VOL. 16 ISSUE 3 | FALL 2014

A P E R I O D I C N E W S L E T T E R P R O D U C E D B Y G R A N D V A L L E Y F O R T I F I E R S L T D .Swine GristSwine Grist

Ian Ross, President & CEO | Jim Ross, ChairmanClarke Walker, VP & COO Dr. Martin Clunies, Monogastric NutritionistDavid Ross/Patti Bobier, Publishers

Jim Ross, Chairman

GRAND VALLEY FORTIFIERS LTD.PO Box 726 Cambridge ON N1R 5W6 1-800-567-4400 www.grandvalley.com

Objective: To evaluate the effect of providing sanitized water (O2xySan, 1: 5,000 parts) compared to regular un-sanitized drinking water for growing-finishing pigs.

Background: O2xySan a water additive is used as a water sanitizer for livestock drinking water. In this trial a total of 2500 pigs were used to evaluate the effect of a water treatment used to sanitize drinking water lines for pigs. The finishing barn consisted of 10 rooms, with rooms located on each side of a central hallway. Each room held approximately 250 pigs. Each room could accommodate 2 water treatments as there were both medicated and non-medicated lines. The O2xySan treatment was designated to the non-medicated lines and delivered in the water at 1:5,000 parts. The medicated line had water in which no additives were included.

Animal Procedures:Feeder pigs approximately 25 kgs body weight, were randomly assigned to rooms and pens, with approximately 125 pigs per treatment per room. All pigs were weighed at the beginning of the trial. Pigs were marketed at approximately 110 kg body weight. At the end of the trial individual final weights were determined from Ontario Pork shipping sheets. In addition, 63 pigs per treatment from each room were weighed on day 25, 49 and 73 and these weights were recorded. This number of pigs was calculated using the Berndston method – to assess the number of replicates necessary to detect a statistical difference at P <0.0 5.

THE EFFECT OF SANITIZING DRINKING WATER FOR GROW/FINISH HOGSMartin Clunies PhD, Bruce Schumann MSc, Paul Ferreira BSc & Scott Walker, Diploma.

Dear Friends,

It’s a sure sign that summer is soon coming to an end when the wind begins to blow through the stubble of our harvested grain fields. Although it’s later than ever the harvesting of small grains is now in full swing. Generally our crops in Ontario are in pretty good shape this season with exception of an area around Seaforth, and the Niagara Penninsula, which have suffered because of excessive rains.

With all that is taking place around the world, (floods, fires, tornados, droughts and threatening wars) we can be thankful to live in our beautiful and bountiful province of Ontario. This fall issue of the Grand Valley Swine Grist has some interesting information which we believe will be appreciated by our many readers. We look forward to seeing many of you at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock taking place September 9-11. Wishing you good farming. Sincerely, Jim Ross

CAP TRADE IN CAP TRADE IN Trade in your worn out cap for a limited edition GVF Camo Cap at our booth during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, Sept. 9 – 11th. Limited to the first 50 producers each day.

Feed was manufactured via a central mixing area, and then augured to each of the rooms electronically, and the system was able to measure how much feed went into each room. However, there was no opportunity to calculate the feed efficiency separately for each of the water treatments. Average daily gain was calculated for all pigs in the barn, and expressed as an average for each of the treatments described above. Similarly mortality was reported for each treatment. This experiment was complicated by the fact that during the experimental period the pigs got sick, due to a PRRS outbreak origination in the sow herd. Thus the results provided an indication of how sanitation products performed under commercial conditions where the stress challenges may be greater than in most “research conditions”.

Results & Conclusions:During the first 25 day period of the trial, when the pigs were healthy, there was no difference in the performance of pigs provided sanitized versus non-sanitized drinking water. However after 25 days when the PRRS outbreak

RESEARCH REPORT

A s the summer progresses, an increasing number of corn and small grain samples are beginning to reveal increased levels of mycotoxins.

