BackgroundA number of European countries currently conduct mandatory farm-level benchmarking for antimicrobial usage (AMU). This review describes the systems used, with emphasis on metric type and practical implications.MethodsThis report describes examples of four types of metrics used to measure AMU: count-based, mass-based, daily dose-based and course-based, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.ResultsThe Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Switzerland use daily dose-based metrics to benchmark AMU at farm-level, but each country diverges from the European Surveillance of Veterinary Antimicrobial Consumption methodology in its own way, including how the population ‘at risk’ is calculated. Germany operates a count-based system. Threshold AMU values have been specified at farm-level in the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, and action is required from producers to reduce AMU above these values. The Netherlands and Belgium also benchmark veterinarians.ConclusionsFor mixed species farms common in the UK and Ireland, splitting AMU by species is recommended. It is also recommended that high priority critically important antimicrobials are benchmarked separately to other antimicrobials. No one metric is optimum; however, for ruminant livestock a daily dose-based metric allows for country-specific adaptations which may allow a higher degree of precision at farm-level benchmarking in the UK and Ireland.

The potential of piglets to grow before weaning is greater than the sow can support, and as such, improving the performance of the lactating sow is a key driver of whole-farm efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the impact of 1) adopting a phased feeding approach during lactation and 2) the ratio of Val to Lys on sow and piglet performance. Multiparious sows ( = 109) were assigned to treatment at 108 d of gestation. Dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial design. Dietary treatments included 2 dietary regimes: "Flat" (14.4 MJ/kg DE diet offered for 28 d of lactation) or "Phased" (14.4 MJ/kg DE diet offered until d 14 of lactation followed by a second diet containing 15 MJ/kg DE offered from d 15 to 28 of lactation) and 2 Val:Lys ratios representing "Normal" (0.68:1) or "High" (1.1:1) ratios. A control diet was also offered that contained 13.5 MJ DE/kg, 8.8 g/kg total Lys, and 6.6 g/kg total Val. Treatment had no effect on sow backfat depth, BCS, or weight change during lactation. Compared with control sows, sows offered either the Flat or Phased dietary regime at both levels of Val:Lys ratio weaned, on average, 9 kg extra in litter weight at 28 d ( = 0.006). Dietary regime or Val:Lys ratio had no effect on sow blood urea nitrogen levels at 21 d. A Val:Lys ratio of 1.1:1 increased milk fat at 7, 21, and 28 d ( < 0.05) but increased backfat loss at weaning ( = 0.03). In conclusion, a diet containing 14.4 MJ/kg DE and 0.92 g Lys/kg (the Flat Val:Lys ratio) at an average feed intake of 7.7 kg/d enabled sows to wean 13 piglets to an average weight of 8.6 kg at 28 d.

Modern sows have low feed intake (FI) during lactation. The main aim of this study was to understand interactions between and separate effects of FI and nutrient density on litter weaning weight (WW). Key drivers of colostrum intake (CIn), piglet survival, WW, and colostrum yield (CY) were also investigated. Sows ( = 82) were offered a High (15.8 MJ/kg DE; 1.3% total lysine) or Normal (15.2 MJ/kg DE; 1.28% total lysine) specification lactation diet at either a High (feed allowance increased by 0.5 kg/d after farrowing until intake reached 10 kg/d) or Low (feed allowance was increased by 0.3 kg/d after farrowing until intake reached 7.5 kg/d) feeding level (2 × 2 factorial design). A subset of sows ( = 18) were observed during farrowing to collect data on factors affecting CIn. No interactions were found between diet specification and feeding level. Sows on the Low feeding level lost 10.6 kg more BW during lactation than those on the High feeding level ( < 0.001). Sows offered the High specification diet lost 6.4 kg more BW than those on the Normal specification diet ( = 0.018). Diet specification had no effect on ADFI. Between birth and weaning, litters of sows offered the High feeding level grew 326 g/d faster ( < 0.001) and were heavier at 28 d (114 kg; < 0.001) compared with those of sows offered the Low feeding level (104 kg). Although litters from sows offered the High specification diet had WW similar to that of litters from sows offered the Normal specification diets, their ADG was 190 g/d greater ( = 0.018) between birth and weaning. A regression analysis was completed using data from 192 sows and indicated that FI and lysine intake throughout lactation and DE and lysine intake from 14 to 28 d of lactation were the main drivers of litter WW. Lactation efficiency was 0.65 from 0 to 7 d and decreased to 0.42 from 21 to 28 d. Variation in CIn was mainly explained by 24-h weight, birth weight, and the duration of farrowing. Colostrum yield was significantly correlated ( = 0.004; pseudo = 54.5%) with litter birth weight. Piglet WW was positively correlated with 3-wk weight ( < 0.001) but negatively correlated with sow parity ( = 0.035), number born alive ( = 0.045), and being female ( < 0001). Out of 45 variables, preweaning piglet survival was positively correlated ( = 0.008) with only 24- to 48-h weight gain. In conclusion, lactation FI and DE and lysine intake in the second half of lactation were the main drivers of litter WW.

