Corn Growth Responses to Composted and Fresh Solid Swine Manures

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2004 | No Comments

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Several Options for Regulating Manure Phosphorus Management in Manitoba

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Manure is a valuable source of Phosphorus for crop production. However, applying too much manure P, especially in the wrong place, is not only agronomically wasteful, but potentially harmful to the environment. As a result of recent increases in Manitoba’s production of livestock, the risk of transfer of manure P from agricultural land to surface water is probably increasing. However, the amounts of P that are discharged from livestock production and other agricultural activities are very difficult to determine due to a lack of hydrological data and, more important, a lack of data on the transfer of P from soil to water. Part of this problem is due to the highly variable impact of soil type, P management, landscape and climate on P retention and release by soil, information that is not well documented for Manitoba conditions. Fortunately, livestock producers have a wide variety of potential techniques for reducing P discharge from their operations; however, the technical and economic merit of these techniques is generally not well documented either, for Manitoba conditions. As a result of these challenges, legislation and regulation regarding P management should be introduced cautiously to ensure environmental protection without undue hardship to the agricultural industry. The Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (MLMMI) initiated this project in response to concerns about increasing concentrations of phosphorus (P) in Manitoba’s surface waters. Manure P has been identified as a significant source of soil P enrichment in areas of high density of confined livestock operations. The objective of the first phase of the project was to review existing knowledge on the role and fate of P in livestock and crop production systems specifically relevant to Manitoba and to identify gaps in that knowledge. The objectives for the second phase were to: investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of several options for regulating P management in Manitoba, and conduct four case studies to evaluate the impact of various regulatory options for P management on Manitoba hog farms.

Size-selective assessment of airborne particles in swine confinement building with the UVAPS

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Feasibility and Costs of Phosphorus Application Limits on 39 U.S. Swine Operations

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An Assessment of Nitrogen-Based Manure Application Rates on 39 U.S. Swine Operations

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Épandage des déjections du bétail

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Les odeurs, la poussière due à la circulation routière et la contamination potentielle du sol et des eaux sont fréquemment associées à l’épandage des déjections. Ces problèmes peuvent être souvent réglés de façon efficace en utilisant des techniques de gestion appropriées et en tenant compte des pratiques culturales et des règlements en matière d’environnement.

Phytase improves P bioavailability in swine diets

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The Bottom Line

The addition of 250 U/kg of phytase to diets fed to growing pigs maintained performance compared to a positive control supplemented with inorganic P (DiCal). Phytase decreased the amount of P excreted into the feces (increased P digestibility) even at the highest increment of phytase used in our study (2000 U/kg). The phytase enzyme is a tool that allows producers to formulate diets with less total P. Phosphorus output in the manure can be minimized without sacrificing performance. New technologies for the production of phytase are being developed, providing the producer with increased flexibility and selection.

Nutritional value of corn and wheat distillers grain and growth performance

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Nutritional value of corn, wheat + corn (4:1) and wheat distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) for grower-finisher pigs was evaluated. Corn DDGS had the highest digestible energy (DE) and ileal digestible lysine contents but the digestible phosphorus (P) content was similar among DDGS samples. Following characterization of its digestible nutrient profile, DDGS still resulted in reductions in growth performance, suggestion that either the reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) or other nutritional factors for DDGS deserve further investigation to ensure a successful implementation of DDGS in swine diets.

The Delicate Nursery Environment

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The optimal nursery environment encompasses temperature, physical, and social components. Big Sky Farms are worried about temperature control (they go from 29.0 to 19.0 degrees C) and ventilation (pigs start off with 1.5 to 1.7 cubic feet per minute up to 1.7 to 2.0 cfm). Day one is important for the piglets due to the weaning stress. To minimize this stress, it is ensured that temperatures are comfortable for the piglets, piglets are sorted by size for equal competition, they are creep fed adequately, feeders are set correctly, and provide a night light. Nursery pigs are to not be stocked at less than 2.8 square feet per pig from 5 to 24 kg, and no less than 3.2 square feet per pig from 25 to 32 kg. High standards of hygiene (washing and disinfection) are enforced to avoid a build-up of pathogenic bacteria. The piglets are fed 4 different rations throughout the nursery phase in order to increase the piglet quality that is coming out of the nursery.

Assessing dominance in sheep in a competitive situation: level of motivation and test duration

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The dominance structure in an established group of sheep is often difficult to determine in the field, because of the low frequency of agonistic interactions. One solution to this problem is to test each pair separately in a competitive situation. The most frequently used test involves competition for food after a specific period of food deprivation, but to date, there is no agreement as to the optimum length of time the animals should go without food. The present experiment compared competitive behaviour of sheep at different lengths of time after a meal. The experimental animals were a group of 10 1- year old female Scottish Blackface sheep (45 dyads). The animals had access to dry grass daily, from 07:00 to 08:00 h and from 19:00 to 20:00 h. They were tested in pairs for 5 minutes immediately after and 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the end of the morning meal. In the test arena a feed hopper provided access to feed to only one sheep at a time. Aggressive interactions such as blocking, threats and butts, as well as non-aggressive interactions (nudges), the time spent at the feeder, and the number and type of displacements (aggressive or non-aggressive) were recorded. The number of displacements was also recorded in the home pens during ten 45-minute periods of group feedings. Blocking behaviour showed the clearest difference between the two sheep in a pair and was therefore, used as the main indicator of dominance. Its occurrence increased as the time since the morning meal was increased and decreased in the course of the 5 minute tests. Consistency between pair-tests and group observations was greatest in the test 8 h after the previous meal, but the difference in consistency between the 2 and 8 h tests was small. This experiment suggest that a period of at least 2 h of food withdrawal is necessary to generate sufficient motivation for a competition test and to mask differences in feeding motivation between individuals. While the performance of dominance-relevant behaviour increased with time since the last meal, a period of 4 h may be sufficient to provide high-quality data. We also suggest that the test duration can be reduced to 2 minutes.