Housing for Frowing Pigs Meeting the Needs for Animal, Stockman and Environment

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1997 | No Comments

Changes were made in the floor design and the climatization to optimize the conditions for growing pigs by improving the air quality and the lying comfort of the animal and also to reduce the ammonia volatilization from the floor and the manure in the pit. By lowering the manure pit area from 50 to 25%, the ammonia volatilization can be reduced significantly. Metal slatted floors also contribute to lowering the ammonia emissions compared to concrete slatted floor. By partially covering the slatted floor with naps this will result in less fouling of the solid floor as the animals will not lay on the slatted area and subsequently soiling the solid floor thus resulting in less ammonia emissions. The tested ventilation systems influenced significantly that the air quality at the stockman and pigs breathing areas. The total dust concentration and the ammonia concentration were higher in systems using bedding (sawdust) and this should be considered even if the animal welfare is increased. Changes in the pen floor design and climate control system can significant effects on the air quality and the ammonia emissions.

Five different slatted floor types and two different ventilation systems (high inlet and outlet, low inlet and outlet) were tested. The ventilation system with low inlet and outlet resulted in lower ammonia concentrations at the animal level but the same emission rates through the exhausted air were measured.

New Injection Technique – Direct Ground Injection (DGI registered)

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The pressures tested for the injection are 500 and 800 kPa (72,52 and 116 psi). The authors present their results as being preliminary and more research will follow. The advantage of such an application system is that the stones in soil would have little effect on the application and since the application is not done mechanically there is no injectors wearing and no stone lifting. Also, the soil is less disturbed than with the mechanical injection and manure injection can be done with low damage to grass land. Application rates below 45 m3/ha work best but the rate can be increased to about 80 m3/ha before manure appears on top of the soil. Very cohesive soil (clay and loam soils) are not suitable for the use of this injection technique as manure penetration is difficult. More work would need to give information on the work rate and the economic of the DGI technique. Comparison between more conventional injection systems and DGI would also be interesting.

Potential for the Psychrophilic Anaerobic Treatment of Swine Manure Using a Sequencing Batch Reactor.

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The psychrophilic anaerobic treatment is realized at temperatures ranging between 5 to 25 C. This anaerobic treatment is more promising under Canadian conditions than mesophilic and thermophilic anaerobic processes where higher temperatures in the reactor has to be maintained. The results presented are promising however the experiment were done on a laboratory scale as this type of treatment is technically feasible on a larger scale, it is stable and easy to operate. The investment cost of such equipment are not discussed.

Manure Characteristics

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This document includes basic informations on manure produced by different animal types. The availability of manure nutrients to the plant is also discussed. Manure characteristics such as volume produced and volume including bedding, moisture content, biological oxygen demand and nutrient content are presented according to animal types.

An Insect-based Dector of Bovine Manure Odors

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Separation Distances for Swine Odor Control in Relation to Manure Nutrient Balances

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Odor control from swine facilities can be achieved by providing an adequate buffer zone or separation distance from neighbors. Such separation distance could be insured if appropriate nutrient balance is done considering the facility size, the type of animal and manure and the wastewater management system. The paper presents examples which include phosphorus and nitrogen nutrient balance consideration and the resulting minimum separation distances that would have to be insured.

This approach consider the nutrient balance in agricultural systems where the manure is used as fertilizer on the land surrounding the swine facilities considering that all the land needed is surrounding the facilities.

Odor and H2S Levels from Minnesota Pig Manure Storage Units.

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Considering the negative impact pig production can have on the neighbors by the odor emissions and also the concern in Minnesota associated with the state standard on H2S on ambient air (30 ppb for 1/2 hour not to be exceeded twice in 5 days or 50 ppb for 1/2 hour not to be exceeded twice in one year) a study was initiated (measurements done in the fall 1996 and the spring and summer 1997) to evaluate a variety of manure storage systems from around the state. The air samples collected in a floating “equilibrium” chamber were analyzed by a panel using and olfactometer to determine the odor concentration (odor units). and H2S measurements were done by a Jerome TM meter (for concentration lower than 20 ppm) and also using Sensidyne TM colorimetric detector tubes. The results collected from the different pig manure storage systems (40 in total divided into 4 types of storage: indoor deep pits (14), outdoor concrete/metal structures (8), earthen basins (14), and 2nd stage earthen basins (4)) did not show any advantage of a system over another when considering odor dilution thresholds and H2S concentrations. Variations seem to occur seasonally with odor levels higher in the spring and H2S concentrations higher in the fall. Further measurements will be done in 1997-1998 and more information will be available to help explain some variations.

This experiment will give valuable information about manure storage systems considering odor and H2S emissions and the possible seasonal variations. No system seems to present better performances but attention could be given to certain period of the year when the emissions are higher if some treatments or measures were to be consider for odor or H2S abatement.

European Interlaboratory Comparaison Olfactometry – Experiences and Results of a Participating Laboratory

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In 1992, at the demand of the European Committee for Standardization (Comite europeen de normalisation CEN) a working group was formed to develop a standard method to determine odour concentrations using dynamic olfactometry. Two years later a draft CEN Standard was presented and in 1995 the working group decided to validate these Standard by an international ringtest. In the summer 1996, 19 European participants realized olfactometry tests using the developed CEN Standard . The procedures of the ringtest are presented in the proceeding and n-butanol was used as odour source as its concentration can be measured and identical samples could be sent to the participant laboratories. The CEN Standard as the guideline VDI 3881 (Germany) provides precise description of the common olfactometric methods but it also gives quality requirements. Testing of all the elements of the Standard (dilution equipment calibration, panel selection and odour threshold measurement) was done in the “European Interlaboratory Comparison Olfactometry”.
Panel selection is an important part in the CEN Standard as it has an important impact in the results obtained.

Olfactometry is an important tool in the determination of odour intensity of a specific source particularly when the emissions are constituted of many different compounds which can’t be chemically analyzed as a whole and as the determination of the concentration of one or two components can’t give significant information of the odour level of the mix. However olfactometry is a complicated process and the results depend greatly in the respect of specific procedures. The CEN Standard were developed so the used of a standard method could allow comparisons between laboratories and in time. This method could then be used to compare or develop odour control methods, products or policies through out Europe and elsewhere if the Standard is used.

Pathogens Found in Water Contaminated by Manure

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As water is a necessity for both human and livestock, when contaminated water can have severe effects on the health of both. Important quantities of water can be contaminated as ill animals and humans can excrete large numbers of oocysts, bacteria or viruses. Different manure treatments can control and lower the pathogen load. Monitoring the water routinely on farms could help prevent disease transmission and all measures that prevent manure from contaminating water sources have to be taken.

This article is very general and unfortunately doesn’t make any links between swine production and specific water contamination cases or disease outbreak. The risks coming from swine production are real but this article doesn’t help evaluate them.

Effects of Dust and Contaminants in Animal Buildings on Human Health and Control Strategies

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