Page 14 - Australian Pork Newspaper

Average daily water intake by different groups of pigs. The minimum direct/indirect light intensity should be 230–300 lux.
Good gilt management can influence future reproductive performance
Gilt management practices from birth have the potential to influence the future reproductive performance of the sow herd.
The black soldier fly is endemic to Australia. Photo: Yeyo Salas
Insect larvae used to recycle livestock waste for fertiliser
MILLIONS of insect larvae are being used to turn livestock waste, including pork and poultry, into effective and stable fertiliser for food production.
are a fairly non-select feeder, so they’ll eat anything from kitchen scraps, fruit and veg- etable waste, meat waste and even some more problematic waste streams such as ma- nures,” Mr Wheat said.
ryegrass, clover, canola and wheat.
The 500,000 pigs grown in Australia annually produce un- treated manure that is nutrient rich though is not safe to use on all food crops.
“The adult part of the fly doesn’t have a requirement to feed – essentially what that means is the larval phase needs to gain as much energy and nutri- tion as it can to survive through pupation and breeding.
“There is enough growth response there to indicate, particularly in a sandy soil type, they were going to get great growth responses.”
Future Green Solu- tions is working with the University of Western Australia and pork pro- ducers including Aus- tralian Pork Limited to test the capacity of insects, particularly the black soldier fly, to eat animal manure in large quantities.
At present, 60 percent of the pork industry is powered by energy pro- duced by methane gas collected from effluent ponds.
Based in Western Aus- tralia, the company’s managing director Luke Wheat said the lifecycle of the black soldier fly, prevalent in Australia, make them ideal for processing waste of all types.
“That’s what we’re capitalising on at Future Green Solutions is their ferocious eating in con- verting waste streams into saleable and usable product.”
“You can use it for your landscaping, you can use it for regenera- tion, but what the black soldier fly does is gives us a lot more oppor- tunities for where we can use that, because it’s been processed,” Ms Andrae said.
When black soldier fly larvae hatch from tiny eggs they eat as much as possible, as quickly as possible.
Senior research officer at UWA Daniel Kidd recently discovered the soil-improving ben- efits of frass in trials on various crops including
“The soldier fly larvae
“It’s a bit like a bear going into hibernation.
APL chief executive officer Margo Andrae said the remaining ma- nure was left in ponds to dry out and had limited use.
The larvae’s own manure is a fertiliser product that is stable, dry, organic material called frass, which has a surprising earthy smell.
Research is contin- uing to consider grain quality impacts, yield and methods to trans- port black soldier fly products efficiently.
“Certainly, as an or- ganic fertiliser, I think it has great promise,” Mr Kidd said.
Black soldier fly larvae are non-select feeders and will eat any organic mate- rial including animal manure.
GOOD gilt management can influence the future reproductive perfor- mance of the sow herd and many management factors should be consid- ered to optimise lifetime performance including housing, vaccinations, nutrition, and fertility.
supplied to farms either as weaners at 35-45kg or at full weight of 90-110kg.
estrus has a positive effect on litter size, though there is no benefit in any further delay.
high, so lactation feed may need top-dressing with sugar twice a day.
Particular attention should be paid to the wean- to-estrus interval for sows to ensure their full genetic potential can be realised.
If there is no quarantine, a minimum of six weeks from entry to service is ad- visable, with the aim of in- seminating at a minimum of 225 days of age and 135kg liveweight.
First inseminations are more closely related to weight than age, and 145-160kg is the optimum range for higher total pig- lets born per lifetime and better longevity results. Nutrition
WEI is a great indicator of sow condition after weaning and depends on how much the sow has been able to eat, the size of her litter and the season.
Gilt management prac- tices from birth have the potential to influence the future reproductive perfor- mance of the sow herd.
Space allowance should be at least 0.9sq m per head with a maximum of ten gilts per pen.
Gilt nutrition should be distinguished from slaughter pig nutrition.
An average WEI is around 5.5 days – any shorter could mean that feed intake during the last week of lactation was high and any longer could indi- cate a shortage of energy.
Hughes et al found that inadequate sow nutrition contributed to high culling rates, but the main problem was gilt management.
Floors should preferably be fully or half slatted and of a good quality concrete.
The nutrient density of the gilt ration should facili- tate a slower growth curve than fatteners by ad libitum feeding.
It is therefore essential that the best manage- ment practices are used throughout the production cycle.
Floors should be kept dry, as wet floors reduce fertility.
At least two boars are recommended to stimulate estrus.
Fertility
Good gilt management can largely bridge the gap between excellent genetic potential and the more modest sow lifetime productivity typically achieved in the industry. Housing
Drinking water should be clean and fresh with a minimum flow rate of 2L per minute, preferably delivered through drinking nipples at a height of 50- 65cm, with one nipple per 10 animals.
