HOW TO MANAGE BREEDING PIGS AND PORKERS.

 RAISING GILTS AND SUITABLE PORKERS

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CARE OF A NEWBORN PIG AND IMPORTANCE UNDERLYING FEEDING COLOSTRUM TO PIGLETS.

COLOSTRUM:

Is a yellowish liquid containing proteins and antibodies essential for increasing the immune response of the newborn animals against diseases.

Newborn pigs suckling shortly after birth

The amount of colostrum consumed by each piglet is directly proportional to its survivability.

Newborn pigs lack enough antibodies to fight against disease-causing agents hence the need to suckle their mother’s first milk called colostrum within two hours after birth. The nutrients and antibodies are absorbed into the bloodstream and help to boost the piglet’s immune system.

To increase the efficacy of colostrum, piglets should suckle at least 150ml within 6 hours after birth because immunoglobulin (antibodies) in colostrum reduce to 70% after 8 hours of breastfeeding.

Other management practices for the newborn pig:

Change in the environment is one of the causes of stress in animals. Piglet’s immunity function and growth rate are compromised by environmental stress and so, it is important to provide a conducive environment to minimize stress:

• Ensure a dry, warm, and clean nursery pen. Dry and clean pens reduce incidences of infection.

• Place the brooder lamps inside the nursery pens to provide heat temperature range of at least 26-28^OC to avoid chilling of piglets.

• Provide proper ventilation and enough clean water.

·  Other practices may include: teeth trimming to reduce injury to the sow’s teats and tail docking to avoid cannibalism. This might be done within 12 hours from birth.

Author: Kabuggo Emmanuel 

BSc. AGR (MUK); MSc. Animal Science (CBNU).

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Common Intramuscular (IM) Injection sites in sows/pigs

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SWINE VACCINATION SCHEDULE.

Vaccination against coccidiosis in day 1 old piglet.

Many diseases can be prevented through vaccination. It saves a farmer a lot of money and losses that might occur due to the death of pigs in case of any disease attack.

Do you have a swineherd?

If your answer was Yes, click on the download button to understand when common swine diseases are vaccinated against.

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EFFECT OF STRESS IN PIGS.

What a farmer needs to know!

Stress in animals increases with an increasing need for commercial production. Though subsistence farmers do not consider it as a major concern, commercial farmers report mega economic losses due to stress-related factors.

Economic growth and improving standards of living have increased demand for livestock products which calls for intensive production. This comes with confining animals to maximize space as well as making management easier. Animal confinement comes along with different stress factors starting with the environment, nutrition and infection. Abrupt changes of stress factors such as diet, weaning, temperature and infection have a negative impact on livestock health and production. Since animals live in a controlled environment, such stressors are inevitable.

At birth, the porcine immune system is immature and, consequently, there is no protection against the entry of the pathogen. Therefore, hygiene and maintenance of a proper vaccination schedule is key during this time. Additionally, avoiding exposure of the piglets to infection-related stress factors during this period will improve the growth rate and survivability of the piglets.

From seven (7) weeks of life, the gut epithelial cells communicate with intestinal innate immune system, forming a functional barrier to antigens from diet and pathogens. Pathogenic and viral infections e.g. Enterotoxigenic E. Coli and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus may loosen the intestinal epithelial barrier which affects the animal health and performance.

Common Stress factors in swine:

Heat stress (HS).

Global warming has resulted in climate change which has led to high ambient temperatures globally thus making HS a critical factor in the swine industry. This has led to an economic loss of over 300 million USD per year in the US and billions of dollars on a global scale.

HS increases permeability of porcine gut epithelial cells, oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in the gut. Increased permeability increases the chances of pathogen entry into the animal’s body to cause infection.

Animals have a temperature range called the thermoneutral zone (TNZ) within which they can maintain body temperature and control heat loss. Temperature below TNZ increases feed intake in pigs which expends more energy to remain warm. Since more energy is used in temperature regulation, less energy is available for growth and other physiological activities. This impends growth and development. Additionally, pigs reduce blood flow to the skin, burrow into beddings or huddle together to reduce heat loss. Continued exposure to cold will lead to shivering (skeletal contraction) and eventually death.

