PEDv Manure Sampling Protocol

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on January 5, 2015 | No Comments

PEDv can affect all pigs and is often fatal to newborn pigs. However, it does not affect any other species, including humans, and is not a food safety issue. 

Manitoba Pork has initiated a PEDv Manure Sampling project in 2014.

To participate in the project, producers can contact project coordinator, Darlene Meakin, at 204-897-0622 or dmeakin@manitobapork.com.

The following video produced by Manitoba Pork will take you through proper manure sampling procedure in testing for PEDv.

Barn Integrity Assessment Checklist

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on December 2, 2014 | No Comments

On the third week of March 2014 pork producers saw something they had never seen before – individual pigs sold for more than $300 each. The fact that this coincided with moderating grain prices meant that margins had never been better in recent memory (last 7 years). Now what? Although there is plenty of debt to soak up these margins, there is a noticeable change in perceptions on the future of the pork industry. A new future could be imagined that included facility and equipment renewal. Over the next 2 years there will be plans and purchase decisions made to address pent up demand by facilities and their managers to address the repair and maintenance concerns of pig barns.  Nationally we have an aging ‘fleet’ of barns, with the last big building effort concentrated between 1991 and 1998; these barns have seen more than half their productive life, even with good maintenance. This is complicated by the fact the maintenance and repairs over the past 7 years have been well below the level required to keep the ‘fleet’ in tip top shape. Some barns have passed their ‘best before date’, but for those barns we want to remain operational for the next 20 years we need to consider reinvestment.  The challenge, there are many demands and few resources so how do you decide where the first dollar should be spent?

It would be nice to “have an app for that” but the complex considerations of capital vs operational investments, people vs infrastructure, and short-term vs long-term return on investment make analysis of this ‘apples and oranges’ comparison very challenging. We challenged ourselves to consider what kind of a tool might assist in making these decisions logical and a good contributor to profitability. We also saw this challenge of barn reinvestment choices being influenced by personal preference, and rather than money spent being a positive influence on future cash flow and profitability, they could be simply expenditures on ‘my favourite things’.

Here is a checklist approach to making objective barn investment decisions. We considered a simple approach using a combination of perceived risk of not making a change in each area, and the impact of a worst case scenario if catastrophic failure of that overlooked area was to occur. Our suggestion is you take a walk around and through the entire barn; you may want to have someone accompany you since perception of risk and impact is subjective and the exercise could benefit from a second opinion. You will also want to take a few tools with you to poke and prod and assess equipment and structure. This is where the title of this article comes in, “Shining a light…” is a direct reference to your need to have a high intensity flashlight with you to inspect below slats, in attics and behind pillars and equipment. We recommend at least 200 ft candle power (as little as $50) and better yet 800 ft candle lights, an inexpensive investment that will bolster your judgment with greater clarity in important areas such as assessing concrete cracks and rafter strength. The other tools you will need include a ladder tall enough to allow you to get on the roof, a small ladder in the barn for accessing attic hatches, and in the tool belt a screwdriver and knife for scrapping and digging, perhaps a can of fluorescent paint to mark areas for re-inspection in the future.

The following Risk Assessment Checklist looks at four areas of consideration (Biosecurity, Structural, Utilities, Operational), certainly more could have been added but in balancing the need for brevity and ease of use against being all encompassing we opted for a quick tool that will reveal the areas of greatest need and allow you to pursue an action plan or seek professional structural or other engineering and construction advice. A special note regarding safety for people working in barns; the structural and utility sections of the checklist identify safety considerations, for example marked exits, emergency egress exits and fire separation to increase time to exit the building, these may not have been part of the original barn plan but should be considered essential upgrades as we evaluate our barn structures.

A special thanks to Murray Elliot, of FGC Limited (Stratford, Ontario) for his valued input into this project.

To view the full document and assessment check list please click on the following link.

Barn Integrity Checklist

National Sow Housing Conversion Newsletter

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on November 20, 2014 | No Comments

“Barn conversions and new builds for group housing represent a huge cost to the pig industry”, says Dr. Brown. “Our goal is to put together the best possible information, in terms of barn layout, sow management, and cost of construction, to help Canadian producers who are considering this investment.” While countries in the EU have banned stall use except during breeding and early pregnancy (embryo implantation) as of January 2013, the new Canadian Code of Practice encourages the use of group housing systems, but does not totally ban their use. The EU deadline resulted in reports of poor implementation in some countries, with last minute renovations resulting in lost production and poorer welfare in sows. By not having a deadline, Canadian producers can properly consider their options, and chose the right time for them depending on market demands and financing.

