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Industry Partners
Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Evaporation of Water from Slurry Using Solar Energy
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1998 | No Comments
Tightening Dutch regulations regarding the application of animal slurry has been increasing in recent years. Land application is no longer allowed during winter months and sealed slurry storage containers must be utilized for any production units built after 1987. Due to a limited land base, slurry can be transported 50-250 km from the site of production which is very costly. One recent design looking at ways to reduce slurry accumulation, and subsequent transportation and land application, examined evaporation of water from the slurry. Designed in such a manner as not to increase the amount of ammonia emissions generated through the evaporation process. A transparent cover was placed over a slurry storage unit (1m maximum depth) with the condensate being collected in storage containers outside the sluury storage unit. The transparent cover was effective in reducing the total slurry volume, however the amount removed (water evaporized) will be dependant on sun radiation, outside temoperature and windspeed. Manure application and transportation costs can be effectively decreased by Dfi 3.90 per m2 of storage capacity or Dfi 4.90 per fattening pig.
Influence of Dietary Factors on the pH and Ammonia Emission of Slurry from Growing-Finishing Pigs
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We investigated the effects of dietary factors on the pH and the ammonia emission from slurry of growing-finishing pigs. Sixteen male hybrid pigs (80 to 90 kg BW) were allotted to one of four diets based on barley-wheat, tapioca, barley-tapioca, and sugar beet pulp. Diets were formulated to have similar NE and CP contents and a similar lysine:NE ratio. Diets differed in nonstarch polysaccharide content (NSP) and dietary electrolyte balance (dEB). Urine and feces were daily collected quantitatively in metabolism cages and mixed as a slurry at the end of the collection period. After mixing, the pH and the ammonia emission from the slurry were measured daily in a laboratory setup for 7 d at 20 degrees C. The type of diet affected the pH of the slurry and the ammonia emission (P < .001). The pH of the slurry from pigs fed the sugar beet pulp-based diet was .8 unit lower and ammonia emission was 52 to 53% lower than that of the other three diets. The low dEB and high NPS sugar beet pulp-based diet increased the VFA concentration and reduced the pH and ammonia emission from the slurry. We conclude that dietary NSP and dEB influence the pH and ammonia emission from slurry of growing-finishing pigs.
Biotreatment of swine manure by production of aquatic valuable biomasses
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Management of Bedded_Pack Manure from Swine Hoop Structures
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Hoop structures are increasing in use throughout the mid-west United States and Western Canada. Due to their relatively new emergence manure management strategies are currently being developed. This study set out to examine the moisture and nitrogen variability within the bedding pack, and second to evaluate the effectiveness of four composting strategies. Moisture content of the bedding pack was determined by the resting area, which was interdependant on the season. Moisture content was higher in the dunging area (60-70% moisture) which promoted anaerobic conditions and therefore relatively little decomposition to the resting area.
Composting trials examined four alternatives: turned manure spreader built pile, non-turned manure spreader built pile, turned loader built pile and a non-turned loader built pile. The manure spreader built piles saw large volume and mass reductions relative to the non-turned loader built pile. However the amount of nitrogen contained in the manure was greatest with the non-turned loader built pile, less ammonia volatilization occurs due to the lack of turning.
Odor Carrying Characteristics of Dust from Swine Facilities
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Odour complaints represent a large number of the complaints centred around intensive swine production units. Previous studies have shown a correlation between odour and aeresol particles from dust buildings but three fundamental questions till need to be answered: what types of compounds make dust unpleasant? How much odour does it carry? What sizes of particles carry the most odour? Through the use of gas chromatography results show there are aprroximately 70-100 volatile compounds absorbed on dust, as well shows similar compounds between grower and finisher units with respect to peak retention time. These componds are similar in winrter and summer months, however their peak retention time varies between seasons. As well, the study indicated all rentention times of all major compounds was less than 22 minutes, indicating that indolic compunds are not associated witrh dust or feed.
Estimation of the Nutrient Value of Agricultural Slurries by Measurement of Physical and Chemical Properties
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A prototype nutrient sensing system was used to investigate relationships between the nutrient status of agricultural slurries and a range of physical and chemical properties. These properties were all measured using devices suitable for possible installation in full-scale slurry handling systems. The prototype system was tested on a total of 160 slurries, comprising approximately 20 cattle and 20 pig slurries from each of four European countries. Linear relationships were identiAzed between ammoniacal nitrogen concentration and the electrical conductivity of the slurries and between total phosphorus
and the density of the slurries. Generally, regressions for total potassium were weaker than those
identiAzed for either ammoniacal nitrogen or total phosphorus. The results show that a practical nutrient sensing system is feasible for farm use. For example, such a system could be used on a slurry tanker to estimate the nutrient status of the whole tanker contents, thus eliminating the sampling errors associated with sub-sampling from a large store.
Concentrations and Emissions of Ammonia in Livestock Buildings in Northern Europe
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Emissions of ammonia from livestock farming are responsible
for the acidiAzcation and eutrophication of deposited
ammonia in the environment. Research into the
ammonia emission from livestock houses was carried out
in 14 housing types for cattle, pigs and poultry in England,
The Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. Concentrations
of ammonia and carbon dioxide (the latter for estimating
ventilation rates) were measured at seven locations
inside and one location outside in four replicates of each
housing type over 24 h under summer and winter conditions.
Mean concentrations and emissions per housing
type per country were estimated together with some variance
components. Mean ammonia concentrations were
lower than 8 p.p.m. in cattle houses, between 5 and
18 p.p.m. in pig houses and between 5 and 30 p.p.m. in
poultry houses. The concentrations of ammonia in a number
of pig and poultry houses exceeded the threshold value
of 25 p.p.m. and may aA