Options Report: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Canadian Agriculture

Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 2000 | No Comments

In response to the Kyoto Protocol, Canadaa

Modelling anaerobic degradation of complex wastewater. II: parameter estimation and validation using slaughterhouse effluent

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Energy Efficiency Factsheet Part 1

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

Response of on-site and off-site early weaned pigs – Poster

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Effect of amino acid intake in gestation on sow performance

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

Proper management of the breeding herd leads to an increase in output of pigs throughout subsequent stages of production. Re-defining amino acid requirements for high producing sows in gestation will lead to maximized productivity and efficiency. Therefore, the effect of lysine level (below and above NRC, 1988) in the gestation diet on sow performance was determined. Total lysine intakes greater than 10.6 g/d (8.3 g Dlys/d) in gestation did not improve sow productivity in the present study.

Furnished cages and aviaries:production and health.

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Relationship between feather pecking and ground pecking in laying hens and the effect of group size.

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This experiment attempted to determine the effect that group size has on feather pecking as well as, examine the relationship between feather pecking and ground pecking in laying hens. The group sizes examined were 15, 30, 60 or 120 hens per group. At four different ages (22, 27, 32, 37 weeks of age) the number of feather pecks and aggressive pecks given and received were recorded. The part of the body that was pecked, the location of the birds within the pen during a pecking incident and the number of pecks directed towards the floor, feeder and drinker were also recorded.

Influence of the stocking density and rearing season on incidence of sudden death syndrome in broiler chickens.

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Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is a disease characterized by an acute death of well-nourished and seemingly healthy broiler chickens after abrupt and brief flapping of their wings. This disease represents a major economic loss to the broiler industry. Influences of the stocking density and rearing season on the incidence of SDS were investigated in commercial broiler chickens, which were reared until 63 d after birth. The SDS mortality and total mortality were measured at three different stocking densities of 12, 15, and 18 birds/m2 in rearing seasons of summer, autumn, and winter. At stocking densities of 15 and 12 birds/m2, neither SDS mortality nor total mortality was significantly different throughout the rearing season. However, at 18 birds/m2, SDS mortality significantly increased in summer and winter. The increased SDS mortality was accompanied by a significant increase in total mortality in summer but not in winter. Irrespective of the stocking density, body weight gain and feed intake were lower in summer with no significant change in feed efficiency. The data suggested that stocking density can act as a factor affecting the incidence of SDS in summer and winter, independent of feed efficiency.

Effects of space allowance on the grazing behaviour and spacing of sheep

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Four groups of 10 Scottish Blackface sheep each grazed at four different space allowances of 80, 100, 133 and 200 m2 per head in experiment 1 and 50, 67, 100 or 200 m2 per head in experiment 2. The group spent two weeks at each space allowance. To avoid confounding space allowance with grazing pressure, a rotational grazing system was used. Throughout the studies, the average distance between the sheep was measured from video recordings. As well, the distances that would occur based upon chance were also calculated based on simulations in which sheep were located within the plot in random chosen areas. The total amount of time spent grazing was higher when the sheep were provided 200 m2 per head. The total amount of time spent grazing was lower when the sheep were only provided 50 m2 of space. The space allowance did not appear to affect herbage intake, digestibility, biting rate or the proportion of grazing time spent performing investigative behaviours. There was not a difference between the inter-animal distances observed and those expected based on chance when the sheep were provided 50 to 133 m2 of space per sheep. At a space allowance of 200 m2 per sheep, the inter-animal distances were lower than what was expected based on chance. Regardless of space allowance, the average distance between a sheep and their nearest neighbour was always lower than the distance that was expected by chance. Based upon the results from this study, when female Blackface sheep graze on high quality, homogenous vegetation, there is enough space between individuals when provided from 50 to 200 m2 of space per sheep. There was not clear evidence of the sheep remaining in a group until they were provided with 200 m2 per sheep. Therefore, the relationship between grazing time and space allowance may be indicative of the extra time and effort the sheep must put into maintaining group cohesion when the space allowance increases.

Extrusion of wheat or sorghum and/or addition of exogenous enzymes to pig diets influences the large intestinal microbiota but does not prevent development of swine dysentery following experimental challenge

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A study was made of dietary inA?uences on the large intestinal microbiota of pigs and on the
incidence of swine dysentery (SD) after experimental infection with Brachyspira
hyodysenteriae, the aetiological agent of SD. Animals were fed diets based either on wheat
(expts 1 and 2) or sorghum (expt 2). Grains were ground and fed either raw or after high
temperature and pressure extrusion and/or after addition of exogenous enzymes to the
whole diet to reduce the starch and soluble non-starch polysaccharides available for
fermentation in the large intestine. Limiting fermentation creates conditions that apparently
reduce the incidence of SD after infection with B. hyodysenteriae. The diets were fed to
weaned pigs for 4A