Monday 12 October 2020
Tuesday 23 June 2020
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 26-28OC 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).
Sunday 14 June 2020
Monday 1 June 2020
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.
DOWNLOAD FILEEFFECT 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.
Monday 13 April 2020
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 |
Saemaul Undong activities after the war |
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?
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.
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.
Kibiito residents rehabilitate the Kabarungi road in Bunyangabu. Korean aid approach Saemaul Undong is touching minds, changing lives across Uganda. PHOTO | MORGAN MBABAZI | NATION |
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.
Friday 10 April 2020
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.
·
Yorkshire/Large White.
· Duroc.
· Duroc.
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.
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.
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.
Monday 6 April 2020
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:
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.
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.
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.
Saturday 4 April 2020
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 |
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!
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.
Sunday 29 March 2020
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.