What Do We Know About Feeding Peas, Lentils, and Flax

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Hulless Barleys as Health-Promoters for the Pig Gastrointestinal Tract

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Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of nutrition on their health. They want pork products devoid of antibiotic residues because of fears that the latter could be responsible for the development of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. Pork producers are aware that the pig gastrointestinal tract must remain healthy in order to maximize the use of the nutrients and to prevent the occurrence of diarrhoea. Different alternatives are currently tested in many laboratories. Among them, “prebiotics” are of particular interest. These plant extracts are used as substrates by health-promoting bacteria (Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria) and the latter grow at the expense of pathogenic ones (Salmonella, E. coli) in the pig tract. Different indigestible carbohydrates are used as substrates by health-promoting bacteria such as Lactobacilli in the pig gastrointestinal tract. Some specialty hulless barleys contain high amounts of these indigestible carbohydrates. This experiment aimed at evaluating the possibility to use hulless barleys as a health-promoting factor in swine nutrition. Hulless barleys were better digested than hulled barleys and oats. Their presence in the gut also generated the production of higher amounts of short-chain fatty acids and led to the disappearance of some pathogenic bacteria strains in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract. This confirms the potential of specialty hulless barleys as health-promoters in swine nutrition.

Energy Efficiency in Swine Facilities

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Use of Nanoparticles to Control Gaseous Emissions from Swine Manure Slurry

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Nanoparticles are highly reactive powder materials with unique properties due to its nanoscale dimensions. The goal of this work is to take advantage of advances in nanotechnology to control odour and gaseous emissions from swine operations. A series of tests using commercially-available nanoparticles was conducted to evaluate their impact on ammonia (NH3), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon dioxide (CO2), and gas mixture emitted from swine manure slurry. A number of nanoparticles tested reduced NH3 at initial concentration of 50 ppm by 78 to 86%, while a few were able to reduce 25-ppm H2S to below detection level (<1 ppm). Additional tests are being conducted to investigate potential techniques for practical implementation of this technology in actual swine barns.

A Review of Porcine Circovirus 2 Associated Diseases and Control

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2006 | No Comments

Introduction
Since its discovery and characterization in western Canada in 1995, the significance and dissemination of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) has grown and the syndrome is undoubtedly a serious issue in the global swine industry. More recently, there is a heightened interest in PMWS due to the explosive outbreaks in eastern Canada, particularly in Quebec and Ontario starting in late 2004.

PMWS is caused by Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a small single stranded DNA virus. It is the only circovirus known to cause disease in mammals, but circoviruses cause numerous diseases in birds including chicken anemia virus and pssiticine beak and feather disease. By contrast, porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) does not cause disease in pigs, and is genetically and antigenically distinct from PCV2. In additional to PMWS of swine, PCV2 contributes to porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) and proliferative and necrotizing pneumonia (PNP). It has also been associated with several other conditions including humpy-back swine, porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS), congenital tremors (CT-AII), pre-natal myocarditis and reproductive failure. It is important to note that PCV2’s involvement in these latter conditions has not been proven.

PCV2 infection is unmistakably necessary to cause PMWS (Krakowka et al., 2000; Kennedy et al., 2000; Bolin et al., 2001), yet the virus is ubiquitous and present in both diseased and healthy pig populations worldwide. Furthermore, serology collected from western and eastern Canadian farms in 1997/98 (Harding, 2000) demonstrated that PCV2 specific antibody levels among PMWS clinical and non-clinical herds were not significantly different. Clearly, the epidemiology and pathogenesis of the PCV2 associated diseases are complex and have challenged researchers, and made successful control programs challenging. However, there are several commercial vaccines awaiting Canadian registration that will substantially enhance on-farm control efforts.

