Nitrogen oxides emission from soils bearing a potato crop as influenced by fertilization with treated pig slurries and composts

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments

Economic Assessment of Manure Phosphorus Regulations for Manitoba's Pig Industry: Part 2 Overall impact at the Provincial Scale

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The objective of this part of the study is to estimate the effect proposed phosphorus
regulations in Manitoba will have on manure management costs to the Province’s pig producers
(individually and in aggregate), should the regulations come into effect. The task is to apply the
framework for analysis outlined in Part 1 to determine an estimated annual Provincial cost. To establish an aggregate estimate of changed manure management costs requires first a determination of the estimated cost at the individual operation or farm level. The individual costs can then be aggregated to determine an estimate at the Provincial level. For the individual operation, the cost estimation is a three-step process: first, establish a N-based
cost and land area (cost and land area that relates to standard nitrogen-based application);
second, establish the cost and land area required under compliance to the new regulations; third,
subtract the second estimates from the first to determine the changes. The estimated added annual cost to the Manitoba pig industry under a maximum threshold
regulation of 2xPhosphorus removal of 17.88 million dollars represents about 18% of the
estimated annual 2005 net income accruing to pig producers in the Province. The estimated
added annual cost under a maximum threshold regulation of 1xPhosphorus removal of 27.86
million dollars represents about 28% of the estimated annual 2005 net income accruing the pig
producers in the province.

Extension Award for Lee Whittington

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Saskatoon – Lee Whittington, the Manager of Information Services for the Prairie Swine Centre of Saskatoon, is the recipient of this year’s Animal Industries Award in Extension and Public Service from the Canadian Society of Animal Science.

The award is to recognize outstanding service to the animal industries of Canada in technology transfer, leadership, and education in animal science. It’s sponsored by the Canadian Pork Council, Chicken Farmers of Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Lee Whittington’s largest and highest profile project was the Pork Interpretive Gallery (P.I.G.) constructed within the Prairie Swine Centre’s Elstow Research Farm. He raised more than a million dollars with half of that amount coming from the pork industry to finance the construction and initial operation of the gallery.

“The Pork Interpretive Gallery would never have happened without Lee’s tireless efforts,” notes John Patience, President of the Prairie Swine Centre. “Through his vision, the industry has a wonderful facility to showcase the pork industry to young people and the general public.”

Lee Whittington’s other accomplishments include:

· a quarterly newsletter that reaches 4,500 prairie producers four times a year.

· the first nation-wide satellite conference held for the pork industry (‘95 to ‘99).

· study tours to the United States for Canadian pork producers and consultants.

· the first training course focusing on Hydrogen Sulphide Awareness training

· the first Canadian web-based database for the swine industry providing easy search access to thousands of research reports.

In addition to scores of published research reports, Lee Whittington is a popular speaker throughout North America. He has presented in eight Canadian provinces, 6 U.S. states, Scotland, England, The Netherlands, Denmark and Ukraine.

“Technology transfer isn’t complete until we have achieved technology adoption by the commercial industry,” says Whittington, who joined the Prairie Swine Centre in 1992. “Research results have no value sitting on a shelf.”

In 1979, Lee Whittington graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture. Believing in continuous improvement, Lee has continued to upgrade his education, completing the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program (Ontario) in 1989, and an MBA in 1997 at the University of Saskatchewan.

Prairie Swine Centre Inc., located in Saskatoon, is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan, and is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science in pork production in the disciplines of Nutrition, Engineering and Animal Behaviour.

Large Group Auto Sort: Potential and Problems

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Summary

Large Group Auto Sort (LGAS) systems are being used successfully on a number of operations. In general they are achieving their potential in terms of sorting pigs for market. They are infrequently used to sort pigs towards different diets, even though considerable potential exists for improved efficiency. Loss of productivity remains a significant problem on some operations, although better designed food courts and better training generally address the problem. LGAS requires the collaboration and dedication of the manufacturer/distributor, the farm manager, and staff to ensure its success.

