How Canada Plans to Stay Free of Foreign Animal Disease

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2002 | No Comments

A disease such as foot & mouth disease would spread very quickly in Canada. Entry of a livestock disease into a susceptible population would devastate the economy, and tie up agriculture department personnel and resources. The blow to the economy would be the closing of borders to exports, which is extremely important. Serious diseases could be spread via an innocent traveler, a not so innocent traveler, and even docks in Vancouver that handle risky material from foreign countries. The outbreak of FMD in the UK served to show veterinarians worldwide that no country is invincible to disease. Canada has prepared for such an outbreak by conducting exercises designed to point out the weaknesses in the plans to fight a disease and improve on them. Additional money has been provided to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to employ more inspectors so that a higher percentage of incoming freight is being examined. This includes powerful x-ray machines to detect anything harmful. Public awareness is one of the most important factors in preventing and educating about foreign animal disease. Trust has to be given to countries that they are reporting all cases of reportable diseases so that the risk of spread to a traveler’s home country is eliminated. What must be dealt with is the swill (“garbage”) feeding that goes on. This is the feeding of rendered animals to livestock. Maximum monitoring must be present in order to ensure no disease enters.

The use of diet manipulation to alter water utilization patterns of growing pigs

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Concerns relating to the use of water resources by the livestock industry, combined with the rising cost of storing, hauling and spreading manure have resulted in greater interest in more precisely defining the drinking water consumption of pigs. In particular, little information is available on the impact of diet composition on voluntary water intake in swine. In addition, diets are currently not formulated with considerations involving their impact on water usage in pigs. Some researchers studying the effect of diet on water consumption patterns of growing pigs have observed altered water intake patterns in response to changes in dietary crude protein or mineral levels, while similar studies have not produced conclusive results. Two experiments were conducted at PSCI’s Floral research facility to examine a nutritional approach to reducing the demand for water by pork production units while maintaining pig performance and well-being. Varying levels of dietary minerals and crude protein level as well as the protein source were used to examine the use of diet manipulation to alter pig water intake. The first experiment involved a total of 54 barrows averaging 72 days of age with an average body weight of 36.0 kg. Pigs were limit-fed diets of varying crude protein levels (14.5,18.5 and 22.5 % CP), an animal protein diet using meat and bone meal, a vegetable protein diet with mineral levels similar to that of the animal protein diet or a high mineral diet. A second experiment involved 48 barrows given free access to diets of increasing CP (16.9, 20.9 and 25.7 %) or a high mineral diet (20.6% CP). Drinking water intake was unaffected by the level or source of dietary protein or the mineral levels when pigs were limit-fed. Similarly, urine output was not different in response to dietary treatment. The high water:feed ratios and individual variability in water intake observed in the first experiment were suggestive of polydipsia, a behaviour that has been related to hunger in limit-fed pigs. To minimize the effect of over-drinking due to hunger, pigs were allowed free access to feed in the second experiment. There were no significant treatment effects on overall water balance; however there was a tendency toward increased drinking water intake and urine output in pigs receiving the highest protein diet. Further analysis indicated that dietary nitrogen and feed intake had a strong influence on the pig’s daily water consumption.

Farmers feedback on pig production technology in Kwara State, Nigeria

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New Hulless Barley Promises to Reuce Pollution from Manure

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New lines of hulles barley being developed by the University of Saskatchewan Crop Development Centre promise to help reduce the potential pollution from hog manure while increasing the value of the crop. The goal is to develop a two row hulless barley variety for use as feed that is low in phytic acid and is adapted to Western Canada. The work invloves crossing CDC McWire hulless barley with low phytic acid varities developed by USDA scientists in Idaho based on Harrington. Crop Development Centre Barley and Oat breeder Dr. Brian Rossnegel says the new hulless variety will primarily target swine producers.

Effects of Low Phytic Acid Corn, Low Phytic Acid Soybean Meal and Phytase on Nutrient Excretion and Nutrient Digestibility in Pigs

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About 85% of the phosphorus (P) in a normal corn-soybean meal diet fed to swine is not utilized because it is bound as phytate phosphate and cannot be digested by the swine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding low phytic acid (LPA corn, LPA soybean meal and the Phytase enzyme on P digestibility and excretion with grower pigs.
This study suggests that the feeding of any combination of LPA corn, LPA soybean meal, and phytase can significantly improve P digestibility while dramatically decreasing P excretion. In addition, the feeding of LPA corn can reduce fecal K excretion while improving overall K digestibility. The modifications of commercial swine diets with LPA corn, LPA soybean meal and/or phytase can significantly improve P utilization and thus reduce the potential negative impacts of swine production on the environment.

