Optimizing temperature requirements of pigs to reduce energy use in swine production
Nolan Matuba, Alvin Alvarado, Bernardo Predicala – The overarching goal of this research project is to investigate the optimum environmental temperature requirements of sows and grower-finisher pigs to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gases while maintaining their long-term overall productivity...
Improving the quality of life of pigs
Miranda Smit, Ken Engele, Jen-Yun Chou – The term environmental enrichment describes the changes (modifications or additions to the environment) designed to improve the living conditions of the pigs by allowing them to express a wider range of natural behaviours....
Challenges and opportunities for swine nutrition
Dan Columbus – The issues facing pork producers and swine nutritionists moving into the future are similar to what they have been for decades, a need to increase productivity while meeting increasing demands from legislation and consumers to ensure economic,...
Effective enrichment promotes performance
Abby Tillotson – It is well known that environmental enrichment provides several benefits to intensively raised pigs, such as reducing tail biting, increasing play, and improving disease resiliency. Despite the importance of providing enrichment during the early stage of life,...
Prairie Swine Centre Research Scientist, Nutrition Appointment
It is with great pleasure that we announce the appointment of Dr. Atta Agyekum as the new Research Scientist – Nutrition at Prairie Swine Centre Inc. Atta will assume responsibilities on July 14, 2025. More information can be found in...
Transepithelial ion transport in the stomach of pigs exposed to gastric ulcer conditions
Gastric ulcers in pigs increase significantly when stressful events occur. However, the exact causes of these gastric ulcerations remain unclear. Gastric acid production is known to be influenced by anionic secretion. An Ussing chamber study was conducted to evaluate the...
Developing an Indigestible Protein Index to Investigate the Effects of Dietary Protein in Pigs
It is unclear what causes the inconsistent negative effects of high protein diets in nursery pigs, but it could be due to protein source or indigestible protein (IDP) content. A literature search and meta-analysis was done that included ninety-four studies...
Impact of fibre on performance and intestinal health of pigs fed a high indigestible protein level
Dietary indigestible protein (IDP) may be a better indicator of potential negative dietary effects than total protein, likely because IDP is available as substrate for microbial fermentation in the hindgut resulting in the production of harmful metabolites. Fermentation of fibre,...
The influence of straw enrichment on hair hormone concentrations, behaviour, and productivity of growing pigs
A trial was conducted to see if hair hormone concentrations are a good biomarker for chronic stress in pigs. The objective of this study was to determine if different rearing environments, designed to be standard, or improve pig welfare, influenced...
Rearing pigs with play opportunities: The effects on disease resilience in pigs experimentally inoculated with PRRSV
Positive emotions can reduce disease susceptibility during infectious challenges in humans, and emerging evidence suggests similar effects in farm animals. Because play behaviour may support a positive emotional state in pigs, this study investigated whether rearing pigs with regular intermittent...
Promoting play behaviour in grow-finish pigs
Play behaviour has been associated with excitement and fun, suggesting that playing animals experience pleasurable states. To determine if the provision of play opportunities could enhance the quality of life of pigs, this study investigated if play can be promoted...
Sow housing during the post-weaning and early pregnancy periods
Research to date is limited on how best to house and manage sows during the post-weaning and early gestation periods from a welfare perspective. A systematic literature review (part 1) on this topic found only a small number of studies...
