Existing Nutritional Tools can Dramatically Reduce Swine Manure Phosphorus

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2007 | No Comments

Pigs, like all other livestock species, require adequate amounts of dietary phosphorus to perform optimally. Nutrients, including phosphorus, consumed by animals in excess of what is required for growth and production are subsequently excreted from the body. High manure phosphorus content can be a problem, as it will increase the amount of land required to spread manure, especially as regulations change to focus more on phosphorus. Also, minimizing manure phosphorus will contribute towards efforts to safeguard surface water quality and reduced feed cost. Results of several research projects completed at the University of Manitoba and elsewhere show that dietary manipulations strategies could reduce total phosphorus content in swine manure by 50%. Included in this paper is a checklist of strategies you can implement on your farm to efficiently utilize phosphorus.

Ethanol Expansion in the United States: How Will the Agricultural Sector Adjust?

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Assessing the Impact of Cremating Farm Deadstock on Air Quality

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Deadstock disposal has been a hot topic in recent
years, mostly because of biosecurity concerns. Options for deadstock disposal in Ontario are currently
limited to rendering, composting and burial. Rendering is
a disposal method which now costs farmers money, rather
than providing a small source of income, as in previous
years. It is also becoming unpopular because of regulatory
restrictions.
As a result, farmers are eager to explore alternative disposal
methods for their dead livestock , especially on larger
operations where biosecurity is critical. Two methods rapidly
gaining popularity are composting and cremation.
Dr. Bill Van Heyst and graduate students Pat Linton and
Mike Thomson of the School of Engineering at the University
of Guelph have been studying the composting of deadstock,
an excellent disposal method if performed in a proper manner.
However, the emissions released during the composting
process need to be characterized to evaluate their impact
on the environment. Additionally, the nutrient availability in
the finished compost must be analyzed. The results indicate that, if best management practices
are implemented – such as the operation of a secondary
burner or after-burner at a prescribed temperature and
time – then the resulting environmental impacts are minimized.
“Upset conditions, such as frozen diesel lines, can
dramatically increase the emission of some toxic pollutants
such as dioxins and furans,” he notes.

Large Group and Auto Sort Systems

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High-Oil Oat Groats for Weaned Pigs

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After weaning, young pigs need highly palatable, digestible diets, devoid of antinutritional factors and with high digestible energy (DE) content. Feed ingredients corresponding to that description are generally expensive and choice is quite limited. One alternative could be oat groats (dehulled oats) with high oil content. Oat groats are well consumed and digested by young pigs and have the highest lysine content among all the cereal species used in swine nutrition (Van Barneveld et al., 1998; J. Sci. Food Agric. 76, 277). The specific objective of this study was to determine the nutritional value of high-oil oat groats and their effect on the growth performances of weaned pigs. The groats contained 95 g oil, 159 g crude protein and 3,724 kcal DE/kg DM. Weaned pigs fed for 4 weeks (7 to 22 kg) with diets containing graded levels (0, 15, 30, 45%) of oat groats, incorporated at the expense of wheat and soybean meal (85%-15%), presented average daily gains similar to those obtained with wheat. In conclusion, high-oil oat groats can replace wheat in diets for weaned pigs because of the high protein content and the relatively good quality of the oat proteins.

Checklist to Determine Causes of Shortfalls in Feed Intake

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This is a set of questions that hog producers must ask themselves. The answers to the questions will give an indication of the diets producers are feeding their animals. They will help producers determine where their diets need improvements.

