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< Back Animal Health Reaping the Pros of Probiotics Bacteria Has Benefits...Believe it or Not To a non-scientist, the notion of “good bacteria” is like the idea of a friendly monster - it seems counterintuitive or even contradictory at first glance. In fact, the bodies of pigs and people contain more helpful bacteria than the bad kind, especially in the gut. Since good bacteria, also known as probiotics, play a critical role in keeping pigs healthy and producers above water, researchers ran a study to better understand both types of bacteria. Probiotics offer a number of benefits for pigs, such as improved digestion, protection from pathogens and the production of nutrients and antibodies. These advantages are especially valuable for peri- and post-weaning pigs, as they are often exposed to diseases like E. coli and rotovirus, a highly contagious infection that causes diarrhea and dehydration. At present, the main means of combating these conditions on farm are vaccination, zinc supplements and the inclusion of antimicrobials in feed; but all three have limitations. Good news, meet bad news For their part, antimicrobials have sparked a public health concern as more and more infections show resistance to these drugs. They also represent another cost to producers and could render future pathogens harder to treat. While vaccination has its place in the barn, it is less effective with younger pigs, as their immune system is not yet properly developed to respond to vaccines. As for zinc, its negative impact on the environment has been well documented, leading some countries to ban its use with pigs, and Canada may soon follow suit. In the eyes of scientists on this project, the best alternative to these measures are probiotics. Previous research has shown that piglets who are not exposed to good bacteria early on can be highly susceptible to disease. With the addition of probiotics to swine diets, like Lactobacillus that is also found in yogurt, the influx of good bacteria in the gut works to crowd out the bad ones. Lactobacillus is a probiotic that restores the balance of good bacteria in the intestine that may be disrupted after the application of antibiotics or due to intestinal infections. A gutsy effort In their quest to learn more about bacteria as it relates to pig health, scientists explored the composition of the gut microbiota, which comprises thousands of bacteria. One finding of interest is that the microbiota changes as pigs age. At birth, piglets have no bacteria in the gut, but begin to acquire them when exposed to the sow during farrowing. Because the bacteria needed to digest liquids and solids are different, the microbiota changes again when piglets move from a liquid milk diet to solid food after weaning. Researchers also examined the relationship between the gut microbiota and growth performance, and found that pigs of a certain microbiota enterotype showed better growth and less incidence of diarrhea. An enterotype is a classification of living organisms based on the bacterial composition of the gut’s microbiome. Finally, the team sought a connection linking the microbiota and genetics, noting that some bacteria is unable to survive in the pig’s gut due to a genetic variation in the animal. Knowledge is powerful When it comes to pigs, health and bacteria, the more science knows, the more it can aid producers. With antimicrobials being slowly phased out, industry needs an alternative to keep pigs thriving in the face of a disease challenge, and probiotics show the best potential. Many pharmaceutical companies have expressed interest in developing probiotics. To support these efforts, science must gather as much knowledge as possible, such as how to distinguish good and bad bacteria in the gut. If the work from this study leads to a new probiotic that can be commercialized and used by producers, it could amount to a triple threat: healthier pigs, a more productive swine industry, and less reliance on antimicrobial use in animals. To ensure success for researchers, collaboration was critical. They received funding from Swine Innovation Porc (SIP), Cargill Limited, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The research team included Dr. Vahab Farzan, Dr. Brandon Lillie, Dr. Khurram Nadeem, and graduate student Madison Arsenal from University of Guelph, as well as Dr. Ehsan Khafipour from Cargill Inc. In the years ahead, scientists envision a time when they pinpoint the specific bacteria that are associated with better performance and health, and use them to produce effective probiotics for pigs. If they can also identify the genetic markers for these traits, that information could be shared with swine breeding farms for the betterment of their herds. Background Project Title: Characterization of the core gut microbiome associated with pig health and performance: towards fecal diagnostics and microbiome therapy. Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Brandon Lillie (University of Guelph) Budget: $390 481 Research Methods In support of their observational study, the team visited commercial farms in Ontario and Quebec. There, they collected fecal samples and tested them for microbials to assess the composition of the gut in relation to health and growth performance. In total, they tested samples collected from 40 pigs a few days after birth, one week after that, just before weaning and one week post weaning. To assess the impact of gut microbiota on growing pigs, researchers recorded the growth performance of the animals up to marketing age.