Typically the results indicate higher levels of vomitoxin (deoxynivalenol) and zearalenone, with some indications of T-2 toxin being present. This happens at a time when the price of pigs is at historic highs and pig weights have been increased by packers to compensate for a lower number of hogs being marketed. The result is an increased inventory of pigs in producers’ barns. For pork producers, pig throughput is now paramount. With the fluctuating temperatures of warm days and cool nights, combined with larger head space due to the low level of grains in bins, vapourized moisture may lead to the growth of the ever present Fusarium fungi and production of mycotoxins. These fungi are typically found in the grain fines, common at the end of the bin. The main effects of mycotoxins are 1) Vomitoxin: reduction in feed intake, inhibition of protein synthesis and lean tissue gain which affects % carcass lean and reduced immune function; 2) Zearalenone: disruption of normal reproductive development in gilts manifested as swollen vulvas, with poor return to estrus following weaning, anoestrus in mature sows resulting in pseudo-pregnancies and reduced litter size; 3) T-2 toxin: necrosis of the oral cavity and effects on the digestive system, infertility caused by ovarian lesions, and decreased immune function (through the disruption of DNA and RNA synthesis). As little as 1 ppm of vomitoxin contamination in corn based rations has been shown to reduce feed intake, while 0.5 - 1 ppm of zearalenone may result in reproductive problems with breeding replacement gilts. The cumulative effect of these mycotoxins is a decrease in growth rate, lethargy and reduction in immune resistance to disease in swine fed contaminated grains.

occurred, the pigs provided the sanitized drinking water treatment had better average daily weight gain and almost half the percent mortality of the pigs not supplemented with sanitized drinking water. Similarly the sum of pig culls and mortality for the pigs provided the sanitized water was almost half that of pigs not provided the sanitized source of water. n

Table 1. Water sanitizer (O2xySan) on performance of market hogs from 25-110 kg body weight

Measurements Sanitized No-Sanitizer

Number of pigs started 1660 1120

Avg. weight of starting pigs, kg 24.80 24.82

Number of pigs marketed 1611 1051

Avg. weight of marketed pigs, kg 110.80 110.71

Avg. carcass weight, kg 89.19 89.12

Avg. daily gain, grams/day 780.9 723.7

Culls and mortality, # 49 69

% culls and mortality 2.95% 6.16%

Mortality, % 2.86% 4.95%

Suggestions:Pork producers should therefore be on the lookout for signs of poor appetite, breeding problems and poor immunity as signs of possible mycotoxin contamination of their grains. If grain mycotoxin contamination is suspected, samples should be taken to determine which toxin(s) is involved and the amount present. Sampling has a significant effect on the detection of toxins due to hot spots of toxins which may be encountered or missed in storage bins. Taking 10 samples over a period of days, combining these and then taking a 100 – 200 g subsample to send to the laboratory is advised. Dry samples can be stored at room temperature in either paper or plastic bags. If samples are wet (greater than 12% moisture), samples should be oven dried or frozen, to reduce moisture and in turn, reduce further mould growth and mycotoxin production. Likewise, if samples cannot be submitted for laboratory analysis in a timely manner (<1 week), samples should be stored in a cloth or paper bag, as opposed to plastic, to prevent further mould growth and mycotoxin production. Grain samples should be tested for vomitoxin, zearalenone and T-2 toxin. Following the review of assay results, steps should be then taken to reduce the impact of toxins on pig performance. nSource: Nasdaq.com

POTENTIAL MYCOTOXINS IN SWINE FEEDS by: DR. MARTIN CLUNIESMonogastric Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers

SWINE PREMIX TAG CHANGES by: CLARKE WALKER VP & COO, Grand Valley Fortifiers

Grand Valley Fortifiers will be making changes to our invoices and feed tags over the next few weeks. We are making these changes

to improve our efficiencies and customer service by integrating our formulation, tagging, manufacturing and accounting software programs in addition to ensuring that our tags are compliant with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) standards. As a result of this integration, any premixes containing ingredient modifications (additions or deletions such as Assure, Optapro, Vitamin E, Tylosin, Lysine, etc.) from the standard base premix will now be formulated as customized premix by our Swine Nutrition Team (Dr. Martin Clunies Ph.D, Bruce Schumann M.Sc. and Natalie Litvak M.Sc.). Our Swine Nutrition Team will be exclusively responsible for formulating customized premixes and the customer name or farm name will now appear at the top of the tag(s) sent to you as well as the product name and version number of your specific premix (example: Smith BioForce Hog Tylosin V01). The customized tag will be reflective of the nutrient specifications and medication concentrations based on the customized premixes’ specific use rate, further complying with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) feed regulations. To ensure all customer requested premix changes are communicated effectively, customers will receive via email, fax or mail a copy of your “Customized Formula Report” including the customized premix intended use rate, all additives, and inclusion rates.

