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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:
The behaviour of broiler chickens and its modification by lameness.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2000 | No Comments
Behavioural response to humans and the productivity of commercial dairy cows.
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This was a study of cows and stockpersons at 31 commercial dairy cows. Data were collected on the attitude of the stockperson, the actions of the stockpersons towards the cattle, the fear of humans displayed by the cattle, and the milk yield of the cows over one lactation. The variables related to fear of humans, as demonstrated by the cows, were correlated to milk yield, and accounted for about 19% of the variation among farms in milk yield. Fearful herds produced less milk. A number of stockperson attitude and behaviour variables were moderately correlated to milk yield, but not to cow behaviour. This preliminary study demonstrates that human animal relationships on dairy farms affect productivity, in a similar way as they do on pig farms. Additional research is needed to determine the devlopment of these relationships.
Diurnal rhythm of feather pecking behaviour and condition of integument in four strains of loose housed laying hens.
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The feather pecking behaviour of four different genetic strains of hens was examined in an aviary system, starting at 38 weeks of age. The four genetic strains used in this study were Lohmann Selected Leghorns, Norbrid 41, Lohmann Brown and ISA Brown. The feather pecking behaviour was observed via video recording. In addition, the condition of the feathers, keel bone, bumble foot, body weight and length and curve of the beak were also recorded from week 17 until week 69. The medium heavy strains (Browns), especially the ISA Brown, performed the most feather pecking behaviour, especially when compared to the levels seen in the White Leghorn strains. The number of pecks performed during a single feather pecking incident was not significantly different amongst the various strains, however, when pecking was directed towards the back of another bird, the pecking bout lasted significantly longer in White Leghorn Strains. Specifically Lohmann Selected Leghorns pecked significantly longer at the ventral area of the body. For all four strains, a feather-pecking bout tended to last much longer if it was directed towards the tail. Time of day also affects feather pecking, as the number of feather pecks per hour increased as the day progressed, and this increase was more drastic in medium heavy strains. The condition of the skin became poor quite quickly once the hens began to lay, this was similar in all strains. In terms of condition of the feathers at the end of the laying period, Norbrids had the best and Lohmann Browns had the worst.
Effects of heat stress on the welfare of extensively managed domestic ruminants.
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The environmental factors of high ambient temperatures, high direct and indirect solar radiation, and humidity can stress animals. Although ruminants have thermoregulatory mechanisms, maintaining homeothermy under heat stress is difficult. There are negative consequences for productivity when animals experience hyperthermia. As body temperature rises, there is an adaptive depression of metabolic rate associated with reduced appetite. There are physiological (sweating, panting), hormonal (cortisol, thyroid gland activity) and behavioural responses that are activated in an attempt to maintain homeothermy. Heat stress may be aggravated by water deprivation, nutritional imbalance, and nutritional deficiency. This review also discusses how cattle are more sensitive to heat stress than sheep, and how animals of different productive stages are more susceptible to heat stress than animals at maintenance. Methods for alleviating heat stress under extensive conditions (such as providing shade shelter) are also discussed.
Inbreeding in Swine
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Inbreeding is the mating of individuals that are related. In the strict sense, all members of a breed are related. As a result, any seedstock producer is practicing some inbreeding. Therefore, we generally reserve the term inbreeding for the mating of animals that are more closely related than the average of the breed.
Most breeds of livestock went through a phase of inbreeding early in their development. This resulted from the need to establish color patterns and other aspects of physical appearance. Since one of the results of inbreeding is to establish more genetic uniformity, those traits that have simple means of
inheritance can be fixed more easily with the aid of inbreeding.
ASSESSING HERBICIDE MOVEMENT USING SOIL SAMPLES VERSUS PERCOLATE SAMPLES
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North Carolina adopts lagoon phase-out
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A recent landmark agreement signed between Simthfields Food Inc and North Carolina attorney general on July 25, 2000 is aimed at eliminating swine waste lagoons and sprayfields. North Carolina State University (NCSU) will head up the development of lagoon alternatives. Under the agrrement Smithfield and all subsidiaries will contribute $15 million to NCSU for the development of new waste management strategies. The agreement calls for the university to develop alternative environmentally sound manure management strategies within two years. At that time, Smithfields will have 3 years to implement the new management techniques.
Applying Hog Manure on Forage Land Gives Dramatic Yield Response
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