Going Hot-Shot Free: Tips to Improve Hog Handling. Areas to Discuss. Classifying Non-ambulatory Pigs. Transport Losses: Definitions

Transcription

1 Thank you for participating in PorkBridge To start the presentation, advance one slide by pressing enter or the down arrow or right arrow key. Free monthly e-newsletter from Matt Ritter To subscribe go to: Going Hot-Shot Free: Tips to Improve Hog Handling M. Ritter 1, A. Evers 2, C. Maloney 3, and I. Levis 3 1 Elanco Animal Health 2 Cooper Farms 3 Seaboard Farms Slide # Pork Bridge Grow-Finish Educational Series December 9, 2010 Slide #1 Areas to Discuss Provide an overview of transport losses in market weight pigs Review the effects of electric prod use on stress responses and transport losses in finishing pigs Overview of Transport Losses in Market Weight Pigs Discuss practical tips to improve hog handling during loading Share key learnings from a large production system that has implemented a hot-shot free policy Matt Ritter, Ph.D. Elanco Animal Health ritterma@lilly.com Slide #2 Slide #3 Transport Losses: Definitions Classifying Non-ambulatory Pigs Dead on arrival (DOA): A pig that died during transport Dead in Yard (DIY) or Dead in Pen (DIP) A pig that died after unloading (usually in the lairage pen) Non-ambulatory pig: A pig unable to move or keep up with contemporaries Subjects, slows, suspects, cripples, and stressors Transport losses: The sum of dead and non-ambulatory pigs at the plant Fatigued (Stress related) Injured (Structure/ injury related) Slide #4 Ellis, M., F. McKeith, and M. Ritter Handling Non-Ambulatory Pigs. Proceedings of the International Meat Animal Welfare Research Conference, Kansas City, MO. Slide #5 1