Unlike other mammals, pigs lack sweat glands. Therefore, lowering temperature becomes more stressful than raising it back to normal. Hot weather affects the pig’s performance more significantly than cold weather. Therefore, a farmer should ensure a proper ventilation mechanism during summer and hot days.

Additional heat source for piglets in the creep area.

In lactating sows, ambient temperatures above the evaporative critical temperature (ECT) lead to a reduction in food intake, milk yield, and reproductive performance. The fall in food intake is closely associated with a rise in deep body temperature. It is suggested that the direct effect of high temperatures on milk yield may result from a redirection of blood flow to the skin and away from other tissues, including the mammary gland.

Nutritional stress (NS).

Most pig industries monitor growth performance and take it as the most critical factor in production

making nutritional stress the greatest concern for them. NS may be due to nutrient deficient or starvation. Nutrient deficient is always linked to poor feed rations, poor feedstuffs or presence of antinutritional factors that suppress nutrient availability.

It is important to note that some management practices like restricted feeding during gestation confer beneficial effects to the sows.

Generally, feed deprivation and fasting lead to the following:

• It generally has a negative impact on the porcine gut health in terms of immunology and physiology.
• It increases cortisol levels in blood leading to gluconeogenesis in the liver whereby protein reserves are metabolized for energy during stress.
• Fasting may lower glycine availability leading to reduced cell proliferation and protein synthesis.
• There is increased apoptosis in porcine gut epithelial cells whereby cells attach and kill themselves.

In a nutshell, nutritional deficiency or intake of contaminated feed induces the change of intestinal

pro-inflammatory cytokines and modulates barrier function in pigs.

Infectious stress:

The most frequent diseases in swine industry are enteric and respiratory infections which are majorly caused by Escherichia coli, porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV), porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) and transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV).

Enteric pathogens are pathogens hosted in the intestines and are mainly transmitted through:

•   Drinking water.
•   Feeds and
•   Faeces.

Enteric infection suppresses feed intake and feed conversion efficiency thus lowering productivity because:

•  They disrupt the homeostasis of the epithelial barrier.
•  Pathogens like E.coli induce intestinal damage through osmotic stress which cause diarrhoea.

 In conclusion, a farmer should have good risk analytical skills to easily identify any changes in the animal's environment that may predispose it to stress. 

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Miracle Behind Saemaul Undong: And the Need to be Rolled out Throughout Uganda.

Saemaul Undong (새마울운동) is translated as "New Village Movement". It's derived from three Korean words: Sae-New, Maul-Village and Undong-Movement. It’s a movement with diligence, self-help, and cooperation as the supporting pillars. Through this movement, Korea was able to transform from helplessness and Aid recipient to a donor country an achievement made possible by developing rural areas.

From helplessness and Aid recipient to a donor country

The birth of the movement.

South Korea got its independence from Japan after 35 years of colonialism on 15, August 1945. Five years after its liberation, the country was attacked by the Northern peninsula. During the war, the UN and the United States supported the South Korean government while China and the Soviet Union sided with the North Korean government. The war was a catastrophe and claimed many lives of the Koreans.

Abandoned child during the war

The war ended in July 1953. Half of the Southern peninsula’s buildings and infrastructures were destroyed leaving the people helpless without food, shelter, medication, and clothes. Over 50% of the national budget was from foreign Aid and Uganda was among the countries that donated to Korea. Moreover, Korea was ranked among the fallen nations at the time. The government of President Park Chung-Hee came up with innovations and reforms among which was Saemaul Undong. 

Saemaul Undong activities after the war

The movement’s primary role was to bridge the gap between the rural and the urban people. The development was centralized in urban centres with the rural people living in absolute poverty. It was the prerogative of the government to incorporate the rural areas in the struggle for development.

The aftermath of the movement.

The diligence, self-help, and cooperative spirit brought cohesion among the people. It became the slogan of national development even after the high-income status was attained. The successes attributed to the movement are manifold. Rural areas advanced with increased rice production which improved food security. Rural household living standards and incomes upgraded to the level of urban households.

