SEARCH
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:
A low cost solution for ammonia emission abatement from slurry storage
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments
Nitrate leaching through the unsaturated zone following pig slurry applications
Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments
Surface Water Issues
Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments
Surface water, in the form of lakes, rivers, streams and other wetlands, covers nearly 20% of the province and is a significant part of our identity and heritage as Manitobans. Protection of these resources is important to all of us.
Effects of Housing Grow-Finish Pigs in Two Different Group Sizes and Two Different Floor Space Allocations
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Past studies on small groups (10-40) of pigs have found a negative impact of crowding on productivity and welfare. Studies examining groups of greater than 40 pigs per pen have found setbacks in the growth rate of pigs soon after mixing. Research into the effects of crowding on grow-finish pigs housed in large groups is minimal, although it has been suggested that pigs housed in large groups may be able to use space more efficiently. This study was designed to assess the space requirements of both large and small groups, and the effects of space restriction on pig performance, behaviour, physiology, health and welfare.
For this study, space allowance was expressed using an allometric approach relating body weight (BW) to floor area, as determined by the equation: k = area(m2)/BW(kg)0.667. Past research has indicated that, above k = 0.035, growth is normal. Below k = 0.035, space becomes restrictive and growth depression begins. Due to previously set animal care guidelines, the crowding treatment in the current study was terminated at k = 0.025 (approximately 94 kg BW at 0.52 m2/pig).
Eight, 8-week blocks of 288 pigs were carried out. Group sizes were small (18 pigs) or large (108 pigs) and space allowances were crowded (0.52 m2/pig) or uncrowded (0.78 m2/pig), creating four treatment groups: small uncrowded, small crowded, large uncrowded and large crowded (Figure 1 a-d, respectively). Gains, feed intake, and feed efficiency were calculated on a weekly basis. Postural and feeding behaviour were assessed on a biweekly basis, as were injuries and salivary cortisol concentrations (indicative of acute stress). Adrenal gland (indicative of chronic stress) and carcass data were collected at slaughter. Pig morbidity and mortality were determined for all eight blocks. A 1:1 ratio of barrows and gilts were used in the first two blocks, and only production, injury, health, and carcass data were collected. The remaining six blocks used barrows only, and all data listed above were collected. One wet/dry ad-libitum feeder space was provided for every nine pigs. One environmental enrichment device was provided for every 18 pigs.
Barrows gained more than gilts (1.0644 vs. 1.0124 ± 0.0094 kg/d, P < 0.018) and had a higher fat depth at slaughter (20.57 vs. 18.022 ± 0.25 mm, P < 0.002). Gilts had a higher carcass index than barrows (114.01 vs. 111.95 ± 0.32, P = 0.011). There were no indications that one gender was more affected by large group housing or reduced space allowance than the other. Overall, crowded pigs had a lower growth rate and a lower final body weight than uncrowded pigs (Table 1). Growth rate was depressed by 9.8 % during the final week of the study. Pigs housed in large groups had a lower overall growth rate than pigs housed in small groups (Table 1). Among pigs housed in large groups, daily gain was most affected during the first two weeks, at which time it was depressed by 5.4 %. The difference in initial body weights (Table 1) of pigs housed in the large groups indicated that growth depression began within the first four days after group formation. The first sign of growth depression in response to crowding occurred much sooner for pigs in large groups compared with pigs in small groups. In the large groups, the critical point (k value) at which crowding and growth depression began was k = 0.042 (43 kg BW), while k = 0.035 (57 kg BW) was the critical point for pigs housed in the small groups. However, the rate of depression in gains was more gradual for pigs in large groups. Growth was depressed by 0.5 % for every 1 % reduction in space below the critical point in the small groups, but growth was only depressed by 0.2 % for every 1 % reduction in space below the critical point in the large groups. Thus, by the final week of the trial, pigs in both large and small crowded groups had similar gains. Overall, crowded pigs had a lower feed efficiency than uncrowded pigs (Table 1). Efficiency was depressed by 11 % during the final week of the study. Crowded pigs ate fewer meals and spent less time eating overall, but feed intake did not differ from that of uncrowded pigs. This suggests that they were consuming feed at a faster rate than uncrowded pigs. The level of crowding did not affect injury scores for the severity of lameness, flank bites, tail bites, or leg lesions. Similarly, it did not affect the number of animals requiring medical treatment (antibiotics) or removal from the trial, or the level of acute or chronic stress experienced by the pigs. Pigs housed in large groups ate fewer meals, but took longer to eat each meal, than pigs housed in small groups. Pigs housed in large groups also had a greater severity of lameness and leg injuries than pigs housed in small groups. Pigs housed in small groups spent more time sitting and lying on their sternum (chest), and less time lying on their side, than pigs housed in large groups. Group size did not affect stress levels, the number of animals requiring medical treatment, or the number of animals requiring removal from the trial. Pigs in uncrowded small groups had the highest carcass lean yield while pigs in uncrowded large groups had the highest fat depth. Pigs in crowded large groups had the highest lameness scores. The Bottom Line Both crowding and large group housing were found to negatively affect pig performance. Pigs housed in large groups were affected by space restriction sooner than pigs in small groups although, the depression in growth was much more gradual for pigs housed in large groups. There was limited evidence, none of which was related to productivity, that pigs in large groups were able to use space more efficiently than pigs in small groups
Using alternative ingredients: flaxseeds and lentils
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Using alternative ingredients: flaxseeds and lentils
Pascal Leterme
The pork industry is continually seeking alternative ingredients for use in pig diets, either as a means of diversifying rations -and thus reducing cost- or to achieve a final pork product that meets certain specifications. Lentils and flaxseeds are among these ingredients.