Post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS)
There are several classic clinical signs of PMWS that form the basis of a preliminary clinical diagnosis. From most to least common these are enlarged lymph nodes, wasting, dyspnea, diarrhea, pallor, and jaundice (Harding et al., 1998a & 1998b; Cottrell et al., 1999; Harms, 1999a). While all of these signs will not be noted in a single pig, affected farms will present with the majority, if not all, over a period of time. Other clinical signs including coughing, fever, gastric ulceration, meningitis and sudden death have also been reported, but are less prevalent (Harms, 1999a; Wellenberg et al., 2000). Some may be caused in part or exacerbated by secondary infections, as PCV2 appears to be immunosuppressive.

The clinical signs of PMWS are traditionally restricted to the post-weaned aged groups, but particularly the late nursery and early grower stages, typically affecting pigs between 7 and 15 weeks of age (Harding et al., 1998b). Ironically, the 2004/05 Quebec outbreak appears to preferentially affect older finisher hogs; the reasons for which are not entirely clear. Before 2005, PMWS in North America caused low grade but persistent death losses. On rare occasion, severe epidemics resulting in substantially higher post-weaning mortality rates occurred. Persistent, high mortality has been noted commonly in Europe over the last decade. Ironically, it is likely that the same is happening at present in Canada after an 8-year period of quiescence. As such, I predict a slow progression of the severe clinical disease from eastern to western Canada, over the next 12-24 months. The reasons for the sudden explosive outbreaks in specific geographic regions are unknown. Current theories include the mutation of PCV2 into more virulent strain(s), the presence of a non-PCV2 but infective cofactor (Agent X), or changes in farm management that “trigger” the onset of disease. The latter is supported by the knowledge that certain vaccines adjuvants induce PMWS under experimental and some field conditions Allan et al, 2000).

The case fatality rate of clinically affected pigs is typically high, particularly in the early stages of the outbreak, but mortality can be lowered by the implementation of good management and therapeutic practices (Madec et al., 2000). Maintaining ideal pen density, age segregation and all-in-all-out pig flow with the timely removal of sick animals is widely recommended, as well as the review of vaccination usage plans. Preliminary in vitro studies on disinfectants demonstrate that many commonly used products are ineffective (Royer et al., 2000), which is consistent with our knowledge that other circoviruses are highly resistant to inactivation by detergents and disinfectants.

Porcine Dermatitis and Nephropathy Syndrome (PDNS)
Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome is an immune-mediated vascular disease affecting the skin and kidney, originally described in the UK (Smith et al., 1993; White and Higgins, 1993). The most common clinical signs are the development of round or irregular shaped, red to purple skin lesions that coalesce to larger patches and plaques. The lesions are usually first noted in the hindquarters, limbs and abdomen but may progress to involve the thorax, flank or ears. Mildly affected animals may remain bright, alert and most often spontaneously recover. They do not generally have a fever. Severely affected animals may demonstrate lameness, fever, anorexia, or weight loss. Sudden death occurs but is rare. The characteristic lesion of PDNS is a systemic necrotizing vasculitis of the skin and kidneys. Grossly, the kidneys are enlarged, pale and often covered with small petechial haemorrhages. Microscopic lesions are characteristic of a type 3 hypersensitivity, immune mediated disorder caused by the deposition of immune complexes in the vascular and glomerular capillary walls (Duran et al., 1997; Drolet et al., 1999).

PDNS affects nursery and grow-finish pigs and is generally sporadic (Thompson et al., 2000; Gresham et al., 2000). While a significant problem in Europe, PDNS is infrequent in Canada, but appears to be farm specific supporting the theory that PDNS is genetic-line dependent. There is a link between PDNS and PCV2; PCV2 antigen and/or nucleic acid has been found in the tissues of pigs with PDNS (Rosell et al., 2000) and has also been found associated with kidney lesions of affected pigs (Clark, unpublished). PDNS must be considered in the diagnostic investigation of pigs with skin and kidney lesions, especially skin diseases caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae and Actinobacillus suis.