< Community Wire Next Article> Synthetic Sugar Based Vaccine Offers Prospects for Broader Protection for Pigs from Strep Suis Bruce Cochrane 15 Sept 2023 Dr. Marcelo Gottschalk discusses a new approach to the development of vaccines to prevent Strep suis. 00:00 / 02:44 Farmscape for September 15, 2023 A never before used approach to the creation of vaccines in veterinary medicine, developed in partnership with Swine Innovation Porc, offers the prospects of more effective protection for pigs from infections caused by Streptococcus suis . Strep suis is a bacterial agent that causes different diseases, mostly in nursery pigs, including septicemia with sudden death, meningitis which affects the central nervous system or arthritis impacting the joints. With funding from Swine Innovation Porc, scientists are exploring novel methods of vaccine development. Dr. Marcelo Gottschalk, the Director of the International Reference Laboratory for Streptococcus suis at the University of Montreal, says two different but complementary approaches have been taken. Quote-Dr. Marcelo Gottschalk-University of Montreal: What has been done is an approach to identify a protein which is present in the surface of the bacteria. We have identified one of these proteins, which is called SAO, Streptococcal Antigen-1 and this antigen has been proved to give a certain level of protection against infection, so the idea is to complement that with another kind of candidate. What we have done is to use synthetic sugars. Strep suis is surrounded by what we call a capsule which is a kind of armor that will envelope the bacteria and protect the bacteria against the immune system. This capsule is made by sugars, only sugar, and sugars are very bad to induce good antibody production. The host, the pig doesn't see the bacteria when the bacteria enters because it's covered by the sugars. We've demonstrated in the past that, if we take the sugars from the capsule and we link it to a protein, then the immune system can see the sugar and produce antibodies. Dr. Gottschalk acknowledges, while linking sugars from the capsule to a protein empowers the immune system to respond, these extracted sugars are too expensive to use as a vaccine so researchers have shifted their focus to the development of synthetic sugars. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> Consumers More Curious than Ever About How and Where Food is Produced Bruce Cochrane 14 Apr 2023 An interview with Amy te Plate-Church, Centre for Food Integrity 00:00 / 02:35 The Director of the Center for Food Integrity says more than ever consumers are curious about how and where their food is produced. “Trends and developments in consumer perceptions of modern pork production and implications for farmers” was the topic of the keynote address yesterday at Manitoba Pork's 2023 Annual General Meeting. Amy te Plate-Church, the Director of the U.S. based Center for Food Integrity, says consumers are more curious today than they've ever been about where food is produced and the factors they consider when making purchasing decisions are changing. Clip-Amy te Plate-Church-Center for Food Integrity: Historically the big three factors have been price, quality and health and nutrition and that remains true today but today there are more other factors that are weighing into the choices that consumers make. That includes convenience but it also includes the social considerations around food production. Can I trust that the animals that produced this food were well cared for, are the farmers utilizing environmentally friendly practices, is this good social and economic contribution? People today have so many sources of information so we, as the food industry and farmers, need to be aware of where consumers are and more and more of that is online so social media, online influencers, web sites, having our message in all of those places so consumers can find answers to the questions that they have when they have those answers. Also, consumers are highly dependent on what they see on the packaging or in the store as they're making that decision. As far as trusted sources of information, farmers are highly trusted. They're respected by the public for the hard work that they do so it's important to be sharing what they're doing and why they're doing what they do on the farm. Te Plate-Church says north or south of the border farmers are salt of the earth folks who are working hard to produce food in a responsible way and make sure we have food for consumers around the world. < Community Wire Next Article >

< Community Wire Next Article> New Strep Zoo Vaccine Expected to Displace Antibiotics Bruce Cochrane 12 Apr 2023 Path forward for Potential Strep Zoo Vaccine 00:00 / 02:35 A new vaccine developed to protect pigs from Streptococcus equii zooepidemicus is expected to allow pork producers to avoid the need to treat the infection with antibiotics. Researchers with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine have developed and are ready to commercialise a new vaccine to protect pigs from Streptococcus equii zooepidemicus, or Strep zoo, a bacterial disease that produces symptoms similar to Streptococcus suis and African Swine Fever and can cause sudden death with little or no warning. Dr. Matheus Costa, an Assistant Professor with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine and an Adjunct Professor at Utrecht University, says so far the vaccine has prevented 100 percent of the mortality associated with the virulent strain of Strep zoo. Clip-Dr. Matheus Costa-Western College of Veterinary Medicine: Because it's such an impactful disease and leads to high mortality rates, there's nothing we can do to prevent that other than using antimicrobials. I think it's probably clear in everyone’s mind by now that, if we keep using antimicrobials, you will induce resistance and that's exactly what we've seen in the field. Over a very short period of time, and I'm talking about a matter of weeks we have seen Streptococcus equii zooepidemicus become resistant to most of our options in swine medicine and once they become fully resistant to those antimicrobials there's not much we can do as veterinarians and producers to prevent those animals from dying. It's challenging from that perspective that we don't have a lot of tools to deal with the outbreak and it's also challenging because we don't understand enough about the bacteria to be able to completely clear it from the herd. So, this is where a vaccine would be very interesting. < Community Wire Next Article >

