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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:
Comparison of scratching behaviour of growing pigs with sarcoptic mange before and after treatment, employing two distinct approaches
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments
Sarcoptic mange in pig breeding and finishing farms is a major economic problem. The economic losses by mange are caused by the costs of treatment and damage to piggery fixtures through permanent rubbing, reduced feed conversion efficiency, increased return rates, and piglet mortalities (Davies, 1995). Horst (2004) estimated that the loss due to reduced feed conversion efficacy and increased piglet mortalities at €66 per mangy sow and year. Kirchner (1998) reported a mortality of 11.5% in piglet as a consequence of frequent unrest (pruritus) in untreated mangy sows, in contrast to 3.7% in treated sows. Damriyasa et al. (2004) examined 11 breeding farms with a total of 2754 sows and estimated the mean economic loss due to Sarcoptes scabiei infestation at €4200 per affected farm and year. Based on these economic losses and the animal welfare issues, there is a need to eradicate and prevent sarcoptic mange and to establish mange-free pig farms. To achieve a mange-free status and certification a reliable management and control program, and sensitive and specific diagnostic methods are required as complementary tools. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), skin scraping, clinical score, papular dermatitis score and scratching index are tools with differing specificities and sensitivities. Of these, the scratching index using different limiting values is often used and has been recommended by various authors as an additional method for the diagnosis of sarcoptic mange. The aim of the present study was to observe the scratching behaviour of growing pigs suffering from sarcoptic mange in a closed herd before and after treatment, to calculate scratching indices using different methods and to critically evaluate the results obtained employing recommended limiting values. In a closed pig breeding and finishing herd suffering from sarcoptic mange, two selected groups of pigs were filmed during a period of 10 days before and after treatment. The observation always commenced each hour and lasted for 15 min. Before treatment, observations was done round the clock, after treatment from 8:00 to 22:15. Before treatment the pens were stocked with 11 (pen A) and 10 (pen B) growing pigs (Large White x Landrace sows; 5 months old) with an average weight of ~70 kg examined for sarcoptic mange by skin scrapings and ELISA. The animals had never been treated with an acaricide or endectocide before. After 10 days, the pigs were treated twice (18 days interval) with Dectomax® 1% solution for pigs (Pfizer, Austria) at a dose of 0.3 mg Doramectin i.m./kg body weight. After treatment, seven pigs were observed in both pens. Most scratching actions both before (83.1%) and after (94.5%) treatment were of one to 10s. After treatment, the 10s scratching episodes decreased by 67.3% (from 21.2 to 6.9 mean SRE/pig), and the scratching actions of longer than 10s by 91.7% (from 4.3 to 0.4 mean SRE/pig), such that the latter could be observed only occasionally after treatment. A distinct increase in scratching activity both before and after treatment could be observed primarily between 10:00 and 15:00. Significant differences of scratching and rubbing activity between before and after treatment could also be seen at midday. Depending on the methods used and the limiting values set, 6.7–34.6% of the observations before and 2.0–17.3% of the observations after treatment revealed a ‘‘strong evidence of mange’’ or a ‘‘suspicion of mange’’. All other observations indicated that the pigs were free from mange.
Measuring Performance and Maximizing Throughput In the Finish Phase
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Techniques of the Hanor Company are discussed in regard to monitoring key production indicators of the finisher barn. Information keeping is important in 6 key areas: 1) Daily/Weekly Reporting (death loss, inventory, etc.); 2) Close-out reporting (growth, death loss, feed conversion, etc.); 3) Top Hog Marketed Index; 4) Market Result Report; 5) Feed; 6) Finances.
China – Pork Powerhouse of the World
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
In recent years, live pig and pork production and pork consumption have been undergoing dramatic changes in China. As the biggest pig and pork producing country in the world, all these changes will not only influence the pig and pork industry in China, but will also affect international feed and pork trading countries. An overview of the current status and challenges faced by China will help the world understand the past, present and future trends in the Chinese pig industry. This information may also enable countries and companies to adjust pork production policies to suit the future international market economy in pork. China has an abundance of labour but is running out of land and resources. There is a lower pork price but high cost for major agriculture products. As a pork powerhouse, China will influence all aspects of the world pig industry such as labour, feed ingredient trading, food processing, pork trading, live pig trading, equipment and technology transfer. More strict measures are required to limit small-scale operations to improve meat safety and international competition. China can be expected to continue its role as a pork powerhouse of the world. The present pattern of increases in productivity, lean yield and carcass weight will continue. Rather than becoming a new export market for existing pork producing countries, China will probably become a major international competitor in the pork export market.
GO TO THE MASTERS WITH GROW-FINISH F:G AND ADG
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Factors that Affect GF Performance are health, genetics, nutrition (energy, dietary lysine level), feeder pig weight, barn design and gender. Economic summary assumes the following: total grow-finish cost = $55 / pig; facility cost = $0.10 / pig / day; feed cost = $120 / ton (unless given); deathloss cost = $75 / pig; and additional live weight = $45 / cwt.
Affectation 1 (g) – Conseils, commissions et législation
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Le Centre de compétence sur les conseils, les commissions et la législation appuie les organismes suivants :
• le Conseil manitobain de commercialisation des produits agricoles,
• la Commission manitobaine des machines agricoles,
• la Commission de protection des pratiques agricoles du Manitoba,
• l’Office de la propriété agricole du Manitoba,
• la Commission manitobaine du contrôle du prix du lait,
• le Bureau d’accréditation des organismes de producteurs agricoles,
• la Commission de médiation agricole du Manitoba,
• la Commission hippique du Manitoba.
Le Centre de compétence sur les conseils, les commissions et la législation examine et modifie la législation actuelle et présente de nouveaux projets de lois et de règlements. En outre, le Centre de compétence aide les producteurs et leur permet d’accroître leurs revenus :
en fournissant des services de médiation,
en fixant les prix des produits,
en fournissant un mécanisme de financement des activités de recherche et de promotion,
en réglementant la production et la commercialisation de certaines matières premières agricoles.
Le Centre de compétence s’efforce d’appuyer les producteurs en ce qui a trait à la gestion et à la mise en oeuvre de pratiques agricoles acceptables ainsi qu’à l’adoption de normes de sécurité à la ferme dans certains régimes de commercialisation.
On-farm demonstration of a technology for recuperation and elimination of methane from the manure storage tank
Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments
The Canadian swine industry produces around 2 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents of methane gas per year. This corresponds to 54% of the emissions coming from manure management in Canada. A reduction in methane emissions would mean a better management of organic carbon coming from manure. Regarding dinitrogen oxide (N2O), pig manure emits annually 130 000 tons of this gas in CO2 equivalents. Reducing these nitrogen losses to the atmosphere would improve the energy efficiency of soil fertilizers. The efficiency of a floating roof to reduce nitrogen losses and the ability of a biofilter to trap and oxidize methane emitted from a slurry storage tank had been examined. This study confirmed that a covered tank emits much less ammonia than a non-covered one. This improved nitrogen conservation reduces the cost of nitrogen fertilizers. Considering annual precipitations of 600mm, a floating roof increases the storage capacity of the tank by 15%. Generally, installing a cover on an existing tank is less expensive than building a new covered tank. According to literature, hermetic covers offer an excellent odour-reducing potential. In terms of methane oxidization and its consequent decreased emission, biofiltration showed very encouraging results: a decrease in methane emissions by 80% or more with every type of filter material tested. Thus, a floating cover can altogether decrease odours and manure dilution, and increase the storage capacity of the tank and the nitrogen concentration of the pig slurry.