www.grandvalley.com

Swine Grist

THE VALUE OF BIONIC® OILPART 2: OMEGA-3 BENEFITSby: BRUCE SCHUMANNSwine Nutritionist, Grand Valley Fortifiers

This email will be sent by either our Swine Nutrition Team or the Swine Specialist. As usual, customers will continue to place your premix orders with the Customer Service Department or their Swine Specialist. Should customers have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Swine Nutrition Team members or myself directly. n

Recently, there has been a great deal of interest in the feeding of Omega-3 fatty acids to livestock animals for improved health and

immune function. Research completed by Spencer et al., 2004 showed that nursery pigs fed diets with soy oil (SO) or marine oils (MO) high in Omega-3 fatty acids, gain more weight compared to those fed Choice White Grease (CWG) from pork with no added Omega-3 fatty acids (Figure 1). While pigs fed a combination of Omega-3 marine oils and Choice White Grease (Porcine Origin) or those pigs fed no added fat had intermediate levels of performance compared to the high Omega-3 and no Omega-3 fed pigs.

Figure1. Effect of fat source on pig performance from 6.6 to 20 kg body weight

In addition, results of a Grand Valley Fortifiers sponsored research trial completed at Ridgetown Agricultural College (1995) showed that increasing the Omega-3 content of the diet improved the performance of market hogs from 25 kg to 110 kg market weight. All diets provided the same amount of energy and differed only by Omega-3 content. Average daily gain, feed conversion and carcass index improved with increasing Omega-3 content of the diet (Table 1).

Table 1. The effect of Omega-3 level on performance of market hogs

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Start weight (kg) 27.2 27.2 27.3 27.2

ADG (g/d) 908 943 933 945

ADFI (g/d) 2506 2574 2547 2570

F/C 2.76 2.73 2.73 2.72

Index 105.7 107.8 107.4 107.2

In a study completed at the University of Guelph, growing-finishing pigs were offered Iso-caloric diets with differing Omega-3 levels for different periods during the finishing phase (50kg to market weight). Performance data indicates that pigs fed the highest levels of Omega-3 for the longest period of time had the greatest weight gain and were the most efficient in converting feed to weight gain and lean meat (Table 2).

390

375

360

345

3300% Oil 5% SBO 5% MO 5% CWG CWG & FO

Average Daily Gain

Table 2. The effect of Omega-3 on performance of market hogs

Control 84 kg - mkt 68 kg - mkt 50 kg - mkt

ADG (g/d) 961 968 1015 1054

ADFI (g/d) 2500 2570 2530 2550

F/C 2.80 2.72 2.69 2.53

Backfat (mm) 17.0 15.6 16.5 16.8

Similarly in sows, researchers Baidoo et al., 2004 (Table 3) reported that feeding diets supplemented with Omega-3 increased both the number of piglets weaned and their weaning weight. The subsequent conception rate was also improved for the sows fed the Omega-3 supplemented diets.