< Back Animal Welfare Driven to Succeed: Transport Study Keeps Industry Rolling Ensuring Safe Travel for Pig Passengers All puns aside, the impact of transport on pig health is no laughing matter. The toll on animals from trucking can impact animal welfare and performance, sometimes leading to death losses that are also deadly to the bottom line. Though the “why” of moving pigs is obvious, how and when it’s done could be the difference between a smooth trip and a rocky ride for pigs and producers. While there has been considerable research on transporting finisher pigs, less is known about weaners. Although the pandemic made studying the latter a challenge, scientists pressed on, obtaining data for thousands of weaner loads from across the country. By analyzing the information, they addressed a key goal of their study: identifying factors that influence mortality during transport, in both eastern and western Canada. Potbellies and pigs Just as potbellies can be hazardous to human health, the study found that trips using potbelly trailers had greater average mortality than runs employing other trailer types. Weather was also a factor, with pigs in Western Canada experiencing the worst mortality during winter, while summer was the worst season in Eastern Canada. Certainly, the higher losses during extreme weather were not a shock to researchers. At the same time, they did take note of weaner pigs being more susceptible to the cold versus finishers, who struggle more in the heat than in cold weather during transport. This last point underlines the differing needs of pigs at various stages of life while in transit. The common thread throughout the project was finding areas where strategies could be developed to reduce the risk of weaners perishing during weaner transport. For example, in a study comparing long and short duration transport, pigs that were shipped longer distances were pre-weaned and had greater familiarity with feeders, making for a smoother transition when they arrived at the nursery barn. By contrast, short transport pigs were weaned just before loading, leading to mixing aggression and more acute stress response when they reached their destination. This suggests that weaning on farm prior to transport may reduce death losses, though more study is needed given the logistical challenges for producers in making this change. Putting problems to bed Often in research, finding answers begins with asking the right questions, and this project prompted a few queries: With higher mortality for weaners in the winter in western Canada, are we bedding them properly? Do we need to look at other bedding options? How exactly do various trailer types, and different compartments within the same trailer, affect pigs? In eastern Canada, how does the combination of humidity and high temperatures interact with space allowance, and how critical is forced ventilation under these conditions? As part of this study, scientists have begun monitoring more loads in Canada with technology that pinpoints aspects like temperature and humidity within the truck, hoping it will lead to answers. Uplifting research Using hydraulic 4-deck trailers, which are commonly deployed to transport large numbers of weaner pigs, researchers are starting to dig more deeply into temperature and space allowance for individual compartments. Armed with this knowledge, they plan to work with trailer manufacturers on developing control systems that can help to maintain ideal temperatures throughout the truck. The research team also stresses the importance of proper training for pig transport drivers. Though most drivers are very knowledgeable, turnover in the industry means others may lack awareness of key practices. Absent the cutting edge technology, drivers should be gauging temperature by stopping periodically to stick their hand into compartments. Since temperatures can build up quickly when a trailer is stationary with a full load of pigs, thereby reducing air flow, loading should be done as quickly as possible. As well, drivers should depart immediately once their truck is loaded, especially in hot conditions. Oh Canada! A pan-Canadian initiative can be a daunting task, so the alliance of academia and industry was critical for success. Central to the project were Dr. Yolande Seddon, assistant professor, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and Drs. Terry O’Sullivan and Renee Bergeron, both associate professors at the University of Guelph. They were assisted by PhD student Hannah Golightly, who presented a poster on the project at the Porc Show in 2022. For its part, industry was represented by Marie-Josée Turgeon, quality and animal welfare coordinator – pork production at Olymel L.P., and Dr. Egan Brockhoff, president and a practicing veterinarian with Prairie Swine Health Services. Regardless of their background, all parties shared a common vision: If we can better understand the processes of weaning and weaner transport, and the conditions that piglets require during transport, we will reduce death losses and improve the performance of these animals when they arrive at the nursery. Background Project Title: Effects of long distance transport on the health and welfare of early weaned pigs Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Jennifer Brown (Prairie Swine Center) Budget: $747 331 Research Methods Initially, researchers compared the effects of long and short transports. Following weaner pigs shipped from Saskatchewan to Ontario and loads within Ontario, they examined behaviour, physiology, injury scores and mortality. They also analyzed over 6,000 transport records provided by five Canadian swine production companies, representing approximately 6.9 million piglets transported between 2014 and 2018. The average weight of piglets was 5.7 kg. Transport events originated mostly in Ontario (61%), followed by Saskatchewan (33%) and Alberta (6%).

