Improving 4R nutrient stewardship practices for crop production systems currently or previously receiving manures
4R Nutrient Stewardship is recognized as essential approach to maximize farming profitability with minimized environmental risk. The current 4R practices have been developed under field conditions where chemical fertilizers (CF) were applied only. However, cropping systems receiving manure have significantly different management requirements than those with CF alone. In manure-amended soils, the fraction of organic […]
Feeding gestating sows to maximize mammary gland development and milk production: the importance of Lysine
Genetic selection for increased litter sizes has increased the demand for the lactating sow to produce milk. Mammary gland development occurs during three distinct phases: between 90 days of age and puberty, during the last third of gestation, and during lactation[39]. Any interventions aimed at increasing mammary development must be implemented during one of these […]
Improvement of feed efficiency in Canadian swine industry through genomics and machine learning
Feed is the largest cost of pork production in Canada and therefore improving feed efficiency (FE) is essential to boost the Canadian pig producer profitability. Additionally, improving FE increases industry competitiveness, decreases demand on global feed resources, and complements environmental sustainability. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI) are common indicators for FE […]
Direct pen ventilation retrofit for nursery rooms
The barn gas monitoring data collected to date in the ongoing project 18-006 “Barn Gas Monitoring with Automated Ventilation Control” indicates that the existing ventilation system in an industry-typical nursery room is not fully effective in managing the temperature and barn gas conditions within the room. For example: An improved ventilation system is required that […]
Development of evidence-based feeding strategies for lactating sows using novel and evolving feeding technologies
Computerized feeding technologies are becoming mainstream and are being implemented by Ontario pork producers. These technologies reduce the labour required to deliver feed to pigs and facilitate data collection, while also providing the opportunity to closely match estimated (daily) nutrient requirements by blending diets that have high and low nutrient densities. For sows, this is […]
Disruption of swine production and marketing in Ontario due to infectious diseases in swine and human populations
The overall objective is to construct a simulation model that will estimate production impact of disruption in swine marketing in Ontario and propose mitigation strategies that could minimize impact of such disruptions on swine populations and swine producers. Such disruptions could occur due to various reasons such as outbreak of human disease among abattoir workers […]
One Health, One Welfare in Canadian sow barns: Connecting human, animal, and environmental health
With on-going challenges related to public trust, animal welfare, mortality, and longevity, there is the added challenge that Canadian farmers experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, as well as lower resilience than the general population. There may also be associations between human and animal well-being, as documented on swine and dairy farms. […]
Efficacy, animal welfare, and pharmacokinetic impacts of needle-free administration of iron dextran and meloxicam compared to intramuscular injection in piglets
The efficacy, feasibility, and welfare implications of using a needle-free injection device (NFID) compared to needle-syringe intra-muscular (IM) injection of meloxicam, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), and iron dextran in nursing piglets, at the time of piglet processing, will be evaluated. The use of NFIDs has been suggested to reduce the aversive experience associated with […]
Evaluation of on-farm processed full fat soybeans for use in swine diets
Feed is the greatest cost of pig production in Ontario. Grower-finisher pigs eat ~80% of feed consumed in the entire production cycle with energy, protein, and phosphorