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Prairie Swine Centre is an affiliate of the University of Saskatchewan
Prairie Swine Centre is grateful for the assistance of the George Morris Centre in developing the economics portion of Pork Insight.
Financial support for the Enterprise Model Project and Pork Insight has been provided by:
Prairie Swine Centre CEO Appointment
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by Ken Engele on April 16, 2018 | No Comments
Prairie Swine Centre
James Reesor, Chairman of the Board
Dr. Murray Pettitt Appointed New CEO of Prairie Swine Centre
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Saskatoon, April 12, 2018 – The Board of the Centre has announced the appointment of Dr. Murray Pettitt as their new CEO. Murray will assume responsibilities on July 1, 2018 and will succeed Lee Whittington, who is retiring after 26 years, the last 10 years as President/CEO.
Dr. Pettitt has been part of the swine research community for the past 21 years, and was previously employed at Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) for 10 years, managing Contract Research from 2003-2009. During that time he grew the program’s size and capabilities, while being responsible for the business development as well as the design and implementation of customer-driven research.
“It is like coming home – to be able to return to the Centre after 9 years pursuing my research interests in my area of specialization” notes Murray. “The position of CEO will allow me to further my interests in bringing science to agriculture, and adding to the long, successful history of Prairie Swine Centre’s service to the pork industry”.
Background:
Murray is from rural Manitoba and received his BSA in 1986 and his M.Sc. in animal reproduction in 1991 from the University of Manitoba. After three years at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, he returned to agriculture to pursue research in boar sperm cryopreservation at the University of Guelph, receiving his Ph.D. in 1997. Murray accepted a post-doctoral fellowship at the Ontario Veterinary College where he helped develop practical embryo transfer techniques in swine.
In 1999, he assumed the position of Assistant Manager – External Research Services (also known as Contract Research) at PSC. Subsequently he became the Research Scientist – External Research Services from 2003 – 2009 where he was responsible for leading this program.
Since leaving PSC, Murray has been at the Department of Animal and Poultry Science at the University of Saskatchewan where he was responsible for managing a research program investigating markers of sperm function to identify the fertility potential of boars and bulls.
The Company:
Prairie Swine Centre Inc., located near Saskatoon, is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan, and is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science, training and knowledge transfer in pork production with emphasis in the disciplines of nutrition, engineering, and applied animal behavior.
For further Information Contact:
Prairie Swine Centre
Lee Whittington
306-667-7447
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2018 Prairie Swine Centre Producer Meetings
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by Ken Engele on April 6, 2018 | No Comments
2018 Producer Meetings
| Tuesday, April 24th
Strathmore, Alberta Travelodge Hotel 1150 – 350 Ridge Road |
Wednesday, April 25th
Swift Current, Saskatchewan Days Inn 905 North Service Road E |
Friday, April 27th
Niverville, Manitoba Niverville Heritage Centre 100 Heritage Trail |
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
9:30 REGISTRATION
Lunch will be provided
PROGRAM
Feed Processing for Improved Production, Denise Beaulieu, University of Saskatchewan
- Feed processing can have significant impact on performance of your herd. What are the management strategies producers should examine within their milling to maximize mill and herd performance?
Exercising sows – What producers need to know?, Yolande Seddon, University of Saskatchewan
- Changes to the Code require producers in the future to provide periodic greater freedom of
movement to sows. Are sows motivated for a greater freedom of movement, and how can this be adopted on farm?
The Evolution of Genetic Potential, Daniel Godbout, PIC Canada Ltd.
- A walk through time to look where we were 50 years ago, what has been accomplished, how it has been accomplished and what the future holds. Pigs have changed dramatically and nutrition and management approaches have too. We need to bring it all together to achieve the greatest success.
Pig Tales – Ongoing Benefits of Colostrum, Leanne Van De Weyer, Zoetis
- Colostrum is critical for pig health and performance beyond the pre-weaning phase. What can producers do to ensure all piglets get their “fair share”?.
