Government Agency in Japan Builds Case to Mix Meat, Bone Meal in Cement

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

Analysis of Minor elements and Metals in Hog Manure by Field-portable near-infrared Spectrscopy: Results for Zeiss Corona (R) Spectrometer

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The overall purpose of this project was to develop a field protocol for testing two field-portable
near-infrared (NIR) spectrophotometers as on-site, free-standing (not in-line), measurement
tools for nutrients in hog manure at the time of application of manure to agricultural land. This
project is a developmental step between the analysis of hog manure in the laboratory using
near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and the deployment of NIR instruments in the manure
stream for real-time measurement of composition of manure during application to land. The
field-portable instruments included the Textron Systems Corp (USA)/Case NH (USA)
ProSpectraa

Effects of pig manure and wheat straw on growth of mung bean seedlings grown in aluminium toxicity soil

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Manure Sampling for Nutrient Analysis: Variability and Sampling Efficacy

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Commodity Requirements fo PSC Elstow Feed Mill

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A factsheet describing ingredients requirements, volumes and specifications for grains the feed mill at PSC Elstow Research Farm will be purchasing.

Big Sky Farms Annouces Contribution to Interpretive Centre

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Dealing with variability in the growout barn

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Variation has become an increasingly important topic within the pork industry. The need of packing plants to have uniform carcasses is important, but is difficult for producers to meet this need when dealing with normal livestock variability. Variability can be a blessing and a curse in the pork industry. In order to genetically select for desirable traits, variation is required. Environment also has an impact on the expression of genetic make up and overall performance that may be undesirable. Producers must be able to implement strategies to most effectively and efficiently deal with variability.
Two approaches commonly taken when dealing with variability are to manage the environment in such a way so as to minimize variability, or to manage the pig to minimize the impact of variability on net income. In other words, seek ways to minimize variability or ways to best manage existing variability.
Many attempts have been made to minimize the amount of variability and failed. Studies have shown that several common practises for improving uniformity do not actually work. For example, sorting upon entry to the nursery and restriction of feed intake. It seems the most practical strategy is to attempt to minimize the impact of existing variability. For example, time spent sorting pigs at marketing may produce a greater increase in net income than any other activity. This strategy has increased the average index on some farms by 4 points, a net value of $5.00/pig sold.
Variation is good for genetic selection, but can be very difficult in production, especially during the growout phase. The best strategy seems to be to minimize the impact of variation rather than attempting to change the amount of variation. Marketing strategies, separate sex housing and increased overall performance are likely to pay larger dividends than any other strategy to reduce variability. These benefits can be measured in dollars, not cents, per pig.

Nutritional value of debranned wheat

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Effects of group selection for productivity and longevity on blood concentrations of serotonin, catecholamines, and corticosterone of laying hens.

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In order to place an emphasis on how well hens perform in a group, the authors initiated a program of selecting groups of hens that performed well rather than individuals from groups. By selecting groups of birds the authors previously reported a reduction in cannibalism and flightiness that accompanied the improved productivity. In this study they examined various physiological measures to determine if there was an associated physiological change in the birds. They compared lines that had been selected for high and low productivity in groups. The low productivity line (also higher cannibalism and flightiness) had higher blood levels of dopamine and epinephrine and serotonin, and a higher epinephrine/norepinephrine ratio. The birds from the high production line tended to have higher cortisol levels. The differences suggest that the low productivity line were more likely to show the flight or fright reaction to stress (epinephrine etc) indicative of active copers, while the high production line appeared to be more passive. Group selection, which emphasizes the ability to get along in a group, affects various physiological measures in the birds.

Do broiler chicks have a cognitive representation of food quality? Appetitive, behavioural and ingestive response to a change in diet quality

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Poultry have been observed to suppress feeding when a new diet or a new batch of the same diet is first presented. This transitory phase seems to be related to the birds’ inability to recognize the food as edible or they classify it as ‘unknown’. The objective of this study was to determine if cognitive processes are involved in food recognition and rejection. Sixteen groups of broiler chicks were fed a low quality feed in their home pens and were trained to run a maze to gain access to a high quality feed. When training was completed, eight of the groups were given a low quality diet in the trough at the end of the maze (the same diet they received in their home pen). The other eight groups continued to receive the high quality diet. The authors predicted that time to reach the end of the maze would decrease significantly for the birds given the low quality diet. The birds that received the low-quality diet did not immediately decrease the time they took to complete the maze (as would be expected if the birds used a cognitive comparison). However, after four day, the experimental group was significantly slower to reach the end of the maze compared to the control group. On the day of the change, the birds displayed behaviour that could be indicative of frustration. The experimental birds showed more scratching and hurried movements and less pecking at feed. Food consumption was also less after the change onward for the experimental birds. The authors concluded that there was no definitive evidence for the presence of a cognitive representation of food. They suggest that this may have been due in part to testing groups as opposed to individual birds, and perception of food quality. Behaviours that may indicate frustration in the experimental birds suggested that a cognitive expectation might have been present.