A longitudinal study of growing pigs raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines

We conducted a longitudinal study to obtain baseline information about the health and growth of growing pigs raised by smallholder pig raisers in the Philippines, and to test constraints and opportunities to smallholder growing pig production that had been identified in a cross-sectional study [More, S.J., Lee, J.-A.L.M., La?ada, E.B., Taveros, A.A., Cotiw-an, B.S., 1999. Weight-for-age of growing pigs raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines. Prev. Vet. Med. 41, 151-169]. Using monthly on-farm visits over 12-18 months at two sites, we collected data about 824 growing pigs raised in 115 separate herds. Weight-for-age (median value of 4.8 kg/month) was clustered strongly at the herd level, and the daily ration to growing pigs was substantially deficient (particularly in protein). Using repeated-measures and time-to-event analyses, we identified a range of animal- and herd-level variables associated with increased growth and health. These results confirm results from our earlier study, and suggest that improved nutrition and targeted extension on a range of management issues could be useful.     

The reproductive performance of sows raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines.

We conducted a cross-sectional study at two sites in the Philippines to obtain baseline information about the reproductive performance of smallholder sows, and to identify important constraints and opportunities for smallholder pig raisers. Using an interview-based questionnaire, we collected data about 99 (with 128 sows) and 123 (144) herds at the northern and southern study sites, respectively. A range of animal- and herd-level measures of sow productivity were assessed, including average interfarrowing interval (9.7 and 6.6 mo in herds at the northern and southern sites, respectively), number of liveborn piglets (8.5 and 8.4) and preweaning mortality (19.0% and 12.8%). We have identified a number of animal- and herd-level factors associated with the productivity of smallholder sows in the Philippines, including aspects of breeding and piglet management and nutrition.     

Integrated resource-driven pig production systems in a mountainous area of Northeast India: production practices and pig performance

Data on pig production system was derived through structured household interviews from a total number of 320 rural households and performance of pigs was assessed. Results revealed that the pig production system represented mixed farming based mainly on the common property resources. Majority of the pigs were reared in intensive system and fed with home made cooked feed (kitchen waste and locally available plants). The body weight of crossbred, Burmese and local pigs were 67, 65.4 and 45.6 kg, respectively at 12 months of age with average daily body weight of 184, 179 and 125 g, respectively. The overall mortality among the pigs was 17.96%. The major causes of mortality in pigs were Swine fever, Swine erysipelas, digestive disorders, nephritis and respiratory disorders. The body weight gain in pigs subjected to deworming and mineral mixture supplementation (218 g/day) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the control group (178 g/day). The input output ratio was 1:1.7 for both crossbred and Burmese pigs, while the corresponding ratio for local pigs was 1:1.2. It is inferred that the smallholder resource driven pig production system is economically viable and sustainable at household level and there is enough scope to improve the smallholder resource driven pig production system.     

Evaluation of the feeding value of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dichrostachys cinerea</Emphasis> pods for fattening pigs in Cuba

Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn. is a tropical leguminous shrub widely regarded as an invasive species in Cuba, after having invaded a significant proportion of its arable land during the past decades. Concurrently, smallholder pig producers are highly constrained by the scarcity of protein feeds. This study aimed to assess the feeding value of D. cinerea pod meal (DCPM) as an alternative protein supplement for pigs in Cuban smallholder production systems. An on-farm feeding trial was carried out with three groups (N = 10) of growing-fattening pigs over 60 days, where DCPM replaced 0, 15, and 30% in DM of a dietary commercial concentrate. Then, in an in vivo digestibility trial with eight growing pigs, apparent digestibilities of DCPM were determined for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP). Finally, in vitro digestibilities for OM (fecal and ileal) and CP (ileal) were determined. In the feeding trial, pig body weight gains were not affected by increased dietary substitution levels of concentrate for DCPM. Blood parameters, with a few exceptions, did not show significant differences among groups. Values for in vivo OM and CP digestibilities were 40.81 and 50.26%, and substantially higher than in vitro values. In conclusion, our results showed that at least 30% of DM in commercial concentrate could be substituted by DCPM without affecting pig growth performances under Cuban smallholder conditions. The low digestibility of DCPM is, however, not acceptable for intensive pig production systems. In vitro enzyme digestibility methods developed for commercial pig feeds are not suitable for DCPM without further calibration.     