The project participants include leading researchers in the science of sow management, and will draw from barn design and management concepts developed in European countries over the past 20 years. “Due to poor market conditions, very little barn construction work has been done in North America over the last 10 years”, says project participant and CEO of the Prairie Swine Centre, Lee Whittington. “By documenting top-notch barn conversions here in Canada, we will develop new expertise and can provide builders and producers with the information they need for successful conversion to group housing.”

In addition to funding from AAFC, the project is supported by provincial pork organizations, Alberta Pork, Sask Pork, the Manitoba Pork Board and Ontario Pork. By taking a consistent and science-based approach on this issue, the Canadian pork industry demonstrates a pro-active approach to sow management that will have long-term benefits to sow welfare and production, while strengthening domestic and export markets.

The full version of the newsletter can be found here.

NSHC Newsletter vol1(1)_Nov2014

2013-2014 Annual Research Report Available

Posted in: Press Releases by admin on September 22, 2014 | No Comments

The 2013-2014 Prairie Swine Centre Annual Report is now available for producer to download at the following link.

2013-2014 Prairie Swine Centre Annual Report

This  year’s Annual Report consists of 14 articles examining new management and technologies that help enhance the bottom line of pork producers.

A Canadian survey of genetic nucleus herds showed moderate levels of lameness and a high prevalence of hoof lesions.
More objective methods of lameness evaluation are needed to effectively monitor prevalence across herds…Page 11

Using a flat tray feeder resulted in more feeder visits per pig in farrowing, and prevented a growth check at day 1 after
weaning, compared to piglets given a standard creep feeder….Page 15

In a large herd with ESF housing, significant benefits were found when housing younger sows (parity 1 and 2) separately versus mixing them with older sows. Younger sows in uniform groups showed reduced lameness and maintained higher backfat levels….Page 16

Barn conversions in demonstration sites across the country will be monitored in the National Sow Housing Conversion
Project. The project results will help to inform producers about the costs of barn conversion and best practices for
group sow housing….Page 19.

An operant mechnaism was developed to allow group-housed sows to control their own environmental temperatures….Page 23

Evaluation of a prototype air filtration system installed on a transport trailer showed that the use of selected microbial
filters can effectively capture bioaerosols and prevent entry into the interior or the trailer….Page 25

Growing pigs provided liquid whey in their drinking water deecreased intake of dry feed, and thus overall nutrient
intake was unchanged….Page 27

The porporation of pigs within a room who hadn’t begun to eat by 24 hours post-weaaning, ranged from 0% on some
farms farms to more than 60% on others….Page 30

Top-dressing bovine colostrum, while apparently highly palatable, did not improve performance of piglets in the farrowing room or nursery….Page 32

Reducing the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio is more important than increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake alone
for nursery pigs. Decreasing the ratio to 5:1 improved animal performance and protein deposition, whereas increasing
omega-3’s at a constant ratio to omega-6’s had no impact on piglet performance….Page 34

A dietary omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 5:1 improves protein deposition rates when nursery pigs are fed the
same amount of feed relative to a more typical 10:1 ratio. When incorporating omega-3 fatty acids into swine diets it is
important to account for the ratio relative to omega-6’s to optimize performance….Page 37

Neither photoperiod in the farrowing room, nor the time of weaning aff ected the growth rate in the nursery…. Page 39
Overall their were no interactions between dietary energy concentration and stocking density…. Page 42

Providing an extra water source to pigs maintained at a high stocking density improved the feed:gain ratio and overall
income….Page 46

National Chair in Swine Welfare

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Press Releases, Welfare by admin on July 3, 2014 | No Comments

Industry awareness and support continue to build for the NSERC Industrial Chair in Swine Welfare as the candidate to lead the program, Dr. Sandra Edwards, meets with industry groups across Canada. Dr. Edwards was the keynote speaker at the first Tim Hortons Sustainable Food Management Summit hosted at the University of Guelph (October, 2013). The one-day event showcased current research in animal welfare and sustainability of the food supply chain for retailers and food service industry representatives.  Dr. Edwards, a professor and Chair of Agriculture at Newcastle University, UK, has become a familiar face to Canada’s pork value chain in the development of the first National Chair in Swine Welfare.

