Greenhouse gas odour emissions from pig production buildings, manure storage and manure treatment facilities

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2003 | No Comments

Agriculture as a whole accounts for 9.5% of the total Canadian greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is also estimated that 42% of this is from the livestock sector, and that 1/3 of the 42% is associated with manure management. Odour is also a large issue associated with livestock operations. It is important to better assess the effects of the different components of operation emissions. To do so, an experiment was conducted to evaluate methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and odour emissions from swine operations. The study was to determine GHG and odour emissions from different types of swine production buildings and building floor design, from manure storage facilities and from two manure treatment systems. Carbon dioxide was found to be the most important contributor to GHG emissions from swine buildings. Methane emissions were much less than CO2 and N2O was almost negligible on an animal mass basis. The lowest CO2 levels were found to be in the gestation rooms, and the highest levels in the grow-finish rooms. Average total GHG emissions from uncovered earthen manure basin (EMB), covered EMB and uncovered tank storage facilities measured in this study were 4.23, 2.52 and 6.65 respectively. Carbon dioxide remained the most important component of the GHG emissions throughout the different facilities. Odour emissions were positively impacted when blown chopped straw covered the EMB. Odour concentrations and intensities were measured on three swine operations equipped with a conventional pig manure storage tank, an aerobic-anoxic manure treatment system and a biofilter manure treatment system in Quebec. The aerobic-anoxic manure treatment system emitted fewer odours than the biofilter treatment system.

The effect of positive or negative handling on the behavioural and physiological responses of nonlactating heifers.

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The aim of this experiment was to determine the effects that positive or negative physical handling has on 5-14 month old non-lactating heifers. The behavioural and physiological responses to the handling were recorded from 48 Holstein-Friesian heifers. The cows were handled twice daily for a 2-5 minute period. During handling the heifers were moved down a 64m route in an outdoor area. Positively handled heifers were patted, stroked, and slowly moved down the corridor. Negatively handled heifers were slapped, hit with a plastic pipe on the rump and were moved quickly down the corridor. The negative handling of the heifers resulted in long duration to approach within 1 or 2m of a person. The negatively handled heifers also had larger flight zones when approached by a human. Whether the person approaching the heifer was familiar or unfamiliar did not have an impact on the amount of time it took the approach a person, however, there was a trend for negatively handled heifers to exhibited an even larger flight zone towards unfamiliar humans. In terms of the physiological response to negative handling, those heifers had higher free total cortisol in the 5 to 15 minute period following the handling event, and also had higher free cortisol levels in the afternoon of a subsequent handling event. This study shows that the manner in how heifers are handled does negatively impact their behaviour (response to humans) and physiology (caused an acute stress response that may become a chronic problem). What is yet to be determined, is the effect that fear brought about by negative handling has on the milk production and welfare of heifers.

Social stress in laying hens: Differential effect of stress on plasma dopamine concentrations and adrenal function in genetically selected chickens

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Two phenotypically distinct lines were created, selecting for high or low group productivity and survival. Each line developed unique behavioural and physiological characteristics, when housed in a multiple-bird cage system. This study examined how the variation in the adaptation of the two lines has affected the control of the plasma dopamine concentrations and how the adrenal gland responds to social stress. At 17 weeks-of-age, laying hens from the HGPS and LGPS lines were housed in single cages or cages that housed 10 hens. The effect that the genetics and housing had on the dopamine concentration and adrenal function was measured on the 24th week-of-age. When 10 hens were housed per cage, the HGPS hens had lower dopamine concentrations and heavier adrenal glands. There was not a significant difference in the cortisol concentrations of the two genetic lines. However, in the single cages system, both lines had higher dopamine and lower cortisol concentrations than those hens that were housed in groups. The increase in the dopamine concentrations was significantly larger in the LGPS than the HGPS hens that were housed individually. As well, the adrenal glands were lighter in individually housed LGPS hens. The experiment found that the hormonal response to stress is different in the two genetic lines. It was also proven that environment affects the stress reaction. Thus, hormones and the environment are likely what causes the behavioural and physiological differences exhibited by the two genetic lines.

The effect of milk flow rate and milk allowance on feeding related behaviour in dairy calves fed by computer controlled milk feeders.

