Citizens' willingness to support farmers' adoption of low crude protein diet in pig production.

Livestock farming has a detrimental effect on the environment since it generates a lot of gas emissions. In pig farming, the use of feed is among the substantial sources of animal farm emissions among the European Union. Nevertheless, the use of Low Dietary Crude Protein (LCP) may reduce the environmental impacts of pig farming and provide diverse ecosystem services (ESs). Concurrently, these pig diets alternatives may result more expensive than the conventional ones, which may negatively affect farmers' intention to adopt these alternatives. Citizens' payment for ESs may be a viable strategy to motivate farmers to implement more sustainable pig diets. The primary objective of this study is to assess the extent to which citizens of Catalonia (Spain) are willing to pay for the ESs generated by the implementation of a LCP diet in pig production. In pursuit of this goal, we conducted an online survey among 501 citizens, including a Discrete Choice Experiment. Participants evaluated three feed scenarios, and their choices were scrutinized using conditional logit model. Results revealed that citizens prefer the new pig diets, including both LCP and Very LCP (VLCP) diets, over the conventional pig diet. However, there is a clear preference toward the VLCP diet justified by their willingness to pay (WTP) of €67/year/adult.

A combined methodological approach to characterize pig farming and its influence on the occurrence of interactions between wild boars and domestic pigs in Corsican micro-regions.

The pig sector in Corsica is based by a wide range of farming systems, mainly characterized on traditional extensive practices, which favor contacts between domestic and wild individuals. These contacts are suspected to influence the maintenance and the transmission of shared infectious diseases between both populations. Therefore, it is important to develop methods that allow to understand and anticipate their occurrence. Modeling these interactions requires accurate data on the presence, location and use of land on pig farms and farming practices, but such data are often unavailable, incomplete or outdated. In this study, we suggest a method to collect and analyze pig farming information that combines approaches from social sciences and epidemiology and enables a spatial representation of an index of potential interaction (IPI) between wild and domestic pigs at municipality level in the Corsican territory. As a first step of the process, interviews were conducted to gather information from 103 pig farms. Then, using hierarchical clustering, we identified five different clusters of pig farming practices which were evaluated and validated by local experts using participatory tools. The five pig farming clusters with their respective estimated levels of direct and indirect interactions with wild boars were combined in a linear equation with pig density to estimate a hypothetical index of potential interaction (IPI) in 155 municipalities. Our results revealed the diversity of pig farming practices across the island of Corsica and pointed out potential hotspots of interaction. Our method proved to be an effective way to collect and update information on the presence and typology of pig farms which has the potential to update official livestock production statistics. The spatial representation of an IPI between wild boars and domestic pigs in the Corsican territory could help design regional disease management strategies and policies to improve the control of certain shared pig pathogens in pig farms from Corsica.

Optimizing vertically integrated pork production supply chain: A Lagrangian heuristic approach.

Pork stands out as the most extensively produced and consumed meat globally. With advancements in technology, genetics, and management, the structure of the pig supply chain has transformed from the traditional birth-to-slaughter raising method to incorporate four primary specialized operations: breeding, farrowing, nursery, and fattening. Fattening, constituting approximately 70% of a market pig's entire life cycle, heavily relies on resources, notably in feed consumption. Despite the integration of feed production with pig farming in modern industrial setups through farming contracts, separate decision-making processes for production planning in both stages often result in overall inefficiency. This research proposes an optimization-based methodology to plan production for a vertically integrated setting of three supply chain echelons: a feed mill, fattening farms, and a slaughterhouse. Key coordinated decisions include creating production plans for specific feed formulations at the feed mill and organizing farming cycles at fattening farms to meet the demand of the slaughterhouse The aim is to optimize pig growth while minimizing the overall costs. The methodology includes a mixed-integer linear programming model for the pig supply chain, and a Lagrangian heuristic as method to make coordinated production plans. Computational experiments were conducted using diverse case-study data based on pig supply chains in Thatland. Compared with the results using a commercial software, Lingo's Simplex method, our proposed heuristic could find optimal solutions quicker for smaller problem instances and produce more effective feasible solutions within limited time frames for larger scenarios.