Lentils are grown primarily in Western Canada for export and for human consumption. Each year, however, part of the production does not meet the grade for export and is used by the feed industry. The latter is attracted by the low price of the product. Lentils belong to the pulse crop family and have a chemical composition quite similar to that of peas, widely used in swine nutrition.
Flaxseed, for its part, possesses properties that make it unique as a feed ingredient, not the least of which is a highly desirable fatty acid profile in the lipid fraction. Possible future uses for flax include the production of omega-3 fatty acid-enriched pork, the development of alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters and the enrichment of sow diets for essential fatty acids.
Since the use of these unconventional ingredients in swine nutrition is poorly documented, the Prairie Swine Centre carried out a series of experiments in order to determine the composition and nutritional value of lentils in pigs and to study the inclusion of flaxseed in the rations of growing pigs.
Lentils
Two lentil samples were considered for the study: a blend of brown, yellow and red lentils and frozen lentils. The two samples had a quite similar composition, with an average of 27 % of crude protein, 18% of total dietary fibre and more than 40% of starch. On the contrary, the ash and fat contents were very low, accounting for only 3 and 1 % of the dry matter, respectively. The composition is comparable to that of peas, except that the crude protein content is higher than that of peas (22%) and the starch content lower (50% for peas). The amino acid profile is also typical of pulses with a high level in lysine (6.2% of the protein) and a low level in sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine: 2%). The lysine level is lower than that of peas (7.3%).
The digestible energy value reached 3,715 kcal DE/kg DM in both cases, which is slightly lower than the value obtained for peas (3,850 kcal/kg DM) but comparable to that of faba beans (3,750 kcal). The digestibility of the protein, measured at the end of the small intestine (ileum) reached 62% on average, which is in agreement with other studies carried out on pulses. For the frozen lentils, no definitive value of protein digestibility could be obtained, for problems encountered during the study but, according to our observations, the value was markedly lower than that obtained for the blend of lentils, which indicates that freezing conditions affect the digestibility of the proteins.
As a conclusion, lentils constitute an appreciable ingredient for the pig, with a nutritional value slightly lower than that of peas, which means that the rate of inclusion in the diet of growing-finishing pigs will probably not exceed 20% of the total.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is a grain with high levels of oil (35%) and crude protein (25%). The high oil content makes flaxseed a major energy source for the pig (4,650 kcal/kg DM). However, the main interest lies in the oil composition. The oil is mainly composed of linolenic acid, which belongs to the omega-3 group. Pork producers want to know if it is possible to produce omega-3 enriched pork by supplementing the diets with flaxseed. Before any conclusion could be drawn on the quality of the end-product, it was necessary to evaluate the response of pigs to flax in their diet, to confirm the nutrient profile previously developed and to determine if the feeding of relatively high levels of flaxseed causes changes in performance not predicted by the nutrient profile.
Therefore, a growth experiment was carried out with growing pigs fed with diets containing 0, 5, 10, 15 or 20% of flaxseed, at the expense of a control diet composed of barley, wheat and soybean meal. In order to distinguish between the effect of flaxseed and that of the oil level in the diet, four other diets were supplemented with canola oil, in order to match the amounts of oil in the flaxseed diets. The diets contained, respectively 2.2% oil (control diet), 3.5%, 5.0%, 6.7% and 8.5 oil.