Introduction

Large Group Auto Sort (LGAS)is a relatively new system that applies electronic technology to the management of grow-finish pigs. The ability of the modern industry to assemble several hundred animals of a similar weight into one pen has made the application of electronic scales and sorting gates cost effective. But the method has received mixed reviews. A number of operations have removed the scales or are using them at less than their planned efficiency, yet others are enthusiastic about the benefits to their operation. We have been monitoring progress in the technology over the past few years, been involved in a producer satisfaction survey, and are conducting a series of trials at our PSC Elstow Research Farm. LGAS has a number of potential advantages, but a number of problems have also been identified.

Potential

1. Reduced labour at sorting. Rather than herding pigs to and through a set of scales, LGAS weighs and sorts pigs as they enter the food court.
2. Hitting the grid. Pigs can be sorted for market the day before shipping, reducing the error involved in pulling pigs based on week-old weights.
3. Split phase feeding. Large and small pigs within the same pen can be fed separate diets that better match their nutrient requirements. Although recognized as a potential for the system, it is rarely practiced. Most systems have not installed additional feed lines that would be needed to accomplish this option.
4. Paylean management. As pigs approach market weight they can be sorted to the heavy feed court to receive Paylean for the maximum allowable period. All pigs in the group can receive Paylean rather than the final two market groups. Again, this potential has rarely been achieved.
5. Easier handling, reduced losses during transport. Easier handling and loading has been anecdotally reported, and transport surveys have confirmed an advantage of LGAS.

Problems

1. Poor performance. The most successful operations report losses of less than 3% in average daily gain, but some report in excess of 10%. Food court design probably accounts for much of this discrepancy. It is critical that the food court provide easily accessible feeding spaces.
2. Training of pigs. LGAS only works if pigs move easily through the scale enroute to the food court. Most producers favour a gradual training method in which the food court is accessible through several openings for the first few weeks. These openings are gradually closed until the pigs must enter through the scale only. Fewer than 5% of pigs should fail to learn the system.
3. Managing the pigs. Although pigs in LGAS are generally as healthy as pigs in conventional pens, they do require health checks and occasional treatment. Health checking requires walking through all areas of the pen. Relief pens, for suspect animals at the beginning of the grow-out period, for those requiring treatment, and for those that fail to learn the system should be provided and used.
4. Managing the program. Although the software is generally easy to manage, there is a learning curve. Managers must ensure that their staff understands the need to monitor pig performance and ensure the program sorts properly.
5. Manufacturer/distributor support. A number of operations have indicated that they could have used more support from the manufacturers or distributors in planning their system, installation, and initial operation.

Although results from LGAS are improving, and the majority of operations that have used them would install them again, some operations continue to report substantial problems even though they have done everything according to recommendations. The causes of these problems are sometimes difficult to identify, and some producers consider the program a failure.

Further Research at Prairie Swine Centre

In 2005, two fully-slatted large group grower-finisher rooms with capacity for 280 pigs each were modified to include auto sorters. A series of studies have been proposed to identify aspects of pen layout, design and pig behaviour that are limiting productivity or impacting on pig behaviour. The first series of studies will be completed in early 2007 and look at the question of handling ease and indicators of stress at transport and comparing pigs housed in large groups (approx 280 pigs/pen versus small groups (18 pigs per pen).
During the grow-out period animals will be housed and managed as per typical industry norms in each housing system. Measures included on days of transport. Physiological sampling for breathing rate, body temperature, skin blotching and cortical (hormone levels). These measure were taken in the barn, on the truck and at the packing plant
After being off leaded from the truck. Comparison of these indicators of stress will help to determine any physiological differences on animals that may lead to differences in ease of handling at market. Additional observations of speed of pig movement at leading and the amount of required use of pushing or use of prod were also made.
Implications

Manufacturers, distributors and managers must be aware that LGAS requires their attention during the design, installation, and initial operating phases. Only when staff feel comfortable with the day to day management of the system will LGAS be capable of achieving its potential. The potential to differentially feed animals of different weights within a pen is yet to be achieved, and requires greater attention to feed delivery systems.