This study examined the relationships between milk yield and diet composition, nutrient intakes, milk composition, and feed use efficiency when concentrates were offered using a feed-to-yield (FTY) approach. The study was conducted on 26 dairy farms in Northern Ireland. Cows (n = 3471) were fully housed and were offered concentrates on an FTY basis. Individual cow genetic information was obtained for 18 herds. Concentrate intakes of individual cows were either obtained from the farms or calculated, while milk yield and milk composition data were obtained from test-day milk recording. Mean test-day milk yields during months 2 to 5 post-calving were calculated for each cow, and cows within each lactation were placed into one of six equal-sized milk yield (kg/cow/day) groups. Diet effects and performance responses to milk yield groups were tested for linear and quadratic effects. Total dry matter intakes increased with increasing milk yield. Milk fat and milk protein concentration declined as milk yield increased, which could be attributed in part to genetics and diet. As milk yield increased, nitrogen and energy use efficiency was improved. However, concentrates offered per kg of energy-corrected milk also increased at higher milk yields, indicating an increased reliance on concentrates for these cows.

Objective: To evaluate the use of nurse sows and post-weaning nutrition strategies for low wean weight (WW) pigs on lifetime growth and efficiency.Methods: Animals (n = 270) were assigned to one of five treatments at 28 d. Low WW pigs (<6 kg) were either weaned and offered a special dietary regime recommended for low WW pigs (WEAN) or placed on a nurse sow (NURSE) and weaned at 49 d. Normal WW pigs (9 kg) (NORM) were also weaned at 28 d. After weaning, NORM and NURSE pigs were offered either a ‘high’ (4 kg/pig of starter 1 diet followed by 8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) or ‘low’ (8 kg/pig of starter 2 diet) starter diet allowance in a 2×2 factorial arrangement. A typical grower diet was then offered, followed by a typical finisher diet until 147 d of age.Results: NORM pigs where heavier throughout their life compared to NURSE pigs (91.4 kg vs 76.2 kg at 147 d; p<0.001). WEAN pigs were heavier at 70 d compared to NURSE pigs (23.9 kg vs 21.0 kg; p<0.001), but there was no significant difference at 147 d between NURSE and WEAN treatments. NURSE pigs had reduced feed intake throughout the finishing period (1.6 kg/d; p<0.001) compared to WEAN (2.0 kg/d) and NORM (1.9 kg/d) pigs. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of NURSE (2.20) was lower than NORM and WEAN during the finishing period (2.40 and 2.79, respectively).Conclusion: Extended (up to 49 d) nursing for low WW pigs resulted in improved FCR during the finishing period, but no overall improvement in growth rate compared to low WW pigs weaned at 28 d and offered a specialised starter regime. Normal WW pigs where significantly heavier than low WW pigs throughout the study.