Explore all the information on
Swine industry
The swine industries of the world are very dynamic and continue to evolve and change along with the external forces that shape agriculture world-wide. The factors influencing change are generally related to economic efficiency and competition from alternative protein sources. The global trend is for fewer producers, responsible for larger numbers of pigs, and more concentration within the swine industry. The ability to maintain economic viability is a function of providing optimal facilities, genetics, nutrition, and health programs to the pig in a system that addresses cost of production and generating revenue from the marketing of a high-quality product.
Swine production in the 21st century has become quite sophisticated. Many pork producers have transitioned away from raising purebred pigs for food and instead are raising crossbred pigs carefully selected for a specific need. These systems involve purposeful selection of the grandparent animals that usually selected with a maternal or terminal emphasis in composite breeding programs that emphasize the benefits of breed complimenting. The resulting offspring are called parent stock which are then bred to produce crossbred terminal animals.
How can we produce pigs that provide us with healthy and yet good tasting meat? Meat eating quality and healthiness are closely related to the amount and type of fat. During the last decade there has been extensive selection towards leaner genotypes which has resulted in reduction of not only undesirable subcutaneous fat, but also in a dramatic decrease in desirable intramuscular fat (commonly known as "marbling" fat). Intramuscular fat has the key input in meat...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Scientists are investigating if alternative pig breeds can supply new, tasty meat products.
The Hungarian woolly pig looks like a cross between a sheep and a pig. It may also be an interesting new supplier of exciting new gourmet products. Photo: Danish Pig...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The Canadian Pork Council is assuring the public of the safety of pork following the discovery of H1N1 flu in an Alberta swine herd.
On Saturday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced an Alberta swine herd had been placed under quarantine following the discovery of H1N1 Influenza A in the herd.
The pigs are believed to have been exposed by a Canadian who recently returned from Mexico and had been exhibiting flu like symptoms.
Signs of illness were subsequently...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Several investigators have reported improvements in swine growth and meat quality when the animals' diet is supplemented with vitamin C. However, other studies have yielded inconsistent results, as some investigators have documented no effects or even negative effects of vitamin C supplements.
Vitamin C's effect on pork quality may be the result of changes in the metabolism of glucose and glycogen. One of the breakdown products of vitamin C is oxalic acid, which has been shown to...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
More than a year after developing a mysterious neurological disorder eventually linked to their inhalation of aerosolized pig brains, 24 pork plant workers have regained their health.
Their recovery, described Tuesday in a presentation scheduled for the American Academy of Neurology's annual conference, ends a story that began in November 2006, when three workers at a Quality Pork Processors plant in Austin, Minnesota reported strange and similar symptoms: fatigue, numb and tingling...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
In a newsletter, the Swiss Association for Pig Health (SVSM) and the Swiss Society of Veterinary Surgeons (GST) said that they 'will do everything possible to ensure the introduction of vaccination against boar taint'. Experts say that there is no way you can get rid of the male smell of testosterone and semen, the last thing a male pig does when killed is ejaculate. If the animal is young enough and not sexually active well then it is a different matter. ...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
A very targeted message on the health benefits of including beef and pork protein in a balanced diet hit the mark last year as the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Mexico office delivered nutritional and educational seminars for healthcare professionals in a country with an extremely high rate of obesity and weight-related health issues.
USMEF conducted 119 seminars in 2008 that provided nearly 5,000 health professionals with nutritional information on U.S. beef and pork. These...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
An edible Gelidium corneum gelatine (GCG) blend film containing grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) or green tea extract (GTE) could be used to the increase the microbial safety and extend the shelf life of packaged pork loins, according to a study to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Food Science.
Edible films containing plant antimicrobials are gaining in importance as potential treatments for...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
The first study documenting methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in swine and swine workers in the United States has been published by University of Iowa researchers.
The investigators found a strain of MRSA, known as ST398, in a swine production system in the Midwest, according to the paper published online Jan. 23 by the science journal PLoS One.
"Our results show that colonization of swine by MRSA was very common in one of two corporate swine production...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Salmonella is a significant food safety hazard of food and control of this organism will continue to be a challenge to the pork industry. Previous research shows that a higher Salmonella prevalence for pigs tested at slaughter, compared to when they are tested on farm. The stress of transportation and improper handling were blamed for causing this phenomenon. Stress has been suggested as a reason for increased Salmonella shedding and cross contamination between Salmonella-carrying and...
