Housing of pregnant sows in loose and confined systems – a field study 1. Vulva and body lesions, culling reasons and production results.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 1995 | No Comments

Handling of sheep at markets and the incidence of bruising .

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

Effect of airborne dust on health and performance of growing pigs.

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

The effect of high concentrations of airborne dust on the health and performance of growing pigs (55.82 kg) was determined by introducing mechanically ground fecal dust into the air space of the pigs in the first trial and feed dust in the second trial. Mean respirable dust levels during the light hours in the rooms injected with feed and fecal dust were 111 and 56 particles/ml, respectively, while the mean level in the control rooms was 25 and 27 particles/ml, respectively. Lungs from 115 animals were collected during slaughter. No relationship was found between dust concentration and lung score or between dust concentration and average daily gain. For the fecal and the feed dust trials, 38% and 23% of the pigs had pneumonic involvement in over 10% of the lung. The average daily gain was not significantly different between treatments (mean 0.78 kg/d) and it was not affected significantly by the percentage of pneumonic involvement. A large amount of energy was required to reduce feed to the respirable range relative to that required for fecal dust suggesting that most of the respirable dust is of fecal origin.

Guide to Agricultural Land Use.

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

This guide treat most agricultural practices of Ontario farms and their link to rural land use. Some of those operations can potentially cause conflicting situations with non-farming land use and other can have detrimental consequences on the environment. Guidelines are thus presented to lower the impact of agricultural practices as a potential source of nuisance and pollution. Differents aspects of livestock production are presented such as: the use of livestock manure and other organic residues, manure management, protection of water quality, noise and dead animal disposal.

Estimating Nutrient Content of Animal Slurries Using Electrical Conductivity

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Measurements of the electric conductivity can be used to provide information on ammonium and potassium content of the manure. The meters are simple, robust, easy to use, not very expensive and operate on battery. The accuracy of the results is satisfactory when using manure that has been diluted 10 times with water. However, on-farm quick testing device have to be investigated further.

Odor Control Additives: Protocol for Evaluation

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

A review of on odour and the nature of additives is done and the protocol used in the Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center of NCSU is presented. This protocol is to be done in laboratory and use the cotton cloth for odour capture.
As discussed the cotton cloth technique for odour capture is not reliable for odour evaluation.

Noise in agriculture

Posted in: Environment by admin on | No Comments

Noises problems associated with agriculture come mainly from bird scarers, the traffic to the field and the transport operations. Even most of the activies are in the daytime, complaints about night time noise are as frequents. Different crops and field surfaces are studied for their capacities in inhibiting sound propagation.

Insulin growth factor 1 in weanling-growing pigs

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

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is a 70 amino acid, single chain polypeptide hormone and an important regulator of cell growth and differentiation. Most fetal and adult tissues synthesize IGF-1 although the liver is the major source of IGF-1 found in the circulation. During fetal like circulating IGF-1 levels are low, however, after birth, concentrations gradually increase. Considerable evidence supports a primary role for IGF-1 in regulation of postnatal growth.
Most IGF-1 occurring in plasma and other body fluids is bound to one of 6 identified IGF binding proteins (IGFBP). These binding proteins prolong the half-life of IGF-1 in plasma and may either potentate or inhibit IGF-1 effects on body tissues. The concentration of individual IGFBPs in body fluids therefore has a significant impact on the biological activity of circulating IGF-1.
Plasma concentration of IGF-1 is mediated by a complex interaction among nutrient quantity and quality as well as other factors such as stress and disease. These factors are also likely to influence the circulating concentration of IGFBP. Knowledge of the changes in blood levels of IGF-1 and IGFBP under current swine management conditions may provide a basis to determine the impact of various management practices on piglet growth and welfare.

A field study on group housing of lactating sows with special reference to sow health at weaning.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments

Effects on sheep of transport by road for up to 24 hours.

Posted in: Welfare by admin on | No Comments