Who we are
Prairie Swine Centre Inc. is a non-profit research and technology corporation with expertise in three disciplines -behaviour, nutrition, and engineering.
The mission of Prairie Swine Centre Inc. is “to be a centre of excellence in research, graduate education and technology transfer, all directed at efficient sustainable pork production.”
About PSC
The research program, with a decidedly near market emphasis, creates information to improve the financial position of pork producers by defining feeding and management systems that maximize net income. In addition, the Centre develops information to address issues and opportunities in environment and animal well-being.
Prairie Swine Centre was originally built in 1980 by the University of Saskatchewan, and served as their swine research and teaching facility. At that time, the Centre consisted of two 100-sow and one 50-sow unit, each with its own gestation, and weanlings area, a small 240 head feeder barn and a small office/service building.
In 1987, the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Hog Marketing Commission joined forces to review the operations and function of Prairie Swine Centre. An advisory board of industry representatives identified the need for increased emphasis on grower-finisher research and the need to work more closely with the commercial pork industry.
The research program seeks to fill a niche identified by the pork industry, to conduct near market research that can be applied within a one to seven year time frame. Because of those close linkages with the commercial pork industry, technology transfer is emphasized as a central part of the Centre’s operation.
To learn more about our research facilities Click Here!
Core funding for the Research and Technology Transfer Programs at Prairie Swine Centre is provided by pork producer agencies in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, as well as Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture and Food. This core funding provides the basic support for the Centre’s research objectives, as well as a Technology Transfer program.
Core funding is multiplied many times over (currently five) by applying for specific project funding from additional funding sources. Project funding comes from both the public sector (eg: ADF, Alberta Agriculture Research Institute, NSERC and USDA) and the private sector (eg: feed and drug companies and equipment manufacturers).
The Contract Research program represents a growing source of funds to the Centre. This program provides professional, confidential research results to agribusiness and commodity groups seeking to develop new products, or refine existing products and conduct research in support of applications to federal regulatory agencies.
Sale of stock is also an important revenue item for the Centre. Animal sales must cover the cost of animal production, and should also provide funds to support the Centre’s Research and Technology Transfer programs. Excess revenues from the sale of stock are also set-aside in an income stabilization fund to support the Centre when market prices weaken.
The following table outlines Program and Project sponsors for the 2010 fiscal year.
PROGRAM SPONSORS | MAJOR PROJECT SPONSORS | PROJECT SPONSORS |
Saskatchewan Pork Development Board | Adisseo | Agriculture Food Council |
Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund-ADF | Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) | Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund Ltd. (ALIDF) |
Manitoba Pork Council | Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada | Danisco Animal Nutrition |
Alberta Pork Producers Development Corporation | Alberta Barley Commission | Distributors Processing Inc. |
Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund Ltd. (ALIDF) | Canada Adaptation and Rural Development in Saskatchewan (CARDS) | |
Elanco (Division of Eli Lilly Canada Inc.) | Canola Council of Canada | |
Flax Canada | Cargill | |
National Pork Board (U.S.) | Cement Association of Canada | |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) | Degussa Canada Inc. | |
Vandeputte | Maple Leaf Foods | |
Ontario Farm Animal Council | ||
Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board | ||
Pig Improvement Company Inc. | ||
Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission | ||
Saskatchewan Pulse Development Board | ||
Sierens | ||
Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. |
Visiting Prairie Swine Centre
In order to maintain the health and well-being of our pig herd, and to maintain the integrity of our Research, Teaching and Technology Transfer programs, it is very important that the following security protocols be followed by all visitors to the Prairie Swine Centre. A copy of the visitor policy will be mailed or faxed in advance to visitors explaining the visitor policy. For more information on biosecurity protocol please contact the Manager, Information Services.
Office and Barn Visitors
- Vehicles that will be arriving on site must not have been involved in the transport of swine
- Visitors are required to arrive at the Centre in footwear and clothing that has not been worn in facilities housing swine
- Visitors must park in the visitor’s parking lot only
- All visitors must register at the main desk upon arriving at the Centre
Barn Visitors (in addition to office/barn requirements)
- All people entering the barn must have been away from swine for a minimum of 60 hours. This includes swine facilities, abattoirs, veterinary clinics, auction marts, or any other facility used to house or transport swine.
- All visitors must watch a biosecurity video, and read, sign and date a visitor’s form prior to entering the barn.
