1. Benny Mote, Ph.D. University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Impacts of moving “clean” gilts into “health challenged” commercial sow farms: Gilt Acclimation
Benny Mote, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

2. Background
PRRS and PCVAD alone cost the Canadian swine industry over $100 million dollars every year
Researchers have identified genetic regions in the pig genome associated with these diseases
The trials are often criticized as they are often single disease challenge models and controlled environments
Most trials focus on the growing piglet or are reactive to disease outbreaks in sow farms and haven’t tied in genomics

3. Background Trial needed to:
Focus on commercial F1 females in real commercial settings
Capture and understand the challenges gilts face transitioning from clean multipliers to challenged commercial barns
Developed two separate proposals with support of Canadian Swine Health Board (submitted November 2010)
Split overall goal into essentially a phenotyping proposal and a database and analysis proposal
Each proposal totaled $1 million with funding from CSHB and PigGen Members

4. Project 1: Phenotyping
Project Title: Gilt acclimation and sow health phenotyping towards the development of genetic selection tools to enhance sow health using a novel acclimation challenge model in Canadian commercial herds.
Objective 1. Phenotyping of crossbred gilts under acclimation conditions on commercial farms.
Objective 2. Phenotyping of gilts following acclimation for subsequent health, reproduction, productivity, longevity, and mortality (sow, piglet).

5. Project 2: Database and Analyses
Project Title: Development of genetic selection tools to enhance sow health using a novel acclimation challenge model in Canadian commercial herds: analyses and database development
Objective 1. Study relationships and evaluate general immune capacity of crossbred gilts during acclimation, among acclimation (health, growth) and subsequent sow health and performance (reproduction, productivity, longevity, and mortality) and early life indicators of sow health and performance.
Objective 2. Identify and evaluate genetic markers associated with general immune response of sows to a variety of disease challenges, including those for health of the growing pig (as identified in other research), and identify and evaluate opportunities for the use of commercial sow health data for genetic evaluation of nucleus boars.

6. Outbreak Farms
After award of grants, two high health sow farms broke with PRRS
Teams captured blood, serum, and reproduction records on these “outbreak” farms
N=774 females
Allowed for training and analysis during initiation of main project
Offered insight on variation of antibody response following PRRS break

7. General Project Layout – Gilt Acclimation
Identify existing customers utilizing genetics from PigGen Canada members that
Had farms with health challenges
Had good record keeping
Willing to cooperate on project!!!
Producers paid for each gilt in the project and for each reproduction record reported
Producers or their veterinarians had to bleed the females 4 times if females remain in production
Not incentivized to the point of producers retaining females beyond their normal farm practices

8. Data Collected Birthdates of females
Sire and dam information (when available)
Entry date to isolation/commercial sow farms
Thriftiness scores

9. Phenotypic Data Collected
Producers/vets drew blood on females up to 4 times
Day 0 (D0) – for initial health levels when gilts were leaving or just arrived at commercial farms.
Day 30 (D30) – target of 30 days post introduction to farm
Parity 1 (P1) – as close to farrowing first litter as commercially reasonable
Parity 2 (P2) – as close to farrowing second litter as commercially reasonable

10. Phenotypic Data Collected
Production records
Treatment/vaccination records
Mortality records
Culling records
Reproduction records
Breedings, farrowings, abortions, recycles
Total born, born alive, stillborn, mummies, foster on/off, lactation length, number weaned

11. Blood Disease Analysis
Samples processed, aliquoted and stored at Delta Genomics
Samples quantified individually at GREMIP
PRRS, PCV2, SIV (H1N1 & H3N2), Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP; multi-ELISA types 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 13) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MH)
All samples received for D0, D30, P1 and P2 were quantified
N=8748
Drs. Stephen Bishop and Andrea Wilson at The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh lead the immunity analysis

12. Genotyping Genotyping performed at Delta Genomics
All gilts (n=3033) were genotyped using either the Illumina 60K or 80K bead chip
Genotypes on select sires and dams of commercial females (n=667)
Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) led by Dr. Jack Dekkers at Iowa State University

13. Secure Database
Database developed and housed at Livestock Gentec Centre of the University of Alberta under direction of Dr. Graham Plastow
Secure access
Coded to protect identity of farm, multiplier source, and genetic company
Includes all individual phenotypic and genotypic information

14. Sow Farms Sourced from 7 genetic suppliers
Sourced from 17 multiplier barns
23 Commercial Farms
Single source genetics predominately all YxL or LxY F1s females.
Sized 100-6,000 head sow farms
Median 680 head
Farms varied introductions to herds from isolation barns to direct entry
Farms targeted entry age averaged 188 days

15. Vaccination Intentions
PRRS – 16/23 farms
PCV2 – 20/23 farms
SIV – 15/23 farms
Parvo, Lepto, and Erysipelas – 23/23
HPS – 16/23
Myco – 19/23
Ileitis – 8/23

16. Gilt Entry Gilts entered farms in batches
10-65 gilts per batch
First batch entered January 31, 2012
Last batch entered August 13, 2013
Multiple batches per farm (3-9)
Batches help account for seasonality
Gilts averaged kg at entry
Predominately mature gilts but some feeder pig size as well
Total of 3033 gilts started trial

17. Current Situation Massive amounts of data
All bloodwork done and in database
Cleaning
Quality control
Early phases of analysis
Lots to come

18. PRRS Antibodies At Farms
Large majority of females PRRS +
Large % still PRRS + at farrowing
Have yet to track individuals
PRRS levels through timepoints
Culling/removal records
Treatment records

19. Reproductive Averages
Parity
Total Born
Born Alive
Stillborn
Mummies
Number Weaned
Parity 1
13.02
12.15
0.53
0.36
10.70
Parity 2
13.42
12.59
0.44
0.34
11.38
Parity 3
14.37
13.44
0.51
0.40
11.39
Parity 4
15.09
13.90
0.46
11.32

20. Cull and Death Reasons Thus Far

21. Early Major Scientific Findings, Serao et al.
Antibody response to PRRS outbreak is highly heritable
PRRS response is highly correlated to reproductive performance during PRRS outbreak
Two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) on chromosome 7 are responsible for 40% of the genetic variation to PRRS antibody response

22. Industry Impact
Possible to measure PRRS antibody response in commercial animals to help select nucleus replacement stock
Marker/Genomic assisted selection for PRRS antibody response
Enhanced understanding of PRRS on an individual basis in commercial farms
Tip of iceberg

23. Acknowledgements Commercial producers/vets Funding Agencies
CSHB
Genome Canada
Genome Alberta
Swine Innovation Porc
PigGen Members
Philip Wilson – project coordinator