Protected: National Chair for Swine Welfare in Canada

Posted in: Welfare by admin on May 16, 2013 | No Comments

National Sow Housing Conversion Project

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Welfare by admin on May 13, 2013 | No Comments

The use of stall housing for gestating sows has come under criticism for being too restrictive and failing to provide adequately for the welfare of sows. From 1st January 2013, a legislated ban was implemented in the EU, banning the use of sow stalls from 28 days post breeding. In 2007, the largest pork producers in the USA and Canada pledged to transition their sow housing to group systems over the next 10 years. Now, increasing numbers of food retailers, including Tim Hortons, Burger King and McDonalds, have pledged to source pork from producers who have developed plans for conversion to group housing. In addition the
supermarket chains Safeway and Costco recently announced plans to develop a stall-free pork supply chain. Consequently, the Canadian pork industry is under increasing pressure to convert existing gestation stall housing for its 1.3 million sows to group systems.

Feeding Green to Save Green

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Production by admin on | No Comments

Pork producers are always looking for new ways in which they can increase their efficiencies through reducing feed costs. Feeding coproducts from the fuel ethanol industry like distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) or from the wheat flour industry like millrun can reduce feed cost and spare inclusion of imported soybean meal. But these coproducts have reduced starch content that propels pigs to grow. Calories thus need to come from other sources instead like fat. One high fat feedstuff that can spare calories from starch is green canola seed. It might be available as close as your own farm or the neighbours.

Prairie Swine Centre Spring Meeting Presentations

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on May 8, 2013 | No Comments

Throughout the month of April, Prairie Swine Centre hosted a series of producer meetings throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario.  The purpose of the meetings was to bring the latest information from the Centre to industry, and provide pork producers an opportunity to speak with the Researchers regarding the research program at PSC along with other ideas, challenges and solutions producers may have.

Prairie Swine Centre would like to thank Elanco Animal Health for their continued sponsorship of the spring producer meeting series.

For more information on individual presentations, please follow the links below.

Nutrition of the Newly Weaned Pig – Denise Beaulieu, Laura Eastwood (Prairie Swine Centre)

Considerations for Conversions, What Does the Science Say? – Jennifer Brown, Yolande Seddon (Prairie Swine Centre)

Inclusion of Dietary Co-Products Impact on Performance and Bottom Line – Ruurd Zijlstra (University of Alberta)

Research Focused on Success for Group Housing of Sows – Laurie Connor (University of Manitoba)

Enhancing Profitability Through Swine Innovation? – Ken Engele (Prairie Swine Centre, on behalf of Swine Innovation Porc)

Innovative Biocontainment Concept With Air Filtration at the Exhaust Fans in a Quarantine Facility: Combination of Proven Technologies to Reduce Filter Clogging Rate

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 23, 2013 | No Comments

Using an air filtration system has been shown to be effective in reducing the risk of PRRSv contamination, but high clogging rates make maintenance and cost impractical in most commercial barns. This study tested the effect of various prefilters at the exhaust outlet, and the effect of ionizing systems. The study took place in a 108 gilt quarantine barn, and spanned 25 days (except for one 35 day trial). The inlets were  equipped with a 15 layer Noveko antimicrobial filter. The outlets had either a StuffNix prefilter with an ionizing system, StuffNix without ionizing, MERV-13 prefilter with an ionizing system, or MERV-13 without ionizing. Following one of those options was a  Noveko prefilter, and then a 10 layer Noveko antimicrobial filter. An ionization system reduced particle concentration by 43-60%, total bacteria by 83%, and dust mass concentration by 64%. The StuffNix prefilter reduced dust mass concentration by 29-38%, quantity of particles by 3-39%, and total bacteria by 6-9%. The MERV-13 prefilter reduced dust mass concentration by 47-80%, quantity of particles by 81-96%, and total bacteria by 89-96%. With the StuffNix prefilter, the prefilter did not clog, but the antimicrobial filter did. The MERV-13 prefilters performed well in autumn conditions, as both the prefilter and the antimicrobial filters did not clog. The MERV-13 system with the ionizer filter a different quantity of air than without an ionizer, so cannot be compared. For this study, it was determined installing a filtration and ionizing system would provide a savings if the other option was to build a detached quarantine unit. Overall, the MERV-13 prefilter and antimicrobial filter system was the most effective at filtering out dust and bacteria, and remaining unclogged. However, additional studies in summer conditions, and to compare using an ionizer or not will need to be conducted.

