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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:
Simulating Ammonia Emissions from Slurry Pits
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2004 | No Comments
By modelling the production and transmission of ammonia in a swine building, we will be better equipped to investigate methods to reduce ammonia concentration inside the buildings. Ammonia emission from slurry was measured and compared to two sets of model calculations to determine which model is more suitable for use in an overall room model. Both models simulated the fluctuation in emissions relatively well, but neither model sufficiently predicted the concentration levels. Slurry pH was deemed the most significant input parameter in the model calculations.
Implications
The ammonia emission from the slurry pit is a major contributor to the ammonia concentration in a pig-housing unit and the ammonia emission to the environment. By validating model equations to simulate ammonia emission from slurry, we are better able to simulate the overall ammonia emission from a pig building.
Greenhouse Gases and Odor Control
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The Green House Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture combines best management practices with demonstrations and communication programs aimed at introducing developing technologies to the industry. Prairie Swine Center and the Pork Industry Interpretive Center will be one of the sites in Canada that will be demonstrating these new technologies. The approach includes a three-year program to demonstrate the following technologies; 1) synthetic covers for earthen manure storages (EMS), 2) reduction of GHGs through diet manipulation, 3) installation and monitoring of shelter belt influence on air quality, and 4) making the findings available via a combination of on-site demonstrations, written and electronic communication with pork producers and other visitors to the Interpretive Center.
Synthetic covers reduce the opportunity for odours and other gases to escape from the EMSs, which will halt the decreasing value of the manure as the gases escape. It also eliminates rainwater from entering the EMS, reducing hauling and injection costs. The oversupply of nutrients in pig diets is also a source of emissions and with diet manipulation, these nutrients and their associated costs can be reduced. Shelterbelts will provide long-term carbon sequestration on the site and will provide barriers to wind movement, which can impact energy usage and odour dispersion. Projects such as this one will allow pork producers easy access to determine the technologies that show promise and will allow them to gain valuable information on the cost and challenges of operating these best management practices.
The Impact of Nutrition on Reducing the Impact of the Swine Industry on the Environment
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The increasing demands of the pork industry is resulting in a higher level of nutrition needed. Often, nutrients are overfed which results in more contaminants such as nitrogen and phosphorus excreted in urine and feces. Nitrogen in particular is important because it emits ammonia and acidifies the environment. Reducing dietary protein content will reduce urinary nitrogen and total nitrogen excretion in grower pigs. Use of fiber sources high in fermentable carbohydrates can shift nitrogen excretion from urine to feces, thereby reducing chances of ammonia emission.
Fine particle size reduces total nitrogen excretion, however, it increases urinary nitrogen excretion. Diets with phytase (an enzyme to make phosphorus usable) results in 4% less total nitrogen excretion than diets without. Using phytase can result in more accuracy in determining phosphorus requirements, which will lower the amount of excess phosphorus that gets excreted in the feces, and lower the cost of production (because phosphorus supplementation is the third most expensive dietary component).
SEEPAGE EVALUATION OF OLDER SWINE LAGOONS IN NORTH CAROLINA
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Amounts, Forms, and Solubility of Phosphorus in Soils Receiving Manure
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Impact Analysis of Intensive Livestock Operations on Manitoba Residential Property Values – Five case study locations
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The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of intensive livestock operations (ILO’s) on surrounding rural residential property values. To this end, we have undertaken an analysis of five case study sites located within the Manitoba rural municipalities of Franklin, De Salaberry, Rhineland, Saskatchewan, Glenwood, Rockwood and St. Andrews. The case study sites coincide with the selection of five hog ILO’s varying in operational intensity from 1,120 to 3,500 animal units. Within the case study areas, data for 249 improved property sales and 223 land sale transactions, occurring between the years 1990 and 1003, were collected and analyzed. The study focussed on two primary issues; identifying the presence of an impact of ILO’s on surrounding improved residential property values, and the presence of an impact of ILO’s on surrounding land values. The analysis of house sales located within five miles of an ILO, based upon case study samples sizes ranging from 10 to 94 transactions, resulted in relatively consistent findings. Each case study, excepting case study four, indicated that house prices actually tended to be higher as distance to the ILO decreased (i.e. in closer proximity to ILO’S). In case study four, located in the Municipality of Glenwoord, an analysis f 15 house sales suggested that there was generally no change in prices, regardless of proximity to an ILO. The analysis of land sales located within five miles of an ILO, was based upon sample sizes ranging from 26 to 56. Again, the findings were consistent with the exception of one case study site; this time case study one being the exception. In case study one, located within the municipalities of Franklin and De Salaberry, the analysis indicated that prices for land generally increased as distance from ILO’s increased (i.e. a negative influence on land values due to proximity to an ILO). However, in the remaining four case study areas, the opposite relationship resulted from our analysis. In these areas, land values were found to increase, as distance to ILO’s decreased. In two of the case study areas, the highest sale prices (per acre) in the municipality were found within 1.0 to 1.5 miles of an ILO. In case studies one and found, data was also collected and analyzed with respect to the influence on prices due to proximity to a poultry ILO (case study one) and a cattle ILO (case study four). Poultry ILO’s observed in the municipality of De Salaberry had an impact on land prices, similar to hog ILO’s. For both ILO types, land prices on a peracre basis were found to increase as distance from the ILO increased. Based on 47 sales of land within five miles of a hog ILO, the average price per acre of land sold was $686; for poultry ILO’s, 10 sales of land indicated an average price per acres of $633. Unfortunately due to the location of the poultry ILO’s in the cast study area, a very small sample of improved property sales were found. Therefore, the impact of poultry ILO’s on house prices could not be observed in any meaningful fashion. Cattle ILO’s in the municipality of Glenwood were also observed in our analysis. House prices showed marginal increases as distance from the cattle ILO’s increased, whereas land sales in proximity to cattle ILO’s provided inconclusive results. Overall, the data analyzed in the case study areas fails to support the notion that the presence of hog ILO’s are detrimental to surrounding real estate values. It is entirely possible that isolated cases of properties, that have had a negative impact due to the presence of a neighbouring ILO, may be encountered. However, if examined in a “global” or market-wide perspective, real estate market activity suggests otherwise.
A Review of Large Group Housing
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Over the past 5 years the concept of large groups of grower-finisher pigs has expanded. Not only does it include extensive (outdoor raised) operations and hoop structure barns but the conversion or special construction of conventional housing modified to accommodate groups much larger than the traditional 20 pigs per pen. Why? There were four drivers: A desire to reduce construction costs by simplifying penning and barn design; herd sizes were becoming large enough that large groups could be formed without commingling ages; electronic sorting technology provided a means to deal with the critical task of accurately separating at market without high labour costs; and finally improved use of space could improve profitability and relieve the crowding effect brought on by higher sow productivity over the past decade.
Interaction among lactose, plasma proteins and crowding in weanlings
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The addition of 4% plasma and 30% lactose to the diets of weanling pigs modestly improved performance; however this effect was observed only during the initial 7 days post-weaning. There were no interactive effects of plasma with lactose, and the results were independent of starting weight. Crowding decreased performance by day 49 of the nursery period.