Overview of on-going projects in the PSCI Engineering Research Program

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments

Summary

Three research projects were started within the PSCI Engineering Research Program that involve controlling emissions using nanoparticles, assessing barn energy use to reduce utility costs, and evaluating a new housing system for grower-finisher pigs. The goals and the activities within each project are described.

Introduction

Research activities within the PSCI Engineering Research Program are aimed to address environmental sustainability concerns relevant to the pork industry and to optimize the physical and management systems within swine operations to improve net profitability. In line with these goals, three research projects were started within the program during the past year. However, these studies are in the early stages of the research process, thus, discussion of final results is not yet possible. This overview provides a brief description of each project and the activities that will be undertaken over the coming year.

Use of nanoparticles to control emissions from swine manure slurry
(B. Predicala, D. Asis; funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC))

The overall goal of this research is to determine the technical feasibility of using reactive nanoparticles to reduce odour and gaseous emissions from swine barns. The rationale for this research is to take advantage of recent advances in nanoparticle technology to develop control measures for odour and gaseous emissions from swine facilities.

Nanotechnology refers broadly to the control and manipulation of atoms and molecules to create structures and devices at nanoscale dimensions with novel properties and functions attributed to their small size. Nanoparticles are nanoscale materials that are created by controlled processes to attain specific properties. The multitude of uses of nanoparticles includes environmental applications such as wastewater remediation, destruction of toxins and pathogenic microorganisms, as well as air filtration and purification. These applications were mainly due to inherent properties of nanoparticles which can be highly-reactive when in contact with the target compounds, particles, or microorganisms. Because emissions from swine barns consist mainly of gaseous compounds (e.g., odour, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), ammonia (NH3)) and aerosolized particles of biological origin (i.e., bioaerosols), it is hypothesized that reactive nanoparticles could also be effective in controlling emissions from swine operations.

Initial experiments were conducted to test the impact of nanoparticles on selected target gases at known concentration. Six types of nanoparticles were selected based on their performance in previous similar applications, their reported chemical and physical properties, and from consultation with technical staff of a company that manufactures these materials.