Grower/Finisher Room: Achieving 95% Core Weights

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The variability of pigs that go to slaughter resulted in a loss in 2002 of $3.63 per pig. Dressed weight at market needs to be adjusted, as it is farm specific, and continue to be adjusted as various market factors fluctuate. Sort losses are a huge contributor to pig variability. This variability results in a variety of weights of pigs going to market, less targets being hit, and a reduction in net returns to the farm. To reduce sort losses, producers can define the barn’s optimum market weight, based on financial returns, determine the barn’s capacity for shipping some pigs sooner, to reduce heavies, or some pigs later, to reduce lights, weigh pigs, and address variability. Smaller pigs growing faster, decreasing disease, and ensuring adequate access to feeders and drinkers can control uniformity of pigs. Variability can be managed by pre-sorting the pigs into predicted groups of performance, removing lighter weight pigs at weaning to increase throughput, and not mixing gilt offspring with sow’s offspring due to compromised immunity of the gilts offspring.

Effect of organic pig production systems on performance and meat quality

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Plus grands groupes pour porcs en croissance- finition: Comportements alimentaires et sociaux, et impacts sur le stress social.

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La majorité des études sur les comportements alimentaires et sociaux des porcs ont été réalisées avec des groupes de 40 porcs ou moins par groupe. Cependant, ces groupes sont de taille bien moindre que certains qui sont utilisés de nos jours dans certains élevages commerciaux (100 à 1000 porcs par groupe) en Amérique du Nord et ailleurs. Les rapports sociaux touchant l’alimentation et autres activités comportementales des porcs dans de grands groupes sociaux ne sont pas bien compris. Par conséquent, la compétition et l’utilisation par les porcs de ressources importantes comme les mangeoires sont mal connues. Cette étude a été réalisée pour mieux comprendre les comportements alimentaires et autres activités comportementales ainsi que les impacts de plus grands groupes sociaux sur le stress social chez les porcs en croissance-finition. Pour tenter de répondre à cette question, deux blocs de deux traitements de tailles de groupe, 18 (Petit groupe) et 108 (Grand groupe) porcs en croissance-finition par enclos, ont été établis. Chaque essai, qui consistait en un bloc d’une durée de 10 semaines, était composé de deux enclos de Grands groupes et quatre enclos de Petits groupes. Au total, 576 castrats et femelles (Pig Improvement Canada) ont été utilisés pour l’expérience à la porcherie du Prairie Swine Centre à Elstow. Les animaux ont été sevrés à un âge approximatif de 18 jours et ont ensuite été placés dans des pouponnières pendant huit semaines avant de prendre part à l’expérience. Le ratio de castrats par femelles fut conservé constant (1:1) entre les deux tailles de groupes et le poids moyen des porcs au début de l’expérience était de 34.6 kg ± 4.1 kg (S.D). Les porcs étaient gardés sur des planchers complètement lattés avec un espace de plancher de 0.76m2 par porc. Des trémies-abreuvoirs procuraient la moulée et l’eau aux animaux, avec un ratio de 9 porcs par place de trémies (9:1). Les trémies, à quatre places par trémie, étaient placées à égale distance sur la ligne centrale des enclos de grands groupes. Cela a maintenu une distribution égale de trémies dans le grand groupe, donnant une chance égale à tous les porcs d’avoir accès aux trémies sans difficulté. Le comportement alimentaire individuel des porcs et les tendances alimentaires de groupe ont été étudiés durant les semaines 1, 5, 7 et 10 du cycle de croissance-finition. En plus, d’autres activités comportementales telles que le pourcentage de temps passé à boire/manger, à se reposer (couchés), debout ou à marcher ainsi que les tendances diurnes de ces activités pour les porcs dans les petits et grands groupes ont été étudiées durant les semaines 2, 5 et 10 après les regroupements. Pour évaluer l’effet de la taille du groupe sur le stress social, les niveaux de cortisol salivaire ont été mesurés durant les semaines 1, 2, 5 et 10. De plus, les paramètres morphologiques des glandes surrénales ont été mesurés à la fin du cycle croissance-finition pour comprendre les effets du stress chronique sur les porcs qui ont été placés dans de grands groupes. Les porcs dans les grands groupes ont eu plus de visites à la trémie pour s’alimenter (35 contre 25, P<0,05) et celles-ci duraient moins longtemps (232 secondes contre 301 secondes, P<0,05) durant le jour 3 après le regroupement. Cependant, il n’y eut pas de différences dans les nombres de visite à la trémie pour s’alimenter et la durée de celles-ci durant les semaines 5, 7 et 10. Nous avons aussi trouvé que le pourcentage de porcs faisant la queue aux trémies était plus élevé dans les plus grands groupes que dans les plus petits groupes durant le jour 3 (0,90 contre 0,59%, P<0,05). Cette tendance de pourcentage plus élevé de porcs faisant la queue aux trémies était aussi observée durant le jour 6 après un regroupement (0,79 contre 0,60%, pour les grands et petits groupes, P=0,08) mais il ne l’était plus après. Il y avait des tendances similaires de prise alimentaire sur 24 heures chez les porcs des Grands groupes et des Petits groupes durant les semaines 1, 5, 7 et 10 (Figure 1). De plus, le pourcentage moyen d’espaces de trémies occupés (jours moyens 3 et 6 et les semaines 5, 7, et 10) était lui aussi similaire entre les deux tailles de groupes (55,7% contre 56,2%, pour les grands et petits groupes). Les temps moyens passés à manger/boire (5,2% contre 5,2%, pour les petits et grands groupes), debout/à marcher (5,1% contre 5,4%, pour les petits et grands groupes) et au repos (89,6% contre 89,3%, pour les petits et grands groupes) n’ont pas été différents entre les deux tailles de groupe. De plus, les tendances diurnes de ces activités n’ont pas été affectées, elles non-plus, par les grands groupes. L’une des inquiétudes principales pour de grands groupes de porcs est le potentiel pour une augmentation des stressants sociaux. Cependant, dans le cadre de notre étude, les porcs dans les plus grands groupes n’ont pas démontré de signes de stress social à court terme (aigu) ou à long terme (chronique) durant toute la période expérimentale de 10 semaines (Table 1). Il est alors apparent que les porcs n’ont pas subis de stressants sociaux nuisibles en vivant dans de grands groupes.