The NSERC IRC in Swine Welfare – Benefits for the pork value chain, Yolande Seddon, University of Saskatchewan
- The Chair is an opportunity to contribute to advancing sustainable production systems that will add to the scientific understanding of methods to improve animal welfare and identify progressive management approaches.
A Look Back – A Look Forward: Prairie Swine Centre at Your Service, Lee Whittington, PSCI
- In 2017 Prairie Swine Centre is celebrating 25 Years. We will take a walk through this period and examine the greatest accomplishments that benefits producers and where we are headed in the future?
To register for this seminar, please contact:
| Prairie Swine Centre would like to thank PIC Canada and Zoetis for their sponsorship and promotion of these meetings |
Improved Laying Areas for Sows
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by Ken Engele on March 23, 2018 | No Comments
Improving the Laying Area for Gestating Sows
This video clip contains testimonials from hog producers who participated in a project focused on strategies to improve laying areas for gestating sows housed in groups. As part of this project, devices to fill the gaps between slats were installed in the sow pens (Photos 1 and 2).
Three farms across Canada participated in this project and we would like to thank these producers:
Mr. Geert Geene, Amberley Bacon Company
Mr. Francis Veilleux, Ferme porcine L.V.
Mr. Ken Waldner, Matador Colony
Photo 1: Mr. Geert Geene, Amberley Bacon Company, installing « slat gap covers » to fill the spaces between the slats
Photo 2: Sows sleeping on the section with « slat gap covers »
For more information:
Optimizing flooring and social management of group housed gestating sows
Acknowledgments:
This project was funded by Swine Innovation Porc within the Swine Cluster 2: Driving Results Through Innovation research program. Funding was provided by Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada through the AgriInnovation Program, provincial producer organizations and industry partners.
Environmental Enrichment Strategies for Sows
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by Ken Engele on March 22, 2018 | No Comments
ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT STRATEGIES FOR GROUP-HOUSED SOWS
Summary: This video clip contains testimonials from pig producers who participated in a project to enrich the living space of gestating sows housed in groups. Six farms across Canada participated in this project and three different enrichment items were installed in the sow pens (Photos 1 to 6):
- A chain suspended from the ceiling, the end of which is approximately 10 cm (4 in.) above the floor (Photos 2 and 3);
- A piece of wood suspended by a chain, set at a height of 81 to 91 cm (32-36 in.) above the floor (Photos 4 and 5). The height corresponds to the average height of a trough, about the height of a sow’s nose;
- A Porcichew toy (ring of aromatic plastic), suspended by a chain, fixed at a height of 81 to 91 cm (32-36 inches) above the floor (Photo 2). The height corresponds to the average height of a drinking trough, about the height of a sow’s nose (photo 6).
We would like to thank the following Canadian hog producers who participated in this project:
Mr. John Van Engelen, Hog Tied Farms
Mr. Geert Geene, Amberley Bacon Company
Mr. Tom Kennelly, Sunhaven Farms
Ms. Christine Marcotte, Ferme Sainte-Catherine
Mr. Francis Veilleux, Ferme porcine L.V.
Mr. Ken Waldner, Matador Colony
Photo 1: The three enrichment items installed in the same pen at the Amberley Bacon Company farm (chain, Porcichew and piece of wood).
Photo 2: Chain anchored in the ceiling
Photo 3: Sow playing with the chain
Photo 4: Installation of the piece of wood, fixed on a chain
Photo 5: Sows playing with the piece of wood
Photo 6: Porcichew
For more information:
Optimizing flooring and social management of group housed gestating sows
http://www.swineinnovationporc.ca/resources/Annual_Reports/2016-2017/WELFARE%201231%20Flooring%20and%20social%20mangement%20of%20sows%202017.pdf
Enriching the living space of pigs to comply with the Code
Acknowledgments:
This project was funded by Swine Innovation Porc within the Swine Cluster 2: Driving Results Through Innovation research program. Funding was provided by Agriculture and Agri‐Food Canada through the AgriInnovation Program, provincial producer organizations and industry partners.
