Better Pork June 2016
Articles in the June 2016 Better Pork Include: Beyond the Barn: Stratford Hope Bacon and Ale will Lure Shakespeare Buffs, PRRS Resistant Hog a 'Potential Game Changer", Turning Manure Mountains into Gold, Spike in Barn Fires Causes Rising Public Concern Unique tastings of beer and...
Finding Effective Enrichments for Group Housed Sows
Group housing is a socially enriched environment, but aggression is still a risk due to competition for resources like territory and food. Providing enrichment can reduce aggression and stereotypic behaviours. The Canadian Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs requires that barns...
Determining Effective Enrichments for Group Housed Sows
Providing enrichment improves biological functioning and the well-being of animals. For pigs reared in Canada, this is now a requirement. It promotes positive social behaviour and is an outlet for their highly motivated exploratory behaviour. Adverse behaviours, stereotypic behaviours and aggression levels are increased in...
Stimulating Exploratory Behavior in Piglets: Effects on Pre-Weaning Creep Consumption
Weaning is a very stressful experience for piglets due to removal of the sow, diet changes, mixing with other litters and a change of pen environment. They often fail to consume feed so growth reductions are often seen. This can reduce immunity and impair gut...
Zinc Oxide and Antimicrobial Resistance in Pigs
An essential nutrient in a pigs diet is zinc, with minimum levels need around 100 ppm. In early starter rations, zinc oxide is often used therapeutically to control post-weaning E. coli diarrhea in levels of 2000 to 3000 ppm. Zinc oxide used therapeutically may create...
Increasing Creep Feed Intake by Stimulating Exploratory Behaviour using Enrichment
Multiple significant changes occur simultaneously during weaning making it a highly stressful time for piglets. Increased cortisol levels and weight loss are often noted after weaning, resulting in increased disease risk and mortality. Providing creep feed before weaning promotes solid feed intake and when consumed...
Impact of Calcium and Phosphorus on Sow Lameness and Sow Longevity
As sow productivity continues to improve, dietary mineral recommendations are evolving. Physiological and anatomical demands on the skeletal system are increasing so higher dietary levels of minerals like phosphorus and calcium are recommended. The modern, highly prolific sow has not had much research done on...
Enhancement of Litter Size in Commercial Swine
A large concern in the North American Pork Industry is prenatal mortality. Between gestation days 15-0, 20-30% of coceptuses are lost, with another 10-15% loses between gestation days 50-70. Different techniques to improve litter size have been used such as selective breeding for genes responsible...
Identifying the Cause of Death of Hogs that Perish In-Transit: A Pilot Project at Two Ontario Packing Plants
The cause of death and associated risk factors for in-transit losses are needed in order to reduce mortalities. It is often assumed that deaths are due to stress or heat exhaustion but the actual cause is not usually identified. Hogs that died in Ontario transport...
Effect of Rubber Flooring and Social Grouping on the Utilization of Free Space for Sows in Walk-in/Lock-in Stalls
A gestation stall alternative are walk-in/lock-in stalls, a group housing design that gives sows a choice to the communal area or to remain in the stall while providing individual feeding protection. Most sows use the free space area, but they did not use it for...