Know the temperature requirements of your pigs
Temperature requirements for pigs depend on many factors such as air temperature, air movement, humidity, flooring material, bedding/dryness (of the floor), age and size of the pigs, group size, feed type and intake level, and health status. The aim of temperature control in the barn...
by
Ken Engele
Alternative energy and heating sources
As part of the brochure ‘Managing energy cost in the barn’, this section talks about alternative power sources, including solar photovoltaic systems, solar walls, geothermal systems, and biomass, and provides an overview of funding opportunities for producers to install some of these systems. To access this...
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Ken Engele
Evaluation of a Pilot-Scale Electro-nanospray System for Decontaminating Pig Barns
In this study, an electro-nanospray system was developed for pig barn decontamination. This technology generates engineered water nanostructures (EWNS) through electrospraying and ionization of reverse osmosis (RO) Water. The highly charged nano-scale water droplets encapsulate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are responsible for bacterial inactivation...
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Ken Engele
New and alternative sanitization procedures for antibiotic-free swine barns
Certain barns that switched to antibiotic-free production observed increased prevalence of pathogens after a few years on the program. Developing improved sanitization and disinfection procedures is an important step to reduce the pathogen load in antibiotic-free barns, which was the goal of this study. This project identified...
by
Ken Engele
Application of nanotechnology for mitigation of DON in wheat grains
A series of laboratory-scale experiments were conducted to determine the most promising nanomaterials and to optimize its operational requirements for appropriate application in mitigating mycotoxin contamination in feed grains and formulated swine diets. Three candidate nanomaterials were selected for testing based on a comprehensive literature...
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Ken Engele
Road and disease-challenge tests with a modified prototype livestock trailer
The overall goal of the work conducted was to assess the performance of an improved prototype livestock trailer with ventilation, heating, misting and air filtration systems in maintaining a welfare-friendly and pathogen-free environment during transport. The testing and evaluation comprised of road tests and disease-challenge...
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Ken Engele
Testing of a rapid detection kit for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv)
Significant economic losses can result from outbreaks of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED), a serious disease currently circulating in North American swine herds. Accurate and rapid detection of PEDv is essential to expedite implementation of control measures for the disease. A rapid PEDv test kit is...
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Ken Engele
Design criteria for cleanability, worker safety and welfare characteristics of pig transport trailers
Disease transmission associated with transportation of pigs has been a long-standing issue affecting biosecurity in pig production. In addition, stress responses and welfare are greatly influenced by the trailer compartment configuration. The overall goal of this study was to develop a trailer design criteria checklist...
by
Ken Engele
New and alternative sanitization procedures for antibiotic-free swine barns
Certain barns that switched to antibiotic-free production observed increased prevalence of pathogens after a few years on the program. Developing improved sanitization and disinfection procedures is an important step to reduce the pathogen load in antibiotic-free barns, which was the goal of this study. This project...
by
Ken Engele
Impact of antibiotic-free production on pathogen occurrence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance
This study assessed the impact of Raised Without Antibiotics (RWA) production practices on on-farm antibiotic use, pathogen occurrence, and the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) through the whole genome sequencing and analyzing of samples (fecal, manure, sow nasal swab, soil). Some farms that provided...
by
Ken Engele