Weaner Transport: Journey Duration Influences Piglet Physiology
Meat quality and animal welfare are negatively affected by transport as it is a stressful experience, but an integral part of pork production. Factors that affect market pigs include stocking density, vibrations, temperature fluctuations, total time off food and water and noise. Weaned piglets will...
Comparison of Performance of Radiant and Forced-Convection Heaters in Swine Grow-Finish Rooms
Many energy intensive operations are a part of swine production, including ventilation, lighting, space and creep feeding, power washing and more. Energy prices keep increasing so that it is now the third highest cost of hog production. Ventilation and heating use a lot of energy...
Application of Computer Simulation to Evaluate Potential Measures for Improving Energy Efficiency in Hog Production
Swine production is an energy-intensive industry and prices are only rising. Energy use varies widely in Saskatchewan barns, showing that there should be numerous ways to decrease the energy usage. Numerical computer simulation techniques were used to evaluate measures and strategies to use in swine...
Breeding Sow Mortality and Euthanasia
As pigs are becoming more prolific, the average mortality and euthanasia of breeding sows has doubled to 10%. There are many causes, the main ones were examined. The leading cause of death and euthanasia are prolapses accounting for 25-50% of them. Lameness and serious injuries...
Making Cents of Enrichment
Enrichment can be easily overlooked. It is now listed in the Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs that multiple forms of enrichment must be provided to improve their welfare. Enrichment reduces problematic behaviours like belly-nosing and tail-biting. It encourages normal...
Feeding Mycotoxin Contaminated Grain
Moulds and fungi can infect grains and cause mycotoxin production. A number of mycotoxins affect pig performance. The presence of mould or fungi does not guarantee the presence of mycotoxins and there may not be any obvious mould when mycotoxins are present. Temperature and humidity...
What is the Long Term Impact of Feeding DON to Finishing Pigs?
Grains contaminated with mycotoxins are commonly downgraded for livestock feed. Best practice is to avoid using this, though that is getting increasingly difficult due to increased incidence and level of contamination. Corn, wheat, oats and barley are commonly contaminated by the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). DON...
Managing Water Intake, Auditing Best Management Practices
Water is the nutrient that is required in the greatest amount, though it often receives the least amount of attention. Finisher pigs' water intake is up to three times their feed intake, though a lot of the water intake reported includes water wastage. Nipple drinkers...
Finishing Facilities
Small changes have a large impact on the profitability of the operation in regard to finishing facilities due to the length of it. 16 finishing facilities were audited with many achieving a score above 80% for the adoption of best management practices. An area for...
Feeding Straw to Sows in Late Gestation. Benefits to Processing?
Behavioural problems due to restricted feeding in sows may be reduced and litter and sow performance during lactation may improve by feeding fiber-rich diets. The composition of the fiber (proportion of soluble to insoluble fiber) and dietary inclusion rates may cause these results to vary....