< Community Wire Next Article> Scientists Seek Alternatives to Antibiotics for Growth Promotion Bruce Cochrane 11 Aug 2023 Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade discusses research aimed at improving piglet health and performance through dietary supplementation 00:00 / 02:43 Farmscape for August 11, 2023 A scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says new rules governing antibiotic use in feed have heightened the need to find alternatives. As part of research, funded by Swine Innovation Porc, scientists compared the performance of piglets fed a control diet consisting of 35 percent naked oats to diets supplemented with various combinations of bovine colostrum, medium-chain fatty acids and yeast extract and to diets supplemented with the antibiotic chlortetracycline. Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says the abrupt dietary and environmental changes at weaning have many detrimental consequences on the piglets' health. Quote-Dr. Dominic Poulin-Laprade-Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: At the time of weaning piglets will transition from lactation to a solid grain-based diet. In addition to this feeding transition, piglets are separated from the sows and are introduced into a new pen where they must establish the hierarchal order again. Weaning is intensely stressful for the piglets that still have an immature intestinal immune system and microbiota resulting in numerous physiological, immunological and microbiological changes causing reduced animal performance, increased susceptibility to enteric infections and, in some cases, mortality. To reduce the effect of weaning, cases of infection and important economic losses producers and veterinarians use in-feed antibiotics. Canada and many other countries have banned the use of medically important antibiotics for growth promotion making the research for alternative growth promoters a crucial need. Many research teams are studying the potential of feeding supplements as alternatives to the use of in-feed antibiotics. However little research has focussed on formulating specific feeds for the preweaning period to facilitate the transition during the weaning period by increasing the pre and postweaning feed intake. Dr. Poulin-Laprade acknowledges the supplements tested in this study fell short of mimicking the animal performance obtained using prophylactic antibiotics. For more visit Farmscape.Ca . Bruce Cochrane. *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers < Community Wire Next Article >

< Back Nutrition, Sustainability, Animal Health Science Feeds a Need to Lower Costs Diversity Makes the Difference When it comes to feeding your animals, forget about nice linens and gourmet meals. To support their growth and well-being, pigs need good, nutritious food on a regular basis. The challenge for producers is to offer those meals without breaking the bank. Given ever rising feed costs and the volume required on farm, especially for growing-finishing pigs, scientists investigated new options to diversify the ingredient supply and methods for getting the most from nutrients in pig diets. Today, a burgeoning global population and rapidly evolving climate change have altered the food producing environment. More than ever, alternative ingredients, especially proteins and fats, are required to sustain the pork sector, the food chain and the planet. To give producers the greatest return on their feed investment, those ingredients must be of high quality and able to maximize pig performance. A healthy pulse With those ends in mind, researchers focused on a few key areas in these studies. First, they looked to characterize the nutrient content of Canadian grown pulses, which have gained attention as alternatives for inclusion in current swine diets. These pulses included two varieties of field peas, as well as lentils, chickpeas and faba beans. They also aimed to understand how pelleting and extrusion under different conditions affect the nutrient content of the ingredients. Pelleting is the process of converting finely ground mash feed into dense, free flowing pellets. Pelleting a diet makes it easier to handle feed and helps reduce feed waste, while supporting optimal performance. Research has demonstrated that pelleted feed supports roughly a 7% increase in feed efficiency. Extrusion, which involves applying heat, moisture, and pressure to an ingredient, can improve energy and protein digestibility for pigs, and the heat treatment increases the storage life of pulses by reducing water content. Amino acids to the rescue The project also measured the digestibility of amino acids in faba beans, lentils and yellow field peas. Since pigs are unable to