(Continued from Pago A 1)
effective for this SEW system,
according to Clark.
The pigs did well, consumed the
medicated feed provided to them
readily, and simply “ate and
grew,” said Clark. Teams careful
ly monitored the pigs for various
diseases, particularly strep suis,
and treated as found.
The pigs soon grew into what
Clark affectionately referred to as
“fat butterballs," and feed uptake,
conversion, and weight was care
fully monitored.
Up until they were transferred to
the finishing house at 45 pounds
(56 days old), SEW performance
data was monitored. Mortality
stood at less than 2 percent Aver
age daily gain (ADG) was posted
at .85 pounds per day. Feed effi
ciency stood at' 1.41.
There were some mild health
problems with the pigs, including
dehydration (water was added to
the feed pellets), some strep suis,
some staph hyicus, and some non
specific bacterial pneumonia (a
consistent cough which comes and
goes). Because of the slatted
floors, there were some incidences
of mild foot and leg problems
which were readily treated. Over
all, mortality was kept low and
careful and consistent monitoring
checked most disease threats.
(As an example of SEW effi
ciency, Clark noted that a similar
system looked at 2,290 pigs from
commercial herds that went to fin
ish. Mortality was 1 percent, ADG
Indiana FFA team members, which placed second, Include, from left, Cathy Fyock;
Lisa Zack; John Fyock, coach; Jessica Abel; and Adrienne Elkin. Absent from photo is
team member Richard Stumpf.
Cumberland County FFA team, which placed third, Is comprised of, from left, Ange
la Hoffman; Bruce Lemmon, coach; Michelle Cornman; Curt Lehman; and Heather
Lehman.
Early Weaning
smaller swine finishing
businesses to enjoy the same
price and profit benefits that
large producers enjoy,
according to Tom Congelton,
marketing manager of the
Central Kentucky Hog Mark
eting Association in Spring
field, Ky.
was 1.88, days to 230 pounds was
162, and days to 250 pounds was
173.)
To make use of SEW effective
ly, producers may have to concen
trated vaccination and antibiotic
programs on sows. Research
proves that more diseases are
transmitted to the pigs from the
sows the longer the pigs are kept
with the sows.
Boasts Health, Cost Benefits
Studies compared the effects ot
modified early weaning (MEW)
using all treatments with SEW
using no treatements. Using
MEW, it looks 60 days to rear a
62.5-pound pig. With SEW and no
treatments, in 60 days, the pigs
weighed 60.5 pounds.
What is surprising, according to
the veterinarian, is that many of the
pigs in the SEW program came
from herds that had PRRS, APP,
PRV, and other diseases. But early
weaning and segregation alone
allowed those pigs to experience a
two-pound-per-day gain and less
days to 70 pounds.
A continuous flow program, as
contrasted to the all-in, all-out
SEW system, took many more
days (220) than the SEW program
(140 days) to 230 pounds.
Researchers now know why, in
the old days, pigs were generally
healthier because they were
weaned early and allowed to go
into the fields, thus segregating the
pigs from the older, disease
carrying animals.
For an effective SEW program
to work, feed costs and labor will
increase. But the days to 250
pounds and medical costs will
decrease if proper cleanup and
biosecurity is observed. If using
the same site, people management
is important work on the new
pigs first, then the breeding herd,
then the finishing pigs last, and
make sure the new pigs are kept
free of bacteria and viruses from
the older animals.
In the Junior public speaking contest, winner of the Junior
division was Lacy Miles, 8, Coudersport, left. Winner of the
senior division was Chrissy Michalik, 16, Sellersville, cen
ter. At right is Horace Wanner, McNess representative,
award sponsor.
.#Sf
< V *
ft* s
Bethany Alana Elkin, 19, daughter of Sam and Paula Elk
in, Marion Center, was appolnted pork industry representa
tive at the Expo. A sophomore in ag engineering at Penn
State, Bethany helps on her father’s 500-sow farrow-to
feeder operation. Bethany has been involved with the
Maiibn Center 4-H.
\r
X
The SEW nursery should have
open flooring, an adequate fence
line feeder, three square foot of
space per pig, and airflow equall
ing two cubic feel/i.iinute. Temp
erature should be 84 degrees at pig
entry and 72 degrees at exit to the
finishing house.
■ K ~ *
The studies concluded that
using SEW. benefits included
increased litters per sow per year,
increased pigs crated per year,
days to 2SO pounds lowered by SO
.tg pigt iy and
segregating them “is all you
need to do” to provide an
increase In litters per sow and
number of pigs crated per
year, according to Dr. L. Kirk
Clark, professor, Department
of Veterinary Clinical Scl*
ences, School of Veterinary
Medicine, Purdue University.
Managing employees is
often an “Inexact science"
and It Is often difficult to
determine the motivations as
to why certain ones stay or
leave, according to Gary G.
Maas, executive vice presi
dent, AGRicareers, Inc., Mas
sena, lowa.
days, and feed effeciency lowered
by 0.5 pounds. SEW decreases the
medication costs and overall death
loss which could mean greater
profit for producers.
Using SEW, producers could
experience up to a $l2-per-hog
decrease in rearing costs if using
more than 1,200 sows. Producers
with 300 sows could see a
$6-per-hog decrease in costs.
(Simply using all-in, all-out
methods, producers with ISO to
1,200 sows more can see a
decrease cost per pig ranging from
(Turn to Pago A2l)