The effects of dietary net energy on grow-finish performance and carcass characteristics of market gilts managed with immunological suppression of ovarian function and estrus (Improvest).

The objective was to determine the effects of net energy (NE) during the grow-finish period on live performance and carcass characteristics of market gilts managed with immunological suppression of ovarian function and estrus (Improvest®; IMP) compared with market gilts not managed with Improvest (CON). The 104-d study began when 1,008 gilts (11 wk old; average starting weight of 30.8 kg) were allocated by weight to 48 pens with 21 gilts/pen. Half of the pens were randomly selected to be managed with Improvest while the other half of the pens were not managed with Improvest. Three dietary programs differing in their NE were formulated over five dietary phases (according to standardized ileal digestible lysine requirements) to provide an average of 2,218 kcal/kg (low NE), 2,343 kcal/kg (medium NE), or 2,468 kcal/kg (high NE). The experiment was designed as a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of Improvest management and NE. For the overall study period, there were no significant interactions (P ≥ 0.20) for average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), or Gain:Feed (G:F). There were also no significant interactions between Improvest management and NE (P ≥ 0.30) for carcass characteristics. However, IMP gilts consumed more feed (6.8% greater ADFI; P < 0.01), grew faster (5.0% greater ADG; P < 0.01), were less efficient (1.8% lower G:F; P < 0.01), heavier (3.5 kg hot carcass weight; P < 0.01), and fatter (1.9 mm greater backfat thickness and 1.26% less predicted lean carcass yield; P < 0.01). No difference (P = 0.21) in carcass dressing percentage between IMP and CON gilts was reported. For the overall study period, gilts fed low NE and medium NE diets consumed more feed compared with gilts fed high NE diets (6.8% more ADFI for low NE and 5.7% more for medium NE; P < 0.01), and gilts fed low NE diets grew 2.5% slower (P < 0.01) than gilts fed medium NE diets, while gilts fed high NE diets were intermediate and not different from the other NE treatments. This resulted in gilts fed Low NE diets being the least efficient (3.8% lower G:F than medium NE and 7.1% lower G:F than High NE; P < 0.01). Overall, these data indicate that typical Improvest response levels were sustained at each of the NE treatments evaluated in this study as there were no significant interactions for Improvest management and NE; however, consideration should still be provided to the known production impacts of low NE diets.

The effects of dietary net energy on grow-finish performance and carcass characteristics of male market pigs managed with immunological castration (Improvest).

The objective was to determine the effects of dietary net energy (NE) during the grow-finish period on live performance and carcass characteristics of intact male pigs managed with immunological castration (Improvest) compared with physically castrated (PC) male pigs. The 101-d study began when 1,008 pigs (504 intact male pigs and 504 PC male pigs; 10 wk old) were allocated by weight to 48 pens with 21 intact males or 21 PC males per pen. Three dietary NE treatments were fed to pigs using five dietary phases (dietary programs were formulated according to standardized ileal digestible lysine requirements of Improvest males or PC males) to provide an average of 2,212 kcal/kg (low NE), 2,337 kcal/kg (medium NE), or 2,462 kcal/kg (high NE). The experiment was designed and analyzed as a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of Improvest management and NE. For the overall study period, there were no significant interactions between Improvest management and NE (P ≥ 0.19) for average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), or gain:feed (G:F). There were also no significant interactions between Improvest management and NE (P ≥ 0.06) for carcass characteristics. Improvest males consumed less feed (5.3% lower ADFI; P < 0.01), grew faster (5.1% greater ADG; P < 0.01), and were more efficient (11.2% greater G:F; P < 0.01) compared with PC males. Hot carcass weight (HCW) did not differ (P = 0.16) between Improvest males and PC males (attributed to 1.6 percentage unit lower dressing percentage for Improvest males; P < 0.01); however, Improvest males were leaner (0.9 mm less backfat and 0.65% greater predicted lean yield; P < 0.01) compared with PC males. For the overall study period, pigs fed low NE and medium NE diets consumed 7.5% and 4.6% more feed (P < 0.01) than pigs fed high NE diets, respectively, and pigs fed low NE diets grew 1.7% slower (P < 0.02) than pigs fed medium NE and high NE diets. This resulted in pigs fed low NE diets having 4.4% lower G:F compared with pigs fed medium NE and 8.6% lower G:F compared with pigs fed high NE diets (P < 0.01). Pigs fed low NE had 3.0 kg lighter (P < 0.01) HCW compared with medium NE, while high NE had intermediate HCW that did not differ from the other two treatments. Overall, typical Improvest response levels for live performance and carcass characteristics when compared with PC males were achieved for each of the NE treatments evaluated in this study.