2 The Fatigued Pig Syndrome Signs of acute stress Open mouth breathing Skin discoloration Abnormal vocalizations Muscle tremors Metabolic state of acidosis High blood lactate (32.2 vs mmol/l) Low blood ph (7.11 vs. 7.35) High body temperature? Majority recover with 2-3 h rest 98% are HAL-1843 negative Why are transport losses important? Transport losses represent many growing concerns to the U.S. swine industry: Animal welfare priority Increased regulations Economic losses Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, N. L. Berry, S. E. Curtis, L. Anil, M. Benjamin, D. Butler, C. Dewey, B. Driessen, P. DuBois, J. Hill, J. Marchant-Forde, P. Matzat, J. McGlone, P. Mormede, T. Moyer, K. Pfalzgraf, J. Salak-Johnson, J. Sterle, C. Stull, T. Whiting, B. Wolter, S. R. Niekamp, and A. K. Johnson Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence and economic impact. Professional Animal Scientist. 25: Slide #6 Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, N. L. Berry, S. E. Curtis, L. Anil, M. Benjamin, D. Butler, C. Dewey, B. Driessen, P. DuBois, J. Hill, J. Marchant-Forde, P. Matzat, J. McGlone, P. Mormede, T. Moyer, K. Pfalzgraf, J. Salak-Johnson, J. Sterle, C. Stull, T. Whiting, B. Wolter, S. R. Niekamp, and A. K. Johnson Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence and economic impact. Professional Animal Scientist. 25: Slide #7 Proposed Legislation (2007) Downed Animal Protection Act (H.R. 661 & S. 394) Allows the Secretary of Agriculture to enforce regulations for handling and disposition of non-ambulatory livestock Prevents movement of non-ambulatory livestock while animals are conscious Requires non-ambulatory livestock to be humanely euthanized Prohibits non-ambulatory livestock from entering the food chain U.S. Incidence of Transport Losses Dead pigs at the plant 2008 national statistics: 0.20% (FSIS, 2009) Non-ambulatory pigs at the plant Data summarized on 23 field trials in the U.S. (Ritter et al., 2009) Non-ambulatory pigs prior to weigh scale: 0.44% Majority of non-ambulatory pigs classified as fatigued Bill is being reviewed by U.S. House and Senate Ag subcommittees If this bill passes, fatigued and injured pigs will have zero value! FSIS Market swine condemned ante-mortem for deads in USDA inspected plants for the calendar year of FOIA Case # U.S. House of Representatives H. R. 661: Downed animal and food safety protection act. /bss/110search.html Accessed Dec. 3, Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, N. L. Berry, S. E. Curtis, L. Anil, M. Benjamin, D. Butler, C. Dewey, B. Driessen, P. DuBois, J. Hill, J. Marchant-Forde, P. Matzat, J. McGlone, P. Mormede, T. Moyer, K. Pfalzgraf, J. Salak-Johnson, J. Sterle, C. Stull, T. Whiting, B. Wolter, S. R. Niekamp, and A. K. U.S. Senate S. 394: Downed animal and food safety protection act. /bss/110search.html Accessed Dec. 3, Slide #8 Johnson Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence and economic impact. Professional Animal Scientist. Slide #9 25: Economic Impact of Transport Losses Multi-factorial Problem People Factors * Handling * Transportation Factors Floor Space Ritter et al., 2009 Transport losses cost the U.S. swine industry ~$46 million in 2006 This translates to approximately $0.44 per pig marketed Pig Factors Genetics Transport Losses Plant Factors Wait at the Plant Facility Design Factors Pre-sorting Environmental Factors Season Growers, loading crews, truck drivers, and handlers at the plant can impact transport losses! Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, N. L. Berry, S. E. Curtis, L. Anil, M. Benjamin, D. Butler, C. Dewey, B. Driessen, P. DuBois, J. Hill, J. Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, N. L. Berry, S. E. Curtis, L. Anil, M. Benjamin, D. Butler, C. Dewey, B. Driessen, P. DuBois, J. Hill, J. Marchant-Forde, P. Matzat, J. McGlone, P. Mormede, T. Moyer, K. Pfalzgraf, J. Salak-Johnson, J. Sterle, C. Stull, T. Marchant-Forde, P. Matzat, J. McGlone, P. Mormede, T. Moyer, K. Pfalzgraf, J. Salak-Johnson, J. Sterle, C. Stull, T. Whiting, B. Wolter, S. R. Niekamp, and A. K. Johnson Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence and economic impact. Professional Animal Scientist. 25: Slide #10 Whiting, B. Wolter, S. R. Niekamp, and A. K. Johnson Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. a review of Slide #11 definitions, incidence and economic impact. Professional Animal Scientist. 25:

3 Transport Losses - Summary Transport losses represent growing animal welfare, legal, and economic concerns to the U.S. swine industry ~0.6% of all pigs transported die or become non-ambulatory Transport losses are a multi-factorial problem It is well established that transport losses are increased by: Aggressive handling with electric prods Porcine stress syndrome (stress gene) Crowding pigs during transport Extreme weather conditions Effects of electric prod use on stress responses and transport losses in market weight pigs Matt Ritter, Ph.D. Elanco Animal Health ritterma@lilly.com Slide #12 Slide #13 Common Pig Handling Tools Sorting Board At the Farm Flag At the Plant Handling Intensity Benjamin et al., 2001 Compared moving pigs with aggressive or gentle handling Aggressive: pigs moved rapidly with hot shots Gentle: pigs moved at their own pace with plastic cane Livestock Paddle Electric Prod (Hot Shot) Livestock Paddle Witch s Cape Measurements Gentle Handling Aggressive Handling Rectal temperature, F a b Blood lactate, mmol/l 4.0 a 25.2 b Fatigued pigs, % 0.0 a 20.4 b a,b Means with different superscripts differ (Photos courtesy of and Slide #14 Benjamin, M. E., H. W. Gonyou, D. J. Ivers, L. F. Richardson, D. J. Jones, J. R. Wagner, R. Seneriz, and D. B. Anderson Effect of animal handling method on the incidence of stress response in market swine in a model system. Journal of Animal Science. 79(Suppl. 1):279. (Abstr.) Slide #15 Handling Intensity Gonyou, unpublished data Fatigued Pigs, % Gentle Handling Aggressive Handling Aggressive Handling Recent Work Correa et al., 2010 Evaluated the effects of three different moving devices during loading on the behavior, physiology, and meat quality traits of market weight pigs Treatment Electric prod Paddle Compressed air Description Used electric prods and sorting boards Used paddles and sorting boards Paddle treatment plus compressed air on the chute with Paddles with Paddles with Electric Prods Correa, J. A., S. Torrey, N. Devillers, J. P. Laforest, H. W. Gonyou, and L. Faucitano Effects of different moving devices at loading on stress response and meat quality in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 88: Elanco Trial #AF7CA0101. Data on file. Slide #16 Slide #17 3