ÉLÉMENTS FERTILISANTS

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LE CYCLE DES ÉLÉMENTS
Les déjections animales ont traditionnellement été utilisées comme fertilisant pour les productions
végétales. Ce processus de recyclage des éléments nutritifs rejetés, incluant la production animale et les
produits végétaux nécessaires à leur alimentation, est une manière durable d’assurer une balance et une
récupération de ces éléments (Jongbloed et Lenis, 1993). Toutefois la nouvelle tendance de développer la
production animale sur une base intensive, en augmentant de manière importante la capacité des
bâtiments d’élevage, peut mener à des situations débalancées du point de vue du recyclage des éléments
nutritifs/fertilisants. La concentration de l’élevage dans certaines régions, les améliorations de la
productivité et de la mécanisation, l’importation d’aliments pour animaux et le développement de
fertilisants inorganiques à faibles coûts sont tous des éléments qui jouent un rôle important dans la gestion
des éléments fertilisants d’origine animale. Des situations débalancées aux niveaux des éléments
fertilisants peuvent être observées au niveau de la ferme ou au niveau d’une région lorsque l’ensemble des
fertilisants d’origine animale et des engrais inorganiques qui sont épandus excèdent les besoins en
fertilisants des cultures et d’un sol donné (Jongbloed et Lenis, 1992). De plus l’efficacité globale des
fermes pour la rétention des éléments nutritifs/fertilisants est très faible. Par exemple pour la production
porcine, 3.6 à 10% du potassium (K) de la ration est retenu par l’animal et, pour l’azote (N) et le
phosphore (P) de 18 à 40% des intrants sont retenus (de Lange, 1997). Comme le décrit de Lange (1996),
la situation des éléments nutritifs/fertilisants de l’Ontario peut être présentée comme suit: pour chaque
truie en inventaire par an, 18 porcs destinés à l’abattage sont produits. Les éléments fertilisants rejetés
d’une telle production sont approximativement 114 kg de N, 23 kg de P et 70 kg de K. Ces quantités
seront excrétées dans le lisier et de celles-ci, environ 70% du N, 65% du P et 70% du K proviendront des
porcs qui sont au stade de croissance-finition (de Lange, 1996). Cette situation peut créer de la pollution
et des nuisances (voir les autres sections du document) si le cycle des éléments nutritifs/fertilisants n’est
pas bien balancé.

Energy Savings with Heat Pads and Lighting

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Heat Pads
The results from three R&D projects show that there is no statistical difference in weight gain and mortality between piglets raised with heat lamps and piglets raised with energy efficient heat pads. The heat pads provide a comfortable heated zone for the newborn piglets and piglets tend not to seek warmth from the mother sow, which reduces crushing losses. Heat pads offer a large comfort area that minimizes piglet piling. Research conducted at the Glenlea Research Station of University of Manitoba, in comparing heat pads vs. the combination of heat pads and 100 watt heat lamps for the first 4 to 24 hours, revealed that there was no statistically significant difference in weight gain and mortality, however, the heat lamps helped dry off the birth fluid. Heat lamps typically consume 1279 kWh per crate while energy efficient heat pads consume 383 kWh, thus a saving of 896 kWh per crate per annum in typical commercial farrowing operations. At 5¢/kWh, this is equivalent to $45/annum. There is an additional saving of 1.5 heat lamps per farrowing crate per annum. At $10/lamp, this translates to a saving of $15/annum.

Lighting
In-barn research shows that gilts benefit from exposure to 14-16 hours of light each day. Gilts reach puberty sooner, have prolonged estrus and farrow more pigs per litter than gilts raised in reduced light conditions or in the dark. Studies also show that differences between incandescent, fluorescent and metal halide lighting do not appear to have any effect on hog performance. However, common T12 fluorescent lamps should be replaced with T8 lamps because of their 20-30% lower operating cost, longer lifespan and compatibility with existing fixtures. Incentives available, in some locations, for the necessary replacement of the T12 magnetic ballast with the T8 electronic ballasts significantly reduce the costs of conversion.

How do you straddle hogs and pigs? Ask the Greeks!

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One objective of this study is to present the first known empirical application of the event induced trading strategy approach with respect to an agricultural commodity futures options market. The second objective of the study is to demonstrate a method for decomposing returns to a portfolio of options in such a manner that allows the researcher to distinguish between returns attributable to changes in volatility, changes in underlying futures prices, or any of
several other factors that affect options returns. The conclusion reached was that options markets could be inaccurately reflecting a combination of both futures price changes and volatility changes. The empirical evidence suggests that small but unidirectional price moves occurring in anticipation of the reports was also making a significant contribution to the long straddle returns.

Analysis and evaluation of mortality losses of the 2001 African swine fever outbreak, Ibadan, Nigeria

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