Biofiltration of Odour and Ammonia from a Pig Unit, a pilot-scale Study

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A pilot-scale biofiltration unit was constructed at a pig finishing building on the University College Dublin research farm. The biofiltration system was investigated over three trial periods. Exhaust air from a single pen was extracted by a variable speed centrifugal fan and passed through a humidifier and biofilter. A 0
5mde pth of woodchips of over 20mm screen size was used as the biofilter medium. The moisture content of the medium was maintained at 644% (wet weight basis) for trial one and 694% (wet weight basis) for trials two and three using a load cell method. The volumetric loading rate varied from 769 to 1898m3 [air] m3 [medium] h1 during the three trial periods. Odour and ammonia removal efficiencies ranged from 77 to 95% and 54 to 93%, respectively. The pH of the biofilter leachate remained between 6 and 8 throughout the experimental periods.
The pressure drop across the biofilter ranged from14 to 64 Pa. It is concluded that a wood chipmedia particle size >20mm is suitable for use in biofiltration systems on intensive pig production facilities. This will minimize the pressure drop on the system fans to reduce overall operation costs. It is recommended that a filter bed moisture content (wet weight basis) of greater than 63% be used to maintain overall efficiency. An efficient air moisturizing system (humidification and bed sprinkling) along with a properly designed air distribution system must be incorporated in the overall design when operating at such high volumetric loading rates.

Enforce Existing Animal Feeding Operations Regulations to Reduce Pollutants

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Pilot Scale Study of Hog Manure Treatment Technology

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System Ecotechnologies Inc. has developed a hog manure treatment process (SEI Hog Manure Treatment Technology) which has the following environmental and economic benefits: significantly reduces odours from hog manure, produces recyclable clear water, produces nutrient-rich biosolids (sludge), recovers ammonia as a separate product usable as a fertilizer, eliminates E.Coli in the treated liquid and biosolids, eliminates the production of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from manure after treatment, and offers a better control on the use and disposal of treated liquid and biosolids. System Ecotechnologies Inc. received funding from Manitoba Livestock Manure Management Initiative (MLMMI), Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and CETAC-WEST which administered the funds from TEAM – Climate Change Action Fund, and the Western Economic Diversification (WD) of Government of Canada, to conduct this technology demonstration. The technology demonstration was conducted at the following hog operations in Manitoba: Landmark – Nevin Friesen’s farm coordinated by Elite Swine Inc., Niverville – Coordinated by Puratone Inc., Starlite Colony – Coordinated by James Hofer of Starlite Colony; Saskatchewan: St. Denis – Quadra Group; Ontario: London – Van Gorp Farm coordinated by Case and Jeff Van Gorp. Open houses were conducted at Landmark, Starlite Colony and London which were well attended by the print and broadcast media, hog operators and representatives from the hog industry (Manitoba Pork, Ontario Pork) and the government regulatory agencies. The technology demonstration received extensive media coverage which brought a number of enquiries from hog farmers from Canada, USA and Ireland for commercially implementing the technology. Dr. Qiang (Chong) Zhang of the Department Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba was consulted to evaluate the reduction in the odours in the manure due to the treatment process. Dr. Zhang and his team visited the site and took samples of raw (untreated) manure and the treated liquid for the laboratory evaluation using the ‘Dynamic Dilution Olfactometer’ and a panel of six screened assessors. Samples of untreated manure and samples of liquid and biosolids after treatment were taken after each demonstration and sent for analysis. They were analyzed for BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand), TKN (Total Kjledahl Nitrogen), total phosphorus, total potassium, total sulphur for all samples. Samples were also sent to the Saskatchewan Research Council for bacterial analysis in terms of total coliforms and E.Coli.
The following summarizes the data obtained from these demonstrations: Clear recyclable water was consistently produced at all sites, the odour was reduced by more than 98% in the treated water compared to the raw manure, the bacterial contamination in terms of E.Coli and total coliforms was eliminated after treatment both in the treated manure and the biosolids, as a percentage of the raw manure nutrient content, the biosolids produced by the treatment contained 100% of phosphorus, about 55 to 89% of nitrogen, about 37 to 92% of potassium and about 47 to 84% of sulphur, the nitrogen content in the treated liquid was low, at less than 14%. It was possible to reduce this further to almost zero by allowing the sample to be exposed to air, the BOD in the treated liquid varied from a low of 5 mg/l to a high of 2500 mg/l, while the BOD values in the raw manure ranged from 30,000 to 45,000 mg/l, and the volume of biosolids produced by the treatment ranged from about 5 to 10 % depending upon the raw manure solids content.

The thermal inactivation of E. coli in straw and pig manure

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Measuring the Cost of Restricting Access to Cropland for Manure Nutrient Management

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