Economic impact of research in the pork industry

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on January 1, 2005 | No Comments

Pork producers are continually looking for areas in which they can gain a competitive advantage. One of these areas is through early adoption of research results. The possibility of lowering production costs and increasing revenues through successful implementation and use of new technologies is of great interest in the pork industry. However, the financial risks and rewards perceived may limit the extent of technological adoption. Prairie Swine Centre together with George Morris Centre have developed an analytical tool to help provide more detail on the economic impact of research results. This model can simulate the economic impact by applying Prairie Swine Centre research results to various sizes of commercial farms. This information allows the producer to assess current technologies that would best fit their operation.
Estimating economic impact on an operation is very important when implementing new technologies. Twenty-two Prairie Swine Centre experiments between 1999-2004 were selected for a detailed financial analysis in order to value the economic impact of research on the pork industry. These experiments were then prioritized in terms of net benefit per hog marketed and ease of adoption. It was found that the specific research projects selected between 1999-2004 generated net benefits to producers of $0.11-$8.84 per hog marketed. Of these projects analyzed, 25% generated at least $2.00/hog marketed and another 25% generated more than $1.00/hog marketed. Overall, the main objective was to assist pork producers in identifying ways to minimize costs and maximize revenues by 1) identifying technologies, 2) prioritizing actions in terms of ease of application and 3) implementing them in a strategic manner.
Ease of adoption of experiments was divided into categories of Easy, Moderate and Difficult. It was estimated that 80% of the Easy category experiments were adopted by pork industry producers, 40% of the Moderate level experiments and 10% of the category deemed Difficult. Annual benefit to the pork industry is $160 million with two thirds generated from adopted Easy and Moderate categories of projects. Research pays big dividends! The continued provision of applied near market research done at Prairie Swine Centre benefit both pork producers and the industry. Even if not all producers are able to implement all research results they would still realize a significant improvement to their bottom line through incorporation of any number of research results. If 10% of the benefit was adopted it would improve net return over $3.00/hog marketed.

Industry Leadership Award presented to John Patience

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

For Immediate Release:

Industry Leadership Award presented to John Patience

Saskatoon, SK., March 30, 2005: Dr. John Patience, President and CEO of Prairie Swine Centre recently received the Industry Leadership Award from the Alberta Pork Congress.
“The Elanco Animal Health sponsored Pork Industry Leadership Award seeks to honour individuals whose efforts reflect a commitment above and beyond accepted expectations of the pork industry in Alberta; to recognize individuals whose actions have become a valuable asset to the pork industry; and to acknowledge individuals whose actions have become models for peer recognition” quoted Trent Harris, Awards Chair for the Alberta Pork Congress. Mr. Harris went on to note “The committee was very supportive of the nomination of Dr. Patience as a worthy recipient of this award, and our first out-of-province award winner”.
Harry Korthuis, a member of the committee who nominated Dr. Patience, points out “John’s been an active participant in the pork industry for over 20 years in western Canada, providing a significant resource to pork producers both small and large. In particular, the activities of the Prairie Swine Centre over the past dozen years have made it easy to access practical research at numerous local meetings across the prairie region. “ On the nomination for the Leadership Award Mr. Korthuis stated “Personally I really appreciate being able to get straight answers from John, you know they are backed up with good data, and the fact that he has always made himself available to answer questions and help you apply the information profitably – This is the defining difference when I think of leadership.”
Dr. Patience accepted the Industry Leadership Award at the Alberta Pork Congress Industry Awards Banquet March 16 in Red Deer, Alberta. In accepting the award Dr. Patience noted the importance of the team of researchers, technicians, students and managers at Prairie Swine Centre Inc. who make it possible to receive such recognition.
Prairie Swine Centre Inc., located in Saskatoon, is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan, and is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science in pork production in the disciplines of Nutrition, Engineering and Animal Behaviour.