Prix de performance pour PSC Elstow Research Farm Inc.

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Brian Andries, gérant par intérim de l’élevage pour le PSC Elstow Research Farm Inc, a le plaisir d’annoncer que, pour la deuxième année consécutive, le PSC Elstow Research Farm Inc. a gagné le Prix de performance Maple Leaf pour la longe la plus grosse en moyenne. « Ce prix démontre la détermination de notre personnel à livrer un produit de qualité en portant attention aux détails à partir de la génétique jusqu’à la pesée finale de tous les animaux avant la mise en marché. » Joe Langen, gérant de l’approvisionnement à Mitchell’s Gourmet Foods à Saskatoon, « Il est surprenant pour un élevage de recherche de produire de tels résultats. Nous sommes conscients qu’en faisant partie du programme de recherche, les porcs doivent souvent être mis en marché soit trop légers ou trop lourds comparativement au poids commercial idéal. Nous croyons que la gestion du troupeau combinée avec la diligence du personnel à s’assurer que les poids soient aussi près que possible de la limite optimale a vraiment porté fruit pour produire de grosses longes de façon consistante ». Ce prix est donné dans le but de démontrer l’importance de certaines caractéristiques du porc quittant l’élevage qui bénéficient l’usine d’abattage aussi bien que le vendeur au détail qui met ce porc en marché. Brian Andries explique comment ils ont pu produire de tels résultats de façon consistante. « La performance de la carcasse est une combinaison entre la mise en valeur du potentiel génétique de l’animal et une alimentation qui rencontre les exigences à chaque étape de la production, ajouté à ces élément une surveillance étroite des poids pour l’abattage. Pour cet aspect, avec une nouvelle façon de peser à chaque deuxième semaine et l’usage de notre connaissance du taux de croissance dans l’élevage, nous sommes capables de prédire précisément le gain de poids et donc le poids attendu de l’animal dans deux semaines ». Le résultat est un animal qui se classe dans la grille tout en considérant l’impact des facteurs économiques de la nutrition versus le gain de poids durant les jours menant au jour de l’abattage. Cela est accompli avec une technique de pesée pratique effectuée à toutes les deux semaines qui minimise la main d’œuvre tout en maximisant le retour à l’élevage. Situé près de Saskatoon, le Prairie Swine Centre Inc. est une organisation de recherche à but non-lucratif affiliée avec l’Université de la Saskatchewan, et est reconnu mondialement pour ses contributions à la science pratique et appliquée pour la production porcine dans les secteurs de la nutrition, de l’ingénierie et du comportement animal. Le PSC Research Farm Inc. est un élevage naisseur-finisseur de 600 truies qui est conçu pour procurer des installations de production de taille commerciale pour le développement de recherches sur la production à l’échelle commerciale.