Swine influenza A virus infection dynamics and evolution in intensive pig production systems.

Swine influenza A virus (swIAV) is one of the main viral pathogens responsible for respiratory disease in farmed pigs. While outbreaks are often epidemic in nature, increasing reports suggest that continuous, endemic infection of herds is now common. The move towards larger herd sizes and increased intensification in the commercial pig industry may promote endemic infection; however, the impact that intensification has on swIAV infection dynamics and evolution is unclear. We carried out a longitudinal surveillance study for over 18 months on two enzootically infected, intensive, indoor, and multi-site pig production flows. Frequent sampling of all production stages using individual and group sampling methods was performed, followed by virological and immunological testing and whole-genome sequencing. We identified weaned pigs between 4 and 12-weeks old as the main reservoir of swIAV in the production flows, with continuous, year-round infection. Despite the continuous nature of viral circulation, infection levels were not uniform, with increasing exposure at the herd level associated with reduced viral prevalence followed by subsequent rebound infection. A single virus subtype was maintained on each farm for the entire duration of the study. Viral evolution was characterised by long periods of stasis punctuated by periods of rapid change coinciding with increasing exposure within the herd. An accumulation of mutations in the surface glycoproteins consistent with antigenic drift was observed, in addition to amino acid substitutions in the internal gene products as well as reassortment exchange of internal gene segments from newly introduced strains. These data demonstrate that long-term, continuous infection of herds with a single subtype is possible and document the evolutionary mechanisms utilised to achieve this.

- Invited Review - Current status, challenges and prospects for pig production in Asia.

Asia is not only the primary region for global pig production but also the largest consumer of pork worldwide. Although the pig production in Asia has made great progress in the past, it still is confronted with numerous challenges. These challenges include: inadequate land and feed resources, a substantial number of small-scale pig farms, escalating pressure to ensure environmental conservation, control of devastating infectious diseases, as well as coping with high temperatures and high humidity. To solve these problems, important investments of human and financial capital are required to promote large-scale production systems, exploit alternative feed resources, implement precision feeding, and focus on preventive medicine and vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics, improve pig breeding, and increase manure recycling. Implementation of these techniques and management practices will facilitate development of more environmentally-friendly and economically sustainable pig production systems in Asia, ultimately providing consumers with healthy pork products around the world.

- Invited Review - Pig production in Latin America.

Latin America is a culturally, geographically, politically, and economically diverse region. Agriculture in Latin America is marked by a remarkable diversity of production systems, reflecting various agroecological zones, farm sizes, and technological levels. In the last decade, the swine industry increased by 30.6%, emerging as a great contributor to food security and economic development in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico dominate the pig production landscape, together accounting for 70% of sow inventory in the region. The swine industry in Latin America is predominantly comprised of small and medium-sized farms, however, in the past 30 years, the number of pig producers in Brazil dropped by 78%, whereas pork production increased by 326%. Similar to the global pork industry, the growing demand for pork, driven by population growth and changing dietary habits, presents an opportunity for the industry with an expected growth of 16% over the next decade. The export prospects are promising, however subject to potential disruptions from global market conditions and shifts in trade policies. Among the challenges faced by the swine industry, disease outbreaks, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF), present significant threats, necessitating enhanced biosecurity and surveillance systems. In 2023, ASF was reported to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Venezuela, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) in Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador. Additionally, feed costs, supply chain disruptions, and energy expenses have affected mainly the smaller and less efficient producers. The swine industry is also transitioning towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, including efficient feed usage, and precision farming. Ensuring long-term success in the swine industry in Latin America requires a holistic approach that prioritizes sustainability, animal welfare, and consumer preferences, ultimately positioning the industry to thrive in the evolving global market.

