Impact of Batch Farrowing on Health and Productivity - Dr. Dave Baumert, from the 2016 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, September 17-20, 2016, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. More presentations at http://www.swinecast.com/2016-leman-swine-conference-material

1. Impact on Health & Productivity
Leman Swine Conference
September 19, 2016
David A. Baumert, DVM
JBS Live Pork
BATCH FARROWING

2.  Batch farrowing in 1960’s/1970’s: Spring & Fall
 1990’s: movement indoors brought ongoing
breeding & farrowing programs / weekly or
2x/week weaning (i.e. ‘weekly batch’);
 2010’s: movement to monthly batch
breed/farrow/wean;
History and Definition

3.  4-week batch (4-week cycle)
◦ Pigs weaned at ~3 weeks of age
◦ Sow population divided into 5 batches (A, B, C, D, E);
 5-week batch (5-week cycle)
◦ Pigs weaned at ~4 weeks of age
◦ Sow population divided into 4 batches (A, B, C, D);
Batch Farrowing Options

4.  Batching efficiency requires the need to have
sufficient sites to allocate them among each
week of a 4-week cycle;
 Infrastructure demands do not change
significantly if breeding demands over a system
of farms are properly allocated into each week
of a four-week cycle;
◦ Boar stud
◦ Transportation
◦ Gilt supply
System Considerations - Batching

5. Sample Calendar (4-week batch)
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS/SOWS BREED SOWS
WEAN DAY WEAN DAY WEAN DAY
+/- FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS
WASH WASH WASH WASH
BREED SOWS BREED SOWS
FARROW SOWS
FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs
GILTS Process Pigs
Process Pigs Process Pigs RECEIVE GILTS (RECEIVE GILTS)
CULL SOWS
Lactation Week
(14-day Matrix)
Lactation Week
(14-day Matrix)
BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS BREED GILTS/SOWS BREED SOWS
WEAN DAY WEAN DAY WEAN DAY
+/- FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS FARROW GILTS
WASH WASH WASH WASH
BREED SOWS BREED SOWS
FARROW SOWS
FARROW SOWS / FARROW SOWS FARROW SOWS Process pigs Process Pigs Process Pigs
GILTS Process Pigs
Process Pigs Process Pigs RECEIVE GILTS (RECEIVE GILTS)
CULL SOWS
1 2
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
28272625242322
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
141312111098
3 4 5 6 7
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14

6.  Traditional weekly flow(5% movement/week):
required 2%-3% open sow spaces;
 4-week batch(20% movement/batch): can
work with <10% (~5%)open sow spaces;
typically managed as farrowing house room-
by-room ‘batch movements’;
◦ Open space requirements are also minimized if
culling of weaned sows and gilt receipts are properly
timed;
Sow Space Adjustments (4-week Batch)

7.  Gilts received into herd as the weaned, cull-
sows leave;
 Short arrival-to-breeding interval managed with
14-day Matrix;
 90% of gilts breed into first batch; 90% of ‘late-
estrus’ fit into following breed batch;
 Non-breeder gilts are culled (at < 60 on-farm
days);
Improved Gilt Management

8.  Ability to wash and disinfect farrowing rooms;
 Opportunity to attend farrowings;
 Efficiency of first day pig care and piglet
processing;
 Ability to fill gilt litters;
 Improved sow feeding management;
 Attention to variation between suckling litters;
 Compliance to pre-wean vaccination and
creep feeding goals;
Improved Farrowing House
Management

9.  Removal of suckling pig population prevents
ongoing movement of virus among naïve
population;
◦ Influenza virus;
◦ PRRS virus;
◦ PED virus1;
 Improved biosecurity due to fewer service vehicles
at the sow farm (semen delivery, weaned pig
transportation);
1Day (as per Yeske): National Hog Farmer, August 2015
Improved Health

10.  Improved pre-weaning pig health improves
post-weaning health of Grow/Finish population;
 Opportunity for quicker, single-source nursery fill;
 Decreased wean-to-finish mortality;
 Improved feed efficiency;
Improved Health (Beyond farrowing)

11.  Electrical Supply:
◦ At farrowing . . .can you run 2X heat lamps and/or
heat mats?
◦ At washing . . . can you run 2x power washers?
 Water Supply:
◦ Physically supplying water flow for power-washers?
Potential Facility Considerations:

12.  Based on a multi-site production
system model;
 Requires attention to
scheduling;
 Efficiency of gilt space utilization
requires the use of estrus
management tools;
Negatives:
 Improved utilization of daily
labor;
 All-in/all-out pig flow:
◦ Suckling piglet health
 Routine health issues
 Disease elimination
◦ Wean-to-Finish health
 Disease issues
 Rapid, single-source fills
 Biosecurity
 Potential to increase gilt
lactation length
Positives:
Monthly Batch Flow Summary

13. Questions . . .