Effectiveness of 3 Manure Pit Additives (Poster)

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 1999 | No Comments

Field pea DE content and chemical characteristics

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Field peas are used increasingly as a source of energy and amino acids in swine rations in Western Canada. The DE content in 11 field pea samples ranged from 3098 to 3739 kcal/kg (1997 PSCI Annual Research Report). The objective of this study was to relate content of field pea samples with chemical and physical characteristics to enable subsequent calculation of prediction equations. Overall, ether extract was the only characteristic with a statistical significant relationship with DE content. We were unable to predict the DE content of the field pea samples accurately with the chemical or physical characteristics included in the study.

Ergot

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The threonine requirement of the sow in lactation

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Threonine is often the second limiting amino acid in most practical swine diets. Therefore, the threonine requirement of the high producing sow in lactation was determined in this study. Using a total of 419 C-15 PIC sows, the threonine requirement to minimize sow tissue breakdown was found to be 37.3, 40.0 and 38.9 g total threonine/d (28.7, 30.8 and 30.0 g digestible threonin/d) for parity 1, 2 and3+ sows, respectively. To maximize litter growth, the threonine requirement was found to be 36.6, 39.2 and 38.2 g total threonine/d (28.2, 30.2 and 29.5 g digestible threonine/d) for parity 1, 2 and 3+ sows, respectively.

Factors Determining Voluntary Feed Intake in Swine

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Factors that influence voluntary feed intake

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Environmental, social and immunological stressors affect voluntary intake of pigs. The DE content of feed appears to determine feed intake of grower-finisher pigs within limits. In poultry, factors other than dietary energy content predict feed intake and subsequent performance better.

Focus on the Future Conference 2000 Highlights

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Effect of increasing group size on grower finisher pigs

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There is a growing interest in the use of larger group housing for grower-finisher pigs. Since most research has typically been done with smaller group sizes, there is a need to better understand the effects of increasing group sizes. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of 10, 20, 40 and 80 pigs/pen evaluated on their production and health. A total of four, twelve week trials revealed similar injury scores among group sizes. A significant difference in gain was noticed during the first six weeks with no consistent pattern. Overall, ADG was similar among groups. It was concluded that if adequate amounts of space are provided for grower/finisher pigs, the use of larger group sizes is not detrimental to the health and productivity of pigs, nor significantly different compared to smaller group sizes.

Improving Net Income in Declining Markets

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Farrowing and savaging in wild boar sows

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Unwanted behaviours such as savaging are sometimes attributed to the process of domestication. Videotaping of farmed wild boar sows during farrowing revealed that 33 per cent were aggressive towards their piglets. Aggression varied with genetic line and was associated with long farrowings involving numerous posture changes. Savaging does not appear to be caused by domestication. Factors associated with piglet-directed aggression in wild boar may also be implicated in savaging in domestic sows.