Analyses of barley DE

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A significant range in DE content exists in western Canadian barley, which results in a large range in economic value. Physical parameters cannot be used to estimate the DE content in barley. Equations based on chemical characteristics can predict DE content accurately. Broiler AME and swine DE are not correlated; however, addition of enzymes to broiler diets improved the correlation between AME (+ enzyme) and DE greatly. Finally, the results indicated that barley DE can be predicted accurately by NIRS; however, a larger sample set is required to increase robustness of calibration.

Dust in Livestock Buildings (EIRC) French Version

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Siting and Swine Facilities – French Version

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Canola meal and enzyme supplementation

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Carbohydrases in 25% canola-meal diet consumed freely by weaned pigs: increased daily gain (up to 13%), increased feed intake (up to 16%), did not affect feed efficiency, reduced viscosity of digesta in ileum, and did not affect nutrient digestibility. Beneficial effects of enzyme supplementation to a wheat-canola meal diet fed to weaned pigs were not related to improved nutrient digestibility, but rather to increased feed intake. The increase in feed intake is hard to explain directly. However, reduced viscosity of digesta in the distal small intestine suggests that increased feed intake is related to an increased passage rate.

Dust in Livestock Buildings (EIRC)

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Siting and Swine Facilities – English Version

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Pre-sorting pigs by weight

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Two trials were conducted to determine if pigs should be sorted by weight at the beginning of the growing/finishing phase and if this decision is dependent upon the use of all in/all out (AI/AO) or continuous pig flow management. Pigs were classified by their relative weight as Heavy, Medium or Light prior to allocation to pens. Within each gender, pigs were allocated to create uniform pens, consisting entirely of Heavy, Medium and Light pigs, respectively, and variable pens consisting of two or more of the weight classes. In addition to standard growth and intake data, behaviour data on aggression and time budgets were collected on the pigs. There were no deleterious effects of having variable weight pens. Average daily gain (ADG), and behaviour did not differ between pigs in uniform and variable weight pens. The rate of pen and room emptying differed depending upon the pig flow management system and grouping strategy. Under a continuous flow system, pens were emptied in an average of 105.5 days, while under an AI/AO system the rooms were emptied in an average of 107.5 days. Uniform and variable weight pens emptied at the same rate under the continuous flow system. Under the AI/AO system, rooms of variable weight pens emptied faster (104.1 days) than did rooms of uniform weight pens (110.9). Sorting pigs by weight into uniform pens at the beginning of the growing/finishing phase is not advantageous, and may be detrimental to rapid turn-over of rooms under an AI/AO management system.

Gas Emissions from Swine Facilities (EIRC) French

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Sociology and Swine Facilities – French Version

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Evaluation of humidity sensors in a swine barn

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Humidity sensors are affected by the air quality in livestock buildings. New sensor models should be tested under actual barn conditions to assess their long-term integrity. An experimental procedure was developed to meet this requirement. After initial static and dynamic calibrations in a specially designed humidity chamber in the laboratory, the test sensors were installed in a livestock building for one year. Several times during the year, the sensors were temporarily removed from the barn and taken back to the laboratory for calibration against a reference hygrometer ad determination of static and dynamic properties including accuracy, hysteresis, and time response. A bank of 72 TDK humidity sensors with different filters and coatings were evaluated with this procedure in a grower/finisher room. The drift of various static and dynamic sensor characteristics over time, the reliability, and the durability of the sensors were identified and the best sensor treatment was selected. The results confirmed the value and practicality of the test procedure, and led to recommendations for the appropriate length of the in-barn evaluation period, calibration frequency, and required replication.