Managing variability in decision making in swine growing-finishing units

Piero da Silva Agostini; Edgar Garcia Manzanilla; Carlos de Blas; Alan G Fahey; Caio Abercio da Silva; Josep Gasa

doi:10.1186/s13620-015-0048-z

Managing variability in decision making in swine growing-finishing units

Ir Vet J. 2015 Sep 1;68(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s13620-015-0048-z. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Piero da Silva Agostini¹, Edgar Garcia Manzanilla², Carlos de Blas³, Alan G Fahey⁴, Caio Abercio da Silva⁵, Josep Gasa¹

Affiliations

¹ Grup de Nutrició, Maneig i Benestar Animal, Department de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Spain.
² Pig Development Department, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
³ Departamento de Producción Animal, Escuela Técnica de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, 28040 Spain.
⁴ School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Belfield Ireland.
⁵ Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, 86051-970 Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Analysis of data collected from pig farms may be useful to understand factors affecting pig health and productive performance. However, obtaining these data and drawing conclusions from them can be done at different levels and presents several challenges. In the present study, information from 688 batches of growing-finishing (GF) pigs (average initial and final body weight of 19.1 and 108.5 kg respectively) from 404 GF farms integrated in 7 companies was obtained between July 2008 and July 2010 in Spain by survey. Management and facility factors associated with feed conversion ratio (FCR) and mortality were studied by multiple linear regression analysis in each single company (A to G) and in an overall database (OD). Factors studied were geographic location of the farm, trimester the pigs entered the farm, breed of sire and sex segregation in pens (BREGENSEG), use of circovirus vaccine, number of origins the pigs were obtained from, age of the farm, percentage of slatted floor, type of feeder, drinker and ventilation, number of phases and form of feed, antibiotic administration system, water source, and number and initial weight of pigs.

Results: In two or more companies studied and/or in OD, the trimester when pigs were placed in the farm, BREGENSEG, number of origins of the pigs, age of the farm and initial body weight were factors associated with FCR. Regarding mortality, trimester of placement, number of origins of the pigs, water source in the farm, number of pigs placed and the initial body weight were relevant factors. Age of the farm, antibiotic administration system, and water source were only provided by some of the studied companies and were not included in the OD model, however, when analyzed in particular companies these three variables had an important effect and may be variables of interest in companies that do not record them.

Conclusions: Analysing data collected from farms at different levels helps better understand factors associated with productive performance of pig herds. Out of the studied factors trimester of placement and number of origins of the pigs were the most relevant factors associated with FCR and mortality.

Keywords: Facilities; Finishing pig; Management; Mortality; Regression.