Life-cycle comparisons of economic and environmental consequences for pig production with four different models in China.

China, the world's largest consumer and producer of pork in the world, is attracting increasing attention due to the environmental impacts of its pig production. Previous studies seldom comprehensively compare the environmental impacts of the pig production system with different models, resulting in different intensities of environmental impacts. We aim to comprehensively evaluate Chinese pig production with different breeding models and explore a more sustainable way for pig production. We use life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate and compare environmental impacts of pig production system with four main breeding models in China from 1998 to 2020: domestic breeding, small-scale breeding, medium-scale breeding, and large-scale breeding. The life cycle encompasses fertilizer production, feed production, feed processing, pig raising, waste treatment, and slaughtering. The impact categories including energy consumption (EN), global warming (GWP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EU), water use (WD), and land occupation (LO) are expressed with "100 kg live weight of fattening pig at farm gate." The results show that driven by governmental support, growing meat demand, and cost advantage, the scale breeding especially large-scale breeding simultaneously yielded greater net economic benefit and less environmental impact compared to other breeding models especially the domestic breeding. Due to mineral fertilizer application, feed production contributed over 50% of the total environmental impacts. Notably, the composition of feeds exerted significant influence on the environmental impacts arising from fertilizer production and feed processing. Furthermore, attributable to the substantial use of electricity and heat, as well as the concomitant emissions, pig raising contributed the largest GWP, while ranking second in terms of AP and EU. Notably, waste management constituted the third-largest EU, AP, and WD. In addition to promote scale breeding, we put forth several sustainable measures encompassing feed composition, cultivation practices, fertilizer utilization, and waste management for consideration.

- Invited Review - Current status of global pig production: an overview and research trends.

Global pig production has increased by 140% since the 1960s. The increase in global population, coupled with improving socioeconomic conditions of many countries has led to an increased consumption of meat globally, including pork. To keep up with demand and capitalize on economic opportunities, the countries of China, the United States (US), and the European Union (EU) have become the top 3 pork producers globally. China is of particular interest, as it is the both the largest country in pork production and pig numbers, as well as being the largest importer of pork from other countries. Globally, the efficiency of pork production has improved, in relation to the integration of pig production and the dramatic increase in research efforts in pig nutrition and production. Through integration, large producers can consolidate resources and maximize profits and efficiency. The increased research interest and efforts in pig production have given scientists and producers the opportunity to collaborate to adapt to challenges and identify possible solutions to issues brought on by a volatile global market. Intestinal health (23%), general nutrition and growth (23%), and amino acid nutrition (15%) were the top 3 areas (61%) leading research trends in pig nutrition and production. Major dietary interventions with feed additives evaluated include functional amino acids, feed enzymes, pre-/pro-/post-biotics, and phytobiotics with a common goal to improve the growth efficiency by enhancing nutrient utilization and intestinal health. With increasing global issues with environment, pig producers and the supporting scientists should continue their efforts to improve the production efficiency and to reduce the environmental footprint from pig production.

The first outbreak of African swine fever in Sweden: a survey of pig farmers' perceptions of information received, risks, biosecurity measures and future prospects.

