Erhualian and Pietrain pigs exhibit distinct behavioral, endocrine and biochemical responses during transport

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2008 | No Comments

Erhualian (EHL) pigs are well-known for their high fertility and superior meat quality with high intramuscular
fat content. The growth rate, body size and lean mass rate are significantly smaller compared with the
Pietrain (PIE) pigs. Moreover, EHL pigs are regarded as mild-tempered despite the fact that the behavioral, endocrine
and biochemical responses to stress have never been investigated objectively in this breed. Therefore, this study describes the breed-specific coping characteristics of EHL pigs in response to transport stress, as reflected by the dynamic changes of behavior and plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol, insulin, T3 and T4, as well as the activities of CK and LDH during 2 h road transportation, in comparison with PIE pigs. It was found that EHL and PIE pigs exhibit istinct behavioral, endocrine and biochemical responses during transport. EHL pigs display more flexible behavioral pattern under stress which is characterized by more fit behavior at the beginning followed by relaxed sitting/lying till the end of transport, in comparison with PIE pigs demonstrating ONF at the beginning proceeded with fear-related freezing/standing throughout the journey. The coping style of EHL pigs was accompanied with decreased CK and LDH activities, higher cortisol levels, together with blunted responses of ACTH and CK to transport stress, as compared with the PIE pigs. Further studies are required to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the breed-specific patterns of behavioral, endocrine and biochemical responses during transport.

Setting up a custom separator

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Once a custom separator system is installed at the Craig farm, liquids exiting the separator will flow down to the lagoon. The lagoon, in effect, will become more of a finishing pond. The solids will be lifted out and placed on an impervious clay layer and used to produce compost. The compost product that was produced on a trial basis moved
quickly. “I can’t keep it. I’ll sell someone one load and then it’s
‘Bring me all you’ve got.’”
Interestingly, their compost customers have included some familiar
faces from their days in court. “The same people who fussed about
us growing the hogs have turned right around and want this
composted topsoil. They may not like where it comes from, but
they sure like what it does to their roses and their tomatoes.”

Meeting environmental requirements for the land application of manure

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In an effort to save regulatory resources, the US Environmental Protection Agency and individual
states have interpreted the Clean Water Act in a manner that authorizes discharges from concentrated
animal feeding operations without the review of nutrient management plans. Environmental groups have
objected to the abbreviated regulatory procedures, and courts have ruled that permitting agencies must review
substantive documentation of effluent limitations contained in nutrient management plans. Proposed new federal regulations prescribing the requirement of a meaningful review of appropriate documentation by the permitting agency respond to the judicial mandates. To facilitate regulatory approval, regulators might use a state certification program to achieve the obligatory meaningful review. Independent certifiers would ensure that an operation’s land application of
manure meets federal water quality requirements.

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

Assessment of airborne bacteria and fungi in pig buildings in Korea

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Inhalation of biological contaminants in a pig building can be detrimental to a farm worker’s health through effects such as infection, allergy or toxicosis. The principal aim of this field study was to determine the concentrations and emissions of biological contaminants, i.e. airborne bacteria and fungi, in the different types of pig buildings in Korea to allow an objective comparison with the other countries in terms of pig housing types. Pig buildings in this research were selected using three criteria such as manure removal system, ventilation mode and the growth stage of the pigs. Measurements of the concentration and emission of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the pig buildings were performed in 5 housing types and on 15 farms. The concentrations of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the pig buildings were averaged to 4.13 log(cfum-3) and 3.14 log (cfum-3), respectively, and ranged from 1.16 to 10.26 log(cfum-3) and from 0.48 to 6.86 log(cfum-3), respectively. The mean emissions of total airborne bacteria and fungi per pig (75 kg in terms of liveweight) and area (m2) from pig buildings were 0.98 log(cfu h-1 pig-1) and 0.73 log(cfu h-1 pig-1) and 1.32 log(cfu h-1 m-2)
and 0.96 log(cfu h-1 m-2), respectively. The pig buildings with a deep-litter bed system showed the highest emissions of total airborne bacteria and fungi (p<0.05). However, the emissions of total airborne bacteria and fungi from the other pig buildings were not significantly different. This study showed that the mean concentrations of total airborne bacteria and fungi in pig buildings situated in Korea were generally lower than those in other countries. The mean emissions of total airborne bacteria and fungi in the pig buildings showed little differences between Korea and other countries. It was concluded that the concentrations and emissions of total airborne bacteria and fungi were relatively higher in the pig buildings which are managed with deep-litter bed systems and those ventilated naturally than other pig housing types.

