Breeding and feeding for sustainable pig production Anna Wallenbeck Department for Animal Breeding and Genetics Department for Animal Environment and Health Photos: Linda Engblom and Maria Alarik
Breeding and feeding for sustainable pig production The definition of sustainable depend heavily on the values and priorities of the person, or group of people, doing the defining. (Gamborg and Sandøe, 2005) Sustainable development of agriculture: Many attempts to define (e.g. FAO, IFOAM, Elkington, 1994), Three main factors are always included: ENVIORMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ECONOMICAL SOCIAL
Breeding and feeding for sustainable pig production Input of recourses (e.g. feed, animal material, labour, knowledge) Sows Piglets Weaners Fattening pigs Slaughter Primary outcome: PIG MEAT Secondary outcomes (e.g. manure, ecosystem services) Pig production systems - differences in inputs and outcomes Photos: Linda Engblom
Breeding for sustainable pig production SEFABARs criteria for sustainable animal breeding: Quality, diversity, acceptability, environment, economics (Liinamo and Neeteson van Nieuwenhoven, 2002) Long tradition of broad breeding goals in the Scandinavian countries New production systems with other demands on the animals -> is current animal material and breeding goals suitable Photo: Linda Engblom
Breeding for sustainable pig production organic production as an example Organic Conventional Photo: Linda Linda Engblom Photo: Linda Linda Engblom Are these animals suitable for organic production? On-going research projects: Breeding strategies for organic animal husbandry Leg health effect of sire breed
Breeding strategies for organic animal husbandry Potential breeding strategies in organic animal husbandry: Best use of currently available breeding material, how? Separate organic breeding programme, economically feasible? Suitable breeding strategy depends on: Existence of genotype by environment interactions Are all the traits important for organic production included in current breeding evaluation Economic and ethical importance of traits Photo: Maria Alarik
Breeding strategies for organic animal husbandry Interdisciplinary project Funded by FORMAS Applicants: Animal Science/Genetics Anna Wallenbeck (Coordinator) Therese Ahlman (Post Doc) Lotta Rydhmer Erling Strandberg Animal ethics Helena Röcklinsberg, Dep. of Animal Environment and Health, SLU Communication Science Magnus Ljung, Dep. of Urban and Rural Development, SLU
Breeding strategies for organic animal husbandry -milk and pig meat production Which traits are important in organic (and conventional) production systems? Preferensstudies, producers Advanced web questionnaire, focus interviews Genetic gain with breeding strategies according to producers preference? Genetic simulation Agreement between producers preferences, current breeding goals, and societies preferences. Mapping and ethical evaluation
% of slaughtered pigs Leg health in organic pig production 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Join damage at slaughter Organic Conventional. (Heldmer och Lundeheim, 2010)
Leg health effect of sire breed Does leg health in growing-finishing pigs improve by change of sire breed? Indications in the literature that Duroc pigs have better leg health in outdoor production than progenies of Hampshire boars Practically feasible measure for improvement of leg health on farm Field study in 6 organic herds, comparing leg health in Hampshire and Duroc offspring Collaboration between Hgen and Maria Alarik, Swedish Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies Funded by SLU Ekoforsk Hampshire Duroc
Feeding for sustainable pig production Feed to pigs should be low cost, have high nutritional content, high utilisation of nutrients, practical to include in diets and to provide to the pigs Not true for ley crop, but ley crop: is a locally produced protein and energy resource provides pigs with increased possibilities for foraging and exploration behaviour On going research project: Grass/clover silage to growing/finishing pigs
Grass/clover silage to growing/finishing pigs Magdalena Presto and Margareta Rundgren, HUV; Anna Wallenbeck, Hgen Funded by SLF How does diets including grass/clover silage affect behaviour and growth of growing/finishing pigs? 20 % inclusion of silage in pig diets in three different forms: SM SS SP C Chopped and mixed Whole, fed separately Grined, mixed and pelleted No silage only com. pig feed
Grass/clover silage to growing/finishing pigs Pigs fed chopped or whole silage: Spent a higher proportion of their time eating/foraging Spent a lower proportion of their time nosing/biting other pigs Grew slower Had a higher lean meat content in the carcass compared to pigs fed pelleted silage and control feed.
Breeding and feeding for sustainable pig production ENVIORMENTAL Silage to growing pigs SUSTAINABILITY Breeding strategy ECONOMICAL Leg health sire breed SOCIAL
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