CRF's swine research is currently
undergoing an exciting evolution period as we adjust our research program
and capabilities to meet our member’s needs.
Sow nutrition research is conducted at a 600 sow breeding to wean facility owned by Cooperative Federee de Quebec. This farm, located near Frampton, Quebec, Canada, 70 km south of Quebec City, utilizes a highly productive female line of genetics, early weaning, extensive management, and a strict biosecurity program.
Breeding Herd research emphasizes: amino acid and protein feeding sequences during gestation, gilt development programs to improve longevity and performance, and development of nutritional programs to enhance the return to estrus and subsequent reproductive performance.
CRF nursery research
is conducted
at a
research facility near Upper Sandusky,
Ohio and is owned and
managed by CRF's member Kalmbach Feeds, Inc. This facility opened in
January of 2005 and provides CRF members with several advantages: ideal
size and treatment replications;
flexibility in pen size; all-in / all-out management; high health status
and biosecurity; access to different genetic lines; research and technical
staffing support; and a cost effective research system for the CRF
members.
The nursery has a capacity of 1,200 pigs in three rooms (40 pens per room with 400 pigs per room) with unlimited options for trials. Each room will also have its own system of scales for weighing pigs and feed, as well as separate water meters to evaluate water based medications. The nursery is fitted with six feed bins and has the capability to feed different treatment diets from either bulk or bagged feed, allowing CRF limitless feeding options for research trials. Kalmbach Feeds will also be providing access to older weaned groups of pigs at 18-21 days of age, as well as the standard earlier weaning.
Pigs of superior, lean genetics are brought into the facility on an all-in/all-out basis and are maintained under a strict biosecurity program in order to achieve and maintain a high health status. CRF continues to achieve statistically valid research data that can be applied to starter nutrition programs on the commercial production farm.
Current starter nutrition research emphasis is focused on such issues as: the environmental impact of nutrition, the evaluation of various protein-amino acid and energy sources, and determination of the correct amino acid to energy ratios. In addition, CRF is optimizing phase feeding and diet sequencing, determining the nutritional needs of the high-health status pig, and evaluation of minerals and sources.
CRF's grow-finish and breeding herd research is currently
conducted under an outsource basis. A research facility or location is
evaluated by the CRF Swine Research Team under a criteria developed to
provide CRF with valid proprietary research conducted with modern
genetics, management and health programs. These "research
partners" must have a reputation for excellence in their research
capabilities and programs. One such research partner is the Prairie Swine
Centre, Inc. located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. CRF is currently
conducting grow-finish nutrition research at this location.
Grow - Finish research is currently stressing such areas as: nutritional and environmental interactions, genetically modified grains, evaluation and requirements of amino acids, and the optimization of phase and split sex feeding. Furthermore, CRF is investigating nutrition and feeding management to enhance cost-effective lean growth, a methodology to determine on-farm lean growth potential, growth promoters, and feed manufacturing technology to enhance performance.
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