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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:
Suitability of Using "End of Pipe" Systems to Treat Farm Tile Drainage Water.
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2004 | No Comments
Carcass disposal: A comprehensive review
Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments
Dietary phytase reduces phosphorus excretion in weanling pigs
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Excessive phosphorus (P) output in the manure is a concern because it can leach into groundwater and/or may limit manure application onto certain lands. The addition of phytase enzyme to the diet of weanling pigs decreased total and water-soluble P output in the manure. This effects was reduced when dietary calcium was high relative to P (Ca:P ratios above 1.7:1). Phytase had only modest effects on performance.
Breeding for improved welfare in pigs: a conceptual framework and its use in practice.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
There is increasing concern about welfare of farm animals, both in society, in livestock production and in animal science. Welfare of animals can be defined as the kind of feelings the environmental conditions bring about in the animals. These feelings depend on the needs of the animals and their degree of satisfaction. Needs of animals, and so their welfare, are partly genetically determined. Therefore, welfare can be changed by breeding. The aim of this study was to investigate how welfare of pigs under modern intensive farm conditions can be improved by genetic selection, with emphasis on the precise definition of the breeding goal and determination of the animal characteristics on which selection can be based in practice. The existing thermoregulation model was used to develop a conceptual framework that describes welfare of growing pigs and production sows with respect to each of their needs as a curvilinear function of the respective environmental conditions. The framework assumes that welfare in terms of feelings is reflected by the physiological and behavioural mechanisms the pig has to activate in order to cope with various environmental conditions it encounters. Based on those physiological and behavioural responses to changing conditions, five welfare zones can be distinguished for each need. Breeding goals for welfare were defined in terms of the transition points between these welfare zones, such that future pigs would better cope with unfavourable or unfamiliar farming conditions, therewith quickening the domestication process, to some extent. However, as long as genetic parameters for these transition points are not available, more common welfare-related characteristics like temperament, stress resistance and robustness can be included in the breeding goal, as an alternative.For selection among potential breeding candidates, transition points between welfare zones can be determined in sib tests, thereby also collecting the data for estimating genetic parameters. As a cheaper alternative, breeding candidates could be tested under hard conditions and selected on their coping success. In addition, various behavioural tests and operant conditioning tests (to test a pig’s motivation to change its actual environment) can be carried out. Under common conditions on the farm, problems associated with coping (like incidences of diseases, injuries and stereotypies) and/or other relevant traits (e.g. saliva cortisol, longevity and even production traits) should be recorded routinely and used as selection index information. Selection for improved welfare should lead to more tolerant pigs that are better able to cope with possible unfavourable farm conditions by a more efficient use of the adaptation mechanisms they already possess. It should, however, not result in lowering husbandry standards. More research is needed to assess genetic correlations among various welfare aspects and with production traits to prevent undesired side effects in future populations of pigs.
Effects of feeding level and the presence of a foraging substrate on the behaviour and stress physiological response of individually housed gilts.
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It is thought that restricting feed intake in sows impairs welfare, but it is done to prevent excessive weight gains and to avoid reduced reproductive performance. This study combined the effects of feeding level with the presence of a foraging substrate and examined the gilts’ behavioural and physiological responses. Ninety-six individually housed gilts were assigned to one of four treatments: no substrate/restricted-feeding, no substrate/unrestricted-feeding, substrate/restricted-feeding and substrate/unrestricted-feeding. The substrate provided was wood chips. To measure feed intake, the amount of feed given to the unrestricted feeding treatments was measured. Body weights were measured at the beginning and end of the experiment to determine weight gains. At the same time, the gilts backfat thickness was measured using ultrasound. From week 8 to 12, observations were conducted to determine postures, chewing behaviours, pen and floor manipulations. Saliva samples were taken over a 24 h period during week 11. Urine samples were collected during weeks 2, 7 and 12 for analysis of adrenaline, noradrenaline and creatinine levels. Unrestricted-fed gilts had a higher feed intake, which led to higher body weight and larger increases in backfat thickness. Unrestricted-fed gilts had higher feed intake levels when a foraging substrate was provided. Unrestricted-fed gilts stood less and exhibited fewer oral behaviours. Gilts that were provided with a foraging substrate manipulated the floor twice as much than gilts without substrate. Gilts without substrate were observed to manipulate the pen and perform oral behaviour more frequently than those gilts with substrate. Feeding level and substrate provision did not affect adrenaline levels because the gilts were not exposed to any acute stressors. Cortisol and noradrenaline levels were lower in sow provided a foraging substrate. The authors concluded that unrestricted feeding is more effective in improving welfare, but in terms of stress, providing a foraging substrate may also improve welfare.
Behavioural responses of dairy cows toward novel stimuli presented in the home environment.
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This study examined the behavioural responses of dairy cows toward novel stimuli presented in the home environment with minimal situational novelty. The study also investigated whether any consistency could be found across responses toward different novel stimuli. Four different stimuli were presented each day in a balanced order: usual food (30min provision of 8kg total mixed ration), novel food (30min provision of 5kg of carrots), novel object (30min exposure to a white plastic container) and an unfamiliar person (5min exposure to person dressed in hooded white overalls). Novel food induced increased duration and frequency of sniffing, increased self-grooming, and longer durations of standing compared with the novel object. A novel person induced a higher frequency of sniffing than a novel object. Such results suggest that diary cows, when exposed to novel food or people compared with a novel object, show increased behavioural responses characterized by increased exploration, arousal and behavioural conflict. A correlation analysis carried out on the responses to different novel stimuli showed that correlations were low and non-significant. Therefore, no evidence for consistent inter-test responses across the novel stimuli presented in the home environment was found.