Average daily gain of local pigs on rural and peri-urban smallholder farms in two districts of Western Kenya

The objective of this study was to determine the average daily gain (ADG) of pigs on rural and peri-urban smallholder farms in two districts of Western Kenya, in order to establish a baseline to measure the impact of future management interventions. Average daily gain (kilograms per day) for 664 pigs weighed one, two or three times and the proportion of local and crossbreed pigs was determined. Assuming a uniform birth weight of 1 kg, ADG did not differ between pigs weighed once or twice. Overall, ADG was higher in peri-urban pigs (0.15?±?0.058 kg/day) than rural pigs (0.11?±?0.047 kg/day). Pigs at 1 to 2 months had a higher ADG than those at 3 months or 10 to 12 months and ADG was higher in crossbreed than local pigs. Over the two districts, the ADG was low (0.13?±?0.002 kg/day). Most (87.2 %) pigs were of local breed. Low ADG may be due to malnourishment, high maintenance energy expenditure, high parasite prevalence, disease, and/or low genetic potential. This low ADG of pigs raised on smallholder farms in Western Kenya indicates a high potential for improvement. The growth rate of pigs in Western Kenya must be improved using locally available feedstuffs to make efficient use of resources, promote sustainable smallholder pig production, and improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers.     

Production constraints of smallholder pig farms in agro-ecological zones of Mpumalanga,South Africa

South African pig sector is a contributor to the agricultural industry. A study was conducted to identify the production constraints and compare the management practices in smallholder pig farms in Mpumalanga, South Africa. A total of 220 selected smallholder pig farmers were interviewed. Smallholder pig farming was predominated by male (64 %), age above 50 years (54 %), black Africans (98.6 %), and three quarters of the smallholder farmers were poor to just below average. Majority (80 %) have no pig husbandry training, while only 33 % received assistance from government’s Agricultural Department. In terms of stock, mixed breeds (89 %) from exotic pigs were mostly kept and majority (87 %) of the farmers kept ≤10 sows in their herds. Many farmers (75 %) engaged in risky behavior of buying auctioned-sourced boars, free-range boars, and untested boars from neighbors and relatives. Few (17 %) farmers practiced vaccination and only 10 % kept farm records. Majority of the responses on pre-weaning mortality (50 %) and post-weaning mortality (90 %) were within acceptable range of 1–10 and 1–5 % mortality rates, respectively. The lead causes of mortality were weak piglets and crushing (46 %), diarrhea (27 %), poor management knowledge (19 %), and malnutrition (16 %). Agricultural training and government incentives will facilitate improved productivity in smallholder pig farming.     

A longitudinal study of sows and boars raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines

We conducted a longitudinal study to obtain baseline information about the health and productivity of sows and boars raised by smallholder-pig raisers in the Philippines, and test constraints and opportunities to smallholder-sow production that had been identified previously in a cross-sectional study [More, S.J., Lee, J.-A.L.M., La?ada, E.B., Taveros, A.A., Cotiw-an, B.S., 1999. Weight-for-age of growing pigs raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines. Prev. Vet. Med. 41, 151-169]. Over 12-18 months, we collected data during monthly on-farm visits about 213 sows raised in 119 herds at 2 sites and 32 boars in 31 herds at 1 site. Sow reproductive performance was low and boars were used only infrequently (an average of 0.9 services/month). Using repeated-measure analyses, we identified sow nutrition and piglet care (such as provision of creep feed and unrestricted access to the sow) as important husbandry issues associated with increased sow productivity.     

Models to quantify excretion of dry matter,nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in growing pigs fed regional diets

Modern pig production contributes to many environmental problems that relate to manure, especially in areas with highly intensive production systems and in regions like Asia where the regulative control is not effective. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use three different pig diets varying in dietary protein, fibre and fat as representative for Danish （DK）, Thai （TH） and Vietnamese （VN） pig production to develop and evaluate different approaches to predict/calculate excretion from growing pigs in comparison with the experimentally determined values. Nine female growing pigs were used in a digestibility and balance experiment. Excretion of dry matter （DM）, nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P） and carbon （C） of the experimental diets were determined. Due to the highest dietary fibre content, VN had the lowest digestibility of N, P and C （73, 49, and 73%, respectively） compared with the DK and TH pig diets. From the known diet composition using standard table values on chemical and nutrient digestibly, high accuracy （bias） and low variation was found and the results could be used for prediction on chemical composition and excretion in faeces and urine in growing pigs. Calculation based on standard values regarding nutrient retention in the pig body as used in the Danish manure normative system （DMNS） showed likewise to be quite useful for quantifying the total excretion of N and P. Overall, the results demonstrate that simple models that require cheap and normally available information on dietary nutrients can give useful information on nutrient excretion in growing pigs.     