Pre-natal Myocarditis and Reproductive Failure
The involvement of PCV2 in reproductive failure is most common ins start up herds (Sanford, 2002), but is not a consistent finding in PMWS outbreaks. Following the original reports of PCV2 associated reproductive failure in 2 western Canadian herds in 1999 (West et al, 1999; O’Connor et al., 2001), similar reports have been made Iowa, and western Europe (Ohlinger et al., 2000; Janke, 2000). Affected farms reported abortions, and elevated stillbirth and fetal mummification rates with variable amounts of PCV2 antigen present in fetal tissues, and in the cardiac lesions of affected piglets with myocarditis. PCV2 infection is also suspected in PMWS outbreaks of CDCD piglets (Jolie, et al., 2000; Harms et al., 1999b), further suggesting that vertical transmission is possible. Currently, scientists believe that that reproductive disease associated with PCV2 is rare and that vertical transmission may not be a primary mechanism for disease dissemination. However, it has recently been reported that boars can shed PCV2 in semen for extended periods (McIntosh, 2005), and anecdotal field evidence supports a potential role of vertical transmission of PCV2 in some farms.

PCV2 Vaccines
At the time of writing, there are no licensed vaccines in the North American market, although several pharmaceutical companies have products in their pipeline. Public domain research documenting the efficacy of these experimental vaccines is limited, but the experimental and field research available is promising (Charreyre, 2005; Meng, 2005). The products under development are targeted at both the breeding herd, to enhance the passive immunity of piglets, and feeding herd, to initiate active immunity post-weaning. Both killed and attenuated live vaccines are under development. The use of autogenous vaccines has been suggested, however it is unlikely that autogenous PCV2 vaccines would be effective, and more importantly may not be safe, because PCV2 is difficult to grow in tissue culture, and is very resistant to inactivation.

Summary
Our understanding of the factors affecting the emergence and severity of PMWS on affected farms is lacking, as is a complete understanding of the epidemiology and potential triggering factors. The pattern of antibody development demonstrates that PCV2 actively circulates in farrow to finish farms in the early post-weaning stages (nursery, early grower) and that horizontal transmission is significant. The presence of PCV2 antibody in non-clinical herds clearly indicates that PCV2 by itself is not capable of causing severe clinical disease yet PCV2 is absolutely required for PWMS infection. The potentiation of PMWS by co-infection with porcine parvovirus and PRRS virus has been proven experimentally (Krakowka et al., 2000; Kennedy et al., 2000; Harms et al., 2000) and is very likely a phenomenon in the field. Until vaccines are readily available in the Canadian industry, producers should enhance the biosecurity of their unit to minimize the risk of regional spread, and should limit the purchase of semen and/or live animals from countries and regions that have experienced epidemic outbreaks.

References

Allan, G., McNeilly, F., Kennedy, S., Meehan, B., Ellis, J., Krakowka, S., 2000. Immunostimulation, PCV-2 and PMWS. Vet. Rec. 147, 170-171.

Bolin, S.R., Stoffregen, W.C., Nayar, G.P., Hamel, A.L., 2001. Postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome induced after experimental inoculation of caesarian-derived, colostrum-deprived piglets with type 2 porcine circovirus. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 13, 185-194.

Charreyre C, Beseme S, Brun A, Boblot M, Jiosel F, Lapostolle B, Sierra P, Vaganay A. Vaccination strategies for the control of porcine circoviral diseases in pigs. Proc International Conf Animal Circoviruses and Associated Diseases, Belfast, Ireland, Sept 11-13, 2005:p26-30

Cottrell, T., Friendship, B., Dewey, C., Josephson, G., Allan, G., McNeilly, F., Walker, I., 1999. Epidemiology of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in Am Ontario. Proc. Am. Assoc. Swine Pract. 389-390.

Drolet, R., Thibault, S., D’Allaire, S., Thompson, J., Done, S., 1999. Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS): an overview of the disease. Swine Health and Prod. 7(6), 283-285.

Duran, C.O., Ramos-Vara, J., Render, J.A., 1997. Porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome: a new condition to include in the differential diagnosis list for skin discolouration in swine. Swine Health and Prod. 5(6), 241-244.

