Swine Production Impact on Residential Ambient Air Quality

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2009 | No Comments

The objective of this project was to assess the impact of swine production on ambient air quality as it related to public health in rural communities. More specifically, the objective was to measure and compare airborne contaminants (NH3, H2S, bioaerosols) and odor concentrations and intensities among three rural communities considered to be in a swine production area and three communities not considered to be within a swine production area. It was found that the low levels of NH3, H2S, odors, and bioaerosols measured in this study and the fact that these levels are below defined limits suggest that swine operation related emissions should not impact health in these communities at an animal
density of 151 AU/km2. Preliminary results from the questionnaires suggest a prevalence of symptoms (headaches, runny nose, cough, vomiting) even if there is no relationship between these symptoms and the odor concentration
measurements.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wagr20

Effect of graded levels of iron, zinc, and copper supplementation in diets with low-phytate or normal barley on growth performance, bone characteristics, hematocrit volume, and zinc and copper balance of young swine

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The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the efficacy of a LPA barley mutant (M) cultivar M955 compared with the corresponding normal barley (NB) cultivar to increase the utilization of Fe, Zn, and Cu in barley-SBM diets fed to growing swine. The response criteria were pig growth performance, hematocrit volume, metacarpal bone characteristics, and the apparent absorption, retention, and excretion of Zn and Cu. It was found that replacing NB with the LPA barley cultivar M955 in the current experiment did not increase the utilization of Fe, Zn, and Cu in practical diets for
young swine, apparently because of the small increase in the availability of the endogenous trace minerals in the diets containing M955 compared with NB. However, for the TM treatments, there were linear increases in growth performance, metacarpal bone ash and strength, hematocrit volume, and Zn and Cu absorption, retention, and excretion (mg/d) with increasing concentrations of Fe, Zn, and Cu provided as FeSO4, ZnSO4, and CuSO4, with the greatest treatment concentration providing 100% of the NRC (1998) requirement for Fe and Zn, and 160% of the requirement for Cu. These results indicate that the inorganic trace mineral supplementation should not be less than the NRC (1998) requirements for young swine.

For more information the full article can be found at http://jas.fass.org/

GOAL: Producing More Quality Pigs

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As the pork industry strives to increase productivity in the form of more total pigs born, more attention must be focused on saving more quality pigs, emphasizes Tom Gillespie, DVM. Rensselaer (IN) Swine Services. More producers are striving and achieving 13-14 total liveborn pig/litter averages. But along with those double digit farrowing numbers come double digit pig preweaning losses. While not easy, Gillespie demonstrates in Figure 1 (page 19) how a
select group of producers representing 8,000 sows managed to take total pigs born per litter from 11.5 to over 13
across a 15-year period. At the same time, average preweaning mortality was kept at or below a very respectable
7%, and just 5% for 2007 and 2008.

Going Big with Digesters

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Chilean hog producer Agricola Super has gone big with its manure management program, installing eight digesters, and it has reaped the benefits in reduced odor complaints and marketable greenhouse gas-reduction credits. The credits can be sold to other greenhouse gas producing industries as a way to mitigate their emissions and meet goals set by the Kyoto Protocol. In a 2004 deal, Agricola Super sold credits worth 1.75 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions to Calgary, Canada-based power producer TransAlta Corp for $9 million. In addition, Tokyo Electric Power Co will purchase credits from Agricola worth two million metric tons of greenhouse gas over a nine-year period from 2004 to 2012. The price was not disclosed.

Effects of monoclonal antibody on fat tissue development, carcass composition, growth performance and fat metabolism of pigs by subcutaneous injection

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It was hypothezied that that a monoclonal antibody (McAb) could display cytotoxicity only to the adipocytes from subcutaneous and abdominal adipose tissues and produce a suppressive effect to these fat cells and tissues, but would not produce side-effect to other tissues. In this study the effects of this McAb on the growth performance, carcass composition, fat metabolism and adipocyte tissue development was investigated to explore the possible mechanism of McAb to restrain the fat deposition and improve the carcass composition. The study did find that this McAb could improve the carcass composition by reducing fat percentage which was regulated by increasing fat mobilization and suppressing the fat deposition in adipose tissue.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/livsci

