Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Initiative

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments

The Canadian Pork Council has kicked off an initiative that will establish sites across Canada to demonstrate how farmers can minimize greenhouse gas emissions. The demonstration project is part of a greenhouse gas mitigation program for Canadian Agriculture announced by the federal government in 2002.
Alberta Pork in association with Alberta Taking Charge Team are setting up 4 to 6 demonstration sites dealing specifically with hog manure management. The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute in Saskatchewan is going to have a total of 9 demonstration sites set up with existing sites. Manitoba is also setting up some sites as well, dealing with barn design issues and beneficial management practices.

Extraction of Soluble Phosphorus from Swine Wastewater

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Environmental Management: More than Manure

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Every aspect of pork production should be analyzed to determine its effect on the environment. As pig production began to expand in the 80s the public became more aware. Competition was the main concern. Environmental concerns began to arise in the 90s as odour and manure management became concerns. As production units increased in size it became more of a problem and movements to shut down hog barns began. Farmers need to take into account all aspects of the environment to effectively preserve the environment. We need to look at inputs of feed, water, energy, and supplies to compare them with the outputs of hogs, manure, garbage and odor. Several programs are being developed for a good Environment Management System (EMS). An EMS is a business tool that systematically applies general management principles to environmental issues associated with the activities, products and services of an organization. This system includes planning, doing what you plan, measuring how well it works, and reviewing it to change and improve. Any EMS should follow any legality and address any environmental concerns that may be present in the area. Optional areas can be focused on such as energy conservation, water conservation, and feed usage. Areas that are already adequately managed can still improved still, such as mortality management, manure and nutrient management, and general production procedures.

Struvite precipitation in anaerobic swine lagoon liquid: effect of pH and Mg:P ratio and determination of rate constant

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Changes in Soil Phosphorus from Manure Application

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Soil Sampling of Manured and Non-Manured Fields in Grass Forage Production

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Many agricultural soils in southeastern Manitoba have a history of hog manure application and this survey was intended to compare their nutrient status with similar soils that have not received manure. The land areas that were studied were characterized by coarse textured, low agricultural capability soils in grass forage production. The study locations are considered representative of soil landscapes commonly known as the Poppleton, Pelan and Malonton soil associations. The study found that there was a higher concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus to a depth of sixty centimeters in manured fields, especially for phosphorus when compared to non-manured fields. However, at some of the non-manured sites there was evidence of elevated nitrogen and phosphorus levels that were lower than the manured sites. The importance of keeping good production records of cultural, nutrient and manure management practices are essential in providing information for relating residual nutrient levels to nutrient balances of applied organic and inorganic fertilizers. The data showed that the variability in nitrate nitrogen and phosphorus status was greater between fields than within fields, particularly for nitrogen status whether the fields were manured or non-manured. The highest concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous were found at the soil surface (0-6 inches) with nutrient levels decreasing with depth. In some cases concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were observed below the 0-6 inches depth and in some cases they were not. Deep sampling also showed concentration of nutrients below 2 feet in some cases. As with any addition of nutrients there are potential risks to runoff and surface water contamination or leaching and groundwater contamination. Soluble nutrients that are in excess of crop requirements present a greater risk of being transported to water through runoff or leaching, particularly where the soil types are characterized by coarse textures and rapid permeability. Water table depths were found to vary more between locations than within each location. At the manured locations water table depths ranged from one to two feet to greater than nine feet. Depth to water table at the non-manured locations ranged from two to three feet to greater than nine feet from the ground surface.

Soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides on digesta passage rate and voluntary feed intake of grower pigs

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The effects of purified non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fractions (soluble, guar gum (SOL) and insoluble, cellulose (INSOL)) NSP fractions on digesta passage rate, retention time and voluntary feed intake was studied in grower pigs. Compared to control, adding SOL + INSOL increased digesta viscosity, slowed digesta flow rate and increased retention time in the total tract. Voluntary feed intake and daily weight gain reduced with SOL + INSOL NSP, compared to pigs fed the control diet. Reduction in voluntary feed intake associated with feeding high fibrous diet in pigs may be a direct effect of the fibre fractions slowing the flow rate of digesta through the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, reducing the negative effects of soluble and insoluble NSP may enhance feed intake and improve grower pig performance.

Towards a baseline assessment of organic pig welfare.

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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.

The effect of stimulus height on visual discrimination in horses.

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The ability for horses to perform visual discriminations is thought to be influenced by the height at which the stimulus is presented. The objective of this study was to determine if horses could visually discriminate based on the height the stimulus was presented. The test involved a two-choice, black/white discrimination with stimuli presented at two heights: ground level or at a height of 70 cm above the ground. The results indicated that the horses could visually discriminate better when the stimulus was at ground level. This information is important when training horses to accomplish tasks that involve visual discrimination. Also, it emphasizes the importance of the effect that the ground surface can have on a horse’s performance, which is important in both management and training.