synthesize all of the amino acids required to function normally, they must obtain many of them from feed ingredients. Based on their work, researchers now have sufficient nutrient data on Canadian grown field peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans for these ingredients to be considered for inclusion in swine diets. Dare to be different While pulses are rich in macro and micronutrients, the study noted that various cultivars differ in what they can provide and how they react to processing treatments. Overall, however, there were no extreme detrimental effects of processing on nutrient content of the pulses, specifically in relation to protein and amino acid content. For swine nutritionists, the results also warned against making assumptions on how the nutrients of one pulse ingredient might change due to processing, simply by comparing it to another pulse ingredient. As for pork producers, they will now have more quality, low-cost feed options. Additionally, they can consider different processes, such as extrusion, to improve the digestibility and availability of nutrients. Teams work Three people led the way on this project: Dr. Kate Shoveller, professor, Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph (U of G); Dr. Dan Columbus, research scientist – nutrition at the Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) in Saskatoon and adjunct professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S); and Cara Cargo-Froom, a PhD student at the time and currently a postdoctoral research fellow at the U of G. Other key experts involved were Dr. Rex Newkirk, associate professor in the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the U of S; Dr. Yongfeng Ai, associate professor, Food and Bioproduct Sciences, U of S; Dr. Olufemi Babatunde, postdoctoral researcher- Nutritional Physiology at the PSC; and Dr. Chris Marinangeli, former Director of Nutrition, Science & Regulatory Affairs with Pulse Canada and currently Senior Director, Research and Regulatory Affairs at Pulse Canada Although scientists can now draw broad generalizations about changes in nutrients across pulses or within a pulse category (e.g., changes in beans), there is more to be done. Understanding how processing can affect each category of pulse, and the varieties within the category, can provide much needed insight on the specific varieties of interest. As part of her ongoing program, Dr. Shoveller will continue to seek quality protein sources for pigs, dogs, cats and horses. Links to Publications: Babatunde, O.O., Cargo-Froom, C.L., Ai, Y., Newkirk, R.W., Marinangeli, C.P., Shoveller, A.K. and Columbus, D.A., 2023. Extrusion effects on the starch and fibre composition of Canadian pulses. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2022-0127 Babatunde, O.O., Cargo-Froom, C.L., Ai, Y., Newkirk, R.W., Marinangeli, C.P., Shoveller, A.K. and Columbus, D.A., 2022. Processing effects on the starch and fibre composition of Canadian pulses. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, (ja). https://doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2022-0108 Cargo-Froom, C.L., Newkirk, R.W., Marinangeli, C.P., Shoveller, A.K., Ai, Y. and Columbus, D.A., 2022. The effects of extrusion on nutrient content of Canadian pulses with a focus on protein and amino acids. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. doi.org/10.1139/CJAS-2022-0088 Cargo-Froom, C.L., Newkirk, R.W., Marinangeli, C.P., Shoveller, A.K., Ai, Y., Kiarie, E.G. and Columbus, D.A., 2022. The effects of grinding and pelleting on nutrient composition of Canadian pulses. Canadian Journal of Animal Science, (ja). doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2021-0111 Background Project Title: Reducing feed cost and the environmental footprint and enhancing global competitiveness of Canadian pork production by increased nutrient utilization of feedstuffs fed to growing-finishing pigs. Lead(s)/Co-Lead(s): Dr. Kate Shoveller (University of Guelph) Budget: $281 128 Research Methods To evaluate the overall quality of protein-dense feed elements, scientists used a digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS). The DIAAS is determined using amino acid digestibilities measured at the end of the small intestine, which provides a more accurate measure of the amounts of amino acids absorbed by the body, with DIAAS ultimately presenting a score to inform on protein quality of an ingredient. Though it was not part of the official study, researchers observed the pigs’ eating behaviors. They noted that while every pig consumed all of the diets provided, there was a clear preference, based on the “gusto” with which they ate, for the pea and faba bean diets over the lentil option.