There was no adverse impact of flaxseed inclusion on average daily gain, up to 15% inclusion. The highest level of flaxseed inclusion tended to reduce growth rate, something also observed at the highest canola oil inclusion. The highest level of canola oil inclusion significantly reduced daily feed intake; this was probably due to the fact that the canola oil was not completely absorbed from the diet. Intake of the high flax diet was greater than that on the high canola oil diet. There tended to be an increase in feed efficiency at the lower levels of oil inclusion, whether from flaxseed or canola oil; however, only the canola oil diets sustained this improvement at the highest levels of inclusion.
No relationship (r = 0.03) was found between digestible energy intake and average daily gain (Figure 1). This illustrates the fact that the inclusion of up to 15 % flaxseed in the diet does not affect the pig’s performances.
It can be concluded that balanced diets containing up to 15 % flaxseed will not adversely affect the average daily gain, feed intake or feed efficiency of growing pigs and that growing pigs tolerate high levels (~ 7 %) of fat in the form of flaxseed better than equivalent levels of canola oil
Switch Over Complete – Sask Pork to Manage Pork Interpretive Gallery
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
pork production, education, pork interpretive gallery, P.I.G, prairie swine centre center
Tableau sur les maladies porcines maintenant en ligne
Posted in: French Articles by admin on | No Comments
INTRODUCTION : Le VIDO Swine Technical Group (VSTG ; groupe technique sur le porc de VIDO) est formé de personnes ayant une expertise touchant plusieurs aspects de la production porcine. Le groupe a déjà publié plusieurs ouvrages pratiques sur la production et a maintenant développé une base de données en ligne regroupant des informations sur les maladies porcines ayant un important impact économique. L’accès à de nouvelles informations est un facteur déterminant pour le succès de toute entreprise. Ce nouvel outil d’accès à l’information sur internet fournit des renseignements détaillés provenant de sources crédibles qui incluent des articles de journaux scientifiques, des comptes-rendus et des publications techniques. Les sujets présents dans le TABLEAU DES MALADIES incluent les maladies économiquement importantes pour l’industrie répartis en six sections d’intérêts majeurs soit : comprendre la maladie, contrôles environnementaux, alimentation, gestion du troupeau, prévention et traitement et finalement aspects économiques. Les participants au Banff Pork Seminar 2006 seront les premiers à avoir accès à ce nouvel outil d’information qui peut améliorer la vitesse et la précision d’accès à des informations pertinentes que vous soyez à développer votre stratégie de gestion de maladies ou que vous ayez à faire face à une crise lorsqu’il est critique d’avoir accès à des informations pertinentes. VISION : Faire le lien entre les connaissances et les solutions pratiques. BUT : Le but de la ‘Plate-forme de transfert technologique et de vulgarisation’ est de fournir une ressource pratique à l’industrie de production porcine pour l’aider à identifier et mettre en place des programmes de soin, de la prévention, un contrôle des maladies améliorant la productivité et la gestion de la santé. Ce site internet est destiné à l’usage des producteurs. La présentation, la facilité de compréhension, le vocabulaire simple utilisé tiennent compte des différents niveaux de connaissance des maladies que les producteurs, les conseillers en alimentation, conseillers en génétique et produits pharmaceutiques ainsi que les vétérinaires et étudiants en médecine vétérinaire peuvent avoir sur les maladies porcine pouvant avoir un impact économique important. Le contenu proviendra de sources d’informations scientifiques sur les manières de contrôler les maladies porcines en fournissant des données, des articles scientifiques, des photos de cas pratiques, des discussions et opinions d’experts. Ceci permettra d’appliquer la science dans une gestion appliquée et de démontrer les interrelations entre une variété d’aspects associés au contrôle de maladies. Le VSTG ajoutera à l’information présentée en examinant la pertinence de cette information et en commentant les retombées de ces informations pour les producteurs de porc au Canada. Ce ‘tout-en-un’ site d’information pratique sur les maladies peut aussi servir de lien avec les fournisseurs de produits de santé en permettant à ceux-ci d’y intégrer les informations scientifiques provenant de leurs travaux de recherche et développement. Ceci représente une opportunité de faire le lien avec d’autres intervenants qui fournissent des informations similaires sur la production porcine, et ce à un certain coût. • Pour l’instant, l’information sera présentée seulement sur internet et aucun document imprimé ne sera disponible. MÉTHODOLOGIE : L’information (données, articles scientifiques, photos de cas pratiques, discussions et opinions d’experts) sera évaluée de manière critique quant à la pertinence avant d’être mise sur le site. SUPPORT FINANCIER : Alberta Funding Consortium, Développement des ressources humaines Canada.