Rice production during the movement

 In 2014, Korea trailed Australia and edged past Spain in terms of economic size, the statistical agency reported. The country's nominal gross domestic product (GDP) shot up from 47.7 billion won (US$40.9 million) in 1953, soaring to 1,485 trillion won in 2014 making it the fourth-largest economy 70 years from independence. Today, South Korea is the first in both shipbuilding and heavy industry manufacturing, second in semiconductor production and cell production, fifth in car manufacturing and sixth in steel manufacturing.  Korea’s transformation from helplessness and aid recipient to a donor country was made possible by empowering rural areas.

Among the other key factors in Korean development was the government’s land policies that gave farmers full control of the land and the produces. Additionally, mindset programs were a channel through which the government empowered its people. These programs changed people's perspective towards work hence working harmoniously to develop their country. Furthermore, the revolution in education was another key factor. In 1950, the adult illiteracy level was tallied at 77% but through different education programs, it regressed to 9% by 1990. Inability to read and write halts the use of technology, hence limiting development.

Last but not the list, there was a government reform movement where war was waged against corrupt leaders in different organs and ministries. Whoever was found guilty was charged and cast into prison. This improved the efficacy of resources leading to tremendous economic development.

A brief of my Korean Experience.

I lived in Korea for about two years. The mindset change program I practically went through superseded the primary goal of achieving a master’s degree. Much as the degree was important, it would have been a waste of breath had I risked not to embrace the Korean way of work. In my farewell speech at AICF in Jeonju, I shared the ‘slow-but-sure’ spirit of work in Uganda as opposed to the ‘ppalli ppalli’ way of the Koreans. Ppalli ppalli (빨리 빨리) translates to ‘fast fast’ and is a culture to do things very fast. They speak fast, eat fast, walk fast and work fast.

In his speech, the co-founder of Dodram company Kil Gin-Bu emphasized the need for unity. Dodram is the number one swine company in Korea an achievement made possible through cooperatives, he continued. Together with Professor Lee Hak Kyo, they believed that if only we debunked our selfish ambitions and embraced brotherhood and humility, we would be the pioneers of change in Uganda. These words were the epitome for the formation of SPODA Enterprises Ltd, a company formed to transform the livestock sector of eastern Africa through mindset change programs and modern farming technologies.

Why focus on rural areas?

Over 70% of the population in developing countries and over 90% of the poor live in rural areas. Therefore, focusing on such areas is key to eradicating poverty. “Korea is the only country in the world that has transformed itself from an aid recipient to a donor country, an achievement made possible by developing rural areas under Saemaul Undong” reported the Korea Saemaul Center. The simplicity of the model enables its quick adoption, adaption and spread. The villages list their problems and needs. Together with their leaders, the needs are prioritized, and possible solutions formulated. The government’s role is to provide support in terms of inputs and technical advice, but most of the work is done by the village members.

Kibiito residents rehabilitate the Kabarungi road in Bunyangabu. Korean aid approach Saemaul Undong is touching minds, changing lives across Uganda. PHOTO | MORGAN MBABAZI | NATION 

In Uganda, Saemaul Undong was conceptualized over five years ago and its successes are manifold. With the National Farmers Leadership Center (NFLC) in Mpigi district as the epicentre for the movement, it has extended to other regions across the country. However, there is still more need to spread to all parts of the country. With the current impact of COVID-19 on food security, the model would help in quick recovery from the economic shock.

During the multi-stakeholder consultative workshop for the formulation of the National Rural Development Strategy in November 2018,  the Korean Ambassador to Uganda, Kim You-Churl stressed the need to put into consideration new challenges and opportunities faced by rural regions in the country that Korea did not face in the past. Such challenges include a more demanding competitive international environment and less room for government intervention, rapidly growing rural populations, increased pressure on limited environmental sources and climate change.

With the registered successes in all the parts of the country where Saemaul Undong has been piloted, it is hire time we spread the movement to other parts of the country. We are the change were are looking for. The Curfew, lockdown and the closure of Ugandan borders should be an eye-opener to us. We have most of the resources we need. We have the visionary leaders we can look to. What we ONLY need is A NEW MINDSET.

