BOAR FEEDING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH.

In pig farming the major aim is to produce large litter sizes that are healthy with high reproductive capacity.The success in pig farming is hinged on genetics as the pig cannot exceed the genetic capacity hence a good genetic line is chosen. Housing and management also influences the outcome of venture, proper housing and animal management is another crucial point. The major key to success is feeding programme,the animals must have access to good quality feed ,balanced and readily available. The importance of feed in the boar cannot be overemphasized as the quality of sperm produced will set the genetic track for the farm. When preparing the feed,you need to ensure that all ingredients that will ensure the following are available; proper muscle development, proper bone development and production of high quality and quantity of sperm. The feed should provide the necessary daily feed intake which must contain dietary energy and protein, additives and vitamins such as organic selenium, vitamin E, zinc, biotin, vitamin C. The breeding boars must be mature animals, so also must the to sows. An underweight or overweight boar or sow will often result in breeding failure,hence feeding should be monitored. Boar libido unlike sperm production, cannot be easily manipulated by changing dietary protein and energy levels but its a known fact only prolonged conditions of over-feeding or under-feeding, and excessive extreme cases of body condition change, can negatively impair boar libido. Scientific research proves that protein and amino acids lysine and methionine + cystine, play an important role in sperm production. In particular, the sulphur-containing amino acids methionine/cystine affect the secretory activity of the epididymis, thus significantly enhancing sperm volume. This effect is very marked in intensively used boars, where sperm production has been shown to be positively influenced when extra protein and methionine was added to the diet. Protein combined with adequate energy intake is very crucial for optimal sperm production.

PORCINE EPIDEMIC DIARRHOEA VIRUS AND FEED INGREDIENTS.

The porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus has been observed to survive in feed ingredients,this was demonstrated by some researchers who demonstrated this using a model as a point of study. The scientists used a model simulating shipment from China to the United States, as reported in BMC Veterinary Research. This is proof of concept suggesting that contaminated feed ingredients could serve as transboundary risk factors for PEDv, along with the identification of effective mitigation options. The scientists stated that this study describes a model developed to evaluate the transboundary risk of PEDv-contaminated swine feed ingredients and the effect of two mitigation strategies during a simulated transport event from China to the US. They stated that Ingredients imported to the USA from China, including organic & conventional soybeans and meal, lysine hydrochloride, D-L methionine, tryptophan, Vitamins A, D & E, choline, carriers (rice hulls, corn cobs) and feed grade tetracycline, were inoculated with PEDv. The control ingredients, and treatments (ingredients plus a liquid antimicrobial (SalCurb, Kemin Industries) or a 2% custom medium chain fatty acid blend) were tested. The model ran for 37 days, simulating transport of cargo from Beijing, China to Des Moines, IA, US from 23 December 2012 to 28 January 2013. To mimic conditions on land and sea, historical temperature and percent relative humidity (% RH) data were programmed into an environmental chamber which stored all containers. To evaluate PEDv viability over time, ingredients were organised into 1 of 4 batches of samples, each batch representing a specific segment of transport. Across control (non-treated) ingredients, viable PEDv was detected in soybean meal (organic and conventional), Vitamin D, lysine hydrochloride and choline chloride. In contrast, viable PEDv was not detected in any samples treated with the liquid antimicrobial or the medium chain fatty acid blend. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) pointed out that PEDv might have entered the United States in May 2013 by ways of tote bags. The new research shows a different way of transmission, but it's not proven which road the infection took in 2013. What it does show is that there appears to be a risk related to some long-distance feed trade. Ex