4 Electric Prod vs. Paddle Results Electric prods increased: Number of slips / falls Pig vocalizations (# and duration) Heart rate during loading Fatigued pigs (2.5% vs. 0%) Other carcass bruise types (excludes fighting and mounting) Incidence of blood splash in hams Electric Prod vs. Paddle Results Electric prods decreased the following handling parameters: Number of turn attempts Number of stops Loading time by ~50% Minimal differences were observed between handling methods for blood lactate and plasma CPK values at stunning Compared to paddles, electric prods: Had no effect on ultimate ph of the Longissimus muscle Increased ultimate ph of Adductor and Semimembranosus muscles Correa, J. A., S. Torrey, N. Devillers, J. P. Laforest, H. W. Gonyou, and L. Faucitano Effects of different moving devices at loading Correa, J. A., S. Torrey, N. Devillers, J. P. Laforest, H. W. Gonyou, and L. Faucitano Effects of different moving devices at loading on stress response and meat quality in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 88: Slide #18 on stress response and meat quality in pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 88: Slide #19 Electric Prod - Summary It is well documented that aggressive handling with electric prods increases transport losses Replacing electric prods with plastic paddles can reduce slips/falls during handling, transport losses, carcass bruising, and blood splash, but this comes at the expense of increased loading times Therefore, there currently is not a perfect alternative to the hot shot! Need to identify methods that improve the efficacy and loading efficiencies of paddles without adversely affecting pig well-being Practical tips to improve hog handling during loading Alan Evers Cooper Farms alane@cooperfarms.com Slide #20 Slide #21 Going Hot-Shot Free First Step Identifying Target Areas Track and monitor usage Identify challenging areas 2/3 of our shocks occur at the door 1/3 of our shocks occur on the chute Less than 2% occur on truck ramp Slide #22 Slide #23 4

5 Going Hot-Shot Free Second Step Acclimate pigs to walking in aisles prior to loading Make pigs easier to handle Slide #24 Our target - once in the nursery and once in finisher Slide #25 Solid Front Pens Slide #26 Remove Restrictions Slide #27 Loading Pad Wider than Door Slide #28 Slide #29 5

6 Going Hot-Shot Free 3rd Step Pre-sorting prior to Loading Reduce stress and fatigue on the pigs PRE-SORT Slide #30 Pre-sorting prior to Loading Slide #31 Pre-Sorting Procedures Pigs are moved to the front of the barn into holding pens. Pigs are given a REST period of 10 min to 1 hr to recover. Especially beneficial to pigs from the back end of the barn and to pigs going into the top deck Breaks up the marathon Slide #32 Going Hot-Shot Free 4th Step Slide #33 Bubble Concept Worked with Nancy Lidster dnlfarms@xplornet.com Focus on Handling Pigs respond to our ACTIONS Starts with your position in the pen. This position determines which direction the pigs will circle past and sets up the pressure on the pigs. Flow pigs along gate line with your position. Pigs want us on their side to watch as they move away from the pressure. Slide #34 Slide #35 6