Models to quantify excretion of dry matter,nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in growing pigs fed regional diets

Modern pig production contributes to many environmental problems that relate to manure, especially in areas with highly intensive production systems and in regions like Asia where the regulative control is not effective. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use three different pig diets varying in dietary protein, fibre and fat as representative for Danish (DK), Thai (TH) and Vietnamese (VN) pig production to develop and evaluate different approaches to predict/calculate excretion from growing pigs in comparison with the experimentally determined values.Nine female growing pigs were used in a digestibility and balance experiment. Excretion of dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) of the experimental diets were determined.Due to the highest dietary fibre content, VN had the lowest digestibility of N, P and C (73, 49, and 73%, respectively) compared with the DK and TH pig diets. From the known diet composition using standard table values on chemical and nutrient digestibly, high accuracy (bias) and low variation was found and the results could be used for prediction on chemical composition and excretion in faeces and urine in growing pigs. Calculation based on standard values regarding nutrient retention in the pig body as used in the Danish manure normative system (DMNS) showed likewise to be quite useful for quantifying the total excretion of N and P.Overall, the results demonstrate that simple models that require cheap and normally available information on dietary nutrients can give useful information on nutrient excretion in growing pigs.     

豫南地区规模化猪场猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒和猪圆环病毒2型抗体检测与分析

为掌握豫南地区规模化猪场中猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒（PRRSV）和猪圆环病毒2型（PCV2）疫苗免疫场猪群抗体水平和非疫苗免疫场猪群病原感染情况,试验利用ELISA方法对该地区猪群进行了PRRSV和PCV2抗体水平检测。结果表明,在疫苗免疫猪群中,PRRSV和PCV2抗体合格率分别为68.8%和58.7%,规模越大的猪场合格率越高,200~500头母猪规模场抗体阳性率最高（分别为76.8%和77.4%）,50头母猪以下场最低（分别为48.3%和44.2%）,种猪的合格率均最高,而育肥猪群合格率均最低。在非疫苗免疫猪群中,PRRSV和PCV2抗体阳性率分别为55.6%和65.3%,PRRSV抗体阳性率最低的是100~200头母猪规模场（46.5%）,最高的是50头母猪以下规模场（68.8%）,断奶仔猪和育肥猪群抗体阳性率均在71%以上;随猪场规模越大,PCV2抗体阳性率越低,200~500头母猪规模场抗体阳性率为41.4%,50~100头规模场和50头以下场的阳性率分别为78.9%和78.6%,种公、母猪的PCV2抗体阳性率最低（分别为37.5%和40.4%）,断奶仔猪和育肥猪抗体阳性率较高（分别为82.2%和79.5%）。本研究反映了豫南地区猪繁殖与呼吸综合征（porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome,PRRS）和猪圆环病毒病（porcine circovirus disease,PCVD）疫苗免疫猪场的疫苗免疫效果和非疫苗免疫猪场病原感染的实际情况和规律,为该地区PRRS和PCVD防制工作提供了理论依据和指导。     

African swine fever outbreak on a medium-sized farm in Uganda: biosecurity breaches and within-farm virus contamination

In Uganda, a low-income country in east Africa, African swine fever (ASF) is endemic with yearly outbreaks. In the prevailing smallholder subsistence farming systems, farm biosecurity is largely non-existent. Outbreaks of ASF, particularly in smallholder farms, often go unreported, creating significant epidemiological knowledge gaps. The continuous circulation of ASF in smallholder settings also creates biosecurity challenges for larger farms. In this study, an on-going outbreak of ASF in an endemic area was investigated on farm level, including analyses of on-farm environmental virus contamination. The study was carried out on a medium-sized pig farm with 35 adult pigs and 103 piglets or growers at the onset of the outbreak. Within 3 months, all pigs had died or were slaughtered. The study included interviews with farm representatives as well as biological and environmental sampling. ASF was confirmed by the presence of ASF virus (ASFV) genomic material in biological (blood, serum) and environmental (soil, water, feed, manure) samples by real-time PCR. The ASFV-positive biological samples confirmed the clinical assessment and were consistent with known virus characteristics. Most environmental samples were found to be positive. Assessment of farm biosecurity, interviews, and the results from the biological and environmental samples revealed that breaches and non-compliance with biosecurity protocols most likely led to the introduction and within-farm spread of the virus. The information derived from this study provides valuable insight regarding the implementation of biosecurity measures, particularly in endemic areas.     

