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:
The development of feather pecking in brumese red junglefowl: the influence of early experience with exploratory-rich environments.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2005 | No Comments
This study examines the development of feather pecking and its relationship to exploration in Burmese red junglefowl. Ten groups of four chicks each were raised from hatching on wire mesh floors (home pen). Two of the four chicks in each group received experience in exploratory-rich environments four times a week for 5 weeks, and the other two chicks remained in the home pen. Observations conducted in the home pen revealed that chicks deprived of experience in exploratory-rich-environments performed significantly more gentle feather pecking, and tended to show more severe feather pecking than the experienced birds. Experience in the exploratory-rich-environments did not affect the frequency of environmental pecking or food pecking. These results suggest that chicks deprived of exploratory-rich environments may come to perceive pen mates as appropriate exploratory stimuli and subsequently direct exploratory behaviour toward conspecifics. This tendency to peck pen mates may lead to the development of feather pecking. We suggest that forceful pecks may be reinforcing, and that the more likely pecks are directed to a conspecific, the more likely feather pecking will develop.
Environmental and management factors affecting the welfare of chickens on commercial farms in the United Kingdom and Denmark stocked at five densities
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
Data was collected on temperature and humidity profiles throughout the growth cycle, management practices and equipment that contributed toe variation in environmental conditions and how bird welfare was affected by environmental variables for different stocking densities (30, 34, 38, 42, and 46 kg/m2. Broiler health and welfare varied the most when the house temperature and relative humidity was maintained within limits recommended by the breeder company. During the first week of life, relative humidity was found to be very important for later health. This suggests that welfare may improve if there is better control of humidity. Welfare was also influenced by ventilation and air control, type of drinker, numbers of stockpersons and litter type. In summary, controlling environmental variables, such as temperature, humidity, air and litter quality, is very important for ensuring broiler welfare. Stocking density is also important, but the environmental variables also have to be considered if stocking density is lowered. To maximize bird welfare, standards need to be set for stocking density, environmental variables, and the genetic makeup of the birds.
The effects of diet and weaning method on the behaviour of young horses
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
Increasing evidence suggests that dietary factors influence the development of abnormal behaviours. In this study, the behaviour of 17 foals from the age of 2 to 40 weeks was examined. Each foal received either a conventional starch and sugar (SS) diet or a fat and fibre (FF) diet. The two diets differed in the fat and non-structural carbohydrates balance. The baseline behaviour of the foals was observed every 2 weeks and additional behavioural observations were conducted when the foals were weaned by one of two methods (i.e. paddock-weaning or barn-weaning). Approximately 2 months after weaning the temperament and tractability of the young horses was assessed using standard tests. Responses to a novel object, to a novel person, and during a handling test were observed and quantified. The horses grew well on both diets with no apparent effects of diet on growth rate or baseline behaviour. Immediately after weaning, horses received the FF diet cantered less frequently, for a shorter duration and appeared to be more settled. Foals that were barn-weaned appeared more stressed than foals that were paddock weaned. In the temperament tests, horses receiving the FF diet spent significantly more time investigating, and less time looking at, the novel object than horses receiving the SS diet. They also spent less time walking away from the novel person and their time taken to complete the handling test was significantly lower. Overall, the horses that received the FF diet appeared less distressed immediately after weaning and seemed calmer and more inquisitive during a range of temperament tests.
Production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone deformities of laying hens housed in furnished cages with different group sizes.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
The effects of three different furnished cage systems on the production, egg quality, bone strength, claw length, and keel bone status traits for two different laying hen strains were examined. Brown hens had significantly higher egg production per hen housed, cracked eggs, feed conversion, egg weight and humerus breaking strength than white hens. Also, brown hens had shorter claws than white hens. White hens had more dirty eggs, higher shell density, and fewer keel bone deformities than brown hens. With respect to the cage system, the egg production per average hen housed was higher in the Aviplus system compared to the other systems. However, shell thickness and density were lower in the Aviplus system. Humerus strength was higher in the Aviplus system compared to the Eurovent 625a system; but tibia strength did not differ among the three systems. The shortest claws occurred in the Aviplus system, and the fewest keel bone deformities occurred in the Eurovent 625a system. In summary, the furnished cages showed similar results as conventional cages with respect to production and egg quality. Bone strength was significantly greater in conventional cages. The claw shortening devises in the furnished cages worked to keep claws short. However, the extensive use of perches in the furnished cages seem to have caused an increase in keel bone deformities.
