Sharing knowledge at the core
The PattegriseLIV project began with 15 pig producing companies in April 2015. By September 2015, a further 15 companies had joined, all of which are closely supervised by staff from research institute Seges VSP. Results are communicated through Facebook and regional meetings and 18 companies have already reported a drop in mortality and wean 0.35 piglets more per litter. The most gains are to be found by improving the care around birth. Major differences have been reported with drops in mortality ranging from 15 to 27%. Therefore, further analysis of the participating companies, show a link with the expertise of the caregivers. Especially watching the animals and correctly interpreting signals is a skill that not everyone is equally well equipped for. It turns out that this is a good skill to learn however. The farmer or manager plays an important role with regards to communication with employees and vice versa. Signals given by employees also need to be taken seriously. Thinking about the implementation and improvement of their work motivates employees in their daily tasks. Another important point is to routinely work on farms. Pigs thrive on regularity, according to an analysis of the results. For companies carrying out the work consistently in the same way and at the same time, the piglet mortality is clearly lower.
basis of a further approach. Currently, Danish piglet mortality is over 20%, Ingeman Svarrer said. The goal of one additional piglet alive corre- sponds with a mortality reduction of 15-16%, a figure which includes stillborn piglets. The taskforce meets the Danish min- istry of Environment and Food twice a year to update the pro- ject group on the progress.
Piglet mortality in the Netherlands In the Netherlands, attention has been paid to the reduction of piglet mortality since 2009. A taskforce ‘Piglet Vitality’ was set up, aiming for a reduction of 15-20% in 10 years in conven- tional pig production and a reduction of 30-40% in organic pig production. All the taskforce’s efforts so far haven’t led to con- crete results. The most recent update, published in August 2015, showed that mortality at conventional farms in 2014 was even higher than in the reference year 2008. At organic farms, mortality dropped from almost 25% in 2008 to around 20.5% now. This equals a drop of roughly 15%. The Dutch taskforce is currently working on a new plan, aimed at how the pig industry could further reduce mortality. The goals that have been agreed on back in 2009, come down to mortality figures between 10.2 and 10.9% for conventional pig production and 12-14% for organic pig farms. Some speed, however, is advisable, as 7 of the 10 years have already passed.
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30 PIGLETS - JULY/AUGUST 2016
PHOTO: SEGES VSP
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