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Breeding Systems in Commercial Swine Farming

What is breeding?

Animal breeding is the selective breeding of domestic animals with the intent to improve desirable and heritable qualities in the next generation.

Common breeds of pigs in Uganda. Click for additional information 

·         Yorkshire/Large White.

·         Duroc.

·         Landrace.



·         Large white.

·         Hampshire

What to consider before choosing a breed?

Each breed has a unique trait over the other. Most commercial farmers mate different breeds to benefit from the heterotic potential of the offsprings. This is because the offspring have qualities of both parents.

For example:

Duroc has faster growth ability, Yorkshire has good mothering traits and Hampshire exhibits good muscling traits. A breeding program involving Yorkshire, Duroc and Hampshire produces offsprings with growth ability, good mothering and muscling traits.

There are companies specialized in breeding, however, many farmers carry out breeding programs on their farms.

In today’s article, we shall discuss the different breeding systems and programs you should follow to improve your herd.

In general, there are two main systems of breeding i.e.

· Straight breeding.

· Crossbreeding.

1. STRAIGHTBREEDING.

This breeding system involves mating animals of the same breed. It is classified into:

· Inbreeding  

· Outcrossing   

· Grading up and 

· Purebred breeding.

a.Inbreeding.

Inbreeding is the mating of individuals that are related. It is further subdivided into:

· Closebreeding: Closely related animals are mated e.g. a backcross between a parent and an offspring.

· Linebreeding: Involves mating individuals that are more distantly related for example a cross between halfsiblings.

     b. Outcrossing.

This is the mating of animals of the same breed, but which have no closer relationship than at least 4-6 generations. This is intended to introduce desirable traits into the breeding program.

 c. Grading up.

Is the mating of purebred sires to grade the females with the aim of quickly changing from one breed to another. Sires of the desired breed are continually backcrossed to the females from the previous generation the end of the F5, the offsprings fully resemble the desired parental breed.

 d. Purebred breeding:

A purebred animal is an animal of a breed, which has the characteristics of the breed of the parents. Purebred animals are homozygous i.e. have identical genes for a particular trait and do not have heterotic potential over their parents.

In pigs and poultry, purebred lines are used to produce crossbreeds for the market.

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Housing Measurements and Stocking Density of Layers in a Deep Litter System.

Factors to consider before venturing into poultry farming.

In the previous article, we discussed measures to consider before choosing the housing system for your chickens. In the cost-benefit analysis, we saw that a deep litter house should be considered for small scale producers and commercial farmers who are conscious of the welfare of the birds.

Today, we’re going to go through the housing requirements for a deep litter house. 
Consider the following before investing in any poultry enterprise:

1. Business plan: Failure to plan simply means planning to fail. Set up your business goals during this phase. List down the items you need and come up with a comprehensive budget. Consult from experts and farmers already in the business.

2. Choose a sector of interest: This depends on your reconnaissance study about the demand for the product in the intended area. It can also depend on what you desire as a person. The sectors include.

 Layers

 Broilers

 Hatchery

 Feed

 Veterinary services.

3. Housing system: Now that you’re certain about the type of the birds and sector of interest, choose the housing system. Click on the link for guidelines while choosing a housing system

4. Location: Water and power are the major utilities to consider, however, security and accessibility to the farm is also very important.

5. Financing: The capital investment depends on the sector, housing system and the size of the farm. The capital might be in terms of cash, assets or human resource. Ensure that before you venture into production, you have the necessary capital for operation.

6. Feed: This covers over 60% of the cost of production. Depending on the size of the farm, a farmer might mix their own feed or buy a pre-mixed ration. So, a farmer should be crystal clear on the source of feed before starting the production process.

7. Hire professionals: the number one killer of starting businesses is lack of technical know-how. A farmer should consider consulting an expert during the planning and in the entire production chain.

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Impact of COVID-19 on food security in Uganda.