“There is a huge need for research on methods to improve the welfare of pigs.  I strongly urge all sectors of the Canadian pork industry and major retailers to support funding the Chair in Swine Welfare”

Temple Grandin, Professor Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University

Resources:

National Chair in Swine Welfare Update Volume 1 No. 2

National Chair in Swine Welfare Update Volume 1 No. 2 (French Version)

National Chair in Swine Welfare Update Volume 1 No. 1

National Chair in Swine Welfare Update Volume 1 No. 1 (French Version)

National Sow Housing Conversion Project

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Press Releases, Welfare by admin on January 8, 2014 | No Comments

National Sow Housing Conversion Project

As the sow housing conversion debate continues across Canada, the Prairie Swine Centre along with University of Manitoba have launched a project to help producers find the most cost effective and beneficial housing for their sows by utilising a model produced at the University of Manitoba. The model uses the physical attributes of the current barn along with the producer’s plans for the future to develop the best cost barn conversion plan.

Over the past three months the barns taking part in the pilot study were visited by researchers Dr. Jennifer Brown, Dr. Laurie Connor and David Wildeman. During these visits the various group sow housing options were presented, giving the barn staff, managers and research scientists a chance to talk through each systems features and benefits. The sow housing model was also showcased to demonstrate what it will bring to the project.

The selected barns were also visited so physical measurements could be taken to upload into the model. The flooring measurements are critical as this can be the biggest hurdle in any barn conversion. The existing slatted areas, drainage and slurry systems are all set up for sow stalls and as areas are opened up and group loafing and sleeping areas set out, the model will take the current flooring into consideration to reduce the impact of any new flooring costs.

The project aims to provide blueprints and cost estimates for barn conversion that can be used by the producers and construction team to complete the conversion. This information, along with the producers experiences during the planning process will be shared with the industry to give other pork producers insight into the practicalities of converting to group housing.

Claude  Vielfaure from Hylife Ltd, a pork operation based in Manitoba explained why they wanted to be involved in the project, “as a business we are always looking at creating programs that will suit our variety of customers needs, so the idea of working with researchers who have already explored the group sow systems was a great opportunity”.  “The barn visit went well and our staff got a lot out of seeing the different systems available to the industry.”

Look out for more information in the future on this project. Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program (CAAP). In Saskatchewan, this program is delivered by the Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan.

More information on sow housing systems can be found below.

Competitive Feeding – English
Competitive Feeding – French

ESF English
ESF – French

Free Access Stalls – English
Free Access Stalls – French

Other resources that you may find useful include:

• A Comprehensive Approach to Animal Welfare Science
• Competitive Feeding Systems
• Non-Competitive Feeding Systems – Gated Stalls
• Electronic Sow Feeders
• Re-Grouping and Timing of Re-Grouping
• Dynamic Mixing to Increase Group Size
• Groups or Stalls: What Does the Science Say?

Industry Invests in Future with Commitment to Swine Welfare

Posted in: Press Releases, Uncategorized by admin on October 16, 2013 | No Comments

Prairie Swine Centre

Box 21057, 2105 – 8th Street East

Saskatoon, SKS7H 5N9

Telephone: (306) 373-9922
Fax: (306) 955-2510

www.prairieswine.ca

Industry Invests in Future with Commitment to Swine Welfare

Saskatoon, October 9, 2013

A major milestone was reached this week when industry fundraising achieved 50% of its target to establish a National Chair in Swine Welfare.  The proposed Chair in Swine Welfare, an industry-wide initiative, has been gaining momentum with six provincial pork associations and four pork processors committing to the 5-year program to develop a dedicated team of researchers focusing on swine welfare. The Chair application will go forward soon to NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) as an IRC (Industrial Research Chair), a program that benefits industry development of applied and early discovery research. The program provides 50:50 matching funds to the industry financial pledges for approved research programs. “The process for achieving such a program is significant” notes Lee Whittington, President of Prairie Swine Centre and the lead organizer behind the Chair.  “We first identified the Chair concept as a viable option over 4 years ago, the ensuing years have included the necessary steps of working with industry qualifying the priority of and gauging the need of greater effort in welfare, and the endorsement and partnering with the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, at the University of Saskatchewan. We have also gone through the process of selecting the right candidate for the Chair position and are now presenting the concept to industry to achieve the financial requirements of the program.”

