Stimulating Exploratory Behaviour in Piglets: Effects on Pre-Weaning Creep Consumption
The abrupt change from a liquid to solid diet causes stress at weaning, along with a new environment and a different grouping of pigs. This often reduces intake for a few days and increases risk of mortality and disease susceptibility. The goal of using creep...
Feeding Mycotoxin Contaminated Grain to Swine
In Western Canada, moulds commonly produce chemical mycotoxins in grains and grain by-products. Over 400 different mycotoxins are known, though not all of them affect pigs. Mould in a sample does not always mean a mycotoxin is present, and mycotoxins do not always show with...
Dietary Omega 6 to Omega 3 Ratio Impacts Nursery Pigs More Than Omega 3 Intake Alone
Weaning is a stressful time for the piglet as there are environmental, nutritional and social stressors along with an undeveloped immune system. Post-weaning growth lag is commonly seen with reduced growth rates and increased susceptibility to pathogens that can trigger inflammatory responses. Omega 3 fatty...
Zephyr Piglet Gun
Euthanizing piglets is an ongoing area of research as it is emotional for the workers involved. Blunt force trauma is effective if done correctly but this method could use improvement. The Zephyr Piglet Gun involves a non-penetrating captive bolt which can euthanize neonate, suckling and...
Sow Lameness, Longevity and Temperament Workshops
Some new options are available to the industry regarding how to quantify lameness. These include a two scale scoring system and also the use of force plates, although they are expensive. To improve costs of production, longevity of sows is needed. Gilts do not pay...
Economic Costs of PEDv
Strict biosecurity protocols are needed to limit the spread of PEDv. PEDv has a large impact on reproduction by reducing farrowing rates, amount of piglets born alive and mortality rates. Grower-Finisher pigs also have performance losses. It can take up to 10 weeks for baseline...
Force Plates Assessment
Up to 25% of culling reasons for gilts involve lameness. It is one of the most important welfare issues. More objective quantitative methods are needed to assess lameness in pigs. Force plates analyze weight distribution on limbs in cows and may be useful in sows...
DON in Swine Diets
Fusarium mould contaminated grain has been on the rise due to cool wet summer weather. The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON or vomitoxin) can be produced when fusarium moulds contaminate cereal grains. Other livestock are not as sensitive to DON as pigs are with the guideline being...
Canola Oil Sprinkling and Low Crude Protein Diet Reduce Respirable Dust and Ammonia Concentrations From Swine Production
Dust and ammonia levels are often high in swine facilities and pose a risk for workers. Methods for reducing these levels are needed in order to keep the workers and animals safe. High levels of nitrogen in the pigs diet can increase ammonia output. Canola...
Behaviour of Pigs in Large Group Auto-Sort
A concern for having larger groups of pigs together is a possible rise in aggressive behaviours, however previous research shows the aggression levels are similar in small and large groups. Eating behaviour may change, especially as new technology such as large group auto-sort (LGAS) systems...