Table 3. Effect of Omega-3 on sow reproductive performance

Parameters Control Omega-3

Sow weight loss (kg) 23 29.9

Piglet birth weight (kg) 1.45 1.65

Piglet weaning weight (kg) 4.3 4.8

# Pigs weaned 9.05 10.4

Litter weight weaned (kg) 38.91 49.2

% Conception 89.3 100.0

Vegetable sourced oils are rich in both Omega-3 and Omega-6 poly-unsaturated fatty acids. This is in direct contrast with animal fats such as choice white grease (CWG) or beef tallow that are predominantly saturated fats. Bionic® Oil is 99.9% pure vegetable oil. There are a number of attributes that make Bionic® Oil attractive to use in todays marketplace. Number one, it is not of animal origin. There is no risk of disease transmission as there potentially can be with the use of animal origin ingredients. Because it is 99.9% pure vegetable oil, it qualifies to be used by producers raising hogs under a “Vegetable Grain Fed” and “No Animal By-products” method of production claim. It is conveniently available in a variety of sizes ranging from 20 litre or 200 litre drums to bulk deliveries depending on your specific need. The digestibility of Bionic® Oil is higher than that of tallow or CWG. Much of the improved performance we see in sows and their offspring is not just a product of better energy digestibility over an animal sourced fat, but the effect that Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids have metabolically on the animal such as hormone synthesis and nutrient partitioning. Talk to your Grand Valley Fortifiers Swine Specialist today for more information on how Bionic® Oil can be of benefit to your operation today. n

Maximizing the First 72 hours

Early Pig Care Tips

The first 72 hours post-weaning are the most critical in a pig’s life. They must be carefully

observed during this time period to ensure they are not suffering from starvation or

dehydration, providing a strong foundation for lifetime performance.

The foundation of lifetime performance

HOW TO START PIGS PROPERLY

FEED & WATER

• Ensure all water nipples are in good working order

• Offer gruel feed (60% feed, 40% water) to pigs not

starting well on feed

• Carefully observe pigs twice daily for signs of

dehydration and feeding behaviour

• Only continue to gruel feed up to 3 days post-weaning

AGE & WEIGHT

• Heavier and older pigs will do better post-wean

• Average wean age should be 20-22 days, minimum

17 days of age

• Average wean weight should be greater than 5.5 kg,

with a 3.6 kg minimum

• Try to group pigs by weight and age

RECOGNIZING FALLBEHIND PIGS

NOT EATING

• Pigs eating well will have round bellies

• Pigs not eating will be gaunt and have shrunken

bellies

• Rough hair coat is a sign of poor eating

DEHYDRATION

• Check tips of nose and mouth for moisture

• Pinch a fold of skin behind the front leg. If the fold

remains elevated for more than a few seconds, it’s a

sign of dehydration

• Look for sunken eyes

FEEDER & WATER GUIDELINES

FEEDER

• Week 1, 60-70% of feeder pan should be covered

• After 1st week, 30-40% of feeder pan should be covered

• DO NOT allow feed to accumulate in the

corners of feeder pan

• Provide extra feeder space at weaning as pigs

want to eat together, 75 mm (3 Inches) per pig

WATER • 10 pigs per nipple suggested, minimum 2 nipples

per pen

• Nipple flow rate 500-750 ml (2 -3 cups) per minute

• Ensure drinkers are working and placed at shoulder

height for smaller pigs in the pen

FLOOR & MAT FEEDING GUIDELINES

• Place a small amount of feed on the mat throughout the

day to ensure feed is fresh and monitor consumption

• Remove mats if pigs begin dunging on them or the mats

can’t sufficiently dry

• Rubber mats require thorough cleaning and disinfecting

between each group

• Discard mats when they are too worn to be properly cleaned

• DO NOT mat feed longer than 5 days

• Turn on nursery room heaters 12 hours prior to pigs arriving

• Room temperature should be 21-23°C (70 - 73.5°F)

• Ensure there are no drafts

• Check for huddling behaviour • DO NOT reduce ventilation below minimum requirement

SUPPLEMENTAL HEAT GUIDELINES

• Radiant heaters are more efficient

• Size zone heaters for 20-40 pigs depending on

type of radiant heater

• Zone heat temperature should be between 28°C (82.5°F)

to 30°C (86°F) depending on barn conditions

and weaning weightTARGET TEMPERATURE GUIDELINES

SLOW

ASSURED NUTRITION FOR PIGLETS

Enhanced with:

1-800-567-4400 | www.grandvalley.com

Early Pig Care PosterVisit us at Canada’s Outdoor

Farm Show and receive a FREE piglet care poster with tips on maximizing the first

72 hours of a pigs life.