-30-

For more information, contact:
John Patience
President,
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
Phone: 306-667-7442
Fax: 306-955-2510
E-mail: patience@sask.usask.ca

Lee Whittington
Manager, Information Services
Prairie Swine Centre Inc.
Phone: 306-667-7447
Fax: 306-955-2510
E-mail: Whittington@sask.usask.ca

The effects of housing grow-finish pigs in two different group sizes and at two floor space allocations

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Past studies on small group housing has found negative impacts of crowding on welfare. It has also been suggested that pigs in large groups are able to use space more efficiently. However, there has not been much research done on crowding in large groups. This study assesses space requirements for both small and large groups of pigs. The effects of space restriction on pig performance, behaviour, physiology, health and welfare was evaluated. Overall, crowded pigs had a lower growth rate and lower final body weight than uncrowded pigs. During the final week of the study growth rate was depressed 9.8%. Pigs housed in large groups experienced a 5.4% growth depression during the first 4 days after group formation. Interestingly, the first sign of depression in response to crowding occurred much sooner in large groups than in the small groups. However, the rate of depression of gain was more gradual in the large groups, therefore, final weights were similar for both small and large crowded groups of pigs. Overall crowded pigs had lower feed efficiency than uncrowded pigs. The level of crowding did not seem to have an effect on injury scoring or need for medical treatment. Group size did seem to affect injury scoring since pigs housed in large groups experienced a greater severity of lameness and leg injuries. Both crowding and large group housing were found to have negative impacts on pig performance. There was also little evidence to support that pigs in large groups were able to use space more efficiently than pigs in small groups.

Engineering controls to reduce hydrogen sulfide exposure to workers in swine buildings

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Engineering controls to reduce hydrogen sulfide exposure
of workers in swine buildings

Bernardo Predicala1, Stéphane Lemay2, Claude Laguë3, Shala Christianson1

Summary

Three engineering control measures were developed and tested for effectiveness in protecting swine barn workers from exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas during manure handling events. A remote manure pit plug pulling system allowed the worker to pull the manure pit plug from outside the room, thereby significantly reducing risk of worker exposure to H2S. A water sprinkling apparatus was also devised, which resulted in 79% reduction of H2S gas concentration under optimal laboratory conditions. However, the use of a similar system on agitated manure showed the opposite effect. A manure scraper system was installed to remove manure daily from the manure pit of a grower-finisher room. Preliminary measurements showed that H2S levels were 80 to 96% lower in the scraper room than in a similar room with a conventional pull-plug system. However, higher ammonia emissions were observed in the scraper room compared to the conventional grower-finisher room.

Introduction

High levels of H2S can have detrimental effects on both workers and swine. Previous research by the Prairie Swine Centre Inc. (PSCI) indicated that workers are at risk of exposure to potentially hazardous H2S levels when performing manure management tasks, such as pulling manure pit plugs. The main goal of this project is to develop practical measures that can prevent or reduce worker exposure to high H2S concentration in swine buildings. Three different systems were investigated in separate modules.

Module 1 – Improved Design for Pit Plugs

In this module, an improved pit plug concept that allowed for pulling the plugs from a remote location was designed and evaluated. Two undergraduate students, assisted by technical staff at University of Saskatchewan and PSCI, designed and built a prototype system (Fig. 1). The system was installed in two grower-finisher rooms at PSCI and tested by measuring H2S concentrations using a H2S monitor (Draeger Pac III monitor with a H2S sensor, Draeger, Lübeck, Germany) during the plug-pulling operations.

After examining several plug designs, the extended cone plug was selected and installed. Monitoring of H2S levels during nine plug-pulling events showed that the maximum H2S concentration in the room over the plug area was 68 ppm, while corresponding concentrations at the alleyway near the winch was 0 ppm. Hence, the system was very effective in protecting the worker from being exposed to H2S by allowing the worker to perform the task away from the plug area.

Module 2 – H2S Abatement by Water-based Liquid Spray

Because H2S is water soluble, it was hypothesized that spraying a water-based liquid over agitated manure would reduce emissions into the air. In this module, a laboratory spray chamber was set up to determine the impact of a water-based spray on H2S levels in the chamber (Fig. 2). Preliminary tests were done to investigate the reduction in H2S levels as affected by various parameters such as type of spray nozzle, water pressure, temperature and pH, as well as the use of various chemical additives.

