Source: ANDERSON ASSOCIATES, LLC. submitted to NRP
REDUCING IN-TRANSIT LOSSES IN SWINE BY MODIFICATION OF ELECTROLYTE BALANCE PRIOR TO TRANSPORTATION
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SMALL BUSINESS GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0210258
Grant No.
2007-33610-17990
Cumulative Award Amt.
$79,971.00
Proposal No.
2007-00260
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
May 1, 2007
Project End Date
Dec 31, 2009
Grant Year
2007
Program Code
[8.3]- Animal Production & Protection
Recipient Organization
ANDERSON ASSOCIATES, LLC.
(N/A)
LOVELAND,CO 80538
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Over the past 15 years the incidence of in-transit losses in swine during transportation to harvest has tripled. These losses (non-ambulatory and dead animals) are associated with the rapid accumulation of lactic acid in blood and the development of metabolic acidosis in transport-stressed swine. As pigs have become more efficient and muscular, they have modified muscle fiber type (more glycolytic fibers) which has increased the potential for rapid lactic acid generation from muscle during handling. Modification of electrolyte balance of the pig just prior to transportation has the potential to provide the pig greater buffering capacity to more effectively withstand this acidogenic load. The current proposal will evaluate the effect of increased dietary electrolyte balance (dEB) on total in-transit losses under commercial conditions in approximately 90 truckloads of finisher swine. Preliminary laboratory data indicate that increasing dEB prior to transport could reduce in-transit losses by 50%. If the commercial feeding test is effective, subsequent work will focus on development of a water soluble cation-rich electrolyte that can be administered in medicator systems in the finishing barn prior to transportation to the packing plant.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
31535101020100%
Knowledge Area
315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal;

Field Of Science
1020 - Physiology;
Goals / Objectives
Over the past 15 years the incidence of in-transit losses in swine during transportation to slaughter has tripled. These losses (non-ambulatory and dead animals) are associated with the rapid accumulation of lactic acid in blood and the development of metabolic acidosis in transport-stressed swine. Modification of dietary electrolyte balance prior to handling in a laboratory trial significantly reduced the number of non-ambulatory fatigued animals. Therefore, the research in this study has been designed to explore the relationship between acid-base balance in swine and the incidence of in-transit losses during transportation to harvest under practical real-world conditions. The principal objective of the research is to determine the effect of increasing dietary electrolyte balance by 400 meq/kg feed for 4 days prior to transportation on the pigs ability to combat metabolic acidosis, often a consequence of the stressful events surrounding handling, transport and slaughter. By providing pigs with electrolyte supplementation to maintain an increased electrolyte balance, it is hypothesized that pigs will have the ability to more successfully buffer the lactic acid accumulation associated with periods of high stress and subsequently prevent the onset of the fatigued pig syndrome and in-transit losses. In addition to reducing loss attributed to fatigued pig syndrome, the alteration of electrolyte balance prior to slaughter may have positive effects on pork meat quality.
Project Methods
Approximately 90 truckloads of finisher swine will be used to determine if increasing dEB by 400 meq/kg feed for 4 days prior to transport will reduce in-transit losses. The incidence of in-transit losses is affected by many environmental factors such as human interaction, pig mixing, climate and truck environment. Throughout the research study, these factors will be equalized across treatments to effectively evaluate the effect of electrolyte supplementation on the incidence of in-transit losses. The study will be conducted during the months of June to November, 2007 with the highest number of replicates during July/August, 2007. We will work through the packers to identify producers that are able to effectively switch feeds during the last 4 days prior to transport. Approximately four days prior to harvest, half the pigs in each barn to be evaluated will be fed a low electrolyte diet and the other half a high electrolyte diet produced by increasing the standard dietary cation electrolyte content by approximately 400 meq/kg feed. Throughout the course of the study, in-transit loss will be defined as dead on arrival (DOA), non-ambulatory non-injured (NANI) or non-ambulatory injured (NAI). The number of pigs in each category will be recorded at the barn, truck, and packing plant as well as signs of stress such as dyspnea (open mouth breathing), skin blotchiness and muscle tremors. Blood will be obtained via jugular venipuncture prior to transportation to document that pigs received the appropriate electrolyte in the feed. The blood samples will be analyzed using a portable iSTAT blood analyzer to obtain pH, base excess, lactate and bicarbonate concentrations. Blood samples will also be obtained at the plant to determine the persistence of the electrolyte treatment. Ninety truckloads of finisher pigs, transported under commercial conditions, will be required in the study based on previously published data as well as power calculations of required replication. We predict that increasing dEB by 400 meq/kg feed for 4 days prior to transport will cut in-transit losses in half. If the commercial feeding test is effective, subsequent work will focus on development of a water soluble cation-rich electrolyte that can be administered in medicator systems in the finishing barn a few days prior to transportation to the packing plant.

Progress 05/01/07 to 04/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A 12 month no-cost extension was requested and approved. The packing plant collaborators on this study were undergoing remodeling of the animal handling facilities. We delayed the study until these modifications were completed. Production sites that could conduct the feeding trial and provide truckloads of swine for the study were identified. PARTICIPANTS: David B. Anderson, Ph.D., Principle Investigator. Lily Edwards, Ph.D graduate student, Colorado State University. Terry E. Engle, Assoc Prof. of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University. TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers at the July, 2007 American Society of Animal Sciences Annual meeting. Researchers at the July, 2008 American Society of Animal Sciences Annual meeting. Swine producers, livestock truckers, packing plant managers attending the 2008 AMIF Animal Care and Handling Conference, February, 2008. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
A collaborative study conducted at the University of Illinois showed that multiple concurrent stressors during transportation to market (handling intensity, transportation floor space, and distance during handling) had an additive effect on rectal temperature, blood acid-base balance and muscle glycolytic potential. This indicated that our USDA-SBIR proposal may benefit several aspects of transport stress in swine. Further studies demonstrated that crystalline amino acid diets were acidogenic and may contribute to increased transportation loss and that 2.5% sodium bicarbonate reversed this acidogenesis by affecting physiological indicators of pH. Other studies demonstrated that specific animal handling events prior to stunning at the packing plant (eg. jamming, backing-up, rearing) were correlated to exsanguination blood lactate. The work supports the concept of the USDA-SBIR proposal that control of acid-base balance during transportation and handling during the marketing process is very important.

Publications

  • Ritter, M.J., M. Ellis, D.B. Anderson, S.E. Curtis, K.K. Keffaber, J. Killefer, F.K. McKeith, C.M. Murphy, B.A. Peterson. 2007. Effects of multiple concurrent stressors on rectal temperature, blood acid-base status, and loin muscle glycolytic potential in market weight pigs. J. Anim. Sci. 85 (Suppl. 1): 679-680 (Abstract 976).
  • Dorton, K. L., L. N. Edwards, T. E. Engle, R. M. Enns, and D. B. Anderson. 2008. Effects of crystalline amino acids and sodium bicarbonate on physiological pH in swine. J. Anim. Sci. 86 (E-Suppl. 2): 342 (abstract 357).
  • Edwards, L.N., T. Grandin, T.E.Engle, M.J. Ritter, A. Sosnicki and D. B. Anderson. 2008. Is exsanguination blood lactate a good indicator of pre-slaughter pig handling J. Anim. Sci. 86 (E-Suppl. 2): iii. (Late-breaking original research).
  • Edwards, L.N., T. Grandin, T.E.Engle, M.J. Ritter, A. Sosnicki and D. B. Anderson. 2008. Use of blood lactate to assess the quality of pig pre-stun handling in a commercial setting. AMI Animal Care and Handling Conference. February 2008