Sufficient nutrients should be provided while the sexual organs are de- veloping.
The following factors have an impact on repro- duction:
The housing conditions of maiden gilts can af- fect both their short-term health and long-term pro- ductivity, yet gilts entering the farm are often housed in some of the poorest ac- commodation conditions.
A mature gilt will drink an average of 16L of water per day.
Gilts should be fed to a controlled schedule of high-low-high intake to provide the appropriate nu- trition for body growth and estrus, preventing the liver from overload during the last third of gestation.
• Management – animal husbandry, timing and method of service, equip- ment, hygiene, transport, handling, mixing, confine- ment, feed composition in- cluding vitamins and min- erals, feeding method and schedule, water supply and toxins such as mycotoxins or xenoestrogens
To ensure maximum ge- netic potential is fulfilled, important factors to con- sider include:
Products are now avail- able that remove the biofilm from the inside of pipes. Vaccinations
Constipation at the end of gestation can be avoided by providing adequate water and fibre.
• Viral diseases – in- cluding PRRSv, parvo- virus, PCV2, SIV, salmo- nella, streptococcus
• Hygiene – preventing excessive infection pres- sure
Vaccination protocols de- pend on the circumstances of the individual farm and can only be decided by the local vet based on regular site visits and an under- standing of the disease situation both on the farm and in the local area.
Troughs should provide a feeding space width of 35cm per animal.
When fertility is at stake, any clinical investigation must consider many factors and signs to make an accu- rate diagnosis and propose an effective solution. Service
• Thermal comfort – preventing extremes in temperature and sunburn, eliminating drafts
Feed types must be changed gradually. Stimulating gilts and sows
• Lighting – providing 14 to 16 hours of daylight or equivalent artificial light to maximise stimulation of puberty and subsequent cycling
Gilts should not be vac- cinated in the first weeks after their arrival.
Gilt feed rations should be increased during the two weeks before insemi- nation by flushing with up to 42.5MJ digestible energy per day, a process which helps to increase the quantity and quality of ovulation.
Patience and profession- alism are required during this important stage.
• Boar contact – pro- viding intermittent rather than permanent contact with mature boars, over 14 months of age, as direct contact with a rotation of mature boars reduces age at puberty, and early sexual maturity is linked with im- proved sow lifetime pro- ductivity
Depending on the health status of the farm, tradi- tional vaccinations may include those against:
Semen must be collected and stored properly, using the appropriate tools and a suitable extender.
• Nutrition – a wide range of nutritional strate- gies have been advocated for gilts, and specialist advice should be sought – always build in a period of quarantine or adaptation of at least six weeks. Management
• PCV2 (porcine circo- virus type 2)
The sow will need an im- mediate supply of energy because estrus depends on light intensity and energy.
The choice will depend upon how long gilts are to be quarantined and ac- climatised.
The gilt should be a min- imum of 235 days old and 135kg in weight at first service.
Insulin levels peaking twice a day favours the onset of estrus, including fish meal at 1kg per tonne of feed is also recom- mended.
Housing should be well ventilated and the tem- perature curve should be between 16-20C.
Gilts should grow in a progressive and regular way, gaining 675-700g per day.
Sows should be accom- modated in quiet condi- tions, in individual crates withdryfloors.
Plumbing should be checked periodically and kept clean.
Chlorine and acids disin- fect pipes but do not clean them.
• Parvovirus
• Erysipelas
• PRRS (porcine repro-
In sows, the crucial pe- riod is the wean-to-estrus interval.
Insemination must be carried out correctly, en- suring that there is good standing reflex.
ductive and respiratory syndrome)
This is when the sow has just finished lactating and will have lost body condi- tion, regardless of the dura- tion of lactation.
The complex interac- tion between embryos and uterus means that sows should not be moved to minimize stress or mixed to minimize risk of in- fection in the two weeks after insemination to avoid interrupting the early es- tablishment of pregnancy, which would reduce con- ception rate and litter size.
• SIV (swine influenza virus)
• E coli
• Mycoplasma
• Clostridium
• Glässer’s disease (hae-
mophilus parasuis)
• Atrophic rhinitis (AR) • Actinobacillus pleuro-
Light intensity must be 250-300 lux at sow head or eye level for a minimum of eight hours, though 16 hours is preferable.
For more information, visit biomin.net DiegoPadoan
pneumoniae (APP)
First estrus
Vitamin and mineral pro- vision during this phase should target tissue and bone development and more bioavailable forms are recommended.
• Environment – floor, ventilation, light, season, temperature, drafts
Gilts are traditionally Skipping the gilt’s first Energy intake must be
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Page 14 – Australian Pork Newspaper, December 2021