NEWS ▶▶▶ On-demand: Webinar on sow nutrition
Which factors are essential for sow feed in- take? And how can sows be helped to better get through the lactation phase? Answers to these questions were provided in a recent we- binar, which is now available for viewing on demand. The webinar was organised by Pig Progress and its sister title All About Feed, in co- operation with Adisseo. Broadcast on Thursday 11 March, it featured Dr Mark Giesemann (pic- tured right), swine technical manager for Adisseo in the US. The webinar was in two parts. First, Dr Giese- mann explained why it matters that sows have sufficient feed intake during lactation. He quot- ed recent research by Samuel Hawe and others of the AFBI in Northern Ireland, which clearly in- dicates that lower feed intake leads to less pig- let weaning weight and lower productivity. He summed up factors like health, stage of lacta- tion, parity, genetics and gestation feed intake. Housing parameters also make a difference, he said, as well as factors surrounding the feed. Following up on this introduction, Dr Giese- mann shared results of recent trials of how to
Better sow handling in abattoirs
increase feed intake of lactating sows. He shared information about the feed additive Krave AP. He showed data from studies in Bra- zil, where it was observed that the feed addi- tive had an impact on increasing sow feed in- take. That in turn improves milk yield and litter weight gain, he said. The feed additive Rovabio also received atten- tion. This enzyme-based feed additive helps with sow feed digestibility, which translates for instance to less weight loss of sows during lac- tation. He also showed a meta-analysis with supporting evidence.
On demand: Webinar from feed to food
Feed companies are part of a larger food chain, and an increasing number of safety and sustain- ability demands apply to them as well. How is this organised and how do the different parts of the chain communicate? Those were the topics of a webinar held by All About Feed and GMP+ International on 3 February, which can be viewed on demand at
www.allaboutfeed.net. The webinar’s speakers were preceded by an interview with Johan den Hartog (right on the picture), managing director of GMP+, giv- ing background of the webinar’s theme. The webinar’s first speaker was John Kirkpatrick
(second left), agricultural manager for poultry and eggs with UK retailer Tesco. He summed up the sustainability challenges the retailer faces, varying from food waste to animal wel- fare, and from biodiversity loss to greenhouse gases, to name only a few in a longer list. Mia Lafontaine (left) then took to the stage on behalf of Trouw Nutrition. She is the company’s sustainability manager. Sustainability is impor- tant for the company and she explained that the concept can mean different things in dif- ferent places. In Europe, she says, it often means “deforestation free”, in North America “low carbon”, in some areas “organic/GMO free” is essential, and in others the emphasis is on “finding novel or circular ingredients”. Agrosuper is the largest integrator of pig and poultry meat in Chile. On behalf of Agrosuper, Dr Wolfgang Peralta (second right), head of swine feeding and production, explained the importance of proper feed quality for a large or- ganisation like his. Therefore the company’s feed mills comply with a series of ISO regulations.
A recent Danish study has led to three slaugh- terhouse adjustments to improve welfare con- ditions for cull sows and make the entire pro- cess more logical and better organised. Veterinary surgeon Sanne Weinreich Chris- tensen carried out the study while pursuing her master’s degree at Aarhus University’s De- partment of Animal Science. The findings were recently published in the open access journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Christensen works at the headquarters of meatpacker Danish Crown in Randers. She is responsible for animal welfare at the compa- ny’s slaughterhouses. In relation to her thesis, she wanted to examine how sows are handled when they arrive at the slaughterhouse and are moved from the truck to the lairage pens – and how challenges along the way may affect animal behaviour. Christensen said, “As a result of my research, it was possible – with a few changes – to improve the conditions when the sows arrive at the slaughterhouse. Having im- plemented the changes, I visited the company and the personnel told me that the changes had a very positive impact – for the animals as well as the personnel handling the sows. Mov- ing the sows has become so much easier.” The changes have been implemented in the meatpacker’s slaughterhouse in Skærbæk, where over 5,000 cull sows per week are han- dled, about half the country’s weekly amount. The new features begin at the 12m ramp on which the driver moves the sows from the truck towards the entrance of the slaughterhouse and into the lairage pens. The changes included: • Solid fencing in the ramp; • The road ahead is visible; • An extra aisle for slaughterhouse staff.
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▶ PIG PROGRESS | Volume 37, No. 2, 2021 57
PHOTO: COMPANY WEBCAST
PHOTO: COMPANY WEBCAST
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