Finding New Technologies in the Pork Industry
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on February 20, 2018 | No Comments
The term “Precision Farming” is used, especially in arable agriculture, to describe the collection of data in the field and the judicious use of expensive inputs to improve net income, reduce waste and impact on environment (sustainability), and speed (even automate some) decisions. From my perspective what will determine the success of any of these ideas will be their ability to use them in a barn environment (must be robust), and they must address a fundamental business need of collecting, analyzing and acting on aspects of production that have economic value.
The use of new Precision Farming technology is so prolific within arable farming that there are companies and newsletters devoted to the subject. The Top 10 Technologies are discussed in one publication https://www.therobotreport.com/top-10-technologies-in-precision-agriculture/. A review of the article reveals that most of the topics are not easily translated into animal agriculture: GPS; Mobile Devices; Robotics; Irrigation; Internet of Things; Sensors; Variable seeding rates; Weather modeling; Nitrogen modeling; Standardization. Some however, are important and relevant, such as mobile devices, Internet of Things, and standardization as they are at the heart of how we will assess what we need and what will become available to us in pork production.
Swine Health Management and Biosecurity
Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on February 7, 2018 | No Comments
ACTIVITY 4. Swine Health Management an Biosecurity – Rapid Assessment of Transport Trailer Cleanliness
Objective: Demonstrate the use of ATP bioluminescence meter for rapid assessment of surface cleanliness of swine transport trailers.
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Auditing On-Farm Best Management Practices
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on | No Comments
ACTIVITY 3. Auditing On-Farm Best Management Practices
Objective: Measure the pork industry’s adoption of best management practices that reduce cost of production,
enhance sustainability and reduce labour commitments.
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| Farrowing | Nursery | Finishing | Water Management |
Reducing Water Consumption in Swine Barns
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on | No Comments
Demonstrating Management Practices that Enhance the Sustainability of Pork Production
Activity 1.3 – Reducing Water Consumption in Swine Barns
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From Innovation to Adoption: RESULTS
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on November 23, 2017 | No Comments
Activity 5. From Innovation to Adoption: RESULTS
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| Water Intake Checklist | Feeder Design Considerations | 6 S’s of Successful Enrichment | |
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Successfully Converting to Group Sow Housing
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Swine Innovation by admin on November 7, 2017 | No Comments
Demonstrating Management Practices that Enhance the Sustainability of Pork Production
Activity 1.1 – Successfully Converting to Gestating Sow Group Housing
In September 2017 two group sow housing seminars were held in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Strathmore, Alberta. The goal of these meetings was to better inform those producers who are currently looking to make the conversion to group sow housing. The meetings brought together a combination of speakers that addressed the areas of renovation, producer experience, technology & innovation, types of renovations and nutrition. The agenda for the meetings can be found below, in addition to copies of the PowerPoint presentations and video presentations.
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Videos |
In the Media |
| Effective Strategies for Reducing Aggression Among Group Housed Sows (view article) |
| Advance Planning and Training Key to Grouping Sows (view article) |
| New or Renovate Hog Barns (view article) |
| One Producer’s Experience in Switching to Sow Group Housing (view article) |
| Hog Barn Codes – To Renovate or to Build New is the Big Question (view article) |
| Pas de retour en arrière pour les truies en groupe (French) (view article) |
FarmScape InterviewsDeciding to Build New or Renovate Comes Down to Cost Cost Key When Deciding Whether to Renovate or Build from Scratch Partial Renovation Popular In Converting to Group Sow Housing Non-Competitive Feeding Allows Greater Range of Weight and Larger Group Size Researchers Identify Strategies For Reducing Aggression Among Group Housed Sows Adoption of Group Housing Varies by Region Access to Research Improves Decision Making When Moving to Group Sow Housing Group Sow Housing Offers Opportunity to Reduce Energy Costs Right Diets and Right Volumes Critical to Peak Sow Productivity Nutrition Key to Improved Reproductive Performance and Longevity of Sows Pork Producers Encouraged to Formulate Sow Rations Based on Parity Modern Communication Technology Aids in Monitoring Swine Herd Performance Adoption of Technology Helps Improve Productivity |