BACKGROUND: African swine fever (ASF), a viral hemorrhagic disease in domestic pigs and wild boar with up to 100% case fatality, was confirmed in Swedish wild boar in September 2023. The responsible authorities launched a control programme to eradicate the infection. The aim of the current study was to understand (i) how Swedish pig farmers have perceived the information issued by authorities and other stakeholders since the discovery of ASF in wild boar, (ii) which risks they see for introducing the infection to their farm, (iii) what biosecurity measures they have taken on their farms, and (iv) their outlook on the future. Such information is important for evaluating the effectiveness of the early stages of ASF control in Sweden. A questionnaire was designed and distributed to members of the Swedish pig producers' organisation. RESULTS: A total of 155 farmers responded to the survey (response rate 36%). Almost all respondents had received general information about ASF (91%, n = 138), and 72% (n = 109) had received information about how they can protect their farm from ASF introduction. A majority (87%, n = 118) thought the information was easy to understand, 90% (n = 137) that is was relevant, and 77% (n = 117) that they currently did not lack any information. If given the resources necessary, 58% (n = 84) of the farmers would like to take additional measures such as fencing, and heavily reduce or eradicate the wild boar population. Wild boars were considered the greatest risk for introduction of ASF into their herd (39%, n = 57), followed by people (30%, n = 44), and transports (16%, n = 23). Many farmers (66%, n = 88) had a positive outlook on the future, and 89% (n = 127) have not changed their plans for the future since the ASF outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: The responding farmers were in general satisfied with the information received in the beginning of the ASF outbreak. The majority have a positive outlook on the future and the outbreak has not caused them to change their plans. Actions that were highlighted as important to safeguard Sweden's pig production included measures to control the wild boar population.

Hotspots and bottlenecks for the enhancement of the environmental sustainability of pig systems, with emphasis on European pig systems.

Although pig systems start from a favourable baseline of environmental impact compared to other livestock systems, there is still scope to reduce their emissions and further mitigate associated impacts, especially in relation to nitrogen and phosphorous emissions. Key environmental impact hotspots of pig production systems are activities associated with feed production and manure management, as well as direct emissions (such as methane) from the animals and energy use. A major contributor to the environmental impacts associated with pig feed is the inclusion of soya in pig diets, especially since European pig systems rely heavily on soya imported from areas of the globe where crop production is associated with significant impacts of land use change, deforestation, carbon emissions, and loss of biodiversity. The "finishing" pig production stage contributes most to these environmental impacts, due to the amount of feed consumed, the efficiency with which feed is utilised, and the amount of manure produced during this stage. By definition therefore, any substantial improvements pig system environmental impact would arise from changes in feed production and manure management. In this paper, we consider potential solutions towards system environmental sustainability at these pig system components, as well as the bottlenecks that inhibit their effective implementation at the desired pace and magnitude. Examples include the quest for alternative protein sources to soya, the limits (perceived or real) to the genetic improvement of pigs, and the implementation of alternative manure management strategies, such as production of biogas through anaerobic digestion. The review identifies and discusses areas that future efforts can focus on, to further advance understanding around the potential sustainability benefits of modifications at various pig system components, and key sustainability trade-offs across the environment-economy-society pillars associated with synergistic and antagonistic effects when joint implementation of multiple solutions is considered. In this way, the review opens a discussion to facilitate the development of holistic decision support tools for pig farm management that account for interactions between the "feed * animal * manure" system components and trade-offs between sustainability priorities (e.g., environmental vs economic performance of pig system; welfare improvements vs environmental impacts).

Salmonella Infection in Pigs: Disease, Prevalence, and a Link between Swine and Human Health.

Salmonella is one of the most spread foodborne pathogens worldwide, and Salmonella infections in humans still represent a global health burden. The main source of Salmonella infections in humans is represented by contaminated animal-derived foodstuffs, with pork products being one of the most important players. Salmonella infection in swine is critical not only because it is one of the main causes of economic losses in the pork industry, but also because pigs can be infected by several Salmonella serovars, potentially contaminating the pig meat production chain and thus posing a significant threat to public health globally. As of now, in Europe and in the United States, swine-related Salmonella serovars, e.g., Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variant Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica 1,4,[5],12:i:-, are also frequently associated with human salmonellosis cases. Moreover, multiple outbreaks have been reported in the last few decades which were triggered by the consumption of Salmonella-contaminated pig meat. Throughout the years, changes and evolution across the pork industry may have acted as triggers for new issues and obstacles hindering Salmonella control along the food chain. Gathered evidence reinforces the importance of coordinating control measures and harmonizing monitoring programs for the efficient control of Salmonella in swine. This is necessary in order to manage outbreaks of clinical disease in pigs and also to protect pork consumers by controlling Salmonella subclinical carriage and shedding. This review provides an update on Salmonella infection in pigs, with insights on Salmonella ecology, focusing mainly on Salmonella Choleraesuis, S. Typhimurium, and S. 1,4,[5],12:i:-, and their correlation to human salmonellosis cases. An update on surveillance methods for epidemiological purposes of Salmonella infection in pigs and humans, in a "One Health" approach, will also be reported.