Complimentary

Stay connected to find out about upcoming events, new products & exciting promotions.

/grandvalleyfortifiers @grandvalley /gvftv

Thought for the Day “Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes the grass grow on the hills.He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse nor his delight in the legs of a man;The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147: 7-11

CONGRATULATIONS!To the following winners of the GreatOutdoors Giveaway early bird prizes!

Grand Prize deadline:September 18th.Full contest details and your chance to win at grandvalley.com/giveaway.

MURRAY BUIS - HCC Speed River 15’11” canoeGERALD KODDE - Devinci Jack SX mountain bike

ALEX BRISCOE - Shimano �shing bundle

Arctic Cat 550 Camo

NURSERY FEEDS BIOSURE® RESULTS by: PETE WILCOCK, KAYLEIGH ALMOND Swine Nutritionist, Primary Diets

T he target when developing the new BioSURE™ starter feeds was to design a complete range of feeds in the absence of porcine origin

ingredients that would perform similarly or better to diets that contained porcine products. With this in mind, the range was based on alterative highly digestible proteins combined with the knowledge base that Primary Diets and Grand Valley Fortifiers has developed in feeding pigs without porcine ingredients. With the ability to choose a feed program from 8 different starter diets the producer now has the flexibility to meet his individual needs whilst knowing the same nutritional concept is used in all feeds, so ensuring a smooth transition from one diet to the next. The results on the new BioSURE™ range have been positive with the performance previously seen on porcine origin ingredients being maintained and in some cases even improved. The performance of BioSURE™ starter feeds in one pig production system was measured across 12 batches, with each batch recording performance through to the end of the nursery. Across these batches the average weight at 39 days of age was 12.1 kg which is typical of a high performing unit (> 11.4 kg, based on UK data [weaning age 26d]). The 14 d post-weaning ADG was 339 g/day with an average FCR of 1.03 and low mortality (0.8%; Table 1). This benefit in gain was continued through to the end of the nursery with pigs at 74 days of age weighing 36.1 kg. Based on UK benchmarking data, these pigs exceeded expected performance measures for the same age of pig with similar weaning ages (>31.6 kg). This data shows that even in the absence of porcine origin ingredients, starter feeds can be developed to target high performance not only through the starter period but to the end of the nursery. Even with this level of performance, our research and development programme continues to target further improvement of post-weaning growth and feed conversion. New nutritional concepts that come from this research will be incorporated into the BioSURE™ range to target further enhancement in cost effective post-weaning growth. Talk to your Grand Valley Fortifiers Swine Specialist to discuss using the new BioSURE™ program. n

Table 1: Average nursery performance of 12 batches of pigs fed GVF BioSURE™ Starter Feeds

Early Feeds Overall Performance Average # of Days 13.4 48.0 # of Pigs on Trial 1215 1215 Average Starting Wt. (kg) 7.6 7.6 Average Ending Wt. (kg) 12.1 36.1 Mortality % 0.8 2.1 Average Daily Gain (g/d) 339.3 593.1 Avg. Daily Feed Intake (kg/d) 0.34 0.95 Feed Conversion Ratio 1.03 1.62

COMMODITY OUTLOOKby: STEVE MCGUFFINManager, Direct Source Commodities

T he August USDA Supply & Demand Review was called neutral against trade expectations for soybeans as old and new crop ending

stock projections came in line; but with the non-threatening growing conditions continuing, some feel that the average US soybean yield could increase further, resulting in increased new crop ending stocks. The corn report was called bullish against trade expectations as the average yield came in below most projections and the usage numbers were increased. The wheat report was called bearish as US and world production numbers were adjusted higher. There is still good demand for old crop protein sources, such as soybean meal and DDGS, so supply continues to be a concern with old crop. Ontario soybean crush capacity is dialed down and one processor will be doing a 2 week maintenance shut down in September. DDGS values have fallen, as China is no longer purchasing North American DDGS. China is expecting existing sales to have documentation stating that shipments do not contain an unapproved GMO corn variety, which suppliers are not prepared to do, resulting in a shutdown in shipments. n