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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:
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 January 1, 2005 | 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.
Selection for placental efficiency in swine: Genetic parameters and trends
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Selection for daily gain, loin-eye area, backfat thickness and intramuscular fat based on desired gains over seven generations of Duroc pigs
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To develop an excellent line of Duroc breed in performance traits and meat quality traits, selection of that breed was
conducted over seven generations for growth rate (DG), real-time ultrasound loin eye muscle area (EM), backfat thickness (BF), and intramuscular fat content (IMF) based on desired gains.
Options for Composting Hog Manure
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Composting is a manure management option to consider if you don’t have enough land for manure application. Composting can easily be done with manure from shallow or deep bedded systems and has been done using liquid manure directly by blending it with straw or other materials. Benefits to composting include weed seed and pathogen kill, elimination of odor during manure storage and field application, and the creation of a potentially marketable product.
Managing hog manure as a liquid has been the least-cost option and can be one of the most effective methods for conserving manure nutrients. Changes in legislation may restrict when and how much manure can be applied to agricultural land and therefore, increase the costs of this process. The simplest way to reduce manure management costs is to reduce the amount of water in the manure. Separating liquid from hog manure for the sole purpose of composting the solids may not be viable because of the high cost of separation.
An agitated bed composting process allows additional liquid to be added. The liquid manure composting process can be manipulated to increase moisture removal through evaporation. This results in a concentration of nutrients in the manure, as well as producing a product that is easier to transport and utilize. The risk of environmental pollution is reduced with compost application to land because the biological oxygen demand (BOD) is reduced, resulting in reduced risk of surface water pollution. The concentration of inorganic nitrogen is lower, which reduces the risk of surface and groundwater contamination by nitrate.
There are two options for composting, a shallow litter system, followed by composting or overall manure management and reduced the water content of the manure. Composting of the manure following separations is a good option, but more research is being done.
Evaluating livestock manures for bio gas production: a GIS based method
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Hog Manure on Forage Crops
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Manitoba has experienced dramatic growth in the hog industry. Hog production is also expanding from traditional grain-producing areas of the province into areas primarily involved in forage and cattle production, such as southeastern Manitoba and the Interlake. Some of the forage land that is currently used or destined for receiving hog manure in the future is considered sandy or coarse-textured soil. Such soils tend to have a higher risk of leaching of nutrients than finer textured soils. Currently, there is limited information regarding the agronomic and environmental impacts of the application of hog manure to forages grown on coarse-textured soils. Studies were initiated near Zhoda, MB, to determine the impact of the timing and rate of hog manure applied to forage grown on coarse textured soils with high water tables. Precipitation and soil groundwater data were also collected. In Experiment 1, manure treatments equivalent to 0, 60, 90, 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre were applied in the summer of 2002 in summer and fall after forage harvesting; a treatment consisting of a split application of manure equivalent to 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre was also applied (60 pounds per acre each in summer and fall). Four replicates were arranged in a completely randomized design. In Experiment 2, manure was applied at rates equivalent to 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 pounds of nitrogen per acre in spring 2004 in three replicates in a strip plot design. Besides forage yield and quality, the distribution of nitrate- N and phosphorous in the soil profile was also monitored in both experiments. In Experiment 1, evidence of nutrient leaching downward in the soil profile was minimal. Depending on conditions during the growing season and subsequent to manure application, N losses may have accounted for a considerable share of the N that was initially applied. Given the poor soil fertility at the site, strong yield response to applied manure was also likely a contributing factor to minimizing nutrient leaching. The evidence suggests that forages indeed are a strong candidate for manure application, especially in circumstances where inherent soil fertility is poor. Evidence of nutrient leaching was more compelling in Experiment 2. There was strong evidence of nutrient leaching downward in the soil profile for the 300N and 400N treatments. At the last sampling date, there was considerably more nitrate-N at depth in the soil profile for the 400N treatment compared to the other treatments applied. In both experiments, residual soil nutrient levels were low to very low, although there was evidence of potassium accumulation in both experiments as manure application rate increased. Residual soil N levels met the regulations set out by the Manitoba Manure and Mortalities Management Regulations, and were low to very low for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium basis the Manitoba Soil Fertility Guide. However, the evidence of nutrient leaching in Experiment 2 during the growing season indicates a real threat of downward movement of nitrate-N where application rates are excessive relative to crop demand. Forages responded strongly to manure application with respect to nutrient uptake, nutrient content, and dry matter yield. In Experiment 1, dry matter yields increased considerably as manure application rate increased, as did nutrient uptake. The impact on forage nutrient content was less consistent across harvests, although as expected there was a trend in most instances of increasing nutrient content with increasing manure application rate. Fall-applied manure appeared to produce higher forage yields, possibly as a result of greater nutrient losses in summer-applied treatments as well as the lack of nutrient response when dry conditions prevailed during the summer period. Split N application was no more effective at increasing forage productivity than the 120N treatment when considering productivity over a production cycle (i.e. fall and summer harvest). Tming of nutrient availability is a key consideration in attempting to maximize forage productivity. In Experiment 2, for example, it was clear that nutrient availability was delayed somewhat relative to application date, as indicated by a delay in the accumulation of nitrate-N in the upper soil profile. Given the lack of leaching observed in Experiment 1 (up to target N rate of 120 lb ac-1), increasing manure application rates may be feasible relative to current recommendations. Splitting manure application rates may also provide another means of increasing manure application rates without causing adverse effects to the environment.
MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF DOWNWIND ODORS FROM POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK FARMS
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SOLID-LIQUID SEPARATION OF SWINE MANURE WITH POLYMER TREATMENT AND SAND FILTRATION
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