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The aim of this study was to determine the effects of milk flow rate and milk allowance from a computer-controlled milk feeder on calves’ use of the feeder. Four calves each were assigned to one of four treatments: low milk allowance and normal milk flow rate (LN), high milk allowance and normal milk flow rate (HN), low milk allowance and reduced milk flow rate (LR), or high milk allowance and reduced milk flow rate (HR). Data were collected by the computerized feeder from day 15 until weaning. Findings indicated that the overall combination of high milk yield and low flow rate resulted in the most time spent in the feeder during rewarded visits. However, there were significant effects of breed. For the heavy breed calves, a reduced milk flow rate resulted in a longer duration of rewarded visits and a longer duration of all visits. A high milk allowance resulted in fewer unrewarded visits, a shorter duration of unrewarded visits, and a shorter duration of all visits to the feeder. For all breeds, the reduced milk flow rate resulted in a longer duration of visits where the calves had access to milk but did not consume it. Calf behaviour was recorded on video for a 24 hour period. Recordings showed that heavy breed calves that fed at a reduced milk flow rate occupied the feeder more than the calves fed at a normal milk flow rate. When offered a high milk allowance, the heavy breed calves entered the feeder less often and also entered the feeder less frequently when it was empty. Calves of all breeds, when offered a low milk allowance in combination with a reduced milk flow rate, tried more often to get access to an occupied feeder and displaced other calves from the feeder more often. There were no effects of treatment on the occurrence of cross-sucking. Results indicated that, for heavy breeds, a reduced milk flow rate increased the mean occupancy of the feeder due to a longer duration of rewarded visits. Also, a higher milk allowance reduced the mean occupancy through a reduction in the duration of unrewarded visits for the heavy breed calves. The hypothesis that a high number of unrewarded visits to a computerized milk feeder being likely due to hunger, was supported by the results of this study. The results further suggest that the time the calves occupy the feeder may be reduced by a high milk allowance. The combination of a low milk allowance and a reduced milk flow rate may result in an increase in the competition for access to the feeder.

Analysis of Economically Optimal Nutrition and Marketing Strategies for Paylean Usage in Hog Production

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Under historical average prices, feeding Paylean appears to be a profitable innovation
for many producers. Regardless of whether Paylean is adopted or not, the highest returns
accrue to production systems with superior management and growing environments. In
addition, a phase-feeding program makes a substantial contribution to increasing returns.
Paylean requires increasing the dietary lysine percentage to obtain the full potential
benefit. The optimal Paylean concentration and net return from Paylean adoption
increase with the ratio of lean value to fat value. It is optimal to initiate Paylean supplementation
for CF hogs at a lighter weight and feed Paylean for a longer period compared
with SEW hogs.
Based on results of the sensitivity analysis, the optimal Paylean concentration is
sensitive under payment schemes 3 and 4 only, and the length of the optimal Paylean
supplementation period is relatively stable. In addition, the returns from hog production
are not sensitive to the price of Paylean, but are highly sensitive to finishing hog and
feeder pig prices.
Future work should examine additional strategies for managing Paylean. Ideally,
these approaches will be coupled with live animal studies that evaluate the biological
responses to a broader range of Paylean supplementation strategies-including step-up
programs where the Paylean concentrations are increased over time. Additional research
is also needed to assess the effect of Paylean on the within-barn variability in hog
growth. Ultimately, a stochastic model of hog growth should be developed that permits
fme-tuning of herd-level marketing strategies and allows evaluation of Paylean’s effect
on herd variability and its impact on producers’ net returns.

Automated blood cell count: a sensitive and reliable method to study corticosterone-related stress in broilers.

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Effect of repeated ketoprofen administration during surgical castration of bulls on cortisol, immunological function, feed intake, growth, and behavior.