Laboratory tests with various combinations of test parameters consistently reduced the concentration of pure H2S gas released into the chamber (Fig. 3). Using a hollow cone nozzle at 200 kPa with water at pH = 9 resulted in a 79% reduction of the peak H2S levels. The treatment was applied to a set of barrels filled with swine manure. In four control barrels where no spray was applied, manure agitation produced an average of 148 ppm, with a peak reading of 520 ppm measured from the exhaust air. However, application of the water-spray treatment increased the average and maximum H2S concentrations to 273 and 690 ppm, respectively. Because these were not consistent with the observations in the laboratory study, it was suspected that other gases generated in the manure barrel affected the Draeger Pac III monitor. Additional tests are on-going to investigate the water-spray treatment further.

Module 3 – Manure Scraper System to Reduce H2S Levels

In this module, a manure pit scraper system (Fig. 4) was installed in a grower-finisher room to remove swine manure on a daily basis. Its effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the air quality in the scraper room and a similar room (Control) with conventional manure pit-plug system.

The scraper system was evaluated over two production cycles; during each trial both rooms were monitored closely over four one-week periods. Table 1 summarises the maximum H2S concentrations measured at two locations in the rooms. Compared to the control room, the maximum H2S concentrations were lower in the scraper room by an average of 80% over the plug area and by an average of 96% over the middle pen. Additionally, the maximum H2S levels in the control room exceeded the 15-ppm ceiling occupational exposure limit (OEL) value on three occasions during the two trials, while no peak H2S readings were higher than this limit value in the scraper room. The ceiling OEL is the maximum concentration of a biological or chemical agent to which a worker may be exposed, i.e., no worker should be exposed to any levels above this limit at any time.

During the two trials, significant levels of ammonia were measured in the incoming inlet air for both rooms, possibly due to recirculation of air exhausted from the fans into the supply air as well as from possible back draft of ammonia from adjacent rooms into the barn attic. The weekly average ammonia concentrations measured at the exhaust was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the scraper room (11.3 ppm, SD = 2.3 ppm) than in the control room (9.8 ppm, SD = 2.1 ppm), although the mean difference was smaller than the indicated accuracy of the ammonia analyzer. The calculated ammonia emissions were about 44% higher in the scraper room, which was attributed to the formation of a film of excreta on the pit bottom surface after scraping; this has been previously reported as possibly causing increased ammonia emissions in scraper systems. However, the observed ammonia levels were still lower than the 25-ppm OEL for ammonia, despite the presence of ammonia in the incoming air. Additional tests are on-going to determine the effectiveness of maintaining a layer of standing water at the bottom of the manure channel to control ammonia emissions. Conclusions A remote manure plug pulling system was successfully developed. Results showed that the system was effective in preventing worker exposure to H2S by allowing the pulling of the plugs from the alleyway. A water-spray treatment showed consistent reduction in H2S levels in a laboratory study. However, application of the treatment on agitated manure showed opposite effect on H2S. A manure scraper system used for daily manure removal from a swine room was effective in reducing H2S to levels below the maximum exposure limit for worker's safety. The system generated higher ammonia levels, although peak readings did not exceed the ammonia exposure limit value. Additional tests are being conducted to further investigate both the scraper and the water-spray systems. Acknowledgment Strategic funding provided by Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork, and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Development Fund. Project funding provided by Sask Pork, Agriculture Development Fund, and PIC Canada. (a) (b) (c) Figure 1. Improved pit-plug design showing the (a) extended cone plug, (b) with cable attached and plug-height stop, and (c) the cable-winch system for remotely pulling the plug from outside the room. Figure 2. Schematic diagram of laboratory set-up used to determine the effect of water-based spray on H2S levels in the chamber. Figure 3. Summary of laboratory test results (Nozzle Types: H (hollow cone) and F (full cone); Water Type: pH (water at pH 9), HP (water with hydrogen peroxide added), and N (normal water); Pressures: 70, 140 and 200 kPa). Figure 4. Scraper blade used for daily removal of manure from the pit. The manure pit has drains at both ends, through which the scraped manure was emptied to the sewer line. Table 1. Summary of maximum H2S concentration (ppm) measured in the scraper and control rooms. Control Scraper Date Over plug Middle pen Over plug Middle pen Trial 1 10-Mar-04 4.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 24-Mar-04 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 7-Apr-04 9.0 0.0 11.0 7.0 21-Apr-04 12.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 Trial 2 30-Jun-04 12.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 21-Jul-04 95.0 N/A 6.0 N/A 11-Aug-04 40.0 30.0 2.0 0.0 25-Aug-04 30.0 10.0 1.0 2.0 Average 25.3 6.9 2.5 1.3 SD 31.2 10.8 4.0 2.6 N/A – data not available, instrument malfunction

