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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:
Influence of dietary fiber on luminal environment and morphology in the small and large intestine of sows
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2008 | No Comments
This study determined the effect of feeding different types of amounts of dietary fiber (DF) on luminal environment and morphology in the small and large intesting of sows. It was shown that there was an increased retention time, decreased amount of material, and a decreased tissue weight after feeding the low-fibre diet compared to the high-fibre diet. It was also concluded that feeding the diet providing the greatest amount of fermentable carbohydrates resulted in significant morphological changes in the colon compared with the low-fibre diet.
Growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and tissue histology of growing pigs fed crude glycerin-supplemented diets
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The effects of dietary crude glycerin on growth performance, carcass characterisits, meat quality idices, and tissue histology is growing pigs was determined in a feeding trial. It was found that dietary treatment did not affect blood metabolites or frequency of lesions in the examined tissues. This experiment shows that pigs can be fed up to 10% crude glycerin with no effect of pig performance, carcass composition, meat quality, or lesions score.
Triticale as a replacement for wheat in diets for weaned pigs
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The nutritional value of triticale for weaned pigs is poorly characterized.
Six mash diets containing either 66.5% one of two wheat samples or one of four winter or spring triticale cultivars were fed
to 72 pens of weaned pigs for 28 d. Average daily feed intake and gain did not differ between pigs fed wheat and triticale
diets (P>0.05). Replacing wheat with triticale increased feed efficiency by 0.02 for spring triticale and 0.03 for winter
triticale (P<0.001). Apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy was 1.2, 2.5, and 1.0%
higher, respectively, for the triticale diets than the wheat diets (P<0.05). The nutritional value of the four triticale samples
was 1.5% higher for energy than the two wheat samples included in western Canada diets for weaned pigs.
Genetic parameters and predicted selection results for maternal traits related to lactation efficiency in sows
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The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for lactation efficiency (LE), its underlying traits, and to predict the consequences of current selection strategies in dam lines. Inclusion of LE in the breeding goal will improve stayability, as defined by the first-litter survival of sows and LE itself, without
negative consequences for other economically important traits. Nevertheless, it might be worthwhile to
design a breeding goal in which LE increases and feed intake remains unchanged.
Recent advances in the development of recombinant vaccines against classical swine fever virus: Cellular responses also play a role in protection
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In this review article, some of the most recent advances in the field of recombinant
vaccines against Classical swine fever virus are presented and the nature of the protective immune responses they induce is discussed.
Classifying sows’ activity types from acceleration patterns An application of the Multi-Process Kalman Filter
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This article suggests a method of classifying five types of activity exhibited by group-housed sows. The method
involves the measurement of acceleration in three dimensions. The five activities are: feeding, walking, rooting, lying laterally and lying sternally. The results show that feeding and lateral/sternal lying activities are best recognized;
walking and rooting activities are mostly recognized by a specific axis corresponding to the direction of the
sow’s movement while performing the activity (horizontal sidewise and vertical). Various possible
improvements of the suggested approach are discussed.
Do labour productivity and preferences about work load distribution affect reproduction management and performance in pig farms
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This paper deals with the changes of work in pig farms, either the research of increased labour productivity or the control of work load distribution within the week. We hypothesise that the increase in labour productivity might have induced a simplification of
reproduction management or have consequences on the
herd productivity.We also hypothesise that, as in the other
production systems, the pig farmers have various
preferences when considering the work in odd hours and
in weekends. These various preferences may be related to
different reproduction managements and may affect the
herd productivity. To test these hypotheses, we have
carried out a survey with stockbreeders who had various
batch farrowing systems and herd size, so presumably a
large variety of management practices and labour
effectiveness. This study suggests that labour productivity was
linked to the size of the farrowing batches through a
scale economy. But this paper describes more the
diversity in the operational achievement of reproduction
management. It suggests that this management can be a
critical point to consider when changes in preferences as
to work load distribution occur and confirms the
relationship with sow productivity.
Characteristic of duodenal myoelectric activity in relation to food in piglets during the 3rd and 4th week of life
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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristic of the intestinal motility in relation to the dry matter and volume of ingested milk formula in piglets during the 3rd and 4th week of life. The results showed that in piglets
during their 3rd and 4th week of life the duodenal myoelectric activity response to consumed feed was similar to that observed in adult animals.
Do electronic sow feeders affect productivity?
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Electronic sow feeders (ESF) provide a feeding station
which allows one animal at a time to enter and be fed its
specific amount of feed. We examined two social management
options within an ESF system to determine their
effects on productivity. Within the ESF system, we considered small groups of
approximately 35 sows which were all added to the pen at
the same time (static) versus larger groups (120 sows) that
were dynamic. That is, groups of approximately 35 sows
were removed for farrowing and others added at five-week
intervals.
We also considered two stages of gestation at which to
place the animals. Animals were either moved to the ESF
eight to 10 days after breeding, or approximately 45 days
after breeding, by which time embryonic implantation
should have occurred. We also collected
data from animals kept in stalls for their
entire gestation. Our conclusion was that productivity equal to that
obtained in stalls can be achieved in an ESF system, but this
was only possible in our study if animals were already past
implantation when the group was formed. Other studies
using only pre-implant grouping tend to report lower productivity
in groups.
Static and dynamic systems did not differ, but it should
be pointed out that our dynamic system involved adding
new animals at five-week intervals, not weekly as in several
other studies. It is important to note the management methods
used in group housing studies, as these can affect the
outcome of the comparison.
Higher yields and a cost savings with liquid manure
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Manure may be a cheaper alternative to high-priced commercial fertilizers, but management is the key to profit and crop performance. Jon Rausch, Ohio State University Extension environmental management program director, says that more Ohio farmers are turning to manure for corn production because of the higher prices of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. However, they face the challenge of proper nutrient utilization to maximize results. “When manure is treated like a nutrient resource, it can be a cost-effective asset to crop production,” he says. “To maximize manure’s value, it must replace other nutrient inputs and be placed where a crop response is expected. Adding nutrients above recommended levels would decrease its value and increase the potential of those nutrients being lost to the environment.” Existing nutrient levels in the soil, how much manure is applied, how well manure is spread, and how well soil nutrients are maintained with manure application are just some of the variables that can influence the value of manure as a fertilizer resource. Ohio State University Extension researchers are conducting studies that demonstrate how the value of manure, specifically from swine, depends upon the need for supplemental nutrients, proper manure handling and thorough application practices. Coming off several years of research which showed that applying swine manure to post-emergence corn produced comparable or higher yields to commercial urea, OSU Extension educators in Putnam and Hancock counties hope to find the same results in treating pre-emergence corn. Not only does manure add nutrient value to a crop, it also adds environmental benefits including micronutrients, organics and biologicals – those organisms that make up the ‘living soil’. Though difficult to quantify with direct economic value, manure has been shown to improve soil quality and soil health, increase organic matter content and build water-holding capacities, among other benefits. “When a farmer is looking at 60 cents per pound of commercial nitrogen as fertilizer, using manure not only for the nutrient value, but also for the secondary benefits, might be an alternative to consider,” suggests Rausch.