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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:
Lower Protein Diets and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments
The Pig Farmer Survey 2003 found that one in three farmers was unaware that reduced protein diets can reduce slurry production from pigs by 10% while nearly two in three were unaware that it can also reduce water consumption. About 2/3 of protein fed to pigs is lost, half of which escapes into the air as ammonia gas while the other half is spread in slurry or manure. When managed properly, ‘precision protein feeds’ can reduce nitrogen in slurry by 14-22%. Other research has found that as slurry is reduced by 10%, so is the ammonia that is emitted into the air.
The survey found that one in three pig farmers estimated the cost of complying with Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations to be more than ₤5,000/year. Research has shown however, that a slightly higher feed cost was balanced by significant savings on slurry, storage and transport together with the reduction in water costs.
Under pollution controls (PPC) for intensive pig farms this method represents the ‘best available technique’ (BAT) because it brings benefit to the farmers and the environment. Guidance to farmers on PPC is available on the Environmental Agency’s website. The Pollution Prevention and Control (Wales and England) Regulations 2000 are designed to prevent and eliminate pollution at the source through the efficient use of natural resources. They apply to all farms with 40,000 birds, 750 sows or 2,000 production pigs. PPC covers most aspects of farming activity including the handling of raw materials and waste, intensive rearing of pigs, manure management planning, the spreading of solid manure and slurry, energy use, accident management as well as monitoring and reporting.
EVALUATION OF A PERMEABLE, 5 CM THICK, POLYETHYLENE FOAM LAGOON COVER
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The effect of starter feeding regimen on variability in bodyweight and performance in the nursery
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Variability in growth and performance is a concern to pork producers due to the associated negative impact on revenues and expenditures. This experiment was designed to determine the effect of starter program on the variability in animal weights at nursery exit. Treatments consisted of 4 starter programs, formulated and fed according to manufacturers’ specifications from weaning (d 0) to nursery exit (d 50). Overall ADG was similar between programs, however, the ADFI differed thus, feed efficiency was affected by the program used. Variability in pig growth, determined as the coefficient of variation, was not affected by starter program. This was true regardless of the starting weight of the group of pigs. Therefore, although performance may be affected slightly by the use of a specific starter program, the change in performance is uniform across a group; and the variability in body weight at nursery exit will not be affected.
Sorting Pigs: Why We Do It, and Why We Shouldn’t
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
In swine management we have the opportunity to determine the social groupings of our animals. We determine which pigs are in the same pen, and which pigs are not. This process will be referred to as sorting. With increasing farm size, more pigs may be selected from in order to form a group, allowing the implementation of very effective sorting strategies. Within the industry there is a general consensus that sorting is important in order to achieve maximum productivity. However, in a more intensive production system there are many situations where a sorting strategy may not apply. Historical systems in which pigs were limit fed on the floor were subject to dominance related problems. Sorting by weight is a means of reducing dominance related variation in production. This practice will be effective if resources (such as feed) are limited and easily defendable. Such conditions exist in groups of gestating sows if they are not individually fed. Grower-finisher pigs are generally fed ad libitum and do not benefit from sorting by weight. Restricted space allowances do not lend themselves to defence, and so all pigs experience a reduction in growth within crowded pens. Sorting on the basis of nutritional needs can be effective, and leads to sorting grower-finisher pigs by sex, and newly-weaned pigs by size in order to provide the best diets to each group.
Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
A commonly used premise in the marketing of organic products is that the welfare of an animal is ensured through good management and only when these management techniques fail, are veterinary medicines used. However, the truthfulness behind this claim needs to yet be proven. Therefore an assessment of nine organic pig farms, primarily located in the South West of England, was conducted. The survey included direct assessments of the animals and the facilities, as well, questions were asked of the staff. The average herd size was approximately 210 sows and the herds had been in operation for an average of 3 years. From farrow to finish, offspring were raised outdoors. The highest ranking health concern according to the producers was mange and lice, while the highest-ranking historical report (based on post-mortem analysis) was endoparasitism. These were chosen from a list composed by the authors. The main welfare concerns according to the stockpeople were keeping the animals clean and dry during periods of moisture, managing porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS) and postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Another concern expressed was the difficulty in finding and keeping good stockpeople. The assessment of the facilities found good overall living condition, with the only problem being the possibility of the paddocks being too wet during the winter. The assessment of the body condition of the sows was within acceptable target values during the entire production cycle (breeding, farrowing and weaning). For any stock classification the levels of lameness, skin lesions and cleanliness were also acceptable.
On Farm Welfare Standards
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Conditions of animal slaughter improved greatly once McDonalds started their plant-auditing program. Now 90% of plants are able to stun 95% or more of the cattle with a single shot. A lot of these improvements have come from making minor changes to the already existing processes. An example of this improvement is a non-slippery surface on the kill floor to prevent pigs from stressing. This trend caught on as now many restaurants and grocery stores have begun auditing slaughter plants too. The American Meat Institute utilizes a critical control point to monitor the process of stunning and animal handling. This is based on the number of animals stunned correctly first shot, percent of animals remaining dead on bleed rail (this needs 100%!), cattle that moo while moving through the chutes and while stunning, amount of prodding, and amount of animals that slip or fall. The New Guidelines from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association have created an audit for beef and dairy producers. This is done by measuring and scoring certain procedures that are performed routinely on a farm. These are standardized scores and a certain score must be achieved to be accepted. Many of these are based on what the public would deem acceptable. If animals suffer or are poorly treated, obviously the public would be horrified. These scores ensure that safe and sound practices are adhered to. A trend among the public on animal production is that people treat animals poorly, care more about profit, produce unhealthy food, is hazardous to the environment, etc. The agricultural industry has responded with programs to give the public more information as to what really goes on behind closed doors. Fast food chains have improved the quality of the egg laying industry, which was in need of a change. Egg laying facilities had great welfare issues (such as far too little space and cruelty), and these chains have helped improve the welfare of these hens. To improve pig welfare, changes to the loading and unloading must be administered. Non-slip floors are essential, as are properly designed loading/unloading ramps (this includes proper angle and width). Ramps must be specific to the level of production because nursery piglets can injure their feet on market hog ramps. Alleys should be free of drafts and bright lights that could halt pig flow. Longer truck trips should use a bigger trailer to allow more space per pig. Longer trips (3 hours or more) should allow enough space for the pigs to lie down. Fasting of 16 to 24 hours can help to minimize motion sickness. Adequate bedding should be provided in cold weather to prevent frostbite, and adequate ventilation should be provided in the summer to cool the pigs. Wet shavings or sand should be used in the summer because straw gets too warm.