Using the sampling flow rate and amount of particles determined from preliminary tests, the results of the tests on these six types of nanoparticles and other common materials are shown in Figure 1. The values shown are the normalized concentrations, meaning lower values (<1.0) indicate better effectiveness in reducing the target gas concentration. Among the nanoparticles tested, the top three materials based on effect on 50-ppm NH3 target gas were Al2O3, TiO2 and ZnO, which corresponded to a reduction of 85.6%, 85.2%, and 78%, respectively. Using MgO, MgO+ and ZnO nanoparticles, the concentration of H2S was reduced to <1.0 ppm (below detection level of the H2S monitor used) from an initial 25-ppm concentration. Additionally, Al2O3 and TiO2, which were previously found to be effective for NH3, were able to reduce the concentration of H2S by 57% and 13%, respectively. Further tests will be conducted to test the impact of various nanoparticles on other target gases and on the actual gas mixtures emitted from swine slurry. In addition to air filtration, other deployment techniques such as mixing of the nanoparticles with slurry and dispersion of the particles to treat the emitted gas will also be evaluated. Additional room-scale tests will be conducted to ensure that the nanoparticles proven to be effective in controlling the gas emissions can be used safely in swine barns in a cost-effective manner. Reducing energy costs in swine barns (B. Predicala, J. Patience, E. Navia; funded by the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS) Program) The overall objective of this project is to reduce energy costs in swine operations in order to reduce overall production costs. With energy costs rising on a global basis, the ability to produce pork with lower energy inputs could represent a significant competitive advantage to our industry, particularly with respect to our main global competitors, which are typically dependent on intensive energy inputs. Current estimates of utility costs (gas and electricity) indicate that they range from about $6-10 per pig sold on a farrow-to-finish basis and thus are the third largest variable cost, after feed and labour. However, there is a need to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of actual energy use in typical swine production facilities in western Canada to be able to establish a relevant benchmark on current energy cost per pig sold and to identify the energy intensive tasks in barns and potential areas for improvement. This project will be conducted in four phases. Currently, the first phase is on-going which involves a survey of a representative sample of different types of swine operations to gather baseline information on current energy usage. A series of energy audits of selected facilities will be done over winter and summer seasons to validate the survey results, to assess the relationship of level of energy input to overall productivity of the operation and indoor air quality, and to document current management practices for efficient energy utilization. The second phase will involve the assessment of the impact of different energy-saving strategies on overall energy costs using computer simulation. Using information gathered from the survey and from barn audits, a computer model will be set up to enable us to conduct a thorough evaluation of various energy-conservation measures in a cost-effective manner without having to apply and test each measure in an actual set-up. In subsequent phase of the project, the most promising measures based on the results of the simulation phase will be selected and applied in an actual swine barn to demonstrate their actual impact on total energy costs. The fourth phase will involve the development of a user-friendly software tool for use by pork producers to evaluate current energy use in their own facilities, and to help in the decision making process on adopting specific energy conservation measures appropriate for their operations. Assessment of an alternative swine grow-out facility (B. Predicala, J. Patience, H. Gonyou; funded by the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS) Program and the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board) Barn construction and capitalization represent a significant percentage of the cost of producing a market hog. Furthermore, because of the current construction environment in western Canada, this cost component can be a major disadvantage to our industry, especially with respect to our main global competitors. Additionally, barn design and construction can have a major impact on the operation and management of the barn, thus significantly influencing the performance of animals and the general work environment for barn workers. Hence, a newly- constructed grow-out facility using non-conventional, low-cost building techniques presents a valuable opportunity to closely investigate a means for reducing capital costs, while documenting as well its impact on overall productivity, and other operational aspects that could be affected. The overall objective of this work is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the economic and operational aspects of building and operating a non-conventional confinement barn constructed using low-cost building methods and materials. The main approach of this work is to assess and monitor different parameters and various aspects of the operation that may likely be impacted by the difference in building construction approach, relative to a conventional barn. Additionally, any new costs or benefits and operational requirements unique to these swine housing units will also be documented. This work will be divided into different modules, each dealing with a different aspect of the operation. The different modules include: 1. capital costs, 2. productivity and operational efficiency 3. environment and manure management, 4. animal welfare and handling, and 5. economic and feasibility analysis. Each module will be implemented as a sub-project, with its own protocols developed to meet the specific module objectives. The timeline for each module would include baseline data gathering for the initial year of operation, analysis of the data to identify strengths and weaknesses of the system, development of improvement measures whenever appropriate, implementation of those measures, and subsequent monitoring of the impact on the parameters within the scope of the module. Current activities for this project include the setting up of the environmental monitoring system in the barn, and collection of data on the construction of the barn units and on the performance of the first batch of pigs. Expected activities and Project completion All these on-going studies are multi-year projects, thus, results from the activities over the coming year will be reported in subsequent Annual Research Reports. The bench-scale tests on evaluating various types of nanoparticles and deployment techniques will be completed next year, as well as the benchmark survey and energy audits for the energy cost reduction project. Over the next year, data on several room turns in the low-cost barn units will be collected. Combined with the data on barn construction and operation costs, this will enable us to make a preliminary assessment of the overall performance of the operation.

Does Marketing at Heavier Weights Pay?

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Association of corticotropin-releasing hormone gene variation with performance and meat quality traits in commercial pig lines

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The porcine corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) gene is a functional–positional candidate
for quantitative tract loci on porcine chromosome 4 with major effects on growth and
carcass composition. In addition, the central role of CRH in the neuroendocrine response to
stress implicates the CRH gene as a functional candidate for meat quality. Association of a
single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter region of the porcine CRH gene
(g.233C>T) with several growth, carcass and meat quality traits was examined using more
than 2000 individuals from four commercial lines: German Landrace (LR), Pietrain (Pi),
German Large White · German Landrace (F1) and the German commercial fattening pig
cross of Pietrain · F1 (PiF1). Significant association of the CRH SNP was found with feed
conversion ratio in the PiF1 line, with carcass length in the LR line and with lean content in
the F1, LR and Pi lines. Moreover, significant association with meat colour was found in the
Pi and LR lines; however, the effects were in opposite directions. The presented results
indicate that sequence variation in the porcine CRH gene has no major effect on growth and
carcass composition in commercial pig lines, although it may significantly contribute to
variation in meat quality. The g.233C>T SNP may be in incomplete linkage disequilibrium
with causal mutations and/or exhibit effects in the context of DNA variation at other
interacting loci.

