Personal Protection and Training, Auditing Best Management Practices
A safe work environment is the employers responsibility and is very important in the Canadian pork industry. Some protection used commonly includes hearing protection, dust masks and hydrogen sulphide monitors. The monitors should be used in key day-to-day activities, not...
On-Farm Biosecurity Auditing Best Management Practices
Audit results across Canada show that producers know the importance of biosecurity. Almost all the farms that participated had only one source of animals entering the facility, showering with a change of clothes and reviewing biosecurity protocols yearly were common...
Feeder Design Chart
Minimum feeder space width should equal the largest pigs shoulder width plus 10% as body shape varies. A chart is attached for further information of feeder depth and width measurements for different weights. Feeder Design Chart (full article)
Water Intake Chart
A chart of recommended flow rate and height of nipple drinkers for phase and weights of swine. Nipples should be set to shoulder height of the smallest pig in the pen. Follow these guidelines to decrease water wastage and save...
Injury Prevention is Loss Prevention: Applying Health and Safety Research Helps the Bottom Line
A big problem in pork production is injury to workers. Workers who are in pain often have lower productivity. By addressing workplace injuries, profitability can be improved. Loss of profit can come from sick leave, worker turnover, absenteeism and workers’...
How do you Decide Whether to Adopt New Technology?
Things to consider when deciding to purchase new technology include productivity impacts, implementation and maintenance costs, manager and worker preferences, animal handling and food safety regulations. Worker health and safety should be strongly considered as well. Health and safety evaluations...
Compounding Iron Dextran with NSAIDs at Processing
NSAIDs are often given at processing along with iron dextran and it is tempting to given them together to reduce the number of injections to the piglet. Mixing these products is not allowed under the Canadian Assurance program, though it...
Managing Sows in Groups from Weaning: Are There Advantages?
Stall housing has received lots of criticism for being so restrictive. It has been demonstrated that sows in groups can perform as well as those in stalls, so gestation stalls are being banned in many countries. An area that needs...
Assessing Daily Exposure Risk of Pig Barn Workers to Airborne Contaminants
Airborne contaminants such as gases (ammonia and hydrogen sulphide) and dust, when exposed to pig barn workers increase the risk of respiratory symptoms and health problems. Occupational exposure risk was assessed when workers were doing their daily barn tasks in...
Zephyr Piglet Gun
Euthanizing piglets is an ongoing area of research as it is emotional for the workers involved. Blunt force trauma is effective if done correctly but this method could use improvement. The Zephyr Piglet Gun involves a non-penetrating captive bolt which...
Economic Costs of PEDv
Strict biosecurity protocols are needed to limit the spread of PEDv. PEDv has a large impact on reproduction by reducing farrowing rates, amount of piglets born alive and mortality rates. Grower-Finisher pigs also have performance losses. It can take up...
Setting Up an Effective Farm Trial
On farm tests are used as managers want to prove the technology works on their farm, they are unaware of other barns with the technology, or the technology is from a different country which has different conditions than theirs. Looking...
