Considerations for Large Group Housing of Finishing Pigs
Many questions have been asked about facility design and management of grower/finisher hogs in large groups. This document provides a practical evaluation of the raising of finisher hogs in large groups and encourages further evaluation of the appropriateness of this housing and management strategy for swine production. Finishing pigs...
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Ken Engele
Research on Soybean Meal Offers Food for Thought
By Geoff Geddes, for Swine Innovation Porc Is boosting income or cutting costs the key to success? In pork production, it’s like choosing between food and water for survival: they’re both kind of important. Since the revenue side depends on market forces that are largely beyond your control, trimming expenses...
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Ken Engele
Heart Health’s Potential Link to Early-life Nutrition
While researchers are well versed in the cardiovascular risks associated with a bad diet, a lack of exercise, and smoking, they’re still learning about another possible risk factor that could lead to poor cardiac health: what you consume in the first few weeks of your life. Dr. Daniel Columbus, an adjunct professor at the...
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Ken Engele
Engineering Controls Reduce Hydrogen Sulphide Exposure in Swine Barns
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. A water sprinkling apparatus...
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Ken Engele
Pigs Consume more Water When Stressed
Two novel technologies consisting of an individual water consumption system (IWCS) and infrared thermography system (ITHS) were installed in a finishing room. The individual water consumption system (installed in each pen) was composed of a nipple drinker attached to a water flow meter, and an...
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Ken Engele
Amino Acids Can Enhance Pig Robustness
Highlights Average daily gain and feed efficiency in diseased pigs may be improved by a combination of functional amino acids supplemented above requirements for growth Functional amino acids improved the immune response associated with Salmonella infection Bacterial shedding and intestinal colonization can be reduced by...
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Ken Engele
Recipe for Sow Nutrition: Just Add Milk
By Geoff Geddes, for Swine Innovation Porc They say “it’s not how you start in life; it’s how you finish.” Then again, “they” never met a milk-deprived piglet. Fortunately, researchers understand that a strong beginning is essential to piglet development, and milk plays a huge role in sows starting their...
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Ken Engele
H2S On-Line Training
Hydrogen Sulphine Awareness Training for Liquid Manure Handling Systems The 4-Hour On-Line Workshop Includes Instruction in: Properties of H2S Exposure limits to H2S Detection of H2S Demonstration of H2S monitoring and safety equipment Identifying potentially hazardous locations Importance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and a hands-on...
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Ken Engele
Mitigating Deterioration of Swine Facilities
On average, Canadian swine buildings are 20 - 30 years old; over the next few years, these buildings need renovations or may be replaced with new construction. This project set out to identify potential solutions applicable to Canadian conditions to mitigate the rapid deterioration of swine buildings....
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Ken Engele
Effects of Enrichment Objects on Piglet Growth and Behaviour
The purpose of this study was to perform an initial evaluation of pigs’ preferences for several enrichment objects and examine their effects on piglet growth and welfare during the nursery period. Thirty litters were selected at farrowing and assigned to three treatments: enrichment provided post-weaning (EN), enrichment provided both pre- and post-weaning...
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Ken Engele
Science Helps Hogs to the Finish(ing) Line
By Geoff Geddes, for Swine Innovation Porc To succeed in pork production, you must consider a range of factors and how they interact, and dealing with low energy feed is a perfect example. Previous research has found that low, constant net energy (NE) diets for grow-finish pigs provide a better return...
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Ken Engele
Practical Alternatives for Managing Castration Pain in Piglets
The objective of this project was to evaluate drugs and administration procedures to help identify effective and practical pain control strategies for piglets at castration across three different studies. Results indicate the analgesic, ketoprofen, has a positive effect on reducing pain following castration when given 30 minutes to 1 h before...
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Ken Engele