Gresham, A., Giles, N., Weaver, J., 2000. PMWS and porcine dermatitis nephropathy syndrome in Great Britain. Vet. Rec. 147, 115.

Harding, J., Clark, E., 1998a. Recognizing and diagnosing post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Swine Health and Prod. 5, 201-203.

Harding, J.C.S., Clark, E.G., Strokappe, J.H., Willson, P.I., Ellis, J.A., 1998b. Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome: epidemiology and clinical presentation. Swine Health and Prod. 6, 249-254.

Harding, J.C., Sept 2000. Understanding the epidemiology of porcine circovirus. Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund, Project 97000099, 14 pgs.

Harms, P.A., 1999a. Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome – case studies. Proc. 7th Annu. Iowa Swine Dis. Conf. Swine Pract. 43-47.

Harmes, P.A. 1999b. Hepatopathy associated with spontaneous type 2 porcine circovirus infection in caesarian derived/colostrum deprived pigs. Proc. Amer. Assoc. Vet. Lab. Diagn. 4.

Harms, P.A., Sorden, S.D., Halbur, P.G., 2000. Experimental reproduction of severe disease is CD/CD co-infected pigs with PRRS and type 2 porcine circovirus. Proc. Am. Assoc. Swine Pract. 325-326.

Janke, B., 2000. Case report: porcine circovirus as a cause of reproductive problems. Proc. Iowa Vet. Med. Assoc. 101.

Jolie, R., Runnels, P., McGavin, D., 2000. Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in a group of caesarian derived colostrum deprived pigs. Proc. 16th Int. Pig. Vet. Soc. Congress.

Kennedy, S., Moffett, D., McNeilly, F., Meehan, B., Ellis, J., Krakowka, S., Allan, G., 2000. Reproduction of lesions of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome by infection of conventional pigs with porcine circovirus type 2 alone or in combination with porcine parvovirus. J. Comp. Pathol. 122, 9-24.

Krakowka, S., Ellis, J.A., Meehan, B., Kennedy, S., McNeilly, F., Allan, G., 2000. Viral wasting syndrome of swine: experimental reproduction of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in gnotobiotic swine by coinfection with porcine circovirus 2 and porcine parvovirus. Vet. Pathol. 37, 254-263.

Madec, F., Eveno, E., Morvan, P., Hamon, L., Blanchard, P., Cariolet, R., Amenna, N., Marvan, H., Truong, C., Mahe, D., Albina, E., Jestin, A., 2000. Post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) in pigs in France: clinical observations from follow-up studies on affected farms. Livestock Prod. Sci. 63, 223-233.

McIntosh KA, Harding JCS, Ellis JA, Appleyard GD. Nested PCR detection and duration of porcine circovirus type 2 in semen from naturally infected boars. Proc International Conf Animal Circoviruses and Associated Diseases, Belfast, Ireland, Sept 11-13, 2005:p93.

Menj XJ. Molecular biology of porcine circoviruses: identification of antigenic epitopes and genetic determinants for virulence. Proc International Conf Animal Circoviruses and Associated Diseases, Belfast, Ireland, Sept 11-13, 2005:p17-19.

O’Connor, B., Gauvreau, H., West, K., Bogdan, J., Ayroud, M., Clark, E., Konoby, C., Allan, G., Ellis, J.A., 2001. Multiple porcine circovirus 2 associated abortion and reproductive failure in a multiple-site swine production unit. Can. Vet. J. 42, 551-553.

Ohlinger, V.F., Schmidt, U., Pesch, S., 2000. Studies on pathogenic aspects of the post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). Proc. 16th Int. Pig. Vet. Soc. Congress.

Rosell, C., Segales, J., Ramos-Vara, JA., Folch, JM., Rodriguez-Arrioja, G.M., Duran, C.O., Balasch, M., Plana-Duran, J., Domingo, M., 2000. Identification of porcine circovirus in tissues of pigs with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome. Vet. Rec. 146, 40-43.