Comments : 1
Recommendations: 0
Selenium is an essential trace mineral that is required in very minute amounts by all animals, including pigs. Certain soils in the U.S. and Canada are low in selenium, including the north central and eastern regions of Canada and the northeastern, Pacific, southwestern, and extreme southeastern regions of the U.S (see figure). As a result, crops grown in these areas are also low in this trace mineral and, without supplemental levels, diets mixed exclusively from ingredients grown in these...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
The profile of dioxins found in the tainted Irish pork meat is similar to those found in electronic transformer oils, claims the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Routine testing of the food chain last week by Irish food safety officials found pig feed tainted with toxic dioxins, and the Irish government, as a result, ordered the food industry on Saturday to recall all domestically produced pork products from the market.
Yesterday, officials confirmed that...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
At the best of times, it is not easy to identify the most economical feeding and production strategy for a grower-finisher barn. Which alternative ingredients should I consider? Should I buy distillers and which supplier offers the product with the most value and the least variation? What nutrient specifications are the most profitable with the current economics for my genotype and my barn environment? At what weight should I ship my pigs? These are just a few of the questions that producers...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
The basis of farm direct marketing is the relationship of trust that develops between producers and consumers. Successful farm direct marketing depends on providing quality products in a clean and customer-friendly environment. Some examples of farm direct marketing channels: * farm gate * farm store * Alberta Approved Farmers'...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
A total of 432 pigs were used to evaluate the effects of Paylean and dietary lysine on pork quality and loin, belly, and ham composition. The 12 dietary treatments included Paylean (0, 4.5, and 9.0 g/ton) and 4 levels of lysine. For pigs fed no Paylean, lysine levels were 0.60, 0.80, 1.00, and 1.20%. For pigs fed 4.5 or 9.0 g/ton of Paylean, lysine levels were 0.80, 1.00, 1.20, and 1.40%. The results indicate that pigs fed Paylean and increasing levels of lysine will have less loin marbling...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Ractopamine at 5 ppm/kg feed improved growth and feed efficiency by 13% when fed for an average of 26 to 27 days. Ractopamine decreased backfat and improved loin thickness. Transit losses were higher in the ractopamine fed group. INTRODUCTION Paylean® is a feed additive that was recently registered in Canada. The active ingredient of Paylean® is ractopamine, a beta-adrenergic agonist known to stimulate muscle growth and inhibit lipid...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
At the Ontario Pork Congress in June, the OPC Carcass Committee presented information on avoiding losses and improving returns by ensuring that all hogs marketed yield the best possible carcasses at the plant. The following is a summary. Planning to maximize revenue and avoid unnecessary losses starts early. 1. Pre-Transport - Cut Losses Prior To Shipping: * Cull early; euthanize poor...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Salmonellosis is a major food borne disease threat to public health. In Canada, Salmonella is the second most common bacterial food borne pathogen (after Campylobacter ) for which swine serve as a reservoir. Salmonella has a complex epidemiology. Despite copious research, there has been little progress in identifying cost-effective interventions for Salmonella on-farm. Significant strides have been made at decreasing Salmonella contamination at...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
Data was collected from 98 litters to determine if birth weight aff ected the final eating quality of pork. Except for constant monitoring during farrowing and periodic measurements of body weight, farrowing and piglet management were according to normal barn practises. From 24 litters, selected because they had at least 12 piglets born alive and which represented a range of body weight, 4 pigs were sent to Lacombe Research Station when they reached 120 kg, for extensive meat quality and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0
A total of 112 barrows (average weight of 158 lb) were used in a 65-d growth assay to determine the effects of adding beef tallow (a source of saturated fat) into diets with high inclusion of dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). The pigs were sorted by ancestry and blocked by weight with seven pigs/pen and four pens/treatment. Treatments were a corn-soybean, meal-based control and diets having 40% DDGS (US Energy Partners, Russell, KS) with none, 2.5, and 5% added tallow. Feed and...
Comments : 0
Recommendations: 0