Comparison of shower-in and shower-in plus bench entry protocols for prevention of environmental contamination due to personnel entry in a commercial swine facility

Objective: To determine if the addition of a bench entry system in a commercial swine facility with a shower lowers the risk of personnel introducing environmental contamination. Materials and methods: Fluorescent powder was used to assess the bench entry system by simulating environmental contamination carried on the footwear of personnel entering a commercial swine farm. On each of ten days, four female employees entered the premises, stepped through the fluorescent powder, performed bench entry procedures, and showered into the farm. For ten additional replicates, the bench was removed and regular farm protocols were followed. The fluorescent powder contamination was evaluated with a grid system at four sampling points including before the bench, after the bench, before the shower, and after the shower. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine if there was a difference in the number of contaminated grid cells found at each sampling between the treatment groups. Results: Fluorescent powder was found after the shower on two study days in which the bench was removed but none when the bench was in place. There was a significant difference in contamination found directly after the bench between days with bench entry and days that the bench was removed, but this was not observed at any of the other sampling points. Implications: A bench entry system may decrease the risk that pathogens reach the clean side of the shower, but improved protocols and additional layers of biosecurity are needed

Comparison of shower-in and shower-in plus bench entry protocols for prevention of environmental contamination due to personnel entry in a commercial swine facility

Objective: To determine if the addition of a bench entry system in a commercial swine facility with a shower lowers the risk of personnel introducing environmental contamination. Materials and methods: Fluorescent powder was used to assess the bench entry system by simulating environmental contamination carried on the footwear of personnel entering a commercial swine farm. On each of ten days, four female employees entered the premises, stepped through the fluorescent powder, performed bench entry procedures, and showered into the farm. For ten additional replicates, the bench was removed and regular farm protocols were followed. The fluorescent powder contamination was evaluated with a grid system at four sampling points including before the bench, after the bench, before the shower, and after the shower. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine if there was a difference in the number of contaminated grid cells found at each sampling between the treatment groups. Results: Fluorescent powder was found after the shower on two study days in which the bench was removed but none when the bench was in place. There was a significant difference in contamination found directly after the bench between days with bench entry and days that the bench was removed, but this was not observed at any of the other sampling points. Implications: A bench entry system may decrease the risk that pathogens reach the clean side of the shower, but improved protocols and additional layers of biosecurity are needed.This article is published as Anderson, Amanda V., Cassandra Fitzgerald, Kimberlee Baker, Rachel Stika, Daniel Linhares, and Derald J. Holtkamp. "Comparison of shower-in and shower-in plus bench entry protocols for prevention of environmental contamination due to personnel entry in a commercial swine facility." Journal of Swine Health and Production 26, no. 4 (2018): 192-199. Posted with permission.</p

Mortality Patterns in a Commercial Wean-To Finish Swine Production System

Modern commercial pig production is a complex process that requires successful producers to understand and resolve factors associated with perturbations in production. One important perturbation is inventory loss due to mortality. In this study, data on 60 lots of approximately 2000 weaned pigs (n = 115,213) from one commercial production system were collected through the wean-to-finish (WTF) cycle with the objective of establishing patterns of mortality, estimating differences in profit/loss among patterns of mortality, and identifying production practices associated with mortality patterns. Information provided by the production system included the number of pigs in each lot at the time of placement (beginning inventory), weaning weight, barn dimensions, number of dead pigs (NDP) daily, capacity placed (proportion pigs actually placed versus what had been planned to be placed) and average weight sold. Analysis of NDP revealed three mortality patterns (clusters I, II, III) composed of 6, 40, and 14 lots, respectively, that differed in the temporal onset and/or level of mortality. Average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated by growth phase for each cluster. An economic model showed profit differences among clusters due to poor biological performance by clusters I and III in the late finishing phase. Cluster II (n = 40) had fewer dead pigs and the highest profit compared to clusters I (n = 6) and III (n = 14). Area per pig (stocking density) was the only factor associated with the differences in mortality patterns. Routine monitoring and the analysis of mortality patterns for associations with production and management factors can help swine producers improve biological performance and improve profit.This article is published as Mehling, Samantha, Alexandra Henao-Diaz, Jeremy Maurer, Ed Kluber, Rachel Stika, Christopher Rademacher, Jeff Zimmerman, Luis Giménez-Lirola, Chong Wang, Derald J. Holtkamp, Rodger Main, Locke Karriker, Daniel C.L. Linhares, Mary Breuer, Christa Goodell, and David Baum. "Mortality Patterns in a Commercial Wean-To-Finish Swine Production System." Veterinary Sciences 6, no. 2 (2019): 49. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci6020049. Posted with permission.</p

Mortality Patterns in a Commercial Wean-To Finish Swine Production System

Modern commercial pig production is a complex process that requires successful producers to understand and resolve factors associated with perturbations in production. One important perturbation is inventory loss due to mortality. In this study, data on 60 lots of approximately 2000 weaned pigs (n = 115,213) from one commercial production system were collected through the wean-to-finish (WTF) cycle with the objective of establishing patterns of mortality, estimating differences in profit/loss among patterns of mortality, and identifying production practices associated with mortality patterns. Information provided by the production system included the number of pigs in each lot at the time of placement (beginning inventory), weaning weight, barn dimensions, number of dead pigs (NDP) daily, capacity placed (proportion pigs actually placed versus what had been planned to be placed) and average weight sold. Analysis of NDP revealed three mortality patterns (clusters I, II, III) composed of 6, 40, and 14 lots, respectively, that differed in the temporal onset and/or level of mortality. Average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were calculated by growth phase for each cluster. An economic model showed profit differences among clusters due to poor biological performance by clusters I and III in the late finishing phase. Cluster II (n = 40) had fewer dead pigs and the highest profit compared to clusters I (n = 6) and III (n = 14). Area per pig (stocking density) was the only factor associated with the differences in mortality patterns. Routine monitoring and the analysis of mortality patterns for associations with production and management factors can help swine producers improve biological performance and improve profit