Retrospective investigation of the 2019 African swine fever epidemic within smallholder pig farms in Oudomxay province, Lao PDR.

The 2019 African swine fever (ASF) outbreak in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR or Laos) represented a major epidemiologic event where a transitioning lower-middle income nation (LMIC) experienced a viral epidemic in a naïve pig population. The diversity of pig management styles creates challenges for local and regional policymakers when formulating recommendations to control an ASF outbreak. The aim of this study were to investigate the management of pigs in villages of Oudomxay province that were affected by ASF in 2019, as a case study in a smallholder pig-rasing system in northern Laos. The frequencies of well known risk factors were measured in the affected villages and the timelines and household level stock losses due to the outbreak were investigated. These findings were compared to data available from a similar outbreak in the southern province of Savannakhet. Disease control implications of these findings are discussed. Mean losses were 3.0-23.3 pigs per household, with a mean lost herd value of USD 349, 95% CI (294-415). These pig losses reflect those estimated in Savannakhet (6.7 pigs per household). However, the financial loss estimated per household was higher, USD 349 versus USD 215, possibly due to higher pig values and a higher input/output management approach in Oudomxay. The investigation revealed the presence of numerous ASF risk factors, such as swill-feeding and free-ranging. In addition, poor biosecurity practices - such as inappropriate garbage disposal and slaughtering - that could contaminate the environment were present. ASF cases occurred across all villages between June and December 2019, with outbreak periods ranging from 22-103 days. These values are consistent with the outbreak in Savannakhet; however, notable differences in management styles were observed. These findings demonstrate the need for more disease control resources from the village to the Governmental level. Villages need support in enacting context appropriate biosecurity measures, whilst the ongoing surveillance and investigation of ASF require investment in logistical and veterinary resources at the Governmental level.

Animal board invited review: The need to consider emissions, economics and pig welfare in the transition from farrowing crates to pens with loose lactating sows.

In the development and implementation of housing systems for pigs, there has been a significant focus on pig welfare including loose housing of lactating sows either indoors or outdoors. However, it is equally important to consider the environmental and economic aspects of housing systems to ensure sustainability in livestock production. The aim of this work was to review the sustainability (societal and animal welfare, environmental and economic impact) of different approaches for housing farrowing and lactating sows in indoor environments. The review illustrates that like outdoor systems, indoor housing systems are challenged in meeting the three pillars of sustainability when changing the housing of lactating sows from conventional crates with permanent confinement to systems with temporary or zero-confinement. Increased space allowance increases sow welfare, but in addition, pen designs with increased space increase ammonia emission, investment and running costs. Furthermore, indoor loose lactation systems come with an increased risk for piglet mortality, which unless effectively managed, reduces animal welfare and the economic sustainability of the system. If farms retrofit existing buildings, the larger space per loose farrowing pen leads to a reduction in pen numbers and therefore herd size, reducing the farm profitability. If farmers choose to reduce herd size to meet requirements, welfare will be reduced while emissions will be increased as more sows are brought into production again in other countries, often in conventional systems with fully slatted flooring, to meet the demand for animal protein to feed the growing global population. The review indicates there are ways to house lactating sows loose indoors with increased opportunity to perform highly motivated species-specific behaviours compared to the conventional crates with continuous confinement. These systems can offer a lower risk for environmental impact and economic risk through reducing piglet mortality. Nevertheless, a trade-off for continual freedom of sow movement may be required as zero-confinement increases the risk of piglet mortality and increased emissions. It is important to raise awareness among citizens and policy makers that loose farrowing and lactating systems if applied today, come with a higher production cost and the risk of increased environmental impact. More research and development is needed in relation to the environmental and economic impact of these systems in order to give farmers the best information to invest in new and more sustainable production systems.

