Aspergillus niger absorbs copper and zinc from swine wastewater

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2001 | No Comments

Denitrification from a Swine Lagoon Overland Flow Treatment System at a Pasturea

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Nitrates in Soil and Water

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Nitrates are chemicals made up of nitrogen and oxygen. They occur naturally in certain vegetables, preserved meat and soil, and are present in both commercial fertilizers and manure. The presence of nitrates in soil is necessary for plant growth. However, excess soil nitrates can contaminate water supplies, creating a potential health concern.

Group Housing of Sows The Potential for the Future

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

Today's Workplace: A Matter of Respect

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Effects of pelleting, expanding plus pelleting, and enzyme supplementation on barley diets with wheat millrun on DE content

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Individually-housed grower pigs were fed barley or barley-millrun diets with or without supplemental enzyme and processing. The DE content and subsequent performance did not differ between barley and barley-millrun diets indicated grower pigs may be fed high-fibre diets without negative impact on performance. Supplemental enzymes improved DE content of barley but not barley-millrun diets.

Effect of infestation with Psoroptes ovis on the nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour of housed sheep

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As part of a more broad study about sheep scab, the relationship between an infection with Psoroptes ovis and nocturnal rubbing and lying behaviour was examined. Groups of 6 to 20 scab-free sheep were penned with one infested sheep. The variation in the rubbing behaviour depended on the age of the lesion, the size of the infected area and the amount of time that has elapsed since the infected sheep was introduced. Older and larger lesions resulted in an increase in the rubbing behaviour. The more time the sheep spent rubbing resulted in the sheep spending less time, overall, lying. As well, lying bouts were more frequently interrupted by rubbing bouts. In general, this study demonstrated how a parasitic infection can generate changes in the behaviour of the sheep and these changes may affect the welfare and transmission of the disease.

Effects of space allowance during transport and duration of mid-journey lairage period on the physiological, behavioural and immunological responses of young calves during and after transport.

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To determine the effect of space allowance during transport, a well as, the effect of varying length of lairage part way through transport were examined by measuring stress levels, injury, incidence of dehydration, effect of food restriction and rest of young calves during and following transportation. The calves were transported twice for nine hours, with a 1 or 12h lairage period between the two trips. The space allowances during transport were either 0.375 or 0.475 m2 per calf. The control calves, which were not transported, were fed milk replacer and were also provided with water either at the normal times or only when the calves were given these fluids during transport. Calves that were transported spent significantly less time lying down and had significantly higher cortisol concentrations than the control calves. Increasing the amount of space available per calf did not result in an increased incidence of injuries and or the calves were still able to keep their balance. A lairage period of one hour provided enough time to feed the calves milk replacer, but did not given the calves much of an opportunity to rest. The duration of the lairage period midway through transportation did not have an effect on any of the measurements taken and the shorter lairage time did not appear to negatively affect welfare. Even though there was not any difference in the immune system measurements between the transport and control calves, transportation appeared to negatively affect the health status of the calves.

Effect of milkflow rate and presence of a floating nipple on abnormal sucking between dairy calves.

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On most of the conventional dairy-farms in Sweden calves are separated from the cows immediately after birth and put individually in pens. They are usually fed milk replacer instead of the mothers milk. Most of the calves are not allowed to suck when ingesting their milk, instead they have to learn to drink from an open bucket. Studies have shown that problems occur when calves are housed together. The calves suck on each others ears, mouth, prepuce, scrotum, naval and other body parts, and this has been observed primarily among calves that are bucket fed. The aim of this study was to investigate if access to an artificial teat compared to an open bucket would decrease abnormal sucking in calves held in pairs, and if the calves would perform less abnormal sucking if they spent more time drinking or sucking the milk. In total 16 calves of Swedish Red and White cattle housed in pairs were used. The eight groups were given 2.5 l of whole milk per calf, twice a day in one of the following treatments; bucket with fast flow (control), bucket with slow flow, floating nipple with fast flow and floating nipple with slow flow. All groups were subjected to the four different treatments in a random balanced order. Two buckets were connected with a rubber pipe in order to control the milk flow. In the fast treatments, the milk poured from one bucket to the other in 40 s, and in the slow treatments the milk poured from one bucket to the other in 10 min. Each group had the treatment for 6 days before behavioural observations were done on day7. These were made by instantaneous recordings at 20 s intervals for 30 min, starting when the calves received their milk in the morning and afternoon. The number of recordings of abnormal sucking was lower than the control in all treatments. The lowest recording of abnormal sucking was found, when the calves had both a floating nipple and a slow flow. Sucking on other objects in the pen had the highest number of recordings, when they had a nipple and a fast flow, but the sucking on the empty nipple represented 95% of this category. The calves tended to lick and bite more on the bucket, the nipple and pen fittings in the two treatments with fast flow than in the slow treatment with nipple. It is concluded that both the performance of sucking and the time taken to ingest milk are important in order to decrease abnormal sucking between calves. In order to reduce abnormal sucking dairy calves should be allowed to suck the milk and the milk flow should be so low that the motivation to suck has vanished when the milk is finished.

A note on the effects of forward and rear-facing orientations on movement of horses during transport.

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Horses remain standing during transport and must maintain their balance during changes in velocity and direction. The result is that the animal frequently shifts its weight or moves slightly as the vehicle is in motion. It has been suggested that horses are better able to maintain their balance if they are facing backward, away from the direction of movement, in the vehicle. This study transported horses around a 14.4 km course that involved slowing, speeding up, stopping, various turns, and highway bumps. Twelve horses were transported, and each was tested in both a forward and rear-facing orientation. The animals were videotaped to determine the distance they moved in order to maintain balance. There was considerable variation in the amount of movement observed in each horse, ranging from 5 to 35 m. However, neither of the orientations resulted in a consistently larger or smaller amount of movement. It is concluded that orientation does not affect the horses’ ability to maintain balance during transport.