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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:
Farrowing and Savaging in Wild Boar Sows (Poster)
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2000 | No Comments
The Building of PSC Elstow Research Farm
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Micronized and flaked wheat in nursery diets
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Micronization and flaking are likely to improve grain nutrient utilization by young pigs. One hundred sixty pigs weaned at 13.4 +/- 1.0 days of age were used to determine the effect of the inclusion of either micronized, flaked and ground or just ground white wheat (AC Karma) in nursery diets. Micronization and flaking increased the wheata
MODELING HEAT MAT OPERATION FOR PIGLET CREEP HEATING
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Effects of density on displacement, falls, injuries, and orientation during horse transportation
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The effects of density on displacements, falls, injuries, and orientation among horses being transported in a single-deck, open-topped semi-trailer were evaluated. Horses were either transported at high density (1.28 m2 / horse with 14 horses) or low density (2.23 m2 / horse with eight horses). The horses were transported for two laps on a course, which was 7.28 km and took approximately 25 min to complete. There were two 60 turns, four 90 turns, two 120 turns, one 180 turn, six hard breaks, and six rapid accelerations on each lap. The behaviour of the horses was videotaped using overhead video cameras. The number of displacements did not differ between the two densities. More horses fell in the high density treatment than the low density treatment. More horses were injured in the high density treatment than in the low density treatment. However, the severity of injuries did not differ between the two treatments. The horses did not seem to have a preferred orientation during travel, as there were no differences between those facing forward and those facing away from the direction of travel. Transporting horses at high stocking densities results in a higher incidence of falls and injuries, and can make it more difficult for the horse to get up after a fall.
Reducing veal calves' reactivity to people by providing additional human contact.
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In veal calf production, animals receive little contact with people, and this contact is largely restricted to the period around feeding. The development of more automated farming systems and increased number of animals per stockperson will thus further decrease the opportunities to develop positive associations between the stockperson and animals. The objective of this experiment was to study the importance of the stock person’s behaviour on veal calf behaviour using 22 veal calves housed in individual crates. Half of the calves received minimal contact from the stockperson, and the other half were stroked and allowed to suck the stockperson’s fingers after each meal during the entire fattening period of 21 weeks. The effects of this additional contact with stockperson on the calves’ responses to people were studied, when the calves were in their home environment (crate) or singly in a novel arena. When the calves were tested in their home environment, those received additional contact withdrew less from the approach of humans (familiar or unfamiliar) compared with control (no contact) calves. When tested outside the home environment with a human (familiar or unfamiliar) standing motionless, calves that had received additional contact interacted more frequently and for a longer time with humans and defecated less often compared with control calves. In conclusion, short but regular positive contacts around feeding seemed to be experienced as positive by the calf, because they reduced withdrawal from the increased approaches to familiar and unfamiliar humans in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Such a lower reactivity to people could improve ease of handling, animal performance, and animal welfare.
A note on the effects of perches and litter substrate on leg weakness in broiler chickens.
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In this experiment two trials were conducted to investigate the effect of availability of perches on indices of leg weakness in broiler chickens. A third trial investigated the effect of litter substrate on similar indices of leg weakness in broiler chickens. Leg weakness traits examined were walking ability and tibial dyschondroplasia, tibial curvature, foot burn, and hock burn. Body weight was also measured in all trials. The presence of perches in the rearing pens had no effect on any of the indices of leg weakness examined in either trial. There were no consistent effects of perches on body weight. Litter substrate affected some indices of leg weakness; birds reared on wheat straw had poorer walking ability and more foot burn than birds reared on wood shavings, and birds reared on hemp waste were intermediate between them. There was no effect of litter substrate on tibial dyschondroplasia or tibial curvature. Turning the straw litter regularly and adding fresh supplies when necessary did not significantly improve indices of leg weakness. It was concluded that wood shavings provide a better litter substrate than straw, but that perches have no beneficial effect on reducing leg weakness in broilers.
MANURE SOLIDS SEPARATION BY FILTRATION WITH FOUR CROP RESIDUES
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