibody Transfer
Environment
Lactation
Physiology
22

23. Future Direction
• What type of research needs to be conducted?
• What new or emerging technologies need to be
developed?
• How is information disseminated through
creation of educational programs or materials?
23

24. Summary
• Research in sow lifetime productivity requires
coordination across multiple disciplines
• Improving sow lifetime productivity will greatly
impact all phases of pork production
• Research will focus on gilt development during
2012 and beyond
• Research will concentrate on piglet growth and
viability and bioinformatics in 2013 and beyond
24

25. Thank you for your time and support
This message funded by America’s Pork Checkoff Program.

26. Effect of neonatal litter size and early puberty stimulation
on sow longevity and reproductive performance - #05-082
• 3 treatments
– Season
• Spring
• fall
– Rearing environment (birth to weaning)
• ≤ 7 littermates
• ≥ 10 littermates
– Puberty stimulation
• Boar exposure @ 140 d of age
• Boar exposure @ 170 d of age
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27. 27

28. 28

29. 29

30. Previous Projects
Title
Project
Number
Association of compositional, structural soundness, health, and genetic
marker status with the ability of a commercial line of young sows to
successfully complete parity one
05-081
Effect of Neonatal Litter Size and Early Puberty Stimulation on Sow
Longevity and Reproductive Performance
05-082
Analysis of periparturient risk factors affecting longevity and subsequent
performance of sows of parities one to three in breeding herds
05-100
Discovery and Validation of Genetic Markers for Sow Longevity
05-107
Development of a Condition Scoring Guide - using live animals
05-172
30

31. Previous Projects
Title
Project
Number
Association of compositional, structural soundness, health, and
genetic marker status with the ability of a commercial line of young
sows to successfully complete parity two and three
06-031
Association of genetic markers with structural soundness and its
relationship to gilt development and sow longevity
06-019
Sow Longevity Management Guide - Literature Review
06-188
Association of compositional traits and structural soundness with
the ability of commercial line of sows to complete parities four and
five (A continuation of the original projects 2005 and 2006 with a
similar name)
06-192
31

32. Previous Projects
Title
Project
Number
Evaluation of the lean content and trim of cull sows on their value at
harvest.
08-010
Association of genetic markers with structural soundness and its
relationship to gilt development and sow longevity
08-012
Influence of sow lean mass at first farrowing and estrus management
after weaning on sow fertility and longevity
08-070
Effect of pregnant gilt zinc and lipid supplementation on neonatal piglet
brain myelination and preweaning mortality
09-024
Identification of markers associated with sow life time productivity for
whole genomic selection
09-032
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