Podcast: ASAS 2022 special – Canadian perspective on zinc
In this 67th episode of the Real P3 podcast, which is the third in the series featuring swine research presented at the American Association of Animal Science Annual Meeting in the US, Dr Casey Bradley speaks to Dan Bussières about his research around replacing pharmacological levels of zinc in nursery diets in Canada.
Bussières is an agronomist and the co-founder of Groupe Cèrés from Québec and focuses on all aspects of the swine sector. The company feeds 5.5-6 million pigs in Canada with their feed programme.
At the ASAS meeting in June, Bussières presented on zinc. In Canada, high levels of zinc are still permitted. “We are feeding 2,000-3,000 ppm of zinc in the first diets post-weaning,” he says, adding that new regulations on zinc are anticipated with 150 ppm expected to be the maximum.
Nutrition, management and the environment
Bussières has much knowledge on nutrition for pigs and highlights fibre, energy, protein, and acids, all related to keeping the pigs healthy, maintaining gut health, and to better cope with a lower level of zinc. He shares his thoughts on maximizing weaning age. He discusses creep feeding, which he promotes.
Bradley asks Bussières how the droughts and, more recently, flooding are impacting the pig sector. He talks about the impact of the drought on wheat and barley and the decision to feed more corn, which is costly and sometimes hard to get. He also shares some concerns that he has for the swine industry, including ASF, packing, and labour.
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