Larger Groups for Grower-Finisher Pigs: Feeding and Social Behaviours and Impacts on Social Stress.

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

The dynamics of feeding and other behavioural activities of pigs in large social groups are not well understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of feeding and other behavioural activities and the impacts of larger social groups on social stress in grower finisher pigs. One main concern of large group sizes for pigs is the potential for increased social stressors. Results from this experiment do not support this concern as no short or long-term responses of social stress were observed. Overall it was found that feeding behaviour was disturbed immediately following regrouping into large group sizes. Larger groups also seemed to take additional time to adapt feeding behaviours. Other behaviours such as eating/drinking, standing/walking and resting as well as diurnal patterns of these activities were not affected by large group housing. It is suggested that management of feeding behaviour in terms of accessing feeders may be critical immediately following formation of pigs into larger groups.

Nutritional value of corn and wheat distiller's dried grain with solubles: digestibility and digestible contents of nutrients and growth performance of grower-finisher pigs

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Summary
Nutritional value of corn, wheat+corn (4:1) and wheat distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) for grower-finisher pigs was evaluated. Corn DDGS had the highest digestible energy (DE) and ileal digestible lysine contents but the digestible phosphorus (P) content was similar among DDGS samples. Following characterization of its digestible nutrient profile, DDGS still resulted in reductions in growth performance, suggesting that either the reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) or other nutritional factors for DDGS deserve further investigation to ensure a successful implementation of DDGS in swine diets.

Introduction
DDGS is primarily a by-product from the cereal grain-based ethanol industry. With the growth of the ethanol industry, increasing quantities of DDGS are available for livestock rations. However, the potential of DDGS in swine industry is not fully realized because of the scarcity of information on its nutritional value for swine. In general, DDGS has higher concentrations of nutrients such as protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fibre than its parent grain. These nutrients are concentrated due to the removal of most of the cereal starch as ethanol and carbon dioxide during the fermentation process. Wheat and corn DDGS are potential feed ingredients for the swine industry, although DDGS is presently not an important ingredient in western Canada.

Experimental Procedure
Digestibility Study: Digestibility and digestible contents of energy, amino acid (AA) and P in DDGS were determined, using 12 barrows fitted with ileal T-cannulae. Pigs were fed a wheat-based control diet or one of three diets with 40% corn, wheat+corn or wheat DDGS in two periods in a controlled cross-over design. Diets were fed twice daily at 2.6 x maintenance. After a 6-d acclimation, feces was collected for 3 d, and ileal digesta for 2 d.
Performance Study: A total of 100 grower pigs in 20 pens were fed a wheat-pea control diet or one of three diets with 25% corn, wheat+corn or wheat DDGS for 5 wk. Average daily gain (ADG), ADFI, and feed efficiency (G:F) were determined on weekly basis, for a total of five observations per diet.

