U.S. pig survival rates trail behind global competitors, prompting experts to question the reasons. At a recent World Pork Expo panel, Mike Tokach, a notable animal science professor at Kansas State University, shared that pinning down the exact reasons is complex due to numerous factors influencing sow health. Elements like nutrition, environment, disease, and feed all play a role in the wellbeing of pigs.
Certain practices and dietary differences might give European pigs an edge. For instance, European producers often maintain better health by washing trucks post-slaughter. Their pigs' diets also tend to be richer in soluble fiber, which could reduce prolapse rates in sows. In contrast, U.S. pig diets typically contain more insoluble fiber.
South American producers, on the other hand, don't grapple with the high disease rates the U.S. faces, offering them a distinct advantage.
Understanding these discrepancies is vital for the U.S. industry. Tokach emphasized that while the U.S. production system differs in many ways, pinpointing the exact significance of each difference remains a challenge.
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Categories: Kansas, Livestock, Hogs