Testing the Integration of U.S.–Canadian Meat and Livestock Markets

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Price transmission is a critically important issue that affects market enlargement and the unification
of Canadian–U.S. agriculture. This study adopts alternative frameworks to examine the nature of
cross-border integration in selected meat and livestock markets. The aim is to determine the extent to
which selected meat and livestock markets transmit price signals across the international border using
time-series data through 2001. Typically, price-based studies examining market integration across
countries ignore important spatial and temporal factors affecting commodity price relationships such
as adjustments lags, changes in the value of national currencies, and policy-induced trade barriers.
Here, we account for such factors in our two model specifications. The first model is based upon the
law-of-one price (LOP) framework and focuses on spatial efficiency. The second analytical framework
is the vector autoregressive (VAR) model that highlights the dynamic notion of market connectedness.
The LOP analysis permits us to formally test the existence of perfect market integration and complete
market segmentation. The VAR analysis enables us to gauge price-shock transference. Empirical
evidence is generated confirming that the two national markets for whole chicken are segmented, a
not unsurprising finding given that poultry is a supply managed sector in Canada. The Canadian–U.S.
hog- and pork-product markets were found to be more integrated than the Canadian–U.S. steer- and
beef-product markets. Evidence is also provided showing that the Canadian–U.S. exchange rate inhibits
cross-border integration in these commodity markets.

Intestinal Uptake and Metabolism of Threonine: Nutritional Impact

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Amino acid metabolism by the splanchnic tissues, which include the liver and
the portal-drained viscera (PDV), determines amino acid availability for protein
deposition in peripheral tissues and thus whole-body growth. Threonine, lysine
and methionine are the first limiting amino acids in milk-based and cereal diets
of growing pigs. Studies have shown that both dietary essential and nonessential
amino acids are extensively utilized by intestinal tissues for the
generation of energy, protein synthesis, and other biosynthetic purposes.
Threonine, with 60-80% extraction in first-pass of the dietary intake, is the
single most utilized essential amino acid by the PDV. This can most likely be
attributed to the incorporation of threonine into membrane-associated and
secretory mucosal glycoproteins, the so-called mucins, which are an important
component of the protective mucus covering the gut epithelium. In pigs, mucin
represents 11% of the basal endogenous ileal losses of protein with threonine
contributing approximately 30% to the total amino acid content. Thus, the
secretion, recycling, and loss of intestinal mucins have a substantial impact on
the maintenance requirement for threonine. Factors that increase the
production of mucin will increase threonine requirements and consequently,
decrease the availability of threonine and energy for growth and production.
Furthermore, the availability of threonine may limit intestinal mucin synthesis
and therefore reduce gut barrier function. This highlights the importance of
threonine for maintaining intestinal integrity, which is essential for regulating
dietary amino acid supply for the whole body