7 Move your position forward towards the opening to hold pigs along gate line taking only the number needed Bubble Concept Keep adequate spacing between you and the pigs to maintain the bubble out of the pen. Closing the gap too far and the pig s attention diverts back to you instead of where they are going. Too much space and you lose pressure on the pig and he ll stop. Close the space to re-apply the pressure. Bubble Concept Slide #36 Slide #37 Movement Concept Starts with the position of your hurdle and spacing between you and the pig. This position determines where the attention of the pig will be focused. Either on you or on where they are going. Opening the hurdle reduces the threat to the pig by allowing them to see what is applying pressure. Close the hurdle when the pigs turn on you. Work the pig to redirect, then establish the spacing, and open the hurdle again. Minimize paddle contact Movement Concept Paddle use directs the pigs attention to you creating a distraction and reduces effectiveness when used constantly Paddle use closes the space between you and the pig creating balking Slide #38 Slide #39 Movement Concept Pigs will constantly keep an eye on you, or other people, or distractions. Your position and spacing applies the pressure. Too much space and you lose pressure. Not enough space and the pressure is too much creating the pig to balk Work to keep the focus off of you and on where the pig is supposed to be going. Practical Tips Summary Track and monitor Identify critical areas to improve Chart progress making it a whole team effort Acclimate pigs to aisles and barn preparation Easier to handle Pre-sort Reduce stress and fatigue Handling Pigs react to our actions. Bubble and Movement concepts Slide #40 Slide #41 7

8 Key learnings from implementing a hot-shot free policy in a large production system Large System Implementation Marketing Strategies 1 cut 3-weeks pre-barn dump 165 head At least 2 heaviest pigs from every pen Craig Maloney Seaboard Farms Ian Levis, DVM Seaboard Farms Slide #42 Complete barn dump Many of the same principles that have already been discussed Small groups, staging pens, solid pen fronts at the door, sort off pen, etc. Slide #43 Large System Implementation Additional techniques Dedicated crews of 4 to 6 people Fully equipped with all necessary items. Lighting on chute and truck Trucks are prewired and loadout crews have lights available if the barn is not appropriately equipped. Rattle cans Progression from traditional tools. Most effective for movement and lowest risk for the animal No paddles, sort sticks, etc. at any point in the process Large System Implementation Implementation Complete removal of all hot shots at one time No phasing in of hot-shot free program Systematic approach to improvement Allow crews to develop/improve processes Monitoring Animal Welfare/Handling Audits Internal and 3 rd party Feedback from the processing plant Scald tank shows all Slide #44 Slide #45 Overall Summary Transport losses represent growing animal welfare, legal, and economic concerns to the U.S. swine industry ~0.6% of all pigs transported die or become non-ambulatory Transport losses are a multi-factorial problem It is well established that transport losses are increased by: Aggressive handling with electric prods Porcine stress syndrome (stress gene) Crowding pigs during transport Extreme weather conditions Overall Summary Replacing electric prods with plastic paddles can reduce slips/falls during handling, transport losses and carcass defects, but this comes at the expense of increased loading times Therefore, we need to identify methods that improve the loading efficiencies of paddles without adversely affecting pig well-being Slide #46 Slide #47 8

9 Overall Summary Practical tips to improve pig handling include: Track electric prod use and identify areas for improvement Acclimate pigs to the aisle prior to loading Remove distractions Provide additional lighting Pre-sort pigs prior to loading Understand and apply the bubble and movement concepts Move pigs in small groups Overall Summary Key lessons learned from implementing a hot-shot free policy in a large production system include: Rattle cans appear to be the most effective handling tool Go 100% hot-shot free at the start (no phase out) Allow loading crews to develop / improve processes Monitor processes through audits and plant feedback Slide #48 Slide #49 9