For more information the full article can be found at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/15375110

The Impact of Swine Lagoon Seepage on Shallow Groundwater Quality: Groundwater Remediation through Lagoon Closure and Pumping

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An earlier study tested an unlined swine lagoon and detected elevated mineral nitrogen concentrations 38 m down gradient from the lagoon. The current study conducted hydrologic and water quality monitoring of the site from March 1999 to September 2004, a period during which the lagoon went from being semi-active to completely closed out. It was found that the average hydraulic gradient decreased from 0.0033 m m‐1, prior to the activation of a groundwater pumping system (Mar. 1999 to Jan. 2000) to 0.0010m m‐1 after pumping was initiated (Sept. 2000 to Sept. 2004). Also, the average hydraulic gradient was reduced by 70%. Since the installation of the pumping system, approximately 17,900 m3 of subsurface water has been pumped, removing 1200 kg of TN from the groundwater plume. TAN concentrations steadily declined from 120 mg L‐1 at the onset of pumping in September 2000 to less than 6 mg L‐1 by September 2004.

Gestation Housing Alternatives: Sows in a Deep-Bedded Cafeteria-Fed System

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This project consisted of two studies in which we compared the performance and welfare of sows in either conventional stalls or a large group, deep-bedded cafeteria-fed system. In the first study all sows were placed into breeding stalls at weaning. Following the second mating, sows were moved into either a section of stalls for implantation, or into the group pens. In the second study an additional treatment was applied within the group system. Half of the groups were formed at 35 days post-mating rather than immediately following the second mating. Housing sows in large groups, in a deep-bedded cafeteria-fed system had both advantages and disadvantages compared to stall housing. Grouped sows fought at the time of mixing, more so if grouped shortly after mating, but aggression dropped off within a week. Scratches were more frequent when animals were grouped, but also increased when sows were moved to new stalls. Abrasions were more common in stalled sows. Stalled sows also had a higher incidence of locomotion problems, including lameness requiring culling, than did sows on the deep litter. Stalled sows evidenced physiological changes indicative of long term stress. Productivity was affected only if sows were grouped within a few days of mating. In general, group housing resulted in acute, short lived welfare problems, while the results from stall housing were indicative of long term, chronic stress.

National Meat Case Study 2004: Product labeling information, branding, and packaging trends

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Fresh meat retail cases in 104 supermarkets
across 5 regions of the United States were audited
for the use of packaging types and materials, branding,
and cooking/nutritional information. Frequency means
were separated for species of beef, ground beef, pork,
chicken, turkey, lamb, and veal. Traditional polyvinyl
chloride overwrap was used on 47.0% of packages in the
fresh meat case nationwide and was the most frequent
packaging type for beef, ground beef, pork, lamb, and
veal. The use of modified atmosphere packaging was
greatest (P < 0.001) in ground beef (33.2%) and turkey (45.1%) products. The 3 most common tray colors in the fresh meat retail case on a national level were white (39.6%), yellow (22.4%), and black (11.5%). Foam trays were used in 72.6% of all packages in the retail meat case. In 2004, 60.2% of all packages were caseready. Chicken (94.8%) and turkey (95.6%) products utilized case-ready packaging systems more (P < 0.001) than any other species. On a national level, 50.1% of all products carried a national brand, 12.2% carried a store brand, and the remaining 37.7% of products in the fresh meat case in 2004 were not branded. Chicken was most (P < 0.001) likely to carry a natural brand label. Labels with cooking instructions were found most (P < 0.001) on pork (37.3%) and turkey products (48.1%). Chicken (20.4%) and turkey products (20.7%) were most (P < 0.001) likely to have the cooking instructions printed on the packaging material compared with all other species. Labels with nutritional information were most (P < 0.001) likely to be found on turkey products (55.7%) in the fresh meat case compared with any other species. On the national level, 6.1% of all packages reported in the fresh meat case in 2004 were value-added.

