Diet and evaluators affect perception of swine waste odor: An educational demonstration

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

Solid Manure Handling and Application Systems

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Annual Report

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Evaluation and demonstration of composting as an option for dead animal management in Saskatchewan

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CHARACTERISTICS OF PHOTOTROPHIC AND NON–PHOTOTROPHIC LAGOONS FOR SWINE MANURE

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Denitrification in Constructed Wetlands Used for Treatment of Swine Wastewater

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Reduction of High Soil Test Phosphorus by Corn and Soybean Varieties

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Top 10 cost cutters and revenue generators

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Many producers may already be implementing changes and new ideas to lower costs and increase revenues. In many cases, this is the key to success in maintaining an operational pork production system. This article looks at 13 ideas focused on changes that can be implemented and monitored easily and inexpensively. For example, ideal feed formulation is dependant on animal weight and performance, as well as the cost of ingredients. If diets have not been updated recently, ingredient prices will likely have changed and may be costing the producer more than is required. Effects of these changes have been calculated in terms of dollars/pig marketed.

Variation in pig performance: Can we do anything about it?

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Variation in the hog barn is becoming an increasing topic of interest in the pork industry. Variation within the barn is a cost to the producer as it reduces barn utilization and causes a loss of revenue market. Variation can be the result of many causes, but most often fits into the categories of genetics or environment. Birth weights, weaning weight, litter of origin, gender and the parity of the dam all genetically affect the individual pig. Ideally, negative environmental impacts would all be eliminated. However, this is not usually the case. The producers goal should be to minimize negative environmental impacts by ensuring access to resources such as feed and water and minimizing exposure to pathogens. Statistically, variation can be defined in many ways. Most commonly, variation is measured as the standard deviation or coefficient of variation. The more dispersed the weights of the pigs, the larger the standard deviation. Certain management practises can be employed to reduce variation; however, this depends on the existing coefficient of variation. One suggestion to manage variation is to house barrows and gilts separately since barrows tend to eat more feed than gilts and reach market weight 5-7 days sooner.

Relation between early fear- and anxiety-related behaviour and maternal ability in sows.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

This study tested the hypothesis that sows that were less fearful of humans and novel objects at 8 weeks of age would have better mothering abilities which would result in higher reproductive success. Eight-nine gilts were tested in a human approach test and in a novel object approach test. Of the 89 sows tested, only 30 were bred and their subsequent farrowing productivity was recorded. To determine the effect fear and anxiety would have on gilt productivity the following parameters were monitored at farrowing: the duration of farrowing, time interval between piglets birth, the number of times the sows lied on top of or crushed a piglet while she was farrowing, the number of liveborn, stillborn piglets and piglets deaths after birth until weaning. Increased fear of humans (‘fear’) was associated with longer farrowing durations, larger differences in the time interval between the birth of piglets. As the length of time for a sow to farrow her litter increased, there was an increase in the number of piglet deaths prior to weaning. Gilts that were more fearful of humans also had more stillborn piglets and more piglets die prior to weaning. Fear of a novel object (‘anxiety’) was also associated with a higher number of stillborn piglets. It was concluded that fear of humans in reproductive animals could potentially lead to a decrease in productivity.