Panel Presentation – OH&S

Posted in: Production by admin on January 1, 2005 | No Comments

Producer compliance with OH&S helps to reduce accidents and illness in the workplace. Don Kolla at CPIG has made an employer-employee committee to ensure a pro-active approach to problems and stop them before they happen. Employee compliance is the producers responsibility, and therefore should be enforced rather than a your own fault mentality. Blocked access to electrical panels and lack of fire alarms and/or drills are undesirable. In conclusion, a producer must understand risks, communicate risks with others, and provide information and training to ensure safety.

Clinical Signs are an Interaction of Host, Agent and the Environment

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The clinical signs of any disease are the result of an intricate relationship between the infectious agent (virus, bacteria, etc.), the host’s immune response, and the environment. Professional epidemiologists devote themselves to investigating the factors associated with the distribution, frequency, transmission and risk factors of diseases in populations. There are many viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can cause disease in swine. Over the years, pathogens have evolved to better infect and dodge the host’s immune system. The most dangerous diseases to consider are those diseases that can jump between species. The host is the animal that is exposed to and infected by the pathogen. Age is an important determinant because most diseases affect certain age groups, mostly due to the changing of the immune system that age brings. The host’s immune system is an important determinant of clinical disease. More susceptible populations are at a greater risk of disease outbreaks.

Positioning Canada at the Leading Edge

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The Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food (ACAAF) program is a five-year, $240 million program aimed at positioning Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector at the leading edge to seize new opportunities. ACAAF was launched in April 2004 as a successor to the Canadian Adaptation and Rural
Development (CARD) Fund, and will continue CARD’s innovative and cooperative approach to funding
projects at the national, multi-regional and regional level.

ACAAF OBJECTIVES
-Expand the sector’s capacity to respond to current and emerging issues.
-Position the sector to capture market opportunities.
-Actively and continuously engage the sector to contribute to future agriculture and agri-food
policy directions.
-Integrate sector-led projects tested and piloted under ACAAF into future government or industry
initiatives.

Characterizing the feeding value of Wheat Distiller’s Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) – Part I: Nutrient Composition

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In 2003, legislation was passed in Manitoba that was designed to increase the production and utilization of Manitoba produced ethanol. The Biofuels Act sets in place requirements for the sale of ethanol-blended gasoline by 2007. In order to meet the increased demand for locally produced ethanol, consideration must be given to the effective utilization of the co-products from this industry, as this has proven to be a key determinant of the economic competitiveness of the process. The process of ethanol production results in a co-product, dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) that has potential as an ingredient for livestock feed. In North America, corn has been used as the main cereal grain in ethanol production and the resulting DDGS have been extensively evaluated as a feedstuff for swine. However, the feedstock generally considered for the Manitoba ethanol industry is wheat. The effective utilization of wheat based DDGS requires a complete appraisal of its nutritive value. In this first report, we will characterize the chemical composition of the DDGS produced from a local ethanol manufacturer. A subsequent report will provide more information as to the utilization of the product by swine. Samples of DDGS were obtained from the Husky Mohawk ethanol plant at Minnedosa, Manitoba. All samples were taken from different fermentation batches. In all, three separate samples of wheat DDGS (samples #1, 2, and 3) and one sample of a mixed corn/wheat DDGS were collected and analyzed for their contents of key nutrients, including crude protein, energy, fibre fractions, and mineral components. In summary, with respect to the nutrients measured, the wheat-based DDGS had a nutrient profile that was similar to that of canola meal, but contained higher amounts of crude protein and lower levels of calculated digestible energy than the corn DDGS. Soybean meal had higher levels of both protein and digestible energy than the wheat-based DDGS. The comparison of the nutrient profile of wheat-based DDGS to that of other plant-based protein sources is important, as this is the likely class in which this product will compete in least cost formulations. While the nutrient profile is critical for decision-making processes, a more accurate assessment of the value of the wheat-based DDGS requires their assessment during feeding studies with pigs.

Key Management Factors for Successful Swine Production in Hoop Structures

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Manitoba farmers now have more than nineteen years of experience with group
housing pigs in straw bedded shelters. The results are good and more farms are
constructing them in an effort to diversify farm income. Straw-bedded systems represent
a low cost alternative to conventional housing. These systems are not restricted to hoop
buildings however the principles which apply to management of pigs on straw will still
largely apply in other structures as well. Converted machine sheds, horse barns, and
poultry facilities are successfully being modified to rear pigs in groups of 500, 1000, or
even 2000 pigs. Ventilation issues and access to feed, water and sleeping areas need to
be approached differently in each type of facility.
Daily management and attention to the needs of the pig will be key to success in
straw based systems. Interestingly, this is both the attraction for some people, and a
deterrent for others who consider this approach to pig rearing.
This paper should be used in conjunction with the Manitoba Agriculture Food and
Rural Initiatives Cost of Production (C.O.P.) Budget for swine raised in hoop structures.
The COP budgets can be accessed from the MAFRI website
http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/financial/farm/farm.html . These are updated annually.

New report released on swine manure management

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The Economic Research Service (ERS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
recently released an in depth examination of how manure management practices have evolved
in the U.S. hog industry from 1998 through to 2004. The report is summarized in the .pdf file attached below. Visit www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib50 to access a copy of the full report.

CQA® and the New Medicated Feed Regulations

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Recently the CQA program was thoroughly reviewed. Changes have been made to the feeding perspective, which includes medicated feeding. There has been an entirely new chapter added that applies to on-farm mixers. There are new regulations set forth on producers obtaining licenses. For more information, refer to the full article.

Panel Presentation: Occupational Health & Safety Inspections

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OH&S exists to make workplaces safer, farms included. There are as many fatalities on the farm as there are in all other workplaces annually in Saskatchewan. The OH&S committee has committed to performing 300 agricultural workplace inspections per year. Items that may be included in these inspections is the workplace responsibility system (OH&S committee), worker training, regulations concerning the workplaces (such as environment, layout, etc.), personal protective equipment, and any dangerous heights (e.g. – feed bins). Hydrogen sulphide regulations can be reviewed, as can biological relations. This involves medications and/or hormones being used, the purpose for use, and conditions for administration (e.g. – is it safe to handle by pregnant workers?).

Implementing a Systematic Approach to Disease Control and Prevention

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As hog farms today move from small-scale to large-scale operations, disease control and prevention needs to be looked at from an overall point of view. The reactionary approach to disease control really only appears to be effective in high-health systems. The Product Based Approach utilizes well-marketed medications of the pharmaceutical companies to “prevent” disease. This makes producers feel secure in that they did everything they could to prevent disease. The current method that is under development is the Systematic Approach, which will be part of the business plan and/or budget. This approach looks at disease as a cost of production and diminished production. To control diseases one must educate the workers, define the background disease status, allow easier information management, and make decisions and take action. Specific disease risks must be taken into account and planned for as well. Investment in this type of system will eliminate excess costs and unnecessary drug use and decrease vulnerability to the impact of pathogens.

Feasibility of carotid stent deployment in swine using an electromagnetic navigation device for catheter guidance size

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