- Visitors to the barn or surrounding compound will be required to change into white rubber boots in the main office before proceeding to the main barn or before entering the compund. Boots will be supplied in the main office by the receptionist
- Repeat visitors will not be required to repeat the orientation procedure unless a period greater than three months has transpired since the last visit.
- All people entering the barn will be required to shower in prior to entering the facility.
- All clothing worn within the barn will be supplied by Prairie Swine Centre including undergarments, socks, shorts, shirts, coveralls, and footwear.
Facilities for Basic Research
The fully equipped surgery room is used to prepare animals for a variety of studies, from changes in blood profiles to monitoring the digestion of various feedstuffs. Associated with the surgery room are the Preparation and Recovery rooms. There are two small Experimental Rooms, located near the surgery room. These rooms are shells, with independent heating and ventilation that are adaptable to a wide array of research using sows, piglets, or growing pigs. The rooms measure 6.4m x 6.4m and can be fitted with penning to suit the needs of particular studies. Two Metabolic Rooms can accommodate up to 20 metabolism crates each.
Grower-Finisher Facilities
- 1,672 spaces
- 2 metabolism rooms with 20 crates per room
- 2 intensive rooms, with 76 individual pens/room
- 8 semi-intensive rooms, with 20 pens (5 pigs/pen) per room
- 6 commercial rooms, with 6 pens (12 pigs/pen) per room
- 2 engineering rooms, with 14 pens (12 pigs/pen) per room
Intensive Facilities
Two Intensive Rooms can each house 76 grower/finisher pigs in fully slatted, individual pens. Each room measures 19.8m x 7m and has 4 rows of 19 pens. The rooms are equipped with nipple drinkers and single space feeders.
Semi-Intensive Facilities
There are eight Semi-intensive Rooms that can each house 5 pigs/pen with 20 pens/room for pigs from 8 weeks of age to market.
Commercial Facilities
There are six Commercial Rooms that can each house 144 grower/finisher pigs per production cycle. Each room measures 14.3m by 10.7m and contains 6 pens, each capable of holding 12 pigs. The rooms have partially slatted floors and are equipped with nipple drinkers and automatic feeders.
Engineering Facilities
There are two Engineering Rooms that measure 14.3m x 11m each and have fully slatted floors throughout. The rooms are equipped with nipple drinkers and automatic feeders and the spindle penning can be easily moved for frequent changes in pen size, shape and location. There are nine fully independent manure channels within the rooms that allow for a variety of studies on manure storage, treatment and composition.
Nursery
There are six identical Nursery all-in-all-out rooms. Each room has 12 pens available for research, capable of holding 10 pigs/pen, for a total of 120 pigs. The 12 pens can be easily split into 24 pens, which will hold 4 pigs/pen enabling different research requirements to be accommodated.
Sow Barn
Opened June 2008
The Sow Research Unit houses a 300 sow herd. Opened in July 2008, The 126′ x 203′ barn includes breeding, gestation, farrowing, gilt development, lab facilities and a small office.
The Sow Research Unit has five farrowing rooms to accommodate a shift to four week weaning. When the industry was surveyed prior to designing the new barn in Spring 2007 the suggestions to go to four week weaning came from many producers.
Other Facilities
A pre-mix room allows for the storage of special ingredients and experimental substances and the preparation of pre-mixes for experimental diets. An on-site shop facilitates some manufacturing for projects. The Centre also maintains simple laboratory facilities in both the Barn and Main Office buildings. The use of the facilities is restricted to sample handling and some limited assays. More specialized lab facilities and equipment are available at the University of Saskatchewan campus.
Off-Site
Other research facilities available via Prairie Swine Centre, Inc:
Commercial sites adapted to research (past studies have included disease challenge, immunization, etc)
- Auto-sort large group for grower-finisher
- Commercial-sized disease challenge grower-finisher
- Commercial-sized nursery 500-2000 head
Biosafety Level 2
Available for nursery, grower-finisher, and sows. Is a place to do work with infectious agents that can cause human or animal disease but under normal circumstances are unlikely to be a serious hazard to lab workers, livestock, or the environment (ex. TGE, many salmonella)
Biosafety Level 3
Opening in February 2011. Is a place to do work with infectious agents that are pathogens that usually cause serious human or animal disease, or which can result in serious economic consequences, but do not ordinarily spread by casual contact (ex. anthrax, tuberculosis)
- + About PSC
-
About PSC
The research program, with a decidedly near market emphasis, creates information to improve the financial position of pork producers by defining feeding and management systems that maximize net income. In addition, the Centre develops information to address issues and opportunities in environment and animal well-being.
