Maternal Nutrition Strategies Can Decrease Piglet Mortality, Martinez Says

(Provided by Gaby Martinez)

Meet Gaby Martinez, our latest addition to Farm Journal's PORK's Up & Coming Leaders feature. We are showcasing some of the fresh, new voices of the pork industry who combine innovative thought and work ethic with scientific savvy and a passion to make a difference. 

Age: 32
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Panamerican School Zamorano in Valle de Yeguare, Honduras; master’s degree and pursuing PhD, North Carolina State University.
Hometown: Tegucigalpa, Honduras 

Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry? 
A.
Agriculture was not part of my life when I was growing up, but I discovered my passion to work with animals in college. My first professional opportunity to work with animals was with swine. I loved learning every aspect of swine production and felt like it was my calling. 

Q. How have internships helped you in your career path?
A.
I interned with Smithfield Foods (back then it was Murphy Brown) and learned a tremendous amount about pork production from the importance of biosecurity and sow production flow, to animal welfare and production practices. I also had the opportunity to join the Animal Science Department of North Carolina State University as a research scholar to work with Dr. Eric van Heugten on a variety of projects. In my second year as a research scholar, I managed a research study in collaboration with The Hanor Company. I was responsible for all aspects of data collection and took a leadership role in sow management of the farm. Through these experiences, I realized that besides a passion to work with animals, I really enjoyed doing research. 

Q. Describe your undergraduate research experiences. 
A.
For my undergraduate research I worked with broiler hens, evaluating Arbor Acres plus® and Cobb® strains and their carcass characteristics at 35 days of age. It was a fun experience where I was able to get an idea about how research experiments work.

Q. Tell us about your current research.
A.
My research is focused on maternal nutrition, especially the transition period from gestation to early lactation. I am using fermentable fiber as a nutrition strategy to help the sow cope with the change in metabolic demands that litter growth and the farrowing process represent. Fiber increases satiety for the sow, which is an important welfare issue, as sows are not fed ad libitum during gestation. At the same time, it provides energy in the form of short chain fatty acids which have shown to provide health benefits for the sow and the litter. By applying nutrition strategies wisely, there is an opportunity to reduce the number of stillborn pigs, reduce farrowing duration and improve litter performance during lactation. This could have a great impact in the swine industry as piglet mortality is something that we could manage or manipulate into our favor during early stages of lactation.

Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A.
The swine industry has always faced challenges and constant changes. I think the biggest challenge my generation will face is consumer perception regarding animal health and production. We are facing a generation that is more aware of the environment, a generation that needs and perhaps wants to know how their meat was produced. They want to have the guarantee that the animal was treated according to established welfare standards, that it had the necessary conditions to live, and that the ingredients used for its food were 100% safe. Although public opinion often makes erroneous assumptions and statements regarding animal production, it is that lack of understanding that has motivated the industry to keep up-to-date with new knowledge and technology that represent a viable alternative for a sustainable production. Public opinion is something that we will always have deal with and that is why the new generation of students like myself, must find effective methods to communicate the many positive advances in animal production that we have made and will continue to develop in the future. 

Read more about the future leaders of the pork industry here:

Ruston Explores Ways to Improve Biosecurity on the Farm  

Lozinski Studies Impact of Water Quality on Pig Health

Becker Explores How Essential Fatty Acids Can Improve Sow Longevity

 

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