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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:
Manure Application: Odor and Realted Nuisances
Posted in: Environment by admin on January 1, 1997 | No Comments
Related problems with manure application will never be completed eliminated. However, good manure management practices can be used to keep the odour associated with application at tolerable levels. This article examines the potential areas where odours may be generated from a and examines practices that can be implemented for controlling odours during application. One key point the author points out; by running a clean operation that applies manure at the proper rate and by avoiding practices that promote odours, some of the imagined problems associated with land application of manure can also be minimized.
Reduction of ammonia and odour emissions by bioscrubbers
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Bioscrubbers technology has been discussed in the last few years for odour emissions reduction for animal buildings. This present project aims at the determination of ammonia and odour reduction efficiency of 3 different types of bioscrubbers (different by their dimensions) used on pig farms. The major factors influencing the performance of the bioscrubbers in reducing odours and ammonia were determined and the cost associated with biofilters were evaluated. Bioscrubbers have proven to be effective in odour reduction (reduction ranging from 61 to 89%). However they are unsuitable for ammonia emission reduction from farms, the ammonia emissions are not treated in a satisfactory way as ammonia emission can be done in a more effective and cheaper way. The costs of the bioscrubbers range from 9 U.S.$ to 17 U.S.$ per fattening pigs.
This technique is interesting for odour reduction but in a near future, as it is done in Europe, ammonia emissions will have to be controlled also. The bioscrubbers tested here are not interesting because of its expensive cost. Also as the air is washed by water and sludge flow, treatment of this effluent has also to be done. Improvements in the technology have to be done to make bioscrubbers interesting for on farm applications.
Evaluating the Toast R Aerobic System for Odor Control
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In this experiment it would have been interesting to have information about the ammonia emissions and that information is not given. The comparison are made between to barn only and unfortunately no information is given on the cost of such system.
Traitement de melanges gazeux odorants (NH3 et H2S) par la biofiltration sur boues granulees. (NH3 and H2S odours treatment by granular sludge biofilter)
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A laboratory-scale biofilter filled with granular sludge(digested and dried) has been used to remove hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and also ammonia (NH3). The biofilter has been effective in removing 96% of the H2S for inlet concentration of less than 230 mg H2S/m3 with no acclimation period and immediate reduction. For the NH3, for concentration of less than 115 mg/m3, a reduction of 72% was measured but an acclimation period of about 6 to 7 weeks was necessary after the nitrifying bacteria seeding to obtain this level of reduction. Changes of the inlet gas concentration affected more the nitrifying bacteria than the sulfur bacteria as their counts showed.
The tests were done to verify the reduction of the concentration of only 2 gases and no link has been done to the verify the effect of these reductions to the final odor of the gas treated. No comment on the a large scale biofilter feasibility is done probably because of the performances of the nitrifying bacteria and the possible need of more experimentation to better understand their behavior.
Livestock dilemma: Does success have to smell?
Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments
The expansion in Alberta is becoming more difficult in some areas because of the high livestock concentration they present and the Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY) syndrome developing. The communities and certain individuals consider the disadvantages ( mostly odours, and also bacterial contamination of water) of this expansion more important than the economical benefits the governments and the developers promote. The health and government officials conceded that expansion happened too rapidly and the education efforts on manure management was not sufficient and rapid enough to prepare well the farmers to the environmental consequences of such expansion. The County of Mountainview agriculture planning group (about 25 Central Alberta farmers) succeeded in stopping the PIC 4000 sow operation from building in their municipality. This group is presently working with the county to improve bylaws controlling these developments. They want expansion but not at any cost. Alberta’s code of practice for animal manure handling is the document municipalities rely on. However the group critics this code capacity in dealing with huge livestock operations. In Alberta and British Columbia, building and environmental regulations are focus on local approval as in Saskatchewan and Manitoba the control is provincial.
The President of Alberta Pig Co., Gary Shaw, advises strongly the developers to do their homework in the planning of intensive livestock units: to build far away from neighbors, to be well prepared doing more testing, having engineers’ reports, to plan for environmentally sustainable agriculture, to present the project to the municipalities and the communities. He says that all that is onerous but it is the new reality. The same planning advice are also given by Marvin Salomons of Alberta Agriculture.
Bernie Kotelko, president of the Alberta Cattle Feeders Ass. mentioned that the Alberta governement and the farm community is presently working on a strategic plan for intensive livestock expension. Fences disputes can even be a stopper for a developper’s project as the issues are not always rational.
The situation is becoming very complicated with all the NIMBY phenomenum and the fact the the reglementation is done at local levels. Education is very important in order to give all the possible tools to the farmers so they become more environmentally aware of their practices and can make changes and adopt new techniques. As for the opponent, efforts should be make to show them more situations where intensive livestock production has been succesfull and environmentally correct.
Positive Human Health-Effects on Dust Suppression with Canola Oil in Swine Barns
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Water quality and weanling pig performance
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments
Few well-controlled studies have investigated the impact of poor quality water on pig performance; most suggest the pig is capable of handling relatively high concentrations of sulphates and other mineral contaminants without apparent effect. However, claims from field workers suggest that under farm conditions, water quality is an important issue that has not yet been adequately addressed. Two experiments were conducted to determine how pigs react to poor quality water under commercial farm conditions. They were carried out on a commercial farm, where the well water was high in sulphates, total dissolved solids and iron; an on-site reverse osmosis unit provide high quality water for comparison. Although diarrhea was observed, water quality had no impact on weanling pig performance or nutrient digestibility. Based on these results, along with previous research, it can be concluded that pigs weaned at three weeks of age have the ability to handle relatively high quantities of sulphate in their drinking water and maintain overall growth performance. It can further be concluded that the presence of diarrhea alone, associated with high sulphate water, cannot necessarily by linked to poor animal performance.
Pregnant gilt behavior in outdoor and indoor intensive pork production systems.
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