Background:

As Uganda is trying to recover from the aftermath of the desert locusts, it is now hit by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Photo from Nile Post

The pandemic originated from Wuhan, Hubei province of China to the rest of the world. In Africa, Egypt confirmed the first case on 14^th February and since then, there has been a tremendous importation of disease to other African countries. In Uganda, the first case was confirmed on 21^st March and at present, the disease has been confirmed in over 40 patients. It's important to note that the importation and spread of the disease heavily depend on the country's preparedness and its healthy capacity. Hence, Uganda has set standards to help in curbing down the spread of the epidemic. 

Food security is critical to every aspect of people's well-being. It influences health, education and other necessities of life. This article, therefore, intends to address the impact COVID-19 has on food security in Uganda. Food security can be defined as the state of having reliable access to enough quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

Uganda’s Food Security Before the Pandemic. 

According to the UN-report, the number of hungry people stood at 820 million globally by July 2019 mostly from Africa and countries where economic growth is lagging.

Uganda produces more food than it consumes, Yet, poverty still limits people's access to nutritious food, especially in the north and east of the country, the World Food Program reported. A fast-growing population and the presence of the world's third-largest refugee population pose a further challenge to the country's ability to achieve Sustainable Development Goal on Zero Hunger, the report added. Moreover, in 2018 the number of malnourished people stood at 17.6 million. 

Much as we are a few days into the curfew, the effect is as if the country has been shut down for months. I can only imagine the aftermath in the next months or years to come. The Ministry of Finance estimates that an additional 2.6 million Ugandans will go into poverty in case of a steep rise of COVID-19 cases in Uganda. This will put almost half of the country’ population under the threat of food insecurity.

Projected food insecurity after the pandemic:

In many developing countries, millions of families already spend upwards of half of their income on food in normal circumstances. Most of these families’ survival entirely dependents on daily active income. With this I mean, the “No work-No food majority”. I would like you to bend backwards, pose a second and think! What do you think the “No work-No food majority” are going through? That's food for thought!

 Initially, we had increasing unemployment rates and with the current tragedy, I expect more layoffs as companies and businesses try to recover from the economic shock. Secondary, an increase in food production shortfalls will increase the proportion of refugees and natives relying entirely on humanitarian food assistance especially in Northern and Eastern Uganda. Market prices are determined by demand and supply. Delayed planting due to sicknesses and breakdown in the non-food supply chains will ultimately lead to a decrease in the amount of food produced hence upsurge in food prices.

Moreover, the World Food Program report noted that the Ebola outbreak in 2014, for example, led to dramatic increases in the prices of staple foods in countries impacted in West Africa. Furthermore, the food price-spikes of 2007/8 demonstrate that export restrictions, market speculation and panic behaviour were, in part, responsible for the dramatic increase in global food prices in that period—measures we are not protected against today.

Remedies to the Anticipated Food Insecurity.

The novel coronavirus continues to spread drastically, and it is hard to determine when it would be contained. If all the responsible sectors do not contain and curtail the rise of the pandemic as early as possible, the impact might be for years. As the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija said: "To deal with this economic shock, both fiscal and monetary policy adjustments would be required,". This implies that holistic approaches are needed at both global and country-level, hence, the government, financial institutions and all private sectors should be involved.

First and foremost, the financial sector needs to devise means to support the faster recovery of people especially those involved in commercial production. This could be through extending financial assistance in the form of affordable loans.

Secondary, rising food prices should be checked. The government needs to put checks and balances to ensure stable affordable food prices in local markets. One of the ways through which the government achieves this is by releasing food from food banks (if we’ve any). It’s supplied at a cheaper price to buffer the market prices.

Last but not the list, agricultural inputs’ prices should be lowered and extended to village levels. This will make them accessible and affordable to farmers. Additionally, there is a need for more extension services to help farmers improve their farming skills especially to reduce post-harvest losses.

For God and My Country.

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Is the battery cage system worth an investment?

                                                                                                           

A comparative analysis of deep litter and battery cage systems in laying hens:

Background:

Due to improving standards of living, there is an immense increasing demand for animal protein sources than of plant origin. This has compelled farmers in the animal production industry to increase their production potential to meet the increasing consumer demands. This has led to the invention of new technologies and innovations.

