CRC for High Integrity Australian Pork Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres’ Program

Pork CRC Stakeholder meeting, November 17 th, Program 1: Reduced Confinement of Sows and Piglets Outcomes and Future Direction Ray King, Program Leader

Outputs for Program – Lower confinement systems for lactation. 1.2 – Stimulation of lactational oestrus 1.3 – New dam lines for confinement free systems Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems 1.5 – Grouping sows post-weaning

Output 1.1 Reduced confinement for lactation Projects, data collection and observations on pen systems in commercial production, including: –PigSafe, –SWAP, –360 degrees, –swing sided crates, –lactation pens. Further refinement of pen systems (Morrison, 1A- 109) Improving environment in farrowing crates (Plush, 1C-114) Provide industry with robust information on lactation management and alternate lactation housing systems - Lactation Workshop, 2015.

Outputs for Program – Lower confinement systems for lactation. 1.2 – Stimulation of lactational oestrus 1.3 – New dam lines for confinement free systems Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems 1.5 – Grouping sows post-weaning

Output 1.2 Stimulation of lactational oestrus Outcome desired: –commercially applicable methods to achieve at least 85% of lactating sows responding within 7 days to stimulation, and maintaining fertility and litter sizes comparable to conventionally weaned and inseminated sows. Can be done experimentally with overnight separation (+/- PG600) and direct and intense boar exposure in the boar shed, but these strategies are not compatible with commercial production.

Output 1.2 Stimulation of lactational oestrus Oestrus stimulation strategy % Sows response Number of sows Project PG D-120 PG600 plus 16 hrs separation 93292D hrs separation82501A-106 Direct boar exposure871001A hrs separation and direct boar exposure 71341A-103 Sow group and fenceline boar contact 72181A-104

Output 1.2 Stimulation of lactational oestrus Experiments in the major 3-year Projects will be completed by the end They have investigated more “commercially attractive” strategies: –More intense boar stimulation in farrowing shed –Group housing of sows in late lactation –Less severe piglet separation techniques.

Test the protocol(s) in a commercial environment Objective is to test a protocol in the commercial setting in 2015 to determine whether we can achieve 85% response rate consistently, with comparable productivity. October 2014, Call for proposals: –Expressions of interest are sought from R&D providers, and in particular from Pork CRC participants for proposals that will use defined protocols to achieve approximately 85% response rate to oestrus stimulation procedures and with acceptable subsequent reproductive performance in commercial pig production.

Test the protocol(s) in a commercial environment The protocols for stimulating oestrus in sows housed in conventional lactation accommodation may involve: –Beginning at a minimum of day 18 in lactation. –Some degree of piglet and sow separation. –Boar stimulation while the sow is in the crate. –Maximise lactation feed intake. The response to the above protocol may be greater in multiparous sows and may be enhanced by the grouping sows in late lactation, which may allow easier implementation of the other stimulatory factors.

Outputs for Program – Lower confinement systems for lactation. 1.2 – Stimulation of lactational oestrus 1.3 – New dam lines for confinement free systems Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems 1.5 – Grouping sows post-weaning

Output 1.3 New dam lines for confinement free systems Project 1C-107: –Animals that perform well in group housing systems may do so to the detriment of the performance of other animals in the group. –Development of appropriate selection criteria for group-housed sows using PIC dataset. –Identify the magnitude and variation in the social genetic effects. –Engage with the major breeding companies to determine whether social genetic effects should be incorporated into the selection index.

Output 1.3 New dam lines for confinement free systems Project 1C-107: –Compilation of data from Rivalea that has been collected in this and previous studies (1C-101) for various traits, including: flight time, lesion scores, locomotion scores, foot health lameness –Outputs will be heritability estimates of these traits and associations with reproductive parameters.

Outputs for Program – Lower confinement systems for lactation. 1.2 – Stimulation of lactational oestrus 1.3 – New dam lines for confinement free systems Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems 1.5 – Grouping sows post-weaning

Output 1.4 Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems Is somewhat dependant upon success of: –lactational oestrus strategies and use of piglet separation techniques in these strategies. –Alternative farrowing/lactation accommodation projects. –Note that several of these projects are also investigating impact upon piglets –Links to Program 2??

Outputs for Program – Lower confinement systems for lactation. 1.2 – Stimulation of lactational oestrus 1.3 – New dam lines for confinement free systems Higher health status piglets through alternative lactation systems 1.5 – Grouping sows post-weaning

Output 1.5 Grouping sows post-weaning Significant investment in this area with the following outputs: –Sow housing workshops, –Industry publications on feeding sows in gestation and welfare of sows in groups. –R&D projects, space allowance (1C-105), mixing (1C-103) and mixing at weaning vs post insemination (1C-111).

MeasurementGroup weanedStall weaned Cortisol (ng/ml) Day Day Farrowing rate (%) TB12.6 TBA Grouping sows at weaning (1C-111) More variable response with group weaning.

Predicted values of aggression (frequency per sow) at day 2 as affected by floor space allowance. Project 1A-105

Predicted values of cortisol (ng/ml) as affected by floor space allowance. Day 2 Day 26

Farrowing rate Total Born

Summary of 1C-105 Reducing floor space for sows within the range of 1.4 to 3.0 m 2 /sow increases aggression and stress, as assessed by behaviour and concentrations of cortisol in plasma. The effects of space on stress are most pronounced early after grouping, suggesting that sows in static groups may adapt, either behaviorally or physiologically, over time (within 7-10 days) to reduced space. Farrowing rate declined with decreased space allowance in the previous experiment (Hemsworth et al. 2013) but space allowance in this more comprehensive study failed to affect subsequent reproductive performance The strategy of staged-gestation penning, with: –more space immediately after mixing (~3.0 m 2 /sow) –less space later in gestation (~2.0 m 2 /sow) may address both animal welfare and economic considerations.

Output 1.5 Grouping sows post-weaning: Directions Environmental enrichment and satiety in pregnant sows. 1C-115, Sow satiety and 1C- 116, Straw for sows Mixing strategies around weaning to ensure good heat detection and performance. Sow “Contentment” measures Examine what housing systems may pose the greatest challenges to good reproductive performance and welfare of pregnant sows. (floor type, feeding system, group size, stages of pregnancy and time of grouping).

Major achievements for industry Successful implementation of reduced confinement for sows after weaning and after insemination by industry (1.5) Successful demonstration to stimulate a fertile and consistent oestrus in late lactation. Challenge is to develop protocol(s) that can be implemented in commercial production (1.2) Began to collate information on alternate lactation systems (1.1). Training post-graduates and direct them into industry positions