Danish pig industry is committed to improving maternal lines

Denmark’s pig industry has made the fundamental decision to put the rearing ability of sows as its number one breeding priority, writes Richard Halleron.
Chatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to
r Martin Sweeney, Makeway Ltd and Luke Milligan, TandrageeChatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to
r Martin Sweeney, Makeway Ltd and Luke Milligan, Tandragee
Chatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Martin Sweeney, Makeway Ltd and Luke Milligan, Tandragee

This was a point expanded upon by Søren Bossen, the chief executive of Avlscenter Rønshauge. The company is one of the breeding centres that now make up Danish Genetics.

Bossen recently visited Northern Ireland, speaking at a producer meetings hosted by Glenmarshal Sires in Cookstown.

He further explained:“The need to increase the number of pigs that a sow can produce per litter is no longer relevant.

Enjoying the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r
Karsten Rasmussen, Vilofoss with Evelyn and Raymond Hewitt from
DungannonEnjoying the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r
Karsten Rasmussen, Vilofoss with Evelyn and Raymond Hewitt from
Dungannon
Enjoying the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Karsten Rasmussen, Vilofoss with Evelyn and Raymond Hewitt from Dungannon

“If one assumes that a litter size in the region of 16 to 18 piglets is sufficient the question then becomes: is the sow capable of rearing all these piglets through to uniform weaning weights?

“Our breeding work is now showing that it is possible to identify maternal lines within the Large White and Yorkshire breeds with this capability. Piglet survivability to day 21 is the yard stick now used in Denmark to determine the suitability of a sow for breeding.”

Genomics is also used as a core breeding assessment tool within the Danish pig industry.

“But it must be used in tandem with actual performance trials,” Bossen stressed.

Attending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Soren Bossen, Danish veterinarian and Claire Murray, from FintonaAttending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Soren Bossen, Danish veterinarian and Claire Murray, from Fintona
Attending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Soren Bossen, Danish veterinarian and Claire Murray, from Fintona

Duroc is the main terminal sire breed used within the Danish pig industry.

Bossen explained that simply measuring feed efficiency, in other words the daily growth rate achieved from a specific diet, is no longer the base line used in Denmark when assessing individual boars.

People do not consume bone or tendons: they eat the actual flesh produced by the pig,” he said.

“This is why our feed trials now assess boars on the ability of their progeny to produce lean meat on a daily basis. This information is gathered courtesy of a CT scanning process.

Chatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to
r Gary Anderson, Cookstown and Samuel Hawe, MagherafeltChatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to
r Gary Anderson, Cookstown and Samuel Hawe, Magherafelt
Chatting at the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Gary Anderson, Cookstown and Samuel Hawe, Magherafelt

“It is the true measure of feed efficiency.”

According to Bossen. Danish pig bloodlines are now being exported to 47 countries around the world.

He continued:“We are taking a balanced approach to breeding with the overall objective of producing pigs that can deliver improved levels of sustainability for all our customers.

“Breeding pigs that are stronger and more robust is critically important in this context.”

Attending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Chris Frizell, Makeway Ltd; Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal Sires; Jonathan
Myers, Fivemiletown and Jason Daly, AHVAttending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Chris Frizell, Makeway Ltd; Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal Sires; Jonathan
Myers, Fivemiletown and Jason Daly, AHV
Attending the recent Glenmarshal Sires' pig meeting in Cookstown: l to r Chris Frizell, Makeway Ltd; Trevor Shields, Glenmarshal Sires; Jonathan Myers, Fivemiletown and Jason Daly, AHV

“We continue to invest in technologies that will allow us to secure higher levels of genetic gain within our pig populations.

“Improving meat quality is a key priority of our breeding programmes at the present time.

Healthy sows can produce enough colostrum to feed 40 piglets

A leading Danish veterinarian has confirmed that healthy sows have the ability to produce enough colostrum for 40 piglets.

The fact that they have difficulty feeding half this number successfully, reflects their poor health status.

Soren Spandet Thielsen, the owner of the specialist pig veterinary practice, OE-VET A/S, also stressed the need for pig farmers in Northern Ireland to put an absolute focus on maintaining the health status of their sows.

The speaker line up at the Pig meting hosted by Glenmarshal Sires
in CookstownThe speaker line up at the Pig meting hosted by Glenmarshal Sires
in Cookstown
The speaker line up at the Pig meting hosted by Glenmarshal Sires in Cookstown

He spoke at a recent pig meeting in Cookstown, hosted by Glenmarshal Sires.

The Danish veterinarian commented:“Large numbers of Irish sows are suffering from undiagnosed bladder and urinary tract infections. These are leading to a number of conditions, including a mother’s inability to stand up effectively after farrowing.  

“The presence of these infections can be easily discerned if post mortem checks are carried out at time of slaughter by a herd’s veterinarian.

“The same principle holds when it comes to identifying chronic stomach ulcers in finished pigs. I estimate that approximately 45% of finished pigs in Ireland are affected in this way,”

Thielson added: “Only when a farmer knows that problems of this nature exist can they then go about fixing them.”

Where weaning is concerned, Thielsen recommended that piglets should be kept on the mother for 31 days and that they should weigh at least 11kg.

He explained: “Weaning at 28 days is too early. This is because the young pig has yet to develop its own immune system by that stage.

“Healthy sows drive a sustainable pig business. When these circumstances can be achieved, antibiotic usage falls-off dramatically while growing pigs will reach their finishing weights much quicker.”

Farmers attending the meeting were told that they should practice an all-in/all-out policy, where finishing pigs are concerned.

“This approach to management acts to reduce disease spread within a herd,” Thielson said.

“Water availability is also an issue on Irish pig farms. Working on the assumption that the drinking nipples are working and that they have been calibrated correctly, is an approach to management that is fraught with danger.

“All the drinking points within a pig unit must be checked regularly.”

Commenting on the pros and cons of tail docking, Thielsen said that the practice can be done away with if the floor space available per pig is increased by 20%.

“Poor ventilation within pens can also encourage tail biting. Pigs suffering from any form of bacterial infection should not have their tails docked,” he concluded.

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