Prairie Swine Centre was originally built in 1980 by the University of Saskatchewan, and served as their swine research and teaching facility. At that time, the Centre consisted of two 100-sow and one 50-sow unit, each with its own gestation, and weanlings area, a small 240 head feeder barn and a small office/service building.
In 1987, the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Hog Marketing Commission joined forces to review the operations and function of Prairie Swine Centre. An advisory board of industry representatives identified the need for increased emphasis on grower-finisher research and the need to work more closely with the commercial pork industry.
The research program seeks to fill a niche identified by the pork industry, to conduct near market research that can be applied within a one to seven year time frame. Because of those close linkages with the commercial pork industry, technology transfer is emphasized as a central part of the Centre’s operation.
To learn more about our research facilities Click Here!
- + Funding
-
Core funding for the Research and Technology Transfer Programs at Prairie Swine Centre is provided by pork producer agencies in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, as well as Saskatchewan Department of Agriculture and Food. This core funding provides the basic support for the Centre’s research objectives, as well as a Technology Transfer program.
Core funding is multiplied many times over (currently five) by applying for specific project funding from additional funding sources. Project funding comes from both the public sector (eg: ADF, Alberta Agriculture Research Institute, NSERC and USDA) and the private sector (eg: feed and drug companies and equipment manufacturers).
The Contract Research program represents a growing source of funds to the Centre. This program provides professional, confidential research results to agribusiness and commodity groups seeking to develop new products, or refine existing products and conduct research in support of applications to federal regulatory agencies.
Sale of stock is also an important revenue item for the Centre. Animal sales must cover the cost of animal production, and should also provide funds to support the Centre’s Research and Technology Transfer programs. Excess revenues from the sale of stock are also set-aside in an income stabilization fund to support the Centre when market prices weaken.
The following table outlines Program and Project sponsors for the 2010 fiscal year.
PROGRAM SPONSORS MAJOR PROJECT SPONSORS PROJECT SPONSORS Saskatchewan Pork Development Board Adisseo Agriculture Food Council Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund-ADF Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund Ltd. (ALIDF) Manitoba Pork Council Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Danisco Animal Nutrition Alberta Pork Producers Development Corporation Alberta Barley Commission Distributors Processing Inc. Alberta Livestock Industry Development Fund Ltd. (ALIDF) Canada Adaptation and Rural Development in Saskatchewan (CARDS) Elanco (Division of Eli Lilly Canada Inc.) Canola Council of Canada Flax Canada Cargill National Pork Board (U.S.) Cement Association of Canada Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Degussa Canada Inc. Vandeputte Maple Leaf Foods Ontario Farm Animal Council Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board Pig Improvement Company Inc. Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission Saskatchewan Pulse Development Board Sierens Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. - + Mission Statement
-
“We provide solutions through knowledge, ensuring a profitable and sustainable pork industry for our stakeholders and staff.“
- + Visiting PSC
-
Visiting Prairie Swine Centre
In order to maintain the health and well-being of our pig herd, and to maintain the integrity of our Research, Teaching and Technology Transfer programs, it is very important that the following security protocols be followed by all visitors to the Prairie Swine Centre. A copy of the visitor policy will be mailed or faxed in advance to visitors explaining the visitor policy. For more information on biosecurity protocol please contact the Manager, Information Services.
Office and Barn Visitors
- Vehicles that will be arriving on site must not have been involved in the transport of swine
- Visitors are required to arrive at the Centre in footwear and clothing that has not been worn in facilities housing swine
- Visitors must park in the visitor’s parking lot only
- All visitors must register at the main desk upon arriving at the Centre
Barn Visitors (in addition to office/barn requirements)
- All people entering the barn must have been away from swine for a minimum of 60 hours. This includes swine facilities, abattoirs, veterinary clinics, auction marts, or any other facility used to house or transport swine.
- All visitors must watch a biosecurity video, and read, sign and date a visitor’s form prior to entering the barn.
- Visitors to the barn or surrounding compound will be required to change into white rubber boots in the main office before proceeding to the main barn or before entering the compund. Boots will be supplied in the main office by the receptionist
- Repeat visitors will not be required to repeat the orientation procedure unless a period greater than three months has transpired since the last visit.