Genetically modified animals with fast-growing rate and better Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE) have been bred. Additionally, there is increasing use of non-conventional feedstuffs due to increasing scarcity of conventional feeds in modern commercial farms. Moreover, agricultural engineers and scientists have designed animal houses that allow a higher stocking density in a limited space. Consequently, this has raised concern to the health and welfare of the animals by many activists. Further still, farmworkers are exposed to aerial pollutants that cause health threats to their lives.

This article intends to elucidate the benefits of the battery cage system over the deep litter system. Additionally, to evaluate the profitability of both systems. Depending on the farmer's objectives of investing in poultry, this article will act as a guide during the decision-making process. 

Flipping both sides of the coin:

Both battery cage and deep litter systems have advantages and disadvantages. The housing system adopted by farmers depends on some factors which are but not limited to: capital, available space, personal preference, number of birds and management practice adopted. It’s worth noting that the housing system adopted greatly determines the success and profitability of the poultry enterprise.

Research shows that cage systems have a higher number of eggs laid. This is attributed to lower mortalities (<7%) as compared to the litter system (21 to 27%). Additionally, the number of eggs per hen per day is higher. More studies reveal that the incidences of diseases are low because birds are denied access to faeces. Nonetheless, there is a higher number of cracked eggs of the total number of eggs laid in the cage system. This affects the quality of eggs. Furthermore, hens lack physical space for laying eggs, daily activities, nesting and have a higher incidence of foot lesions. These lesions could act as entry points for infections that lead to death.

On the other hand, the deep litter system is more significant for the satisfaction of the bird's motivation for dust bathing and performing important behavioural activities. However, construction requires more floor space making the system inappropriate for farmers with limited space. Besides, there are higher incidences of accumulated faecal matter in the litter which lead to air pollution.

Farm attendants and animals’ welfare.

Aerial pollutants in confined animal houses are widely recognized as detrimental to the respiratory health of animals, farmworkers and neighbouring areas. Moreover, studies reveal that up to 20 percent of farmers and farmworkers report work-related symptoms of the respiratory system. Prolonged exposure aerial pollutants such as dust, ammonia, and methane can lead to coughing, sputum and wheezing which may eventually cause asthma and other diseases.

Prolonged exposure to ammonia irritates the mucous membranes in the eyes and blindness in poultry. Besides, these gases cause stress to birds which affect feed intake, FCE and growth rate. Reduction in feed intake directly affects the quality and quantity of eggs laid thus decreasing the productivity potential of the birds.

It’s worth noting that the above incidences of air pollution are more evident in a deep litter system. This implies that this system has a higher probability of exposing both the poultry attendants and birds to health threats.

Despite the healthy threats imposed, the deep litter system better meets the requirements for the animal’s welfare, but it provides a lower yield.

Cost-Benefit Analysis:

The factors that influence the profits of any housing system include the cost of production, farm size, access to credit facilities, experience among others. In the cost of production, feeds occupy over 60 percent. Any poultry farmer SHOULD, therefore, first ascertain the source and quality of feeds before venturing into production. Furthermore, access to credit facilities influence available capital for investment which in turn limits the size of the farm. A farmer MUST wisely choose the housing system depending on the available capital.

As earlier discussed, the litter system requires more floor space. If a farmer, therefore, intends to rear thousands of birds in a limited space, the cage system better provides the most economic use of land and labour. However, the battery cage system is more capital intensive thus influencing most farmers to favour deep litter housing system.

From the cost and return analysis, both housing systems are profitable. But I advise small scale farmers to use the litter system and commercial farmers the cage system.

In conclusion, the cage system provides better working conditions for the farm attendants, better feed utilization efficiency, stock taking, record keeping and allows mechanization. Additionally, it has the most economic use of land and labour. I, therefore, recommend this system for commercial production purposes because it has higher returns in intensive management systems. On the other hand, I recommend the litter system to small scale farmers and commercial producers who are conscious of the welfare of the birds.

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