Increased adaptation time improves pig response to functional amino acid supplementation
A previous study conducted at the Prairie Swine Centre and the University of Saskatchewan revealed improved performance of pigs under Salmonella infection when fed functional amino acids (FAA) above requirements for growth. Here, researchers attempted to assess whether a longer...
Impacting greenhouse gas emissions through diet change
Understanding the impact of nonconventional ingredients in swine diets on the environment is important; specifically how they may alter manure output and GHG emissions. Increasing dietary fibre may increase hindgut fermentation and the production of GHG emissions, but might not...
Enrich your pigs, enrich your profits
Enriching a sow’s environment is easy, inexpensive and offers a range of benefits. This was made clear by the project “From Innovation to Adoption: On-farm demonstration of Swine Research”, which was led by Ken Engele at Prairie Swine Centre and...
Feed Processing Reduces Feed Toxicity
Ergot has long been known to have detrimental effects when fed to pigs, and a producer’s best option is to avoid feeding ergot contaminated grains. Currently, visual inspection is the most practical method for reducing the risk of ergot toxicity,...
Reducing pre-weaning mortality
A major welfare and economic issue in the swine industry is pre-weaning mortality (PWM). Pre-weaning mortality needs to be reduced in order to increase the welfare of the animals and the profits associated with them. There are many management techniques...
Forward facing animal welfare research drives innovation
The NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare is a five-year research program based at the University of Saskatchewan focusing on emerging questions in swine welfare. Led by Dr. Yolande Seddon and developed in collaboration with 14 industry partners representing...
Feed processing to reduce ergot toxicity
Ergot has long been known to have detrimental effects when fed to pigs, and a producer’s best option is to avoid feeding ergot contaminated grains. Currently, visual inspection is the most practical method for reducing the risk of ergot toxicity,...
Enhancing biosecurity and welfare of pigs during transport
A previous project examined the development of a new prototype trailer design aimed to protect animals (such as high-value breeding stock) from airborne transmissible diseases during transport. This design tried to integrate as many features as possible identified by stakeholders....
Does creep feed have any benefits?
Creep feeding is a common practice throughout the pork industry. There are a number of perceived benefits, including provision of nutrients, higher weaning weight, and improved transition at weaning, however, these benefits only occur if the creep feed is consumed....
Long-term feeding of graded levels of deoxynivalenol in grower-finisher pigs
Mycotoxin-contaminated grains are commonly downgraded for use in livestock feed and, while the best strategy for producers is to avoid feeding mycotoxin contaminated grain altogether, this may no longer be possible. Therefore, strategies that allow the use of these grains...
Examining the effectiveness of providing functional amino acids to enhance pig robustness
Pigs are continuously exposed to microbial pathogens and immune- stimulatory antigens that have a negative impact on productivity. Pigs exposed to immune challenge, without exhibiting any clinical signs of disease, show reduced appetite and growth and less efficient use of...
Infrared technologies for identification of market pigs at risk during transport
Digital infrared thermography (DT) is a non-invasive imaging technique that could be a valuable instrument for producers and packaging plants to identify compromised and diseased animals for isolation and treatment, as well as to implement management practices to reduce the...