- All people entering the barn will be required to shower in prior to entering the facility.
- All clothing worn within the barn will be supplied by Prairie Swine Centre including undergarments, socks, shorts, shirts, coveralls, and footwear.
- + Research Facilities
-
Facilities for Basic Research
The fully equipped surgery room is used to prepare animals for a variety of studies, from changes in blood profiles to monitoring the digestion of various feedstuffs. Associated with the surgery room are the Preparation and Recovery rooms. There are two small Experimental Rooms, located near the surgery room. These rooms are shells, with independent heating and ventilation that are adaptable to a wide array of research using sows, piglets, or growing pigs. The rooms measure 6.4m x 6.4m and can be fitted with penning to suit the needs of particular studies. Two Metabolic Rooms can accommodate up to 20 metabolism crates each.
Grower-Finisher Facilities
- 1,672 spaces
- 2 metabolism rooms with 20 crates per room
- 2 intensive rooms, with 76 individual pens/room
- 8 semi-intensive rooms, with 20 pens (5 pigs/pen) per room
- 6 commercial rooms, with 6 pens (12 pigs/pen) per room
- 2 engineering rooms, with 14 pens (12 pigs/pen) per room
Intensive Facilities
Two Intensive Rooms can each house 76 grower/finisher pigs in fully slatted, individual pens. Each room measures 19.8m x 7m and has 4 rows of 19 pens. The rooms are equipped with nipple drinkers and single space feeders.
Semi-Intensive Facilities
There are eight Semi-intensive Rooms that can each house 5 pigs/pen with 20 pens/room for pigs from 8 weeks of age to market.
Commercial Facilities
There are six Commercial Rooms that can each house 144 grower/finisher pigs per production cycle. Each room measures 14.3m by 10.7m and contains 6 pens, each capable of holding 12 pigs. The rooms have partially slatted floors and are equipped with nipple drinkers and automatic feeders.
Engineering Facilities
There are two Engineering Rooms that measure 14.3m x 11m each and have fully slatted floors throughout. The rooms are equipped with nipple drinkers and automatic feeders and the spindle penning can be easily moved for frequent changes in pen size, shape and location. There are nine fully independent manure channels within the rooms that allow for a variety of studies on manure storage, treatment and composition.
Nursery
There are six identical Nursery all-in-all-out rooms. Each room has 12 pens available for research, capable of holding 10 pigs/pen, for a total of 120 pigs. The 12 pens can be easily split into 24 pens, which will hold 4 pigs/pen enabling different research requirements to be accommodated.
Sow Barn
Opened June 2008The Sow Research Unit houses a 300 sow herd. Opened in July 2008, The 126′ x 203′ barn includes breeding, gestation, farrowing, gilt development, lab facilities and a small office.
The Sow Research Unit has five farrowing rooms to accommodate a shift to four week weaning. When the industry was surveyed prior to designing the new barn in Spring 2007 the suggestions to go to four week weaning came from many producers.
Specifications: pen 72″ x 108″, stall 64″ to 76″, 12″ adjustement in rear crate width.Other Facilities
A pre-mix room allows for the storage of special ingredients and experimental substances and the preparation of pre-mixes for experimental diets. An on-site shop facilitates some manufacturing for projects. The Centre also maintains simple laboratory facilities in both the Barn and Main Office buildings. The use of the facilities is restricted to sample handling and some limited assays. More specialized lab facilities and equipment are available at the University of Saskatchewan campus.
Off-Site
Other research facilities available via Prairie Swine Centre, Inc:
Commercial sites adapted to research (past studies have included disease challenge, immunization, etc)
- Auto-sort large group for grower-finisher
- Commercial-sized disease challenge grower-finisher
- Commercial-sized nursery 500-2000 head
Biosafety Level 2
Available for nursery, grower-finisher, and sows. Is a place to do work with infectious agents that can cause human or animal disease but under normal circumstances are unlikely to be a serious hazard to lab workers, livestock, or the environment (ex. TGE, many salmonella)
Biosafety Level 3
Opening in February 2011. Is a place to do work with infectious agents that are pathogens that usually cause serious human or animal disease, or which can result in serious economic consequences, but do not ordinarily spread by casual contact (ex. anthrax, tuberculosis)