Le système d’évacuation du lisier muni d’une raclette réduit les niveaux de sulfure d’hydrogène dans les porcheries

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RÉSUMÉ – Un système d’évacuation du lisier muni d’une raclette a été évalué pour mesurer son efficacité à réduire les risques d’exposition au sulfure d’hydrogène (H2S) pour les travailleurs de porcherie et les porcs. L’évaluation a été faite en comparant les niveaux de gaz dans deux salles d’engraissement identiques dont une était munie d’un système à raclette (Raclette) et l’autre (Contrôle), considérée comme typique, était équipée d’un système conventionnel de gestion du lisier avec dalot et bouchon pour contrôler l’écoulement. Les concentrations de H2S dans la salle Raclette étaient significativement inférieures par 90% comparativement à celles de la salle Contrôle (p<0.05). Les émissions d’ammoniac n’étaient pas significativement affectées par le type de système d’évacuation du lisier mais avaient tendance à augmenter au cours des 4-5 semaines d’évaluation de chaque essai. Considérant la nature très variable liée à la production de H2S et à son émission à l’intérieur d’une salle, une attention particulière devrait toujours être portée à la vidange des dalots. INTRODUCTION – Une étude réalisée au PSCI a démontré que les travailleurs de porcherie risquent d’être exposés au H2S lors de la réalisation des tâches liées à l’évacuation du lisier emmagasiné dans les salles de production comme lorsque les bouchons des dalots sont tirés pour drainer le lisier. La réglementation en santé et sécurité au travail stipule qu’un travailleur ne peut être exposé à une TLV-TWA (concentration moyenne pondérée dans le temps pour une période de 8-h) de plus de 10 ppm ou à une TLV-STEL (concentration moyenne pondérée dans le temps pour période de 15min) plus de 15 ppm. Des 119 évènements de vidange de dalot par tire du bouchon réalisés dans différentes sections de différentes porcheries, 29% d’entres eux ont généré des pics de concentration supérieurs à 100 ppm et 48% ont générés des valeurs de TLV-STEL plus élevées que la limite recommandée de 15 ppm et ce au niveau des travailleurs. Comme un entreposage prolongé du lisier peut contribuer aux processus de dégradation anaérobique qui entraîner la production de H2S, un système de gestion du lisier qui permet une évacuation plus fréquente et complète du lisier des salles de production peut potentiellement réduire la production de H2S. Par conséquent, le but de cette étude était d’évaluer l’efficacité d’un système à raclette d’évacuation du lisier pour réduire les risques d’exposition au H2S pour les travailleurs de porcherie ainsi que pour les animaux. DISPOSITIF EXPÉRIENTAL – Deux salles d’engraissement identiques situées au PSCI ont été utilisées pour cette étude. Un total de 70 porcs par chambre ont été utilisés ; ces animaux avaient un poids moyen de départ de 21,5 kg et sont demeurés dans les salles durant 12 semaines pour chaque essai. Un système d’évacuation de lisier à raclette (Figure 1) a été installé dans une salle (Raclette). Une gestion normale de l’autre salle (Contrôle) a été faite, permettant au lisier de s’accumuler dans les dalots suivi par la vidange de ceux-ci (écoulement suivant la tire du bouchon) qui était réalisée selon un horaire prédéterminé. La qualité de l’air et les concentrations de H2S dans les deux salles ont été mesurées durant quatre cycles de production (essais). Deux moniteurs de H2S (modèle Pac III, muni de senseur XS EC 1000 ppm H2S, Draeger, Lübeck, Germany) ont été installés dans chaque salle à environ 1 m au-dessus du plancher : un au-dessus du dalot à mi-largeur de l’enclos et l’autre directement au-dessus de la sortie d’écoulement où se situe le bouchon. Les concentrations d’ammoniac ont été mesurées aux entrées d’air ainsi qu’aux sorties de ventilation des deux salles à l’aide d’un analyseur d’ammoniac (modèle Chillgard RT, MSA Canada, Edmonton, AB). RÉSULTATS ET DISCUSSION – Si on considère les lectures moyennes obtenues des deux endroits échantillonnés, la salle Raclette présentait des pics de concentrations de H2S significativement plus bas que ceux obtenus dans la salle Contrôle (p<0.05), correspondant en moyenne à une réduction d’environ 90% (Tableau 1). De manière comparable, le système à raclette a permis de réduire de manière significative les concentrations TVL-TWA par environ 96% en moyenne (p<0.05). Une évacuation plus fréquente du lisier en utilisant le système à raclette n’a pas eu d’effet sur la concentration en ammoniac mesurée aux sorties de ventilation des salles (p<0.10) (Figure 2). En moyenne, 35,6% plus d’ammoniac était émis de la salle Raclette comparativement à la salle Contrôle, indiquant ainsi que ce système d’évacuation du lisier tend à augmenter les émissions de la salle (p<0.10). Les émissions moyennes hebdomadaires d’ammoniac augmentaient aussi de manière significative (p<0.001) avec la progression de chaque essai ; ceci étant dû à une augmentation de la production de lisier et aux débits de ventilation requis pour évacuer la chaleur et l’humidité produites qui elles aussi augmentaient. CONCLUSION – Dans l’ensemble, les résultats ont démontré l’efficacité du système à raclette à réduire l’exposition des travailleurs de porcherie au H2S et ce avec un impact marginal sur la production d’ammoniac. Si on considère les coûts d’installation et de fonctionnement associés à cette étude, il en coûterait environ 2$ et 3$ par porc vendu pour la construction et le fonctionnement d’un système à raclette dans une nouvelle porcherie ou une porcherie existante, respectivement. Cependant ce coût ne tient pas compte des bénéfices associés à une amélioration de la sécurité des travailleurs. REMERCIEMENTS – Financement stratégique provenant de Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba pork Council et Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Agricultural Development Fund. Support technique : Shala Christianson, Robert Fengler et Karen Stewart.