Royer, R., Porntippa, N., Paul, P., Halbur, P., 2000. Susceptibility of porcine circovirus to several commercial and laboratory disinfectants. Proc. Am. Assoc. Swine. Pract. 31, 45.

Sanford SE: 2002. PCV-2 related reproductive failure in startup herds. Proc of the 17th IPVS Congress. P171.

Smith, W.J., Thompson, J.R., Done, S., 1993. Dermatitis/nephropathy syndrome of pigs. Vet. Rec. 132, 47.

Thompson, J., Smith, B., Allan, G., McNeilly, F., McVicar, C., 2000. PDNS, PMWS and porcine circovirus type 2 in Scotland. Vet. Rec. 146, 651-652.

Wellenberg, G.J., Pesch, S., Berndsen, F.W., Steverink, P.J.G.M., Hunneman, W., Vorst, T.J.K.-van-der, Peperkamp, N.H.M.T., Ohlinger, V.F., Schippers, R., Oirschot, J.T.-van, Jong, M.F.-de. 2000. Isolation and characterization of porcine circovirus type 2 from pigs showing signs of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in the Netherlands. Vet. Quarterly. 22, 167-172

West, K.W., Bystrom, J., Wojnarowicz, C., 1999. Myocarditis and abortion associated with intrauterine infection of sows with porcine circovirus-2. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 11(6),
530-532.

White, M., Higgins, R.J., 1993. Dermatitis nephropathy syndrome of pigs. Vet. Rec. 132, 199.

Manure separation using a belt conveyor system: impact on odour and gaseous emissions

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Summary

A new housing system for grower-finisher pigs that incorporates a belt conveyor (BC) system to separate feces from the urine at the pen level was developed. Comparative tests showed that the performance and well-being of the animals were not adversely affected by the use of the BC pen design. The system was effective in isolating most of the phosphorus in a low mass solid phase. The overall trends in gas emission rates showed that the BC pen design concept can help reduce the emission rate of carbon dioxide. No significant impact was observed for ammonia and odour emissions.

Introduction

Environmental concerns from handling large volumes of manure from livestock operations have led to exploration of new and innovative strategies to be able to manage manure in an economical and environment-friendly manner. In this research project, a new pen design concept for swine barns in which the slatted portion of the pen was replaced with a tilted belt conveyor (BC) to separate the feces and urine at the pen level was investigated. This project was implemented in two phases: Phase 1 conducted at the IRDA facilities in Québec involved the development of the BC pen design concept and assessment of efficiency of separation of the solid and liquid components. The main goal of Phase 2 trials conducted at PSCI was to compare the odour and gaseous emissions from a chamber with the BC system (Figure 1) with those from another chamber with a conventional (slats and underfloor gutter) manure handling system.

Results and Discussion

Results of four trials conducted at IRDA showed that the BC system has been very effective in isolating most of the phosphorus in a low mass solid phase; 76 to 81% of the phosphorus excreted by the pigs in the BC room was isolated within the solid phase of excreta. Results also showed that 39 to 48% of total nitrogen in the urine while feces contained almost the same nitrogen concentration (40 to 45% of total nitrogen). The total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) content of the urine ranged from 75 to 79%, which was the level expected because TAN originates mainly from urea degradation produced in urine. From a phosphorus management perspective, the new pen design concept thus showed the potential to isolate approximately 80% of the phosphorus in a solid phase representing 20% of the total manure mass.

Pigs housed in the pen equipped with the BC system were more frequently observed lying down in the resting area than pigs housed in the conventional (control) pen. They also tended to use the dunging zone less frequently for lying than pigs in the control pen, suggesting that the BC system may possibly promote pen cleanliness. The frequency of feeding and drinking episodes was unaffected by the BC system, which is in agreement with the feed intake and feed conversion data.

