SEARCH
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:
Effects of chilling on sampling of bacteria attached to swine carcasses
Posted in: Meat Quality by admin on January 1, 2001 | No Comments
The aversion of broiler chickens to concurrent vibrational and thermal stressors
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
There are multiple stressors affecting the welfare of broiler chickens during transport. In this study, a preference test was used to determine which stressors birds would avoid if given the choice. The experiment was conduced in a choice-chamber, which had four outer compartments connected to a central zone. Each compartment had a different environment: no applied stressors, thermal stressor, vibrational stressor, or vibrational/thermal stressors. The birds were trained in the apparatus and then tested to determine which compartment they preferred. Training enabled the birds to become used to the environment in each compartment. Each compartment had a distinctive coloured wall so the birds could easily distinguish among the compartments. A feeding station was located at the back of each chamber. Prior to test days, the birds were fasted, so they would be motivated to enter a compartment to find food. The results indicated that the vibration stressor was significantly avoided, but the thermal stressor was not and there was no interaction. Individual birds were found to differ significantly. The avoidance of vibration was expected, but the lack of avoidance of the thermal stressor was not expected. Either the birds could not associate the delayed heat stress with the compartment, or they just did not find it aversive. Studying the effect of combinations of stressors is rare. Using a preference method enables greater insight into the birds perspective.
Effects of early separation on the dairy cow and calf: 2. Separation at day 1 and 2 weeks after birth
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
The study examined the behavioural and productivity effects of separating 24 Holstein dairy cows from their calves early (1 day old) or late (14 days old). The behaviour of the cow and calf was observed for an hour prior to separation and for the initial 24h after separation. The social behaviour (licking other calf, rubbing or butting its head the unfamiliar calf and wagging its tail) of the calves at 6 weeks of age was tested by introducing a early or late weaned calf to an unfamiliar calf. The cow and her calf were mostly inactive when they were observed prior to separation. After separation, both the cow and calf from the late separation group placed their heads outside the pens more often the cows and calves from the early separation group. Cows from the late separation group also called and moved around the pen more than cows separated from their calves early. In the two week period immediately following calving, the late separation cows yielded significantly less milk than the early separation cow. Part of the lower milk yield can be attributed to the milk consumption of the calf. The time of separation from the calf did not result in differences in milk yields from 15 to 150 days after calving. The rate of weight gain for calves separated from the cow at 14 days of age was three times the rate seen in calves separated at 1 day of age. At six weeks of age, the calves that were separated from the dam later, exhibited more social behaviours towards the unfamiliar calf than those separated early. The results show that the intensity of the response to separation by both the cow and calf increased with the amount of time they spent together after birth. However, the delay in separation allowed the calves to gain more weight and may have an impact on the social development of the calves.
A note on hair whorl position and cattle temperament in the auction ring.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
The relationship between facial hair whorls and temperament was investigated. The height and position of the whorl and the temperament while in the auction ring was recorded for 1636 cattle. Cattle with a high whorl position or no whorl had higher temperament scores (highly agitated and used its head to hit the ring fence, walls, partitions or people). Greater lateral displacement of whorls was more likely in cattle with low whorls than in cattle with middle or high whorls. Cattle with low whorls and those located off the centerline were more likely to have abnormally shaped whorls. More variable temperament scores came from cattle with whorls on the centerline. Abnormal whorls were more common in beef cattle than Holsteins. Holsteins had lower temperament scores (were calmer) than beef cattle. Reactions to novel environments may be predicted by using facial hair whorls in cattle.
Can cows discriminate people by their faces?
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
Many studies have demonstrated that influence of people on animal production and welfare. Aversive handling reduces production, increases animals’ fear of people and increases the risk of injuries for the stockperson. To improve animal handling, it is important to evaluate the extent to which animals can distinguish between different people and the extent to which they generalize their experience with one person to other people. This experiment examines the cues used by cattle to discriminate between people, particularly the role played by facial cues. We trained and tested eight Holstein cows 5 days each week for 2 months. For each cow, we used two people, a rewarder and a non-rewarder, of different size and dressed in overalls of the same colour. The operant chamber was a large box within which stood the two people. The cow could see, smell and touch each person. A lever was placed in front of each person. When the cow pushed the lever in front of the rewarder, it received 75 g of concentrate feed and nothing when it pushed on the other one. For each test session, the cows made 10 choices. The placement of the people was determined randomly. The success criterion was defined as at least eight correct choices out of 10 trials for two consecutive sessions. During the shaping, seven cows out of eight learned to press the lever to obtain the food. The cows were then tested in a series of 10 trials with only the rewarder present. Seven out of seven cows succeeded in reaching the success criterion. In experiment 1, both the rewarder and the non-rewarder were present and standing upright at normal height and in full view of the cow. Five out of seven cows achieved the success criterion. In experiment 2, the cows could see only the faces of the two people. None of the cows were able to reach the success criterion. In experiment 3, both people were present standing up and wearing identical masks that completely covered their heads. Five cows out of five achieved the success criterion. In experiment 4, we changed the relative height of the people. Five cows out of five succeeded when the two people stood so they were of equal height but with their faces visible. However, no cows succeeded when the people were both of equal height and had their faces covered. This study suggests that cows seem to use multiple cues to discriminate between people. Cows appear able to use either body height or the face to discriminate between people but use of the face alone is more difficult when the cows cannot see the rest of the body.
Evaporative cooling of ventral regions of the skin in heat-stressed laying hens.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments
Laying hens held in battery cages in naturally ventilated poultry houses in hot countries usually develop hyperthermia, which adversely affects their performance. The present means of cooling alleviate to some degree, but cannot eliminate, the stress imposed by heat. A new approach to cooling of laying hens was developed, based on wetting the skin and promoting evaporation of water from the ventral regions of the bird. The type of plumage in the ventral regions and the exposed skin of the apteria enable more efficient wetting than is possible with dorsal cooling. A ventral cooling regime, comprising an initial period of frequent wettings followed by intermittent wetting for 10 s every 30 min was able to maintain normothermia of laying hens subjected to a 10-h period of heat exposure. Dorsal cooling was less efficient; body temperature and respiration rate were higher and skin temperatures were lower than in ventrally cooled hens. During 10 d of heat exposure, ventrally cooled hens maintained egg weight and shell index, whereas their food intake decreased moderately. In contrast, egg weight, shell index, and food intake all decreased markedly in uncooled or dorsally cooled hens. Transient alterations in plasma concentrations of corticosterone, progesterone, and estradiol were noted in uncooled and dorsally cooled hens but not in ventrally cooled hens. Results indicate that ventral cooling is an efficient method to alleviate heat stress in laying hens during summer. Successful implementation of ventral cooling in poultry houses will depend on optimal installation of sprinklers and on minimal wetting of manure.
Antimicrobial Drug Use and Veterinary Costs in U.S. Livestock Production
Posted in: Production by admin on | No Comments
EVALUATION OF TWO-STAGE ANAEROBIC SEQUENCING BATCH REACTOR SYSTEMS FOR ANIMALWASTEWATER TREATMENT
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2000 | No Comments