After a world-wide search, Dr. Sandra Edwards, Professor and Chair of Agriculture, Newcastle University, UK was the successful candidate. Dr. Edward’s career includes successful research in a variety of interdisciplinary projects over the past three decades, numerous awards and serving as senior advisor on industry and government advisory groups. Dr. Edwards, brings a wealth of research and practical on-farm experience in the areas of nutrition, applied behavior, and health management.  A sampling of Dr. Edwards research can be found at www.prairieswine.com , by searching Sandra Edwards in the PorkInsight database of applied research.

Dr. Edwards is becoming increasingly well–recognized and active in Canada at key pork value chain industry events, including as the keynote speaker at the Tim Hortons Sustainable Food Management Summit in Guelph, Ontario in October and at the Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in November.

Additional information on the National Chair in Swine Welfare initiative can be obtained by contacting Lee Whittington.

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 in pork production in the disciplines of nutrition, engineering, behavior and management.

For more information contact:

Lee Whittington, President/CEO

Prairie Swine Centre

306-667-7447

Lee.whittington@usask.ca

-30-

Gowans Feed Consulting GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANTSHIP

Posted in: Press Releases by admin on October 15, 2013 | No Comments

The Prairie Swine Centre, a non-profit corporation affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and located near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, in collaboration with Gowans Feed Consulting, a leading Canadian swine nutrition consulting firm are offering a unique opportunity to combine graduate studies with practical training and industry experience in swine nutrition.

The Gowans Feed Consulting Graduate Student in Nutrition Award is available at the PhD or Masters level and will include a minimum of 2 practical training modules aimed at boosting experience and expertise in commercial swine production, nutrition and feed manufacturing.  Selected research topics will consider a balance between meeting academic rigor, practical training and industry application.  The award will be among the highest available to a graduate student providing up to $20,000 per year of study (PhD award) in addition to the normal Graduate Research Assistantship stipend. Full time employment with Gowans Feed Consulting may be offered to successful graduates upon completion of the program.

For more information please view the following link.

http://prairieswine.com/rsc/careers/

Sow Lameness, Longevity & Temperament Workshops – October 8, 9 & 23

Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Prairie Swine Centre, Press Releases by admin on September 30, 2013 | No Comments

Sow Lameness, Longevity & Temperament Workshops

We would like to invite you to a workshop dedicated to those involved in the breeding and selection of swine for the future.  This workshop provides the latest research into sow lameness, longevity, and temperament and how it can positively impact your selection strategy.

There will be three workshops held throughout Canada.

Tuesday, October 8 – Stratford, Ontario – Arden Park Hotel

Wednesday, October 9 –  Levis, Quebec – Hôtel L’Oiselière de Lévis,

Wednesday, October 23 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Farm and Food Discovery Centre, University of Manitoba

To view the full agenda please follow the link below.

Sow Lameness, Longevity and Temperament Workshop

For more information, or to register for the workshops, please contact Helen Thoday at Prairie Swine Centre.

Science Day 2013 at Prairie Swine Centre

Posted in: Press Releases by admin on August 20, 2013 | No Comments

Another successful Science Day at Prairie Swine Centre was recently held on Friday, August 16.

Each year students, employed over the summer, at Prairie Swine Centre have an opportunity to present the results of research projects they have been working on this summer.  The afternoon focused on six presentations covering topics ranging from grouping sows after weaning, bovine colostrum for piglets, Zinc Oxide nanoparticle air filtering and levels of creep feed intake on commercial farms.

In addition to Prairie Swine Centre presentations two guests from the University of Saskatchewan were invited to participate in Science Day. Dr Ianowski gave us an insight into how “Pig as a Model” has been used in his Cystic Fibrosis research and how he has worked with Prairie Swine Centre over the the past three years.  Finishing the afternoon was Dr Gerdts from VIDO-InterVac, who gave an overview of the new InterVac Level 3 facilities on the campus and the influence they will have on animal and human health.

The 2013 Science Day was a great success and provided the students a great opportunity to highlight their accomplishments throughout the summer.  Science_Day_2013