The overall trends in gas concentration levels (e.g., ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2)) observed in trials conducted at PSCI and IRDA indicated that the BC pen design contributed to the reduction in the levels of these gases. The odour concentration values for samples taken from the conventional and BC rooms were highly variable, thus statistical comparison of the odour values from the two chambers showed no significant difference (p>0.05). In terms of gas emissions, the BC pen design concept can help reduce the emission rate of specific gases (e.g., CO2) compared to the conventional room (Table 1). No significant impact of the system was observed for emissions of other gases (e.g., NH3) and odour.

Conclusions

1. The BC pen design concept proved effective in separating the urine and solid manure components on a continuous basis, thereby allowing more effective management and handling of the nutrients (particularly phosphorus and nitrogen) in the separated components.
2. The performance and well-being of the animals were not adversely affected by the use of the BC pen design.
3. The overall trends in gas (ammonia and carbon dioxide) concentration levels observed indicated that the BC pen design contributed to the reduction in the levels of these gases.
4. The odour concentration values for the samples taken from the conventional and BC rooms were highly variable, thus statistical comparison of the odour values from the two chambers showed no significant difference.
5. The overall trends in gas emission rates showed that the BC pen design concept can help reduce the emission rate of carbon dioxide compared to the conventional room design. However, the BC system had no significant impact on ammonia and odour emissions. Further work to better assess the technology can be made with enhanced control of inlet air contaminant levels and improved techniques for measuring odour.

The experiments with the BC pen design concept also revealed potential areas for further work to optimize the system and to realize significant benefits from the use of such a system in addition to those already identified. By separating the manure into two streams, the BC system can help mitigate the hazard from H2S exposure in swine barns. An optimized BC pen design can be potentially incorporated into a deep-pit barn construction with separate in-barn long-term storage for the separated components, without the typical hazards from high H2S levels associated with conventional deep-pit barns.

Acknowledgement

Strategic funding provided by Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork Council and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food. Project funding provided by Cement Association of Canada and Institut de Recherche et de Développement en Agroenvironnement. Technical assistance provided by Garth MacDonald, Scott Cortus, Robert Fengler, and Erin Cortus is acknowledged.

Effect of 5 ppm Ractopamine in Finishing Swine Diets on Growth Performance and Carcass Quality

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Development of Weanling Feeding Program Based on Age and Weight

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Summary
Pigs were divided at weaning into 2 weight groups and 2 age groups and fed 3 different amounts of a Phase 1 diet to examine whether weaning feeding programs should be tailored to the age and/or weight of the pig. Bodyweight at weaning, but not age resulted in improved performance at day 53 post-weaning. Feeding program had no effect on growth or feed efficiency performance, or the variability in growth.

Introduction
Feeding the newly weaned pig is becoming an increasingly complex challenge, as multiple forces present themselves to pork producers. These forces include needs for lower cost, less antibiotic usage, improved performance and reduced variability. In this experiment, the impact of both the pig weight and age at weaning, as well as the quantity of each phase of diet offered to the pig were evaluated. We hypothesized that the lighter pig, and the younger pig within the lighter sub-group, would respond more to the higher quality diets; and therefore they would improve relative to similar pigs fed a poorer diet. This would result in improved overall performance and a reduction in body weight variability at the time of nursery exit.

Results and Discussion
Diet nor intake treatment affected performance (P > 0.05).> Initial body weight group affected final BW (Table 2), ADG (Table 3) and ADFI (Table 4) throughout the trial (P < 0.001). Initial age affected BW and feed intake, but surprisingly had no effect on ADG or feed efficiency. Within a weight block, the older pigs began the trial 40 to 70 grams heavier than the younger pigs. The effect of initial weight and age on BW was observed at each weigh point, but became less pronounced as the trial progressed. Heavier pigs consistently grew faster than lighter pigs, and older pigs generally grew faster than younger pigs. Similar results were observed for feed intake. The effects of initial body weight group and age on feed efficiency (Table 5) were inconsistent. Generally, heavier pigs used feed more efficiently than lighter pigs; this effect achieved significance by the second half of the experiment. However, by the final week of the experiment, pigs in the young treatment group tended to have an improved feed efficiency relative to those which were older at weaning. The coefficient of variability (CV) of body weight was calculated within pens (n = 8); therefore it is possible that single aberrant pigs may skew the result (Table 6) and these numbers are not representative of the CV of the weaning group. The CV was less for heavier pigs throughout the experiment. Since this effect was observed at d 0 it is a reflection of the variability observed with the light weight pigs at the experiment initiation. Age had no effect on CV. Implications Pigs which are heavier at weaning perform better than lighter pigs, regardless of age or intake of Phase 1 diet, which had only modest effects on performance. Acknowledgements Strategic funding provided by Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Development Fund. Funding for this project Hamlet Protein, Denmark is gratefully appreciated.