The effect of incubation conditions on the laboratory measurement of the methane producing capacity of livestock wastes

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Information Sharing in Food Supply Chains

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Vertical information sharing has posed a sensitive strategic challenge among retail firms who, by their location at the end of the supply chain, possess the most valuable segment of the information real estate and one that is valuable to all members of the supply chain. The challenge is this: on one hand information sharing increases the efficiency of the retailers by better coordinating supplies and orders, and on the other hand, it may compromise the bargaining power of the retailers, opening them to opportunistic behavior on the part of suppliers. Nowhere is this dilemma more apparent than in the food sector. Basing its analysis onthe Supermarket Panel Data conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Food Industry Center, this paper examines this issue. It was found that there appears to be a “digital divide in information sharing” between the two types of market structures. This divide, however, is distinct from the issue of cost of IT adoption and the question of its affordability. Rather, it is based on the concept of incomplete markets, as it relates to the incompleteness of the information flow.

The influence of age on the use of potential enrichment objects and synchronisation of behaviour of pigs

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The provision of environmental enrichment for pigs, in the form of objects or substrates, is a legal requirement throughout the EU. Environmental enrichment may be defined as an improvement in the welfare of an animal, as measured by psychological and physiological means, as a direct result of alterations in the animal’s environment (Newberry, 1995). Previous studies investigating the use of enrichment objects have tended to focus either on one age group or on the provision of one object throughout the animals’ lifetime (e.g. Beattie et al., 1995; Durrell et al., 1997; Hill et al., 1998; Lyons et al., 1995). This experiment therefore addressed the question of whether pigs of different ages require different types of enrichment objects in order to promote and maintain exploratory behaviour. Straw is generally recommended as suitable enrichment for pigs. However, over 85% of pigs in the EU are housed in slatted systems where it is impossible to use these materials spread over a wide area of solid floor. In these systems it is more typical to use alternatives such as hanging objects and, in such situations, enrichment becomes a single point within the pen rather than a diffuse source. This experiment aimed to identify how a pig’s age affected the extent and synchrony of use of different environmental enrichment materials, and how this use changed over time. In order to measure synchrony it is necessary to determine if more than one animal is performing the same behaviour at the same time, and also to determine whether or not this has simply occurred by chance (Engel and Lamprecht, 1997). Animals behaving independently of each other may still be performing the same behaviour, at the same time, and such chance occurrences need to be factored into calculations to determine the extent of true synchrony (Rook and Penning, 1991; Engel and Lamprecht, 1997). Ten diverse novel objects were each presented to three replicate litters of 3 weeks of age (sucklers) and three replicate groups of three animals of 5 (weaners) weeks and 13 (growers) weeks of age. Video recordings were made of the pigs’ behaviour over a period of 5 days and subsequently analysed for activity, inactivity and object directed behaviour of three animals per group on days 1 and 5. The observed performance of any given behaviour, when at least one other member of the group was also performing that behaviour, was compared with the probability that such concurrence occurred by chance and these results were used to calculate the degree of synchronisation. Gender had no effect on the duration of object use or approach latency. Growers displayed a shorter latency to approach the objects initially compared to sucklers and weaners. Sucklers used the objects to a much lesser extent than either the weaners or growers. Overall object use decreased between days 1 and 5. All of the age groups synchronised their behaviour to a much greater extent than expected by chance. The sucklers showed a higher degree of synchrony of activity and inactivity, but lower degree of synchrony for object directed behaviour, than the weaners and growers. The degree of synchronisation of object directed behaviour decreased over the 5-day period, irrespective of age. Significant correlations were found between the degree of synchrony and extent of object interaction only for the sucklers. Since pigs showed behavioural synchronisation, object availability should be considered when providing desirable enrichment in order to avoid excessive competition in larger commercial groups.

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