Innovations for Hot and Cold Swine Nurseries and Naturally Ventilated Gestation-Breeding Barns

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Lung function in a five-year follow-up study of farmers

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Traitement du lisier de porc par aeration-sedimentation – Suivi de l'evolution physico-chimique en pilote.

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Experiments were done in order to verify the feasibility and performances of a continuous aeration and sedimentation process for swine manure. The tests were realized on a pilot scale setting with two reactors of 1 cubic meter where aeration was done. Three different aeration and retention time treatments were tested: 1 1/2 day with high aeration rate, 1 1/2 day with low aeration and 4 days with low aeration. During the experiment, the temperature in the reactors is maintained between 25 to 35 C. As it is a continuous process, every hour, some treated manure is put in the sedimentation bin for 48 hours if the retention time in the reactor is 4 days and 18 hours for the retention time of 1 1/2 days. The aeration treatments showed that the volatile fatty acids were importantly lower (reduction of 99,5%), the chemical oxygen demand was also reduced by more than 40% and the nitrogen was removed by 15 to 47% (the operation conditions of the reactor have to be well controlled in order to limit the losses by NH3 and N2O). At the end of the sedimentation stage, the sludge obtained represents 37% of the initial volume and contains the main part of the insoluble elements. The treatment deodorize the manure and the liquid part could be used for crop irrigation as it is still charged with nutrients.

No information is given on the level of deodorization. No information is given on the economics of such systems. Two products have to be disposed and evaluated for their nutrient content and two different types of equipment may be needed to handle the liquid part and to handle the sludge.

Evaluation environnementale, agronomique et economique de differentes methodes de gestion des engrais de ferme au champ a l'aide du logiciel FECES: rapport final

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New means to assess manure management methods are presented using a global balance approach that consider environmental , agronomic and economical aspects. An important literature review was realized to evaluate the nutrients behavior of manure from the moment the manure is applied to soil. Certain aspects are well documented and can be used for a assessment of manure and they are: nitrogen volatilization, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) run off, nitrogen availability during the first year and nutrients uptake by plants. However many other parameters needed to make the assessment are not documented or appropriate for Eastern Canadian conditions and they are: nitrogen denitrification, leaching (N, P, K) and N, P, K stocking and immobilization to soil particles. Considering those limits, it is difficult to elaborate a complete balance approach for nutrients in the farm manure from the first contact to soil at spreading through plant’s uptake. More research is needed to investigate those aspects of nutrients – soil interaction. As a result, the software, FECES, that was developed from the literature elements to help in nutrients (N,P, K) balance determination for specific cases, have to be used with caution. This software could be implemented as parameters are determined by research results. However the simulation helped pointing out that a vast majority of farmers put fertilizers in excess on their field: using mineral fertilizers and not really considering the nutrients contained in the manure they apply. Those excess outweighed the management practices they could use (ex: spring spreading rather than fall).

Better manure management practices have to be integrated in the whole nutrient balance of the farm considering the farm situation (crops, soils), the manure available and also the mineral fertilizers used. This report presenting an important literature review and software development is the result of a project founded by Quebec Environmental and Wildlife Ministry as part of special program of support of research and development in environment on better manure management practices.

New Ventilation Guide

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Introducing Swine Building Ventilation a

Lighting for the production and welfare of turkeys.

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Ventilation System Choice and Economics

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Excessive ventilation in winter expels heat and increases heating costs. This can occur due to oversized fans and/or poor controllers. Energy to operate air inlets and exhaust fans varies significantly. Self adjusting air inlet baffles require no energy at all to operate. Every exhaust fan consumes between 1000 and 10000kWh of electricity per year based on continuous operation. Energy efficiency in terms of ventilation equipment is very important. Producers can determined the electrical energy demand of a fan by the following equation:
reference kWh x hr/day fan is running x #days/yr fan is used x current energy cost $/kWh

Respiratory health status in swine producers relates to endotoxin exposure in the presence of low dust levels

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Nitrite plus Nitrate Recoveries in Piggery Slurry by Direct Distillation and Modified Kjeldahl Methods

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In order to evaluate the NO3 (nitrate) – NO2 (nitrite) present in aerobically treated slurry different methods had to be investigated. A combination of two methods (direct distillation and modified Kjeldahl) gave significant results.

The Watershed Protection Approach – 1993-1994 Report

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The watershed approach aims at solving environmental problems through local organizations leadership. First a diagnostic is made of the major environmental problems affecting the watershed and actions taken or proposed are presented. Different watersheds are presented with the names of the organizations involved, their problems and the solutions chosen. Best management practices to reduce sediments and nutrients, education, resource management are some of the general steps proposed and more specific measures are proposed for each watershed.

The approach of local organizations involvement is interesting as the solutions chosen to solve have to satisfy the communities and come from the communities in a specific watershed that present specific problems.