Low temperature digestion

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Low temperature (psychrophilic) in storage digesters have been used for years in many temperate parts of the world – mainly developing countries – as a way to treat human and livestock waste and provide cooking fuel. They are cheap to construct – just throw an impermeable cover over an existing manure pond or storage tank – and can help control odors
and stop nitrification. King, a PhD student in the Department of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University in Quebec, is studying psychrophilic digestion at a commercial-scale swine operation located near St. Francois-Xavier, Quebec, in the Eastern townships by the Canada-U.S. border. The farm owner had decided to cover his existing manure storage tank as a way of controlling odor. A polymer membrane floating cover, designed by Geomembrane Technologies Inc. (GTI) of New Brunswick, was constructed on top of the 100-foot wide by 12-foot deep concrete storage tank. The tank’s sides were surrounded by soil and plastic pipes filled with concrete are used to keep the cover from lifting off the surface. King’s specific interest in the system involves the role played by microbial communities within the manure storage system and how quickly they can acclimate to different temperatures. She recently discussed her research during the First Annual Canadian Farm & Food Biogas Conference in Ontario, Canada. King hopes to continue her research and examine nitrogen conservation and land application of manure from an In Storage Psychrophilic Anaerobic Digestion (ISPAD) system, including wind tunnel tests to see what is released at application. She hopes to monitor two more swine production sites using covered manure tanks and optimize the ISPAD design.

Consumption patterns in the market of pork and pork products

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The objectives of the survey set by the participating organisations were to collect information about the consumers’ opinion on various meat products, with special regard to pork, and to define consumer segments in bigger Hungarian towns. On the basis of the results obtained it can be stated clearly that the previous leading meat
types are still the most preferred and most frequently bought products (poultry, pork, beef). At
the same time, though, an obvious shift in consumption can be seen towards white meats, primarily
poultry. It is a general opinion that red meats (especially pork) do not belong to the modern diet, primarily
due to their high cholesterol and fat content. It seems that poultry gradually gains ground in
meat consumption, which basically cannot be compensated by the pig sector. All this has happened despite the poultry sector globally suffering from avian influenza, but this could not undermine the
increasing trust of the Hungarian consumers.During past years, poultry sector has carried out a very effi cient collective marketing activity. The message of the communication focused on the safety (traceability) and excellent quality of Hungarian poultry, as well as on the slogan ‘Hungarian poultry, Hungarian jobs’. Besides this,
the devotees of healthy nutrition started an attack against red meats saying they have to be left out of our diet.
The consumers’ view and image of pork are worse than those of poultry in almost all aspects. Therefore, future marketing research needs to reveal the factors that result in such an unfavourable image of pork that cannot have an impact on the consumption of pork and on the preferences of the consumers. A substantive re-positioning of pork products may not be necessary or only slightly, but rather a psychological re-positioning of the pork products becomes due.

Tracking the Outbreak that Shook the World

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Prevalence of hepatitis E virus in swine under different breeding environment and abattoir in Beijing, China

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This study was to investigate the prevalence of HEV in pig herds under different breeding environment and in abattoirs
located in Beijing, China. The results of this study indicated that the prevalence of HEV in the pig herds were quite high. Additional public-health concerns might be placed on pork safety.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03781135

C-reactive protein quantification in porcine saliva: A minimally invasive test for pig health monitoring

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Study objectives were to investigate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) in pig saliva could be quantified using an adapted, timeresolved immunofluorometry assay (TR-IFMA), and to determine whether the assay could distinguish healthy from diseased animals. The test method had intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation of 5.75% and 9.73%, respectively, the limit of detection was 0.47 ng/ mL and the coefficient of determination was 0.98. Analysis of CRP concentrations in paired serum and saliva samples from 50 pigs gave a positive correlation (r = 0.702, P < 0.01) and the salivary CRP concentration was able to distinguish healthy from diseased animals in 62 samples from pigs with naturally occurring or experimentally-induced inflammation. The results suggest that this minimally invasive, straightforward and sensitive assay may be useful in pig health and welfare monitoring.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10900233