Triage automatique pour grand groupe : Potentiel et problèmes.

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This Little Piggy Went to Market with a Passport: The Impacts of U.S. Country of Origin Labeling on the Canadian Pork Sector

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The objective of this paper is to trace the added costs of COOL as they are passed through the hog/pork market and to determine who gains and who loses. A partial equilibrium model of Canada–U.S. trade in hogs and pork is developed. The model accounts for producer and processor behavior with respect to live hogs, and then links processed pork to the final demands of the consumer. Within the United States, processors stand to lose the most from COOL. It was found that the welfare implications of this study are clear, and hold up under alternative scenarios:
• COOL will do little to help U.S. consumers, producers, or processors.
• Canadian hog producers stand to suffer significant losses under COOL.
• Canadian consumers gain modest benefits through lower pork prices.
• Canadian pork processors stand to earn significant increases in their margins under COOL.

New Applications for Health and Innovation in Veterinary Medicine

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Throughout the history of livestock production, infectious diseases have been a problem. One of the greatest impediments to the economics of livestock production today is the loss due to infectious disease. In addition to the current endemic diseases that plague livestock production, the emergence of new diseases or re-emergence of diseases to which populations are totally susceptible is especially worrisome. In the last 30 years, there have been approximately 30 newly emerged or re-emerged diseases, many of which can infect multiple species. There is clearly a need for novel, more effective control and treatment methods to ensure the viability of the livestock industry. Currently, the 3 available methods to control infectious disease include antimicrobials, vaccines, and immunomodulators. Recent advantages in our understanding of the interactions between disease causing organisms and the host, combined with techniques to identify protective antigens are providing novel approaches to developing more effective vaccines. Furthermore, by combining methods to stimulate the host’s own defences (innate immune responses), we can induce early protection from a broad-spectrum of infections, in the case of accidental introduction of a disease. These approaches should reduce animal suffering and add significant economic benefits to the producers, as well as improve food safety for the consumer

Silencing of natural interferon producing cell activation by porcine circovirus type 2 DNA

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Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection of natural interferon producing
cells (NIPCs) impairs the induction of interferon (IFN)-a and
tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a by cytosine-phosphorothioate-guanine
(CpG) oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), thereby preventing both their autocrine
maturation and the paracrine maturation of myeloid dendritic cells
(DCs). The present study shows that the PCV2-mediated inhibition of
NIPCs was mediated by viral DNA, although it was independent of virus
replication. The inhibitory effect of PCV2 DNA was more diversified than
if it had simply targeted CpG-ODN-induced cytokines (IFN-a, TNF-a,
interleukin-6, IL-12). A broad spectrum inhibition was noted, affecting
responses induced by toll-like receptor (TLR)-7 and TLR9 agonists, as
well as viruses including pseudorabies virus, transmissible gastroenteritis
virus and classical swine fever virus. From these results, it would appear
that PCV2 DNA can induce a dominant negative signal influencing independent
pattern recognition receptor-induced activation cascades. Despite
a concomitant internalization of PCV2 DNA and CpG-ODNs, no colocalization
was observed, indicating that PCV2 DNA and CPG-ODNs may not
target the same receptor. This study describes a novel modulation of the
innate immune response, which would render the host more susceptible
to secondary or concomitant microbial infections.

Comparison of scratching behaviour of growing pigs with sarcoptic mange before and after treatment, employing two distinct approaches

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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.

CpG oligodinucleotides induce strong humoral and cellular responses to swine streptococcic septicemia vaccine in piglets in vivo

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