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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:
Eugenol stimulates lactate accumulation yet inhibits volatile fatty acid production and eliminates coliform bacteria in cattle and swine waste
Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2004 | No Comments
Weaning to Estrus Interval in Sows – Can we overcome the parity effect?
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Within the breeding herd the weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI) has a major effect on overall reproductive efficiency. It affects the non-productive days (NPD), the success of accurate heat detection and timing of insemination, subsequent litter size, the replacement rate in a farrowing group and the culling rate within the sow herd. Within current North American production systems, young growing sows in the first parities often pose the biggest challenge. First and second litter sows can be difficult to maintain within a farrowing group because of extended or variable WEI, poor rebreeding performance and/or small subsequent litter sizes. Early weaning can worsen the situation. These problems are often attributed to loss of body condition, and thus body tissue reserves, due to the large metabolic demands of lactation on the young growing sow. There is ample evidence that changes in live weight and body composition can have profound effects on reproduction. However, there is also evidence that reproductive performance can be affected without obvious changes in body condition. Differences in nutrient partitioning between growing and mature sows, mediated through metabolic hormones, may impact on levels of reproductive hormones and consequent reproductive performance. In an effort to better understand the fundamental differences between growing and mature sows in control of post-weaning reproduction, comparisons of first and fifth litter sows from farrowing through early gestation were part of an intensive research study conducted at the University of Manitoba Glenlea Swine Research Unit. It has been proposed that modern genotype gilts are more likely to remain in the breeding herd if they begin their breeding life with greater body tissue reserves (i.e. are more mature), than is currently common practice. Our results along with our own research herd performance support this concept. While early-weaned 1st parity sows in the current study demonstrated variability in weaning-to-estrus interval (WEI) and subsequent reproductive performance, this is not a common problem in our herd. Reproduction and WEI following 18 to 21 day lactation are comparable to multi-parous sows. In conclusion, our data is consistent with the theory that variability in WEI and subsequent reproductive performance of early-weaned 1st parity sows is linked to body tissue reserves and catabolism during late gestation as well as throughout lactation. It also points to the need for ongoing research with modern genotypes to determine more appropriate feeding and management strategies to realize their reproductive potential and optimize longevity in the breeding herd.
Photoperiod, Timed Weaning and Reproductive Performance of Sows
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The objectives of this project were:
1. To determine the effect of weaningtime (i.e. hour of weaning) on the interval from weaning to estrus, timing of the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, timing and number of ovulations and subsequent reproductive performance of sows kept under short or long photoperiod.
2. To determine the feasibility of fixed time artificial insemination (AI) following this treatment.
Effects of Duration and Intensity of Aeration on Solids Decomposition in Pig Slurry for Odour Control
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A 30 day laboratory scale experiment was carried out using three different aeration rates, i.e. +35mV
oxidation–reduction potential (ORP: standard hydrogen electrode), 10, and 30 mg[O2] l1, to achieve solids decomposition and odour control in pig slurry with total solids (TS) levels from 05 to 40%. Changes during the aeration process were characterised by TS, total volatile solids (TVS), total suspended solids (TSS), and total volatile suspended solids (TVSS), all expressed as w/w. The measurement of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), expressed as w/v, was used to evaluate the potential odour generation in the aerated slurry. The TS removal efficiencies from 60 to 449, 186 to 503, and 423 to 564% were observed for the three different aeration levels, with reductions from 66 to 489, 260 to 611, and 573 to 699% for the slurry TVS. The ratios of TVS/ TS, TSS/TS, and TVSS/TS in slurry over the experimental duration were found to increase with increased TS levels in the 30 day aeration under the three aeration intensities. Reductions in the 5 day biological oxygen
demand (BOD5) reached 785–920, 794–960, and 912–970%, while reductions of VFAs reached 127–990, 717–990%, and 878–993%. The biodegradation of solids, BOD5, and VFAs was effectively enhanced when aeration time and intensity were increased. A low level of solids in slurry promoted aerobic decompositions of solids, BOD5, and VFAs. Changes of state in the solids being aerated and changes in the BOD5 levels can be used to distinctly characterise the potential of odour generation from the slurry. Batch aeration of 5–10 days under intensities of 10 to 30 mg[O2] l1 is recommended for odour control at farm level.
Dust Control for Livestock Buildings
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The majority of agricultural safety groups considers dust an occupational hazard and confined livestock buildings have a lot of it. There are two kinds of dust: inhalable, which is >20ìm, and respirable, which is >5ìm. About 80-90% of dust in swine and poultry buildings is the respirable type, which can be inhaled deeply into the lungs. This can lead to health problems such as bronchitis, chronic farmer lung disease, occupational asthma and organic dust toxic syndrome (ODTS).
Factors affecting dust concentration in confined livestock buildings are temperature, relative humidity, ventilation systems, feeding practices, stocking density, cleanliness of the buildings, bedding materials and animal activity. Minimizing the occurrence of fine particles, preventing these particles from forming dust clouds, removing airborne dust using air cleaning devices and having workers use dust masks can reduce dust hazards. Dust control methods include proper and timely maintenance of feeding equipment, having a good ventilation system, sprinkling oil on the ground or in the pens, misting the air to increase the relative humidity and ionization to accelerate and remove dust.
Single-component Modelling of Pig Farm Odour with Statistical Methods and Neural Networks
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Pork farm odour has become an increasingly important problem for the pork industry because non-farming
rural residents object to the odours coming from pig facilities and insist that it disrupts enjoyment of their properties. The pork industry has thus faced strong opposition to farm expansion or the creation of new pork farms. Reducing pork farm odour requires an understanding of what causes the odour and the ability to measure the odour. The pork industry and researchers have attempted to model pork farm odour using single-component odour indicators, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide, with statistical models. Single component analysis refers to only one odour indicator being used to predict odour levels. In this paper, a neural network approach to the pork farm odour using single-component analysis with the consideration of other relevant factors, such as measurement location is proposed. Neural network models and statistical models for pork farm odour have been developed and compared for single-component models to determine which method produces superior results. In general, the use of neural networks to model the pork farm odour yields more accurate and precise odour intensity predictions than the statistical models. The measurement location for the pork farm odour was considered in several model comparisons. The neural network models significantly outperformed the statistical models in this comparison because the statistical models are not able to consider the measurement location. This indicates that measurement location is a relevant factor for modelling pork farm odour. This also demonstrates that factors other than odour components should be considered during modelling. It is hypothesised that a multiple-component (odour components) and multiplefactor
(environmental conditions and other human expert knowledge) analysis approach to the modelling of
pork farm odour using neural networks and other intelligent systems techniques will yield increased accuracy for odour prediction and a thorough understanding of this significant problem.
Capturing Carbon Credits through Manure Digestion
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The issue of capturing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and the sequestering of carbon credits is a new and emerging field for the agricultural sector. One of the biggest incentives on the horizon appears to be the sale of carbon credits. In 2001, BioGem Power Systems Inc. obtained the rights to an anaerobic digestion process that was being used in Europe to capture methane generated from manure from intensive livestock operations. One of these digesters was built in East Central Alberta. This reduces GHG emissions and has the potential for a carbon credit value that will allow producers to received financial gain from new technology. The benefits of this system include using the heat generated by the system in the barn and passing the processed manure through a water treatment plant to in turn be used by the producer in the barn. Costs of a facility like the one in Alberta would be in the range of $2.5 million and would include the cost of the water treatment facility. The plants can be customized to the producers’ specific needs and conditions. A control system such as the ISO system used in many other industries will likely be developed to be the basis for measuring, quantifying, auditing and reporting GHG emissions and subsequent carbon credits.