Overview of on-going projects in the PSCI Engineering Research Program

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Summary

Three research projects were started within the PSCI Engineering Research Program that involve controlling emissions using nanoparticles, assessing barn energy use to reduce utility costs, and evaluating a new housing system for grower-finisher pigs. The goals and the activities within each project are described.

Introduction

Research activities within the PSCI Engineering Research Program are aimed to address environmental sustainability concerns relevant to the pork industry and to optimize the physical and management systems within swine operations to improve net profitability. In line with these goals, three research projects were started within the program during the past year. However, these studies are in the early stages of the research process, thus, discussion of final results is not yet possible. This overview provides a brief description of each project and the activities that will be undertaken over the coming year.

Use of nanoparticles to control emissions from swine manure slurry
(B. Predicala, D. Asis; funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC))

The overall goal of this research is to determine the technical feasibility of using reactive nanoparticles to reduce odour and gaseous emissions from swine barns. The rationale for this research is to take advantage of recent advances in nanoparticle technology to develop control measures for odour and gaseous emissions from swine facilities.

Nanotechnology refers broadly to the control and manipulation of atoms and molecules to create structures and devices at nanoscale dimensions with novel properties and functions attributed to their small size. Nanoparticles are nanoscale materials that are created by controlled processes to attain specific properties. The multitude of uses of nanoparticles includes environmental applications such as wastewater remediation, destruction of toxins and pathogenic microorganisms, as well as air filtration and purification. These applications were mainly due to inherent properties of nanoparticles which can be highly-reactive when in contact with the target compounds, particles, or microorganisms. Because emissions from swine barns consist mainly of gaseous compounds (e.g., odour, hydrogen sulphide (H2S), ammonia (NH3)) and aerosolized particles of biological origin (i.e., bioaerosols), it is hypothesized that reactive nanoparticles could also be effective in controlling emissions from swine operations.

Initial experiments were conducted to test the impact of nanoparticles on selected target gases at known concentration. Six types of nanoparticles were selected based on their performance in previous similar applications, their reported chemical and physical properties, and from consultation with technical staff of a company that manufactures these materials.

