Practical biosecurity recommendations to prevent COVID-19 in farm workers
The University of Minnesota has put together a practical fact sheet on how farm workers can practically deal with the challenges currently facing us with COVID 19. Everything we can do at this time to protect our employees, while operating production systems efficiently as possible,...
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Ken Engele
A Message to All Our Stakeholders Regarding COVID 19
A Message to All Our Stakeholders Regarding COVID 19 March 26, 2020 With the continuing global and provincial spread of COVID 19 it is important that we all do what we can to help reduce the spread of this virus. Prairie Swine Centre takes our obligations and...
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Ken Engele
Water Intake and Wastage from Nipple Drinkers
Among nutrients, water is required in the greatest amount but has received the least attention. Water intake of grower/finisher pigs has been reported to range from 1.9 to 6.8 l/d, depending on body weight and feed intake. However, most ‘water intake’ reported in the literature is water disappearance from drinkers,...
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Ken Engele
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