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...
Assessing Trailer Cleanliness
An important step in maintaining biosecurity is proper washing and disinfection of transport trailers. Visual inspection is not aa reliable assessment for measuring cleanliness. Using microbiological culture works, though the plating of media and incubation time make it somewhat impractical...
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...
Optimum Space Allowances for Nursery Pigs
Economic viability of farms and the health and welfare of animals are affected by space allowances. There is not much information available on the space allowances of nursery pigs. Maximum feed intake and average daily gain are increased when optimal...
Ventilating Converted Sow Rooms
Ventilation has a large effect on barn operating costs and many aspects of the environment. Using the existing ventilation system in converted sow facilities (from stall to group housing) will lead to over-ventilation during the winter as the minimum ventilation...
Using Creep Feeding as a Strategy to Improve Post Weaning Feed Intake and Piglet Growth
Environmental, social and nutritional stressors are present in weaning of piglets which often leads to weight loss and increased risk of disease. Creep feeding involves providing highly palatable and easy to digest feed to nursing piglets to decrease feeding issues...
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)
Identification, Treatment and Prevention of Shoulder Lesions in Sows
Long periods of lying and poor body condition after farrowing leads to more shoulder lesions. Depending on the farm and sows, 10 to 50% of sows are affected by shoulder lesions. Lying laterally puts pressure on the scapula and can...
Does the Inclusion of Lyso-Lecithin (Lecired) Improve the Growth of Newly Weaned Pigs?
Weaning is a very stressful period for piglets, with dietary changes being one of the great stressors. They are transferred from an 8% fat liquid milk diet to a 5% fat dry diet that has a much lower digestibility so...
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’...
Prairie Swine Centre Testing Nanotechnology Applications in Pig Industry
Nanotechnology uses small particles and has many applications. One of notice is their antimicrobial properties that could aid in biosecurity and gas emissions of swine barns. Previously, they have been used for filtering air and water purification. The nanoparticle zinc...