Creating Your Own IDEA Factory
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Creativity is primarily an individual pursuit. Innovative thinking requires the ability to generate, develop, judge, communicate, and translate new ideas. Thinking outside of the box is a quality trait because it deviates from the common thought. It requires being open to new ways of doing things and the willingness to explore them. Thinking outside of the box can often bring in new and useful ideas. Ed Bernacki offers some steps to improve the ideas of your business.
Next Generation Diet Formulation: True Metabolic Availability of Amino Acids in Diets for Pigs
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Not all of the dietary amino acid that is included in standardized ileal digestibility is metabolically available for protein synthesis. A rapid method was developed to determine metabolic amino acid availability in feedstuffs for protein synthesis. Using the indicator amino acid oxidation technique, a change in phenylalanine oxidation, which is inversely proportional to protein synthesis, was used to measure the metabolic availability of lysine in feedstuffs compared to that of free lysine, which is fully available. Data regarding several methodological considerations were addressed before this technique was validated, including: adaptation time between test diets, repeatability of measurements, predictability of response to lysine intake, dietary phenylalanine availability and lysine intake sensitivities. In addition, an oral dosing regimen was developed to simplify the facilities required and lower costs further. This method is suitable for the determination of the metabolic availability of amino acids for protein synthesis in a given feedstuff within 2 to 3 weeks. This method could also be adapted to predict the availability of other economically important amino acids in feedstuffs. This new approach is an improvement over the chemical methods, which are only available for lysine.
Feeding pregnant sows with relation to back fat and body activity for optimizing reproductive performances
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Excessively thin or fat sows at the end of pregnancy show reproductive problems. Along three phases, individualized feeding of pregnant sows were studied, aiming at homogenizing their energy reserves at farrowing. In the first phase, 108 sows were fed relatively to their body condition at breeding. Secondly, 92 sows were fed relatively to their back fat and weight at breeding. Thirdly, diets of 129 sows were similarly calculated, but aimed at slow or rapid deposit of maternal tissues. Diets were also adjusted repeatedly to back fat evolution. Average digestible energy (DE) needs has been accurately calculated, since the average residual energy (ingestion – needs) approached zero. Back fat thickness of sows at farrowing was 21,4, 20,3 and 20,9mm for the three phases, values close to the 21mm objective. However, back fat and residual energy varied significantly (10,2mm – 37,1mm and –12,5 – 13,2MJ/d, respectively). In all phases, the residual energy varied more closely together with the total needs than with the ingested energy. This emphasizes the importance of carefully measuring weight and back fat for accurate calculation of the needs. The activity of sows could not explain the difference between energy supply and requirements. Adjustment of energy supply to back fat could not reduce the difference between the thinnest and fattest sows. This program of rapid maternal tissue deposit lacked beneficial effect and reduced litter size. Individual diet adjustment cannot be recommended, but rather to average it for groups of sows similar at breeding, with regular weighing and ultrasound testing.
Dose-dependent Effects of Resistant Potato Starch in the Diet on Intestinal Skatole Formation and Adipose Tissue Accumulation in the Pig
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
Resistant starch (RS) intake leads to a reduction of apoptosis in the pig colon and thus to a reduction of skatole in the carcass. To determine the minimal amount of RS which is required for the effect, diets with varying amounts (20, 30 and 40%) of RS were fed to barrows and gilts. Controls
were fed instead with 55% pre-gelatinized starch. Skatole was determined after slaughter in distal colon content and in adipose tissue (flare fat and belly fat). Resistant starch led to a dose-dependent reduction of skatole in the gut content from 134 lg/g dry matter (controls) to 4.8 lg/g in the 40% group. Flare fat concentrations were decreased from 159 to 20 ng/g fat and belly fat concentrations from 64 to 16 ng/g fat. Strategies to improve sensorial quality by feeding RS
continuously or for only 1 week prior to slaughter are discussed.