Grant: Alliance Grants

Total farm mortality rates on intensive pork farms are approaching 30% and continue to rise despite the admirable efforts of caretakers and veterinarians. Thus, additional strategies are needed to reduce mortality in all stages of production. This research aims to develop knowledge, standards and tools to improve swine health and well-being, specifically, improve treatment success and decrease mortality on intensive farms. The research includes five novel subprojects, each completed by a trainee in collaboration with the industry partners, the pork producers of western Canada represented by the Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan Pork Boards and the Western Canadian Swine Health Alliance. Individual subprojects aim to determine the most effective swine health critical control points, evaluate internal biosecurity practices and compliance, assess treatment and response rates by condition, develop a data system to assess real-time treatment rates, and evaluate standardized tele-necropsy protocols. All subprojects will broadly consult industry stakeholders during initial stages, and will be undertaken in pork farms of varying types across the prairie provinces. The research will be relevant and representative of the Canadian industry enhancing industry adoption. The knowledge and tools developed will be used beyond the life of this research leading to quality improvements that are highly sustainable over time. The research will be sensitive to the cultural diversity of industry stakeholders and farm workers including the translation of research materials and outputs where necessary. Research result will be sex-specific to account for response differences between male and female pigs. The research team will receive formal training related to the most important equity, diversity and inclusions issues inherent to the swine industry including the varied cultural and backgrounds of farm workers, gender diversity, colonialization and mental health. The trainees, all foreign-trained veterinarians from non-accredited universities, are motivated to complete this research as one step towards obtaining licensure to work as future swine veterinarians.