decrease font size
increase font size
change type face
bookmark this page
email this page
print this page
Production and Management Featured Articles
Print This Page
US Swine Herd Summary: Swine Health and Environmental Management
By USDA NAHMS - In 2000, the USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) conducted a study of swine operations within the top 17 pork-producing states. These operations represented 94 percent of the United States swine herd on operations with 100 or more pigs on December 1, 1999. This article provides a summary overview of the Swine Health and Environmental Management report findings.- The annual removal rate of breeding-age
females via death loss and culling was
45.9 percent.
- Overall, 10.9 pigs were born per litter,
of which 10.0 were born alive and 8.8
were weaned (June 1, 2000, through
November 30, 2000).
- From June 1, 2000, through November
30, 2000, a higher percentage of pigs
died in grower/finisher units (3.0
percent) than in nurseries (2.4 percent).
Of pigs entering the grower/finisher
unit, 2.1 percent were removed as
lightweight pigs.
- Fewer small sites (less than 25 percent)
constructed and maintained all swine
facilities to keep out birds than large
sites (more than 85 percent).
- Of sites using baits around the outside
of gestation buildings, about half placed
baits more than 50 feet apart, which is
too far to be effective for rats and mice.
- Large sites were more likely to place
baits inside gestations buildings than
outside, and placed baits outside feed-storage
facilities more often than inside.
- The majority of U.S. swine production
sites had the following animals on their
operations: cats (73.1 percent of sites);
dogs (70.9 percent of sites); and cattle
(51.7 percent of sites).
- Almost 60 percent of U.S. swine
production sites in the southern region
reported the presence of feral swine in
their county, compared to less than 6
percent of sites in the other regions.
- Regardless of herd size, the three most
important sources of food safety
information were: veterinarians (76.1
percent); pork industry magazines (71.9
percent); and industry programs (69.7
percent).
- Lagoons were used more commonly in
the southern region (75.4 percent of
sites) and west central region (42.6
percent of sites), compared to the other
regions, where less than 20 percent of
sites used a lagoon. The northern and
east central regions were more likely to
use below-ground slurry storage, such as
deep pits (Figure 1).
Northern Region: Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. West Central Region: Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota. East Central Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio. Southern Region: Arkansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas.
- Almost 85 percent of sites with lagoons
used compact clay liners.
- Most often, lagoons on large sites were
newer (just 17.3 percent were over 10-years
old) than lagoons on small sites
(62.7 percent were over 10-years old).
- More than 90 percent of large sites had a
formal, written nutrient management
plan (NMP), compared to less than 20
percent of small sites. Sites in the west
central region were least likely to have
an NMP (14.6 percent), while sites in
the southern region were most likely to
have an NMP (79.5 percent).
- For sites that had an NMP, agricultural
extension was the most important source
for creating the plan. Other important
sources included certified crop
consultants, Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
engineers, and agronomists.
- The predominant method of manure
application in the southern region was
irrigation, a practice rarely implemented
in the other regions.
- Small sites applied most often solid
manure using broadcast spreaders.
Medium-sized sites applied slurry via
surface application or subsurface
injection. Large sites applied manure
most commonly in liquid via irrigation
(Figure 2).
- Almost one-third (31.1 percent) of small
sites did no soil fertility testing during
the previous 3 years (Figure 3).
- Numerous strategies were used for
controlling odor from swine production
sites, including diet manipulation (50.2
percent of sites); manure management
(28.9 percent of sites); and air quality
(28.2 percent of sites). Diet
manipulation was the strategy used most
commonly.
- Adding chemical or biological additives to manure to control odor was practiced on 3.6 percent and 12.4 percent of sites, respectively.
Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health
USDA:APHIS:VS, attn. NAHMS
2150 Centre Ave., Bldg. B.,
Fort Collins, CO 80526
(970) 494-7000
NAHMSweb@aphis.usda.gov
www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cahm
Source: USDA National Animal Health Monitoring Service - September 2002