PRRSV-1 Stabilization Programs in French Farrow-to-Finish Farms: A Way to Reduce Antibiotic Usage.

Infection with the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus type 1 (PRRSV-1) has serious economic consequences for the pig industry. Swine practitioners and other agricultural advisors often describe an increase in antibiotic use when PRRSV-1 is circulating. Our objective was to assess the impact of PRRSV-1 stabilization programs on reducing antibiotic use in 19 French farrow-to-finish farms that successfully implemented such a protocol between 2007 and 2019. For each farm, we compared the global antibiotic consumption, including all physiological stages (expressed in mg/PCU and ALEA) one year before (P1) and one year after (P2) the implementation of the protocol, and the change between P1 and P2 was calculated in percentages. The data were also analyzed by level of consumption. We showed that antibiotic use decreased significantly between P1 and P2 if expressed in mg/PCU and showed a decreased tendency in terms of exposure (ALEA) after PRRSV-1 stabilization. Concerning the change from P1 to P2, depending on the level of consumption in P1, our results showed that the higher the consumption levels were in P1, the greater the antibiotic reduction in P2. This study highlights the ability of a stabilization protocol against PRRSV-1 to reduce antibiotic use, especially on farms that have high consumption rates. These hopeful results show that further investigations about the relationship between PRRSV-1 and antibiotic usage could be beneficial.

Potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from pig production in China on the basis of households' pork consumption.

In the past decades, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from pig production in China have been increasing rapidly, which has become a huge challenge in fulfilling China's "carbon neutral" commitment. However, few studies have focused on reducing the GHG emissions from pig production in view of households' pork consumption. This study analyzed the temporal and spatial pattern of the GHG emissions from pig production in China in 2001-2020 through geographical information system, optimized the pig production in China, and estimated thepotentialGHG emissions reduction from pig production in China in 2020 through spatial analysis based on pork surplus or deficit. Results show that the temporal and spatial pattern of the GHG emissions from pig production and its proportion in the total GHG emissions from livestock production in China in 2001-2020 varied differently at the province level and conformed to the "Hu Huanyong Line" mode. The largest and smallest GHG emissions from pig production were 108.93 million tons (MT) in 2014 and 78.10 MT in 2020, respectively. The largest and smallest proportions of GHG emissions from pig production in the total GHG emissions from livestock production were 77.52% in Zhejiang in 2013 and 0.13% in Tibet in 2009, respectively. Moreover, a potential optimization scheme of pig production in China in 2020 was provided and a method of GHG emissions reduction from pig production is proposed. The results indicate that the total potentialGHG emissions reduction from pig production on the basis of households' pork consumption could reach 35.21 MT, accounting for 45.09% of the total GHG emissions from pig production and 10.27% of the total GHG emissions from livestock production in China in 2020. These findings areusefulin the spatial layout planning of pig production, agricultural GHG reduction, and global warming mitigation.

As if you were hiring a new employee: on pig veterinarians' perceptions of professional roles and relationships in the context of smart sensing technologies in pig husbandry in the Netherlands and Germany.

Veterinarians are increasingly confronted with new technologies, such as Precision Livestock Farming (PLF), which allows for automated animal monitoring on commercial farms. At the same time, we lack information on how veterinarians, as stakeholders who may play a mediating role in the public debate on livestock farming, perceive the use and the impact of such technologies. This study explores the meaning veterinarians attribute to the application of PLF in the context of public concerns related to pig production. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with pig veterinarians located in the Netherlands and Germany. By using an inductive and semantic approach to reflexive thematic analysis, we developed four main themes from the interview data: (1) the advisory role of the veterinarian, which is characterized by a diverse scope, including advice on PLF, generally positive evaluations and financial dependencies; (2) the delineation of PLF technologies as supporting tools, which are seen as an addition to human animal care; (3) the relationship between veterinarian and farmer, which is context-related, ranging from taking sides with to distancing oneself from farmers; and (4) the distance between agriculture and society, in the context of which PLF has both a mitigating and reinforcing potential. The present findings indicate that veterinarians play an active role in the emerging field of PLF in livestock farming. They are aware of and reflect on competing interests of different groups in society and share positions with different stakeholders. However, the extent to which they are able to mediate between stakeholder groups in practice seems to be constrained by external factors, such as financial dependencies. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10460-023-10450-6.

Associations between Pleurisy and the Main Bacterial Pathogens of the Porcine Respiratory Diseases Complex (PRDC).

Porcine Respiratory Diseases Complex (PRDC) is a multifactorial disease that involves several bacterial pathogens, including Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae), Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae), Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida), Glaesserella parasuis (G. parasuis), and Streptococcus suis (S. suis). In pigs, the infection may cause lesions such pleurisy, which can lead to carcass condemnation. Hence, 1015 carcasses were selected from three different commercial pig farms, where the respiratory conditions were evaluated using slaughterhouse pleurisy evaluation system (SPES) and classified into five groups. In total, 106 pleural and lung fragments were collected for qPCR testing to identify the five abovementioned pathogens. A moderate correlation between the severity of the lesions and the presence of P. multocida (R = 0.38) and A. pleuropneumoniae (R = 0.28) was observed. Concerning the lung samples, the severity of the lesions was moderately correlated with the presence of P. multocida (R = 0.43) and M. hyopneumoniae (R = 0.35). Moreover, there was a strong correlation between the presence of P. multocida and M.hyopneumoniae in the pleura (R = 0.82). Finally, this approach may be a useful tool to identify and quantify causative agents of PRDC using qPCR, providing a comprehensive evaluation of its relevance, strength, and potential application in the field as a surveillance tool for veterinarians.

Odor exploration behavior of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa) as indicator of enriching properties of odors.

Introduction and aim: Although the sense of smell in pigs is widely recognized as being highly developed, surprisingly little is known about their sensory ability. This study aimed to (a) identify which non-social odors pigs were able to detect and distinguish between, (b) investigate the types of behavior expressed when exploring odors and, (c) compare pigs' responses to the different odors to evaluate their interest in the odors. Methods: Growing pigs (N = 192) of crossbred commercial breeds were enrolled in the experiment (32-110 days of age, weighing 64.9 ± 10.1kg). Littermate pairs of opposite sex were tested in test pens with two odor insertion points in the pen wall, 55 cm apart. All pigs were habituated to the test pens and experimenters. Twelve odors were tested (eight essential oils and four synthetic perfumes) in groups of three odors, with each pig pair tested once with one set of three odors (all possible orders of the three odors were tested on 24 pairs in total), always against a non-odor control (demineralized water). In a test, each of the three odors were presented during three trials in a row (a total of 9 trials per test; trial duration: 1 min; inter-trial breaks: 2 min; total test duration: 25 min). Response variables included: duration of sniffing, feeding-related behavior (licking, biting and rooting), agonistic behavior (biting, displacement and pushing) and no approach of the odor or control, recorded throughout each 1-min odor presentation. Results: All pigs sniffed an odor less when repeatedly presented (LMM: all odors P < 0.05), and significantly longer at the subsequent presentation of a new odor [LMM (3rd vs. 1st presentations): P < 0.001]. Specific odor and odor type (essential oil vs. synthetic perfume) had no significant effect on sniffing duration. Overall, feeding-related behavior and agonistic behavior were expressed significantly more when pigs explored the odor compared with the control insertion point (Paired t-tests: P < 0.001), and specific odor only affected the expression of feeding-related behavior. Conclusion: Collectively, pigs express sniffing, agonistic, and feeding-related behavior when exploring odors, which suggests that pigs perceive odors of non-social origin as a resource. Odors may thus constitute relevant enrichment material for pigs.