Immune response phenotype of allergic versus clinically tolerant pigs in a neonatal swine model of allergy

Posted in: Ontario Pork, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 8, 2013 | No Comments

The prevalence of childhood food allergy and the duration of these allergies, particularly those considered to be transient, like egg and milk allergy, are increasing. The identification of allergic individuals using minimally invasive, non-anaphylaxis-threatening methods is therefore of increasing importance. In this experiment, correlates were sought of an allergic immune response (IR) phenotype in pigs. Using pigs pre-treated with heat-killed bacteria or bacterial components before allergic sensitization with the egg white protein ovomucoid (Ovm), differences were determined in IR phenotype of pigs in the categories treated-allergic, treated-tolerant, control-allergic (CA) and control-tolerant. Phenotype was established by measuring immunoglobulin (Ig)-associated antibody activity (AbA), cytokine profiles and the proportion of blood T-regulatory cells (T-regs) and observing late-phase allergen-specific skin tests (ST). Although 100% of pigs became sensitized to Ovm, only 33% of pigs had clinical signs of allergy after oral challenge with egg white. Pigs without clinical signs were classified as clinically tolerant. Sixty-seven percent of allergic pigs had a positive, late-phase ST classified as very strong or strong, while 84% of clinically tolerant pigs did not have late-phase ST. Treated-allergic pigs and CA pigs had greater total antibody IgG (H + L), IgE and IgG1 AbA than clinically tolerant pigs. Cytokine profiles of allergic pigs and the proportion of circulating T-regs, did not differ significantly between allergic and clinically tolerant pigs. Therefore, measurement of allergen-specific IgG, IgG1 and/or IgE activity and evaluation of late-phase ID ST may be useful in identifying allergic IR phenotypes in swine models of food allergy, which may be extended toward human use.

Nursery Management in Light of Frugal Earnings in Swine Industry

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on March 28, 2013 | No Comments

Proper nursery management starts with the barn environment: it should be warm and dry when pigs are brought in. Proper ventilation, sanitation, and possibly sorting can help pig performance. Feeders and drinkers should be properly adjusted. If medication is provided through feed or water it is essential the correct dose be given. Also, knowing the pH and any additional components in water are important for both general pig health and when administering medications through the water.

Feeding and Barn Management to Improve Feed Conversion

Posted in: Nutrition, Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on | No Comments

Kenpal Feed Products Inc. shares options to help improve feed conversion. Included in these are having proper storage and maintained equipment for feed, properly adjusted drinkers, good ventilation, avoiding overcrowding, and shipping at the appropriate weight to maintain feed efficiency.

Hog Crush Margins

Posted in: Economics, Pork Insight Articles by admin on | No Comments

Crush margins in the hog industry are useful for monitoring the volatile feed (corn and soybean meal), weaner pig, and market pig prices. One model is the Gross Feed Margin Model (GFM), which uses corn, soybean, and wheat margins to determine return on feed purchases. The Hog Margin Tracker is a risk management tool and monitors both current and future markets. Either model can be useful on farm for assessing risks associated with feed and hog prices.

New Tools For Precision Feeding

Posted in: Nutrition, Pork Insight Articles by admin on | No Comments

Precision feeding can decrease costs due to feed wastage, and improve animal performance by ensuring they are receiving the correct amount of nutrients and energy for their health and environment. PorcTech^TM is one of the current technologies that can calculate feed information based on a database of ingredient analysis using AutoCalc^TM, and nutrient demands of pigs at a production stage. Observing performance of pigs on farms will help the accuracy of predictions. As well, processing and use of by-products can be taken into account.