Fermented Soybean Meal for Weaned Piglets

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on November 2, 2016 | No Comments

Soybean meal contains a variety of anti-nutritional factors which limit its inclusion into the diets of young piglets. It has been shown that fermentation of soybean meal (fSBM) effectively removes trypsin inhibitors, oligosaccharides and phytic acid and improves digestibility of nutrients, including amino acids.  These improvements however, are not consistently observed (Song et al. 2010), and work is required which determines reasons for the variability among fSBM produced from different plants. Preliminary results from this research project indicate pigs receiving approximately 17% HP5010 fSBM in their diets had reduced body weight relative to the pigs receiving a  comparable amount of a commercial SBM product, Hamlet 300.

fermented-soybean-meal

Mitigating DON Through Optimal Use of Blood Plasma in Nursery Diets

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Previous research showed that nursery pigs fed deoxynivalenol (DON) contaminated diets supplemented with spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) had similar growth rate and feed intake as those consuming noncontaminated diets. In this study, two blocks of 100 weanling pigs were used
to determine the optimal inclusion level of spray-dried bovine plasma(SDBP) required in nursery diets contaminated with DON to maintain growth performance. Growth performance was not statistically different for pigs fed the diets with DON contaminated diets and the diet without DON. Also, adding SDBP to the DON-contaminated diets had no eff ct on nursery pig growth performance. Therefore, we were not able to determine the optimal inclusion level of SDBP in the DON-contaminated nursery diet.

blood-plasma

Red Deer Swine Technology Workshop October 19, 2016

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on September 28, 2016 | No Comments

DEVELOPMENT OF THE OFFSET MODEL FOR DETERMINATION OF ODOR-ANNOYANCE-FREE SETBACK DISTANCES FROM ANIMAL PRODUCTION SITES: PART I AND II

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on August 24, 2016 | No Comments

Authors: L. D. Jacobson, H. Guo, D. R. Schmidt, R. E. Nicolai, J. Zhu, K. A. Janni

Reference: Transactions of the ASAE 48, no. 6 (2005): 2259-268.

Odor nuisance has been increasing in importance for new and existing animal production facilities. The object of this study, published in two parts, is to develop a method of establishing minimum offset distances.

An OFFSET model was developed based on an air dispersion model and actual odor emissions.  This model is based on extensive research at 280 animal buildings and manure storage facilities from 85 Minnesota farms. This model takes into account the local weather patterns as well as topography. This model does not overpredict odor travel distance.

Development of OFFSET model for setback distances Part I – Jacobson et al 2005

Development of OFFSET model for setback distances Part II – Jacobson et al 2005

Comparison of five models for setback distance determination from livestock sites

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Authors: H. Guo, L.D. Jacobson, D.R. Schmidt, R.E. Nicolai, and K.A. Janni

Reference: Canadian Biosystems Engineering 46 (2004): 17-25.

Odour has been a frequent hurdle when considering building new barns or expanding existing barns. In order to combat odour complaints and nuisance, various governments have developed minimum setback levels using different models that take into account different models. Main models include the Ontario MDS-II model, W-T model, Austrian Model, Purdue model, and Minnesota OFFSET model. These models take into account various factors including herd size, ventilation type, manure storage type, feed type, meteorological and topographic factors, building design among others.

This study aimed to test the setback distances generated by these five models and test them against 13 existing swine production facilities. Results showed that the minimum setback distances varied by as much as ten times between the different models. The only models that took into account actual odour emissions (measured by averages of various sources in a certain area) instead of indirect quantities were the Purdue and Minnesota OFFSET models.

Comparison of 5 models for setback distances – Guo et al 2004

Assessing daily exposure risk of pig barn workers to airborne contaminants

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre by admin on August 11, 2016 | No Comments

Authors: Alvin Alvarado and Bernardo Predicala

Reference: Centered on Swine Fall 2014

The goals of this study were to assess the occupational exposure risk of barn workers to dust and gasses while performing their assigned daily tasks in the barn, and to identify specific activities in the barn that pose high occupational exposure risk to workers. Subjects were outfitted with monitoring equipment throughout the day during their various tasks.

The occupational exposure of barn workers to respirate dust, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide while performing their assigned daily tasks in the barn was generally below the respective time-weighted average (TWA) exposure limits for each parameter. The variation in the time-weighted average of the airborne contaminants was dependent on the tasks the workers performed during any specific workday. Activities like feeding, weighing pigs, and draining manure pits, have a higher likelihood to result in exposures that exceed the 15-min threshold limit value and this, pose greater occupational exposure risk to barn workers.

assessing risk of airborne contaminants Alvarado

Portable assay could deliver faster PEDv detection

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Author: Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency

Reference: Western Hog Journal Spring 2016

A research team has developed a pen-side assay for testing fecal swabs, truck washer and environmental samples for PEDv. This fast, easy and accurate test can allow for better detection of the disease and can allow appropriate biosecurity measures to be taken. The test takes approximately an hour and is cheaper than sending a sample to a lab. The research team is also looking into assays for porcine deltacoronavirus and transmissible gastroenteritis virus.

portable PED assay

Feeding barley to starter pigs

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Authors: Z. Nasir, L.F. Wang, M.G. Young, M.L. Swift, E. Beltranena and R.T. Zijlstra

Reference: Western Hog Journal Spring 2016

This study aims to test if low quality (LQ) barley can be fed to starter pigs in replacement of wheat.

Piglets were weaned at 24 days of age and fed pre-starter diet for two days followed by a starter diet for five days. Piglets were fed one of four diets: 1) wheat based; 2) high quality barley based; 3) low quailty barley based with medium net energy; 4) low quality barley based with low net energy.

Piglet growth performance and final weight was greatest with the both low quality barley diets, followed by high quality barley diets and wheat diets. Energy digestibility was greater for the wheat diet over the barley diets.

Given proper diet formulation, low quality barley can be incorporated at up to 65% replacement of wheat is weaner pig diets without adverse effects.

Feeding Barley to starter pigs Nasir

Single kernel seed sorter (BoMill TriQ) and its potential effect on processing and in vitro digestibility

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Authors: Khalil Sahtout and Denise Beaulieu

Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2016

BoMill TriQ is a seed sorter that sorts individual kernels of wheat, barley or durum based on crude protein levels by use of near infrared transmittance. This can help producers to create samples with less variance of crude protein.

The first experiment tested to see if sorted kernels were different in physical characteristics or colour. Kernel fractions obtained did have different average colour, but physical characteristics were unaffected, negating the possibility of having to use different milling techniques.

The second experiment took five sources of wheat and barley, fractionalized them with the BoMill TriQ and the fractions were ground with either a hammer mill or a roller mill set to produce four different particle sizes. An in vitro digestibility system was used to estimate if the rate of digestion of the fractions differed between grinders and degree of grinding. Laboratory analysis of these samples is ongoing.

Single kernel feed mill Sahtout

Reducing temperature requirements for group-housed sows to reduce cost

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Author: Ken Engele

Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2016

While industry is moving to group housing for sows, research is being done into ways to take advantage of this movement. Work done at the Prairie Swine Centre indicates that if sows are housed in groups, the room temperatures can be decreased from 15°C to between 9 to 10°C, reducing energy costs by approximately 78%.

When sows are housed in groups, they can better interact and control their immediate environment. One way they regulate temperature is to huddle. Allowing sows to huddle can keep sows warm while allowing the temperature of the barn to drop. There are however problems associated with group housing including aggression. This aggression can be increased when sows are placed on a restricted feeding regime, which is common. Sows can be fed a high fiber diet which increases satiety and thereby reduces aggression. Dietary fiber also increases heat production without increasing digestible energy. Therefore, increasing fiber in diets could allow barn temperatures to be lowered.

This study contained two phases. Phase one consisted of an environmental chamber with operant controls. Sows who were fed a high energy, low crude protein diet activated supplemental heat at considerably lower temperatures (10.5°C) than sows fed a low energy, high crude protein diet. Sows fed low energy, high crude protein had average daily gains of -0.5 kg/day as compared to 0.2 kg/day of sow fed high energy, low crude protein.

Phase two configured two barn rooms to group housing. One room was operated at a temperature set point (16.5°C) and one room had an operant mechanism allowing sows to control the temperature. Preliminary results show that sows can tolerate lower temperatures than that of the set point when housed in groups. This lower heating cost can save approximately $5/pig in cost during the heating season.

group housed temperature requirements Engele