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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:
Compost Airflow Resistance
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2002 | No Comments
Four bulking agents, pine shavings, mixed (long and chopped) grass hay, chopped grass hay and long (whole) wheat straw, were each mixed with pig slurry and tap water to obtain three moisture contents (MC) of 60, 65 and 70%. Quadruplets of each treatment were placed in laboratory composting vessels with a capacity of 105 l and a composting depth of 095 m. Using the air plenum at the bottom of each vessel, air was forced at apparent velocities of 0a
Regional Nutrient Balances
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A nutrient balance model was developed for the Municipalities of Hanover, La Broquerie, Roland and Sifton in Manitoba. The model tracks and estimates all nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorous) inputs, outputs, and losses to the environment for the agricultural industry. The objectives of this study were to: evaluate the reliability of such a model at both the municipal and farm levels; determine gaps in the knowledge base necessary to implement a nutrient balance model as a planning or regulatory tool; and to provide a preliminary assessment of the nutrient balance in four municipalities that represent a matrix of high and low density crop and livestock production. Four farms in each of the four municipalities were also used to evaluate the budget model. The purpose of these farm budgets was to further test and evaluate the many estimates of nutrient losses that naturally occur in the nitrogen and phosphorous cycles. An extensive literature review was conducted to review previous work on nutrient budgets. The nutrient flows in an agricultural ecosystem, including inputs, outputs, transfers and losses from the plant, animal and soil pools were investigated. The literature review focused primarily on the central-northern Great Plains area of North America to ensure that the data would be applicable to soil and climate characteristics of Manitoba. Considerable data for the municipal model was obtained from the 2001 Census of Agriculture, Manitoba Crop Insurance Corporation records, and a proprietary spatial Grain Flow Model developed by Warkentine and Associates, a local consultant with specialized expertise in the analysis of grain flows in Western Canada. Primary data for the farm-scale budgets was provided by the cooperating farmers. Extensive interviews were also conducted with fertilizer dealers to verify current fertilizer practices by crop producers in Manitoba. The study found that in areas such as Hanover and La Broquerie, which have a significant intensive livestock industry, the importation of large quantities of nutrients in feed is contributing to a build-up of nutrients in the soil on a regional basis. Manure, however, is not the only source of nutrients that must be considered. The farm case studies confirmed previous studies indicating an excessive buildup of nutrients in soils from the over-application of chemical fertilizers is common. Notwithstanding the apparent increase in nutrients in these municipalities due to manure, the environmental risks to water resources may not have increased proportionally. The literature review found that the loss of nutrients from fields receiving inorganic fertilizers can be greater than fields receiving manure. Both sources and transport factors have to be considered in assessing transport risk. Better farm management practices are needed to prevent a build-up of available soil nutrients, regardless of the source of crop nutrients and the size of the farm unit. Regulations to address this issue should be consistent with this principle. Annual soil testing, for example, is practiced by approximately ten percent of producers on approximately one-quarter of their fields in any one year. The losses of nitrogen and phosphorous to the environment comprise a significant component of the nutrient cycle. Nitrogen losses were equivalent to 35 to 79 percent of outputs, and phosphorous losses were between two and 16 percent of outputs. Some loss of nutrients is a natural part of the nutrient cycle. Further research is necessary to quantify the various losses under a
Feasibility study for concrete swine buildings and manure storage facilities in Western Canada
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
A feasibility study has been completed to evaluate the potential of concrete swine buildings and manure storage facilities in the Prairie region. Three building concepts combined with four manure storage options have been studied. A building with concrete walls and wood truss roof would increase concrete usage by 25% compared to a conventional wood frame building. The various combinations of building and manure storage concepts were evaluated for their effect on annualized building costs. The result of this evaluation either decreased annualized building cost by 16% or increased it by up to 34%. A swine facility design with concrete walls and concrete manure tanks is the most promising option for enhancing the life cycle and reducing the annualized cost of production facilities. Supplemental information should be gathered about the design and cost of swine buildings with concrete walls considering construction techniques and local availability and pricing of concrete in the Prairies.
Prediction of intramuscular fat percentage in live swine using real-time ultrasound
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The development of feather pecking behaviour and targeting of pecking in chicks from a high and low feather pecking line of laying hens.
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Large individual differences between adult laying hens in their propensity for feather pecking are known to exist. However, not much research has been carried out into the individual differences concerning the development of feather pecking behaviour. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether contrasting levels of feather pecking, observed among adult birds from two lines of laying hens, already occur at an early age. Furthermore, an important question to be discussed was whether different behavioural systems may be related to the occurrence of feather pecking. Therefore, this study consisted of studying and comparing the behaviour of White Leghorn laying hens from a high (HFP) and low feather pecking (LSP) during the first 8 weeks of life. Chicks were reared in litter-floor pens and were kept in groups of five animals per line (12 groups per line). HFP chicks showed significantly higher levels of gentle feather pecking than LFP chicks at the age of 14 and 28 days. Furthermore, HFP chicks spent significantly more time preening than LFP chicks on day 14, 28, and 41. Duration of foraging behaviour and feeding behaviour was significantly higher in the LFP line compared to the HFP line. HFP chicks showed a negative correlation between gentle FP and preening. In the LFP line duration of feeding correlated negatively with gentle FP. In conclusion, differences in feather pecking behaviour between HFP and LFP chicks can already be observed at a very early age during development. Furthermore, the results indicated that HFP and LFP chicks differ in the way pecking behaviour is targeted. This difference could be related to the existence of a difference in underlying motivational system controlling the development of feather pecking between the two lines.
Decision support system for overall welfare assessment in pregnant sows A: Model structure and weighting procedure.
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An ongoing argument in the defining and assessment of farm animal welfare has been over what criteria should and should not be used. The authors constructed a computerized welfare assessment model for gestating sows, called the SOWWEL (from SOw WELfare), based on a hierarchical organization of the sows’ needs. The model was constructed using data from previous scientific studies. The housing and management systems are inputted into the model and it will generate an overall welfare score. Thirty-seven attributes associated with welfare related properties of the housing and management system are found within the model (ie: space per pen, health status, feeding levela
Fuel for Thought: Alternative Energy Sources for Agriculture
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Many energy sources exist today that can replace traditional energy supplies. Ground source heat pumps extract heat from the ground to heat a building, while reversing it can suck the heat out and cool the building. Biogas is produced by microbial digestion of manure and can be used for heat or electricity. Wind energy converts the moving energy of the wind and converts it into electricity or mechanical energy (they typically require about 15 km/h of wind speed). Solar energy can be used, but is dependent on the climate. Biodiesel is derived from plant or animal oil but requires careful consideration. Hydroelectric power is water-turning turbines to create energy (obviously the barn must be located near a source of water). Cogeneration uses a single energy source and outputs electricity and thermal energy in the form of hot water or steam. Microturbines can run on low or high-pressure natural gas, propane, diesel, and up to 7% H2S. Fuel cells are devices that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and heat.