Results and Discussion
The chemical and nutritional properties varied among the three DDGS samples. Despite the equivalent or higher total nutrient content, nutrient digestibility was lower for the DDGS than the wheat, except for P, which had a digestibility higher for DDGS than wheat. Nevertheless, the digestible contents of nutrients of interest were higher for DDGS than for the wheat. Finally, DDGS inclusion reduced growth performance of pigs, without affecting feed efficiency.

Conclusion
Overall, the results of this study indicate that the complex carbohydrate profile appears to be a major constraint to the nutritional value of DDGS for pigs due to its influence on feed intake, retention time, and the digestion of energy and other nutrients. Further, the nutritional value of DDGS might be enhanced by improving the AA balance through supplementation with limiting AA like lysine, in synthetic form and concomitant reduction of high fiber level with supplementary enzymes.

Acknowledgments
Program funding was provided by Sask Pork, Alberta Pork, Manitoba Pork and Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food Development Fund. The Agriculture Development Fund of Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization funded the project.

Performance of hydrogen sulphide monitoring devices and a water-spray method to reduce worker exposure in swine barns

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

The performance of commercial hydrogen sulphide (H2S) monitoring devices was verified by comparing readings with a reference analytical method using a gas chromatograph (GC). A spray treatment method was also evaluated for reducing worker exposure to H2S. Spraying with water was effective in reducing the levels of H2S released from agitated manure. An additive mixed with spray water did not help in reducing H2S levels.

Finding Value in Alternative Feed Ingredients

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

`Mustard Meal
Mustard meal might be a valuable ingredient for the swine industry domestically and internationally. In some export markets, concerns exist regarding the voluntary feed intake of pigs fed mustard instead of canola meal in their diets. This study will therefore compare two diets with either mustard meal or canola meal in the diet at a 15% inclusion rate, which is an inclusion rate that should allow to assess if the feed intake concerns are indeed valid, or not and if growth performance differences exist.

A diet containing 15% canola meal was formulated based on 48% corn, 17% soybean meal and 15% wheat was formulated to 3.45 Mcal DE/kg and 2.60 g apparent digestible lysine/Mcal DE. Replacing canola meal 1:1 with mustard meal created a diet containing 15% mustard meal. The pelleted diets were each fed for 28 days to grower pigs housed 5 pigs per pen.

The standard chemical characteristics of mustard meal and canola meal are listed in Table 1.
For each of the four weeks of the experiment, voluntary or average daily feed intake of the grower pigs increased gradually, and differences in voluntary feed intake were not observed between pigs fed mustard meal or canola meal (Table 2).

For the first three weeks of the experiment, average daily gain and feed efficiency did not differ statistically between pigs fed mustard meal or canola meal (P > 0.10). However, pigs fed mustard meal grew 17% more and had a 6-% unit higher feed efficiency during the last week of the experiment (P < 0.05), resulting in an overall tendency for pigs fed mustard meal to grow faster than pigs fed canola meal. Faba Beans Faba bean (Vicia faba minor) production is not new to western Canada. Research was completed in the early 1970’s; however, tannin and other anti-nutritional factors limited the use faba beans in swine diets. Presently, zero-tannin faba bean varieties are available. The general purpose of this project was to remove barriers, which were preventing increased production and use of zero-tannin faba beans in Alberta, especially in the Parkland and Peace regions. Analysis of the nutrient content of zero-tannin faba beans and a subsequent performance study confirming equal performance were thus needed. Objectives were (1) to determine chemical characteristics, energy and amino acid (AA) digestibility, the content of DE and NE, and tannin content of zero-tannin faba beans; and (2) to compare growth performance variables and carcass quality of grower-finisher pigs fed zero-tannin faba beans to soybean meal.

Financial Impact of Production Research Reveals Benefits are Shared by All

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Saskatoon – Financial benefit is an important part of applied research, and the ability to predict that impact on commercial farms just got better. A new analytical tool developed jointly between Prairie Swine Centre (Saskatoon, SK) and George Morris Centre (Guelph, ON) provides pork producers with one more piece of information to help them determine which new technology is right for their farm.

