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Industry Partners
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:
Identification of a female-pig profile associated with lower productivity on commercial farms
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2007 | No Comments
Some positive results, but continued vigilance and assessment required
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Our June issue told the stories of three more producers whose herds have been afflicted with PRRS. They have not yet won the battle, but all have undertaken testing or made changes with a view to returning to PRRS-negative status
:The Vanden Boogaards of Gorrie, Huron County
:Darryl and Cheryl Terpstra, Birchlawn Farms, near Dorking
:Ron and Glen Manjin, Teeswater Pork, Huron County
Evaluating Water Quality for Livestock
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Water is the single most important nutrient for livestock. Animals, as well as humans, can live for long periods of time without food. Without water, however, death can occur in a matter of days. Unfortunately, both the quality and quantity of the water provided for livestock is often overlooked.
Water is involved either directly or indirectly in virtually every physiological process. Water is a medium for transporting nutrients, waste material, hormones and other chemical messengers, as well as food along the gastrointestinal tract. It also plays an important role in regulating body temperature, acts as a lubricant for skeletal joints and is a component of many basic chemical reactions.
Water quality is determined by analyses of water samples. A bacterial analysis indicates if water contains microorganisms, such as bacteria, which may be harmful. A chemical analysis determines the levels of various minerals present in water.
Evaluating the content of water is relatively straightforward. The major difficulty is establishing levels at which animal health, welfare and productivity may be impaired.
This factsheet outlines recommended levels and potential problems found during water analysis. Table 1 summarizes the water quality guidelines established by the 1987 Canadian Task Force on Water Quality.
An Overview of Organic Pork Production
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Consumer demand for organic pork is rising. Some pork
producers may wish to capture part of this niche market.
The information on organic pork requirements presented
here is only a general overview. For detailed information,
refer to Canada’s Organic Production Systems — General
Principles and Management Standards or contact a
certifying body that meets your needs for production and
marketing. Organic pork production takes time, hard
work, and facility and management changes to meet all
the requirements. It requires research to determine
whether this type of production system is appropriate for
your operation. It is not for all pork producers.
10 steps to Manage Odor
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Jay Harmon, with the agricultural and bioengineering department at Iowa State University, offered 10 steps to managing odor during an environmental seminar. 1) Siting Decisions, the distance to nearby dwellings, the size of the pork production facility and the exposure angles – from the facility to a residence – must be taken into account. 2) Manure Handling, injecting manure can reduce odor 50-75% compared to broadcasting. 3) Dietary manipulation, Harmon feels this is one of the easiest options to implement for reducing odors. Cutting crude protein levels and bumping crystalline amino acids can reduce odors 20%, he says. 4) Cover manure storage, whether permeable (straw, cornstalks, geotextiles) or impermeable (high-density polyethylene or HDPE), covers help prevent gases from escaping. 5) Visual barriers and eye
appeal, “Well kept .sites get fewer complaints,” Harmon relates. “It serves as a reflection on the overall management
of the site.” 6) Pit ventilation, the more odorous air comes from the pit, contributing more than half of the total odor during critical periods. 7) Biofilters, drawing exhaust air through a biofilter bed can reduce odor, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and dust. 8) Vegetative environmental buffers, A properly designed vegetative filter helps lift and mix odorous gases. 9) Chimneys, these relatively low-cost design features promote air mixing and reduce the noise of the ventilation system. 10) Other odor deterrents: aeration, barriers, biocurtains, digestion, and oil sprinkling.
BIORETENTION COLUMN STUDY: FECAL COLIFORM AND TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS REDUCTIONS
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Nitrogen balances at the crop and farm-gate scale in livestock farms in Italy
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Managing Nitrogen Contaminated Soils: Benefits of N2–Fixing Alfalfa
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