Swine Innovation. What Does It Mean for Producers?
Swine Innovation Porc is designed to facilitate research, commercialization initiatives and technology transfer. The goal is to ensure measurable results and adoption of results in the Canadian pork industry. The Banff Pork Seminar provided results that may cut feeding costs by $8/pig marketed. There are...
Developing Strategies for Water Conservation for Producers
Water use can increase the overall production cost of swine operations through wastage and increase in manure slurry volume. Using water more efficiently can be beneficial both economically and environmentally. Water wastage was reduced by 60% when a trough with side panel and constant water...
Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Modulate the Immune Response of Pigs?
The most stressful time in a piglet’s life is weaning. The numerous amounts of stressors present contribute to the post-weaning growth lag which can lead to anorexia and immune reactions. Nutritional strategies may help improve performance when weaning, using techniques such as novel ingredients, highly...
Loading Facilities for Market Hogs: Saskatchewan’s Top 10
Loading facilities can result in longer loading times, increased incidence of rough handling and prod use if poorly designed. Stress associated with this can affect meat quality, carcass and also increase the amount of downer pigs and losses. Ten Saskatchewan barns were observed to see...
Evaluation of Methods for Controlling and Monitoring Occupational Exposure of Workers in Swine Facilities
Reduction of personal exposure to air contaminant levels including ammonia and dust in swine production facilities is possible through containment control studies but must be studied under swine barn conditions too. Selected management and engineering measures were studied, such as high level of cleaning, oil...
Porcine Circoviral Disease – From Inception to Successful Control
Porcine Circovirus Diseases (PCVD) were first described in the 1990's in Canada as Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome which affected grower and nursery pigs by respiratory disease, wasting, enlarged lymph nodes, pallor, enteritis and jaundice. It is caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) which has...
Ractopamine Hydrochloride and the Environmental Sustainability of Pork Production
Ammonia has odour and environmental implications so the excretion of nitrogen is problematic as this is the main form. Paylean® with ractopamine hydrochloride as its active ingredient improves average daily gain, carcass lean growth and feed efficiency when added to finishing swine diets. Ractopamine may...
Ractopamine, at 5 or 10 mg/kg Increases Protein Deposition in the Carcass
Paylean® is used in the swine industry to increase growth rate, carcass lean deposition and feed efficiency. Its active ingredient is ractopamine hydrochloride. At 5 mg/kg, ractopamine improved carcass quality and growth performance. Paylean may also be able to reduce the environmental impact of pork...
Feeding Co-Extruded Flaxseed to Pigs: Effects of Duration and Feeding Level on Growth Performance and Backfat Fatty Acid Composition of Grow-Finish Pigs
Feeding flaxseed to pigs has been used to increase omega-3 fatty acid levels in pork as flaxseed is the richest oilseed source of omega-3. Health benefits to the consumer may be noted such as reducing risk of disease. Feeding flax co-extruded with field peas may...
Validation of Sampling Techniques for Assessing Stress in Pigs by Salivary Cortisol
Cortisol is often used as a measure of stress in pigs. Multiple samples are often taken to see how long it is elevated and when the peak of the stress response was. Adrenal function tests are used when studying long term stressors to see if...