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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:
Bloodless castration of lambs: results of a questionnaire.
Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 1996 | No Comments
Digestion Shift Reduces Waste Output
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Countries such as Denmark are urged to reduce feed antibiotic usage because of possible residues in meat and manure. Feed enzymes may be a profitable solution. They are natural catalysts and compliment the pigs own intestinal enzymes helping to digest raw materials in the diet. Pigs with feed enzymes in the diet have improved digestibility, need less feed intake to maintain growth and excrete less manure. Feed enzymes can contribute to reducing pollution risks by decreasing the nitrogen concentration in the manure spread on the land.
The effect of timing of floor-application of mineral oil on dust concentrations in a swine farrowing unit.
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Three farrowing rooms, each housing 5 sows and litters, were used to study the effects of floor applied mineral oil on dust concentrations (>0.5 mu m diameter). Rooms were ventilated at a similar rate (266 L/s). Three treatments were considered over a 3 week duration: oil was applied on day 8, 15, and 22; oil was applied only on day 8; and no oil was applied. Oil applied to pen floors at a rate of 24 mL/m(2) using a low pressure hand sprayer was found to be effective. Dust concentrations (particles/mL), wet and dry bulb temperatures, ventilation rate, and total piglet mass per room were recorded on day 9, 16, and 23 in each treatment. At day 23, dust concentrations 24 h before measurement were 0.8 particles/mL, oil applied only on day 8 were 5.5 particles/mL, and the concentration when no oil was applied was 5.6 particles/mL. The greatest increase in dust concentration occurred between weeks 2 and 3 when growth rate of the piglets was most rapid. Applying oil 24 h before measurement resulted in an average dust reduction of 73%. At week 3, the respirable particle production rates were 5, 25, and 30 particles/s per pig for oil applied 24 h and 15 d before measurement and no oil application, respectively.
Composting Solid Swine Manure and Lignite Mixtures with Selected Plant Residues
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Site Selection for Animal Housing and Waste Storage Facilities
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Being a good neighbour and proper site selction can aviod many of the recorded complaints against hog operations. Site selction is based on protecting the environment, in particular maintaining water and air quality. Methods used to colect, transfer and store manure will depend on several factors. Livestock species, climate topography, soil type, geology, cost and regulations are some very imprtant factors that need to be considered.
Water and air quality complaints are the most commonly expressed concerns of hog operations.
Site selection factors relating to water quality include: (1) proximity of proposed building site to lakes, streams or wetlands (2) What is the depth of the seasonally high water table and bedrock? (3) What type of soil is at the building site (4) Does water tend to flow towards the propsed site for the building or waste stroage (5) What cropland will be used to utilize manure nutrients. Odour site selction factors encompass three main ideas: prevailing wind direction, separation distance, farmstead visibility and condition. Site selction is very important and can avoid many problems associated with water quality and odour issues. However, being a good neighbour by keeping neighbours informed about expansion, application times and by always taking action on complaints received can potentially reduce many of the complaints against the operation.
The pre-farrowing behaviour of sows with access to straw and space for locomotion.
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