“The new financial model is capable of considering the cost savings and improvement in revenues achieved by applying our research findings on a commercial farm. The model is capable of simulating the typical financial impact of changing growth rates, lowering feed cost, or even changing capital costs such as replacing the feeders to achieve improved performance” notes Lee Whittington, Manager of Information Services and co-author of the study. “Estimating the financial impact of research on the commercial farm is a key step each farm must go through when adopting a new technology or management technique.”

One very interesting finding of the project is that many of the benefits of improved performance are actually not farm size dependant. Many productivity improvements had as large or greater improvement on net margins on farms of 300 or 600 sows as it did on much larger operations. “When you improve Net Margins on the farm through changes to variable costs such as feed, the impact is actually greatest where costs or overhead per pig is largest, so it is more related to initial feed costs, or building depreciation costs then it is size of operation” according to Ken Engele, Assistant Manager Information Services and co-author on the project. The project identified that improvements in Net Revenues per pig generated by the research conducted during the past six years at Prairie Swine Centre varied from a few cents to tens of dollars per pig.

The Prairie Swine Centre was motivated to develop the model to give pork producers, who help identify and fund research at the Centre, an edge in the international market place by helping to answer the question “its good research but what is the payback for investing in a more complex feeding program for example?” By being better able to describe the financial outcome of adopting new research it moves the decision process on the farm one step closer to adopting the information sooner and thus reaping the benefits months or years earlier than the rest of the pork producing world. “As an exporting nation, finding and maintaining an advantage through reduced costs or improved revenues is critical to the industry’s long-term success” notes Whittington. “Although not every producer can adopt every research report produced by Prairie Swine Centre, selecting which research results will have the most impact on the financial performance of the farm just became more accurate.”

Prairie Swine Centre Inc., located in Saskatoon, is a non-profit research corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan, and is recognized globally for its contributions to practical, applied science in pork production in the disciplines of Nutrition, Engineering and Animal Behaviour.

Dr. Mike Seridan named 2005 Swine Practitioner of the Year

Posted in: Prairie Swine Centre by admin on | No Comments

Each year since 1977 the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) has recognized outstanding swine practitioners who demonstrate exceptional service to their veterinary clients. The Award is the Association’s highest honor. Dr. Sheridan is a partner and owner of Sheridan, Heuser, Provis Swine Health Services with offices in Steinbach and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Mike, along with his three veterinarian partners, five associate veterinarians, and eight support staff provide veterinary care and management advice to a large portion of the swine farms throughout Manitoba.

Dr. Sheridan started his career in Selkirk, Manitoba in 1977 after graduating from the Ontario Veterinary College that same year. Mike worked in a mixed, large animal practice until 1988 when he and Dr. Walter Heuser formed a partnership focused on swine disease and management. A new concept at the time, the specialized swine practice grew involving clients throughout western Canada and internationally.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sheridan recognized the value of being involved in providing leadership to his profession and the industry. As early as 1982, Mike was preparing home study courses on herd health for the Manitoba Department of Agriculture. Finding like minds in innovative swine management lead Mike to be one of the founding members of the VIDO Swine Technical Group. Mike has served on the Manitoba Pork Council Welfare Committee, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Welfare Committee, as a member of the Board of Directors for AASV for 6 years, and most recently Dr. Sheridan serves on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association executive.

We asked Mike what was his secret to success in his practice. “Having the answers when your clients need them is important. I have a very good liaison with the other swine practitioners in Canada and the US, this is an invaluable resource for our client base.”

Mike and his partners are very passionate about continuing education, devoting time and energy to stay informed in their industry and providing opportunities for their clients to access information readily through meetings organized at their clinic, producing courses and even videos. Sheridan, Heuser, Provis Swine Health Services continue to be actively involved in the evolution of the industry, serving on committees, contributing their energies and financial resources to new projects like the Pork Interpretive Gallery. Dr. Sheridan notes “After years of creating biosecurity barriers to visitors going into pig barns for herd health protection, we jumped at the opportunity to support the PSC to allow the public to see our industry from the inside. The P.I.G. showcases what we feel is a great industry.”