A longitudinal study of unweaned piglets raised by smallholder farmers in the Philippines

We conducted a longitudinal study to obtain detailed baseline information about the health and productivity of unweaned piglets raised by smallholder pig raisers in the Philippines, and to identify constraints and opportunities to smallholder-piglet production. At two sites in the Philippines, we collected data about 242 litters from 173 sows in 102 herds during on-farm visits over 12-18 months. Preweaning mortality at the northern and southern sites was 17 and 9%, respectively. Of the piglet deaths at the northern site, 49% occurred within 24h of birth. Pig raisers used few of the recognised interventions known to reduce neonatal piglet mortality, although >50% of litters were given iron injections at the northern site and kept in a farrowing pen with a barrier at the southern site. Creep feeding was more common at the northern site but the nutritive value of the feeds given to piglets was low. We used repeated-measures and time-to-event analyses. Our results suggest that targeted extension (addressing, in particular, management issues relating to neonatal piglets) can contribute to increased productivity of unweaned piglets.     

Piloting the effectiveness of pig health education in combination with oxfendazole treatment on prevention and/or control of porcine cysticercosis,gastrointestinal parasites,African swine fever and ectoparasites in Angónia District,Mozambique

A community-based intervention combining health education (HE) and treatment of pigs for control of porcine cysticercosis (PC), gastrointestinal (GI) helminths, African swine fever (ASF) and external parasites was tested involving six villages of resource-poor smallholder pig farmers. Farmers and pigs of six rural villages were randomly allocated into group 1 (HE), which served as controls, and group 2 (HE?+?OFZ) pigs received a single oral dose of 30 mg/kg OFZ. Farmers were trained in pig health, housing and feeding. The proportion of farmers with confined pigs, the adoption rate of the introduced pig pen, the sero-prevalence of PC and ASF, the prevalence and intensity of GI nematodes and the prevalence of ectoparasites were measured at 9, 15 and 24 months after initiation and compared to a baseline survey to seek the effectiveness of the interventions. There was no clear effect of the intervention on the sero-prevalence of PC, but analysis of the rate of change in prevalence between the two groups showed significant effect with the rate of change to lower prevalence in the HE?+?OFZ group compared to the HE group. Although HE managed to improve the farmer’s knowledge in the control and prevention of ASF and ectoparasites, there was no significant reduction in the sero-prevalence of ASF and the prevalence of ectoparasites throughout the two-year period. The reported ineffectiveness of the intervention in this study suggested that more research is needed to develop more effective methods for controlling PC, ASF and pig parasites.     

Opportunities for conservation and utilisation of local pig breeds in low-input production systems in Zimbabwe and South Africa

Purpose and methods

In situ conservation of pig genetic resources requires understanding of the farming systems under which the pigs are kept. The objective of the study was to characterise smallholder pig production systems where indigenous pigs are kept in order to assess opportunities for in situ conservation of these pigs. Factors influencing pig herd sizes, ranking of pigs in smallholder production systems, breeds and breed preferences, pig ownership patterns, traits preferred by farmers and constraints to production were investigated in a survey involving 199 farmers from Chirimhanzu District of Zimbabwe, Vhembe, Alfred Nzo and O. R. Tambo Districts of South Africa.

Results

Income was the major factor influencing most pig production related parameters. Most pigs (69.67 %) were owned by women, with most of the women falling into the very low income group. Farmers kept pigs for several reasons that were common across geographical zones and income groups. The odds of a farmer ranking pigs first in the production system depended on the absence of other livestock (P?<?0.05). Farmers in the higher income group tended to mention poor feed resources and access to information as constraints (P?<?0.05) compared to the very low income group. There was preference heterogeneity in the breeds kept and the reasons for breed choice across the income groups and geographical zones. Fewer farmers in the very low income group (42.62 %) recognised the need to conserve local pigs compared to the low income group (80.49 %), the medium income group (50.00 %) and the high income group (100.00 %; χ ²?=?19.14; P?<?0.001).

Conclusions

It was concluded that farmers see value in local pigs and are willing to conserve them. In situ conservation programmes are possible and these should recognise the role of poor women in conserving and enhancing indigenous pig genetic resources.     

Characterization of influenza a outbreaks in Minnesota swine herds and measures taken to reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission

Influenza A virus infections commonly cause respiratory disease in swine and can be transmitted between people and pigs, with potentially novel strains introduced into herds and spilling back into the human population. The goals of this study were to characterize influenza infections in Minnesota pigs and assess biosecurity measures used by swine workers. Veterinarians submitting influenza-positive swine samples to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory between October 2007 and April 2009 were surveyed regarding disease-related information and biosecurity procedures at each farm. Influenza-positive samples were submitted year-round, peaking in spring and fall. H1N1 was the most commonly detected subtype (56%), followed by H3N2 (14%) and H1N2 (12%). Most positive submissions were associated with illness in growing pigs (median age 8.8 weeks, IQR 5-15). Median morbidity and mortality were 25% (IQR 10-48) and 2% (IQR 0.5-3.5), respectively. Vaccination of sows and growing pigs was conducted at 71% and 7.9% of the swine farms, respectively. Specialized footwear was reported as the most common form of protective equipment used by workers. Employee vaccination for seasonal influenza was 19%. The sow vaccination rate in this study is consistent with national data, although growing pig vaccination is lower than the national average. Seasonal and age trends identified here may provide diagnostic guidance when growing pigs experience respiratory disease. Inconsistent use of protective equipment and employee vaccination at swine farms indicates the need for further discussion and research of approaches to minimize interspecies influenza transmission on swine farms.     

利用DNA条形码对海南特种野猪的鉴定研究

试验旨在探讨以猪的细胞色素氧化酶Ⅰ（cytochrome C oxidase subunitⅠ,COXⅠ）基因的特定区段作为DNA条形码识别海南特种野猪与其他品种的可行性和有效性。以海南特种野猪、海南野猪、屯昌猪、五指山猪及长白猪为研究对象,测定其COXⅠ基因,同时在NCBI中下载已发表的具有地方代表性的13个猪品种的COXⅠ基因序列,分析海南特种野猪与其他品种的遗传多样性、遗传距离,并构建系统进化树。结果发现,猪COXⅠ基因序列长1 419 bp,5个猪品种45个个体COXⅠ基因共检测到67个变异位点,占分析位点的4.7%,其中简约信息位点22个;5个猪品种的种内遗传距离为0.001~0.019,其中海南特种野猪的种内遗传最大,为0.019;5个猪品种的种间遗传距离为0.009~0.123,其中海南特种野猪与长白猪的遗传距离最大,为0.123;海南特种野猪杂交情况比较明显,与海南本地品种五指山猪、屯昌猪和海南野猪都有聚类,与武夷黑猪、三都黑猪、陆川猪位于一个分支,另一部分与大花白猪位于一个分支,与长白猪没有聚类。本试验结果为海南特种野猪的进一步选育提供了参考依据。     

冬季可拆迁式猪舍对生长育肥猪生长性能及舍内温湿度的影响

试验通过可拆迁式猪舍与传统(固定)猪舍的饲养对比试验,研究了冬季可拆迁式猪舍对生长肥育猪的生长性能及舍内温度和相对湿度的影响。选取同期转群、体重30 kg左右杜大长生长猪216头,随机分成可拆迁式猪舍组和传统猪舍组,每组3个重复,每个重复36头。试验至猪体重达到100 kg左右出栏结束。结果表明:可拆迁式猪舍组试猪的平均日增重和平均日采食量分别比传统猪舍组提高17.28%(P0.01)和12.13%(P0.01),饲料料增重比降低7.00%(P0.05);可拆迁式猪舍的舍内平均温度为20.33℃,比固定猪舍的16.86℃高3.47℃,比室外的15.15℃高5.18℃,差异均极显著(P0.01)。试验结果表明,可拆迁式猪舍对生长育肥的生长性能和室内环境控制优于传统猪舍。