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Cortisol, acute-phase protein concentrations, immune function, feed intake, growth, and behavior were measured in order to determine the effect of repeated ketoprofen (K) administration to surgically castrated bulls. Treatments consisted of control (C), surgical castration at 0 minutes (S), surgical castration 20 minutes after an i.v. injection of 3 mg/kg of BW of K (SK1), surgical castration at 0 and 20 minutes after an i.v. injection of 1.5 mg/kg of BW of K (SK2), or surgical castration following 1.5 mg/kg BW i.v. injection of K at 20 minutes and 0 minutes and 3 mg/kg of BW injection of K at 24 hours (SK3). Castration increased plasma cortisol concentrations in S and K treated animals compared with C, but there were no differences in peak and interval to peak cortisol responses among the groups. Overall, cortisol response was highest among castrates. K treatments decreased this response compared to S alone. Plasma haptoglobin and fibrinogen concentrations were increased on day 3 in the castration groups compared with C. Alternatively, SK1 and SK2 had lower haptoglobin concentrations than S animals. Concanavalin A-induced interferon-ã production was suppressed in S and SK3 groups compared with C, SK1, and SK2 groups. Overall, from day 1 to 33, dry matter intake was lower in S, SK1, and SK3 groups than in C animals. During days 1 to 35, ADG was lower for S, SK2, and SK3 groups compared with C animals. Standing posture was more frequent than lying in the S group compared with C during the first 6 hours after treatment. This higher incidence of abnormal standing postures seen in S was reversed by the K treatments. Conclusions stated that plasma cortisol and acute-phase proteins were increased by surgical castration while immune function, feed intake and ADG were decreased. Administration of ketoprofen effectively decreased the cortisol response to castration, although there were no advantages in treating with 2 split doses of K. Repeating the K dose 24 hours after castration had no influence on changes in acute-phase proteins and immune response. Analgesia with K was an effective method for alleviating acute inflammatory stress associated with surgical castration.

Panel Presentation: Managing The Nursery

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Nursery is a critical time in a piglet’s life. Several areas need to be managed to see success carry through. Rooms should be prepared (repairs, feeder setup, etc.) and washed thoroughly between batches of pigs. Pigs should be weaned as heavy as possible and safe weaning procedures should be followed as to not injure the pig. Once the pigs arrive in the nursery they should be separated based on size. Adequate heating and ventilation are required to control chilling and disease. Several different rations can be used depending on individual farms’ length of nursery and stage of nursery. Good pre-nursery management can minimize disease, but monitoring of health is still essential. Veterinarians can be called in if a serious problem arises. All treatments should be recorded on a quality-monitoring sheet. Communication is essential so that staff in all areas of the barn can keep up with what is going on in the nursery and what will be going on in the finisher.

Water Usage and Manure Production Rates in Today’s Pig Industry

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An accurate account of water use is important in today’s expanding hog industry. This will indicate the size of wells and manure storages that are required. Data from nine similar farrow-to-finish operations were collected, and it was found that total water use for all phases averaged about 89.5 L/sow/day, 80% is used for drinking, total water for different types of operations were in general agreement of the guidelines, and more. The highest per head usage was in the farrowing phase, and then gestation, grow-finish, and nursery. The grow-finish phase had the highest percentage of total herd usage, followed by gestation, nursery, and farrowing. Daily manure production was the most in farrowing, then gestation, grow-finish, and nursery. Grow-finish had the highest percentage of total herd production, followed by gestation, nursery, and farrowing.

Antibiotic in swine diets: where have we been? Part I

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The concern for the swine industry is that antibiotic usage, particularly sub-therapeutic use, is contributing, directly or indirectly, to antibiotic resistance in human medicine. One of the issues with antibiotic usage is that it has a nutritional benefit other than combating specific pathogens and any alternative to antibiotic usage has to take these other effects into account. The common theory is that intestinal bacteria, whether harmful or not, depress animal growth, either directly or indirectly, through their metabolic activities. Perhaps the best support of this hypothesis is the observation that oral antibiotics do not enhance growth in germfree animals, while inoculating germfree animals with gastro-intestinal (GI) bacteria depresses growth. A clear difference between germfree and conventional animals is a thinner wall of the small intestine. The rate of renewal of the cells that line the GI tract is slower in germfree animals, which may have a beneficial effect on base energy expenditure and the efficiency of nutrient utilization. These observations are consistent with the view that in rapidly growing young animals, the GI tract and skeletal muscle draw from the same limited supply of nutrients and, in effect, compete for nutrients. Antibiotics do not simply act on microorganisms but may be involved in immune system function as well. Phagocytes (cells of the immune system that “eat” pathogens) are a major component of the immune system. These cells are involved in both host defenses and various pathological settings characterized by excessive inflammation. Accordingly, they are key targets for immuno-modulatory drugs, among which antibacterial agents are promising candidates. In addition the microbiota of the digestive tract has a direct impact on host immune cells. Alternatives to antibiotics MUST ultimately focus on the gut microbiota of the pig gut. These alternatives included prebiotics, probiotics, dietary acids, various fractions of the grain and oil seed processing industry, as well as vaccination. Each of these topics will be dealt with in detail in a future article.