Using the sampling flow rate and amount of particles determined from preliminary tests, the results of the tests on these six types of nanoparticles and other common materials are shown in Figure 1. The values shown are the normalized concentrations, meaning lower values (<1.0) indicate better effectiveness in reducing the target gas concentration. Among the nanoparticles tested, the top three materials based on effect on 50-ppm NH3 target gas were Al2O3, TiO2 and ZnO, which corresponded to a reduction of 85.6%, 85.2%, and 78%, respectively. Using MgO, MgO+ and ZnO nanoparticles, the concentration of H2S was reduced to <1.0 ppm (below detection level of the H2S monitor used) from an initial 25-ppm concentration. Additionally, Al2O3 and TiO2, which were previously found to be effective for NH3, were able to reduce the concentration of H2S by 57% and 13%, respectively. Further tests will be conducted to test the impact of various nanoparticles on other target gases and on the actual gas mixtures emitted from swine slurry. In addition to air filtration, other deployment techniques such as mixing of the nanoparticles with slurry and dispersion of the particles to treat the emitted gas will also be evaluated. Additional room-scale tests will be conducted to ensure that the nanoparticles proven to be effective in controlling the gas emissions can be used safely in swine barns in a cost-effective manner. Reducing energy costs in swine barns (B. Predicala, J. Patience, E. Navia; funded by the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS) Program) The overall objective of this project is to reduce energy costs in swine operations in order to reduce overall production costs. With energy costs rising on a global basis, the ability to produce pork with lower energy inputs could represent a significant competitive advantage to our industry, particularly with respect to our main global competitors, which are typically dependent on intensive energy inputs. Current estimates of utility costs (gas and electricity) indicate that they range from about $6-10 per pig sold on a farrow-to-finish basis and thus are the third largest variable cost, after feed and labour. However, there is a need to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of actual energy use in typical swine production facilities in western Canada to be able to establish a relevant benchmark on current energy cost per pig sold and to identify the energy intensive tasks in barns and potential areas for improvement. This project will be conducted in four phases. Currently, the first phase is on-going which involves a survey of a representative sample of different types of swine operations to gather baseline information on current energy usage. A series of energy audits of selected facilities will be done over winter and summer seasons to validate the survey results, to assess the relationship of level of energy input to overall productivity of the operation and indoor air quality, and to document current management practices for efficient energy utilization. The second phase will involve the assessment of the impact of different energy-saving strategies on overall energy costs using computer simulation. Using information gathered from the survey and from barn audits, a computer model will be set up to enable us to conduct a thorough evaluation of various energy-conservation measures in a cost-effective manner without having to apply and test each measure in an actual set-up. In subsequent phase of the project, the most promising measures based on the results of the simulation phase will be selected and applied in an actual swine barn to demonstrate their actual impact on total energy costs. The fourth phase will involve the development of a user-friendly software tool for use by pork producers to evaluate current energy use in their own facilities, and to help in the decision making process on adopting specific energy conservation measures appropriate for their operations. Assessment of an alternative swine grow-out facility (B. Predicala, J. Patience, H. Gonyou; funded by the Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Saskatchewan (ACAAFS) Program and the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board) Barn construction and capitalization represent a significant percentage of the cost of producing a market hog. Furthermore, because of the current construction environment in western Canada, this cost component can be a major disadvantage to our industry, especially with respect to our main global competitors. Additionally, barn design and construction can have a major impact on the operation and management of the barn, thus significantly influencing the performance of animals and the general work environment for barn workers. Hence, a newly- constructed grow-out facility using non-conventional, low-cost building techniques presents a valuable opportunity to closely investigate a means for reducing capital costs, while documenting as well its impact on overall productivity, and other operational aspects that could be affected. The overall objective of this work is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the economic and operational aspects of building and operating a non-conventional confinement barn constructed using low-cost building methods and materials. The main approach of this work is to assess and monitor different parameters and various aspects of the operation that may likely be impacted by the difference in building construction approach, relative to a conventional barn. Additionally, any new costs or benefits and operational requirements unique to these swine housing units will also be documented. This work will be divided into different modules, each dealing with a different aspect of the operation. The different modules include: 1. capital costs, 2. productivity and operational efficiency 3. environment and manure management, 4. animal welfare and handling, and 5. economic and feasibility analysis. Each module will be implemented as a sub-project, with its own protocols developed to meet the specific module objectives. The timeline for each module would include baseline data gathering for the initial year of operation, analysis of the data to identify strengths and weaknesses of the system, development of improvement measures whenever appropriate, implementation of those measures, and subsequent monitoring of the impact on the parameters within the scope of the module. Current activities for this project include the setting up of the environmental monitoring system in the barn, and collection of data on the construction of the barn units and on the performance of the first batch of pigs. Expected activities and Project completion All these on-going studies are multi-year projects, thus, results from the activities over the coming year will be reported in subsequent Annual Research Reports. The bench-scale tests on evaluating various types of nanoparticles and deployment techniques will be completed next year, as well as the benchmark survey and energy audits for the energy cost reduction project. Over the next year, data on several room turns in the low-cost barn units will be collected. Combined with the data on barn construction and operation costs, this will enable us to make a preliminary assessment of the overall performance of the operation.

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