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Spanish pig production and CIRCOVAC field experience

Luis Alberto García PinoMalta, 14th April

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Summary

Pig production in Spain

My company

Why we decided to start piglet vaccination?

A large field experience

Results

Pros & Cons

Conclusions

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Summary

Pig production in Spain

My company

Why we decided to start piglet vaccination?

A large field experience

Results

Pros & Cons

Conclusions

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Spanish Pig Production figuresNumber of gilts, sows and boars (2009)

Indoor production: 2,220,306 heads

Outdoor production (Iberian breed pig): 219,652

Boars: 52,638

Total: 2,439,958+ 52,638=

2,492,596

Total population: 25,342,606

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SWOT analysisStrengths Very dynamic and competitive

Big farms

Integration

Experience

Weaknesses Lack of Raw Materials for Feed (Dependence)

Lack of a strong interprofessional

Meat Export dependent

Sanitary status

Opportunities Land availability

Less environmental constraints

Threats Animal welfare regulation

Lack of capital due to the long lasting crisis

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The integration system

FEED-MILL (INTEGRATOR)

-Feed-Medicines-Vet advice-Pigs-Transport-Load- Sale-Slaughterhouse (in a few cases)

-Management

INTEGRATED FARMER-Farm-Man power-Energy-Residues: Slurry

TYPE OF INTEGRATED FARMS:-Artificial Insemination Center-Sow Farms

-Farrow-to-Finish-Weaner producers

-6- 8kg-16- 22kg

-Isowean: 6 to 20kg-Fattening: 20 to 110kg-Wean to Finish: 6 to 110kg

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My companyNutreco

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Phylosophy: Ingafood is a company dedicated to the pig production through the integration system and also marketing pigs of the Nanta customers under a quality system that ensures a safe, reliable and tailored to our consumer needs.

50,000 Sows 1,000,000 slaughtered pigs

8,000 Iberian Sows controlled 100,000 iberian pigs marketed

Spain second integrator:

Valls Companys: 3,500,000 slaughtered pigs

Ingafood:1,000,000 slaughtered pigs + 500,000 pigs marketed

Piensos Costa Piensos del Segre Juan Jimenez 800,000-1,000,000 slaughtered pigs Coren Guisona

My company

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Phylosophy: Ingafood is a company dedicated to the pig production through the integration system and also marketing pigs of the Nanta customers under a quality system that ensures a safe, reliable and tailored to our consumer needs

50,000 sows 1.000.000 slaughtered pigs

8,000 Iberian sows controlled 100.000

iberian pigs marketed

My company

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Spain second integrator Valls Companys: 3.500.000 slaughtered pigs Ingafood: 1.000.000 slaughtered pigs +

500000 pigs marketed

Piensos Costa Piensos del Segre Juan Jimenez 800.000-1.000.000

slaughtered pigs

Coren Guisona

My company

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Southwest Area

Aragon northern Area

East Area

Northern Area

(Catalonia)

11,000 sows

120,000 Fattening capacity

Geographical distribution:

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Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

Sometime ago we weren’t concerned at all about PCV2.

Our main focus was PRRS, but we still had problems like a: Heterogeneous batch of pigs. Poor performance. High fattening mortality and high percentage of runts. Many Pneumonias. Ear necrosis and PDNS lesion….

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Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

After controlling PRRS, we still have some problems typical of PRDC.

But we realized there were also lesions typical of PMWS, so we decided to send samples to the lab.

PRDC

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Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

Isowean phase (Post-weaning) problems

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Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

Fattening phase problems

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0,0%

5,0%

10,0%

15,0%

20,0%

25,0%

7 d

15 d

21 d

30 d

45 d

60 d

75 d

90 d

105

d12

0d

Cumulative mortality in the fattening units (farm G)

Circovac15.800 pigs

Before vaccination 13,892 pigs

F. Cuestas (2009)

Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

One of my vet colleagues decided to send samples to the lab, for PCV2 detection because measures implemented against PRRS only solved partially the problem.

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Before vaccination During vaccination

Period 21/03/07-05/05/08 20/05/08-13/04/09

Number of batches (Number of pigs)23

(13,892)21

(15,800)

Av. Number of pigs at entry (Min.-Max.)604 ± 144.6

(330-940)752±133.1 (620-1000)

Av. Weight at entry (rank)17.82±1,6

(15.78-23.32)18.15±1.3

(15.65-21.10)

Av. Days on feed (rank)139.4 ±6.1(131-151)

133.9±6.5 **(122-152)

Mortality rate (%) (rank) 16.1 (9.6-23.3) 6.5 (3.3-9.9)***

Feed conversion rate (FCR, kg/kg)3,13±0.21 (2.89-3.50)

2.88±0.17 (2.63-3.14)**

Corrected FCR (kg/kg)3.12±0.22 (2.81-3.55)

2.85±0.17 (2.61-3.11)**

Average Daily Weight Gain (ADG, g/day)0.595±3.17

(0.555-0.676)0.636±2.82

(0.587-0.691)***

Av. Slaughter weight (kgs.)99.87 ±4.76

(89.45-109.03)102.40±3.08

(99.50-110.86)*

Cost of medication (€/pig sold)4.86±2.83 (2.0-10.8)

1.82±0.55 (0.5-3-0)***

*p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001; ap<0.1 Cuestas et al. (2011)

Why we decided to vaccinate piglets against PCV2?

ROI = 17

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A large field experience

Ingafood decided to vaccinate with Circovac all pigs weaned since mid-2009.

Age: 21-28 days.

0.5ml of Circovac/pigs.

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And this was the result…

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And this was the result…

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And this was the result…

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And this was the result…

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And this was the result…

Economical impact In order to have an estimation of the financial

impact we have made some calculations with a simulator specifically designed for Spanish situation.

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And this was the result… Ingafood:

Lower Mortality: -1.8% Lower Feed Conversion Rate: -0.088g Lower cost of medication: -0.35€/pig

sold Less runts : -1.5%

Southwesth Area: Lower Mortality: -1.65% Lower Feed Conversion Rate: -0.027g Lower cost of medication: -0.51€/pig sold Less runts : -1.5%

ROI = 5.8

ROI = 4.2

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Pros and cons (issues) Circovac vaccination leads to an improvement of technical and

economic data but some problems may occur:

The vaccine does not express its full potential when there is a serious destabilization against PRRS

When pigs are vaccinated against PCV2 with early recirculating PRRS, the vaccine does not reach its objectives and in some cases, anaphylactic reactions, emaciation, diarrhea and high mortality of piglets can be raised. We should delay vaccination and perform seroprofiles of PCV2 and PRRS for finding the ideal age of vaccination against PCV2 in piglets

It’s important to stabilize sow farms! PCR: ++early age of pigs in isowean

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Pros and cons (issues)

This is not exclusive trait of CIRCOVAC as we have experienced similar cases with other PCV2 vaccines

In some farms we decided to replace the mycoplasma vaccine with PCV2 vaccine but a few months later the problems of pneumonia in finishing pigs increased and we learned it is important to use both vaccines in piglets.

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Conclusions

We used to be very skeptical about the role of PCV2 in our farms.

An appropriate diagnosis and the use of CIRCOVAC in one farm showed us the potential of vaccination against PCV2

We decided to make widespread use of PCV2 vaccine and we are proud of it.

Today the disease is more endemic than a few years ago. Circovac vaccination works well.

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Conclusions

Perhaps sow vaccination is an option for some farms or for the future.

We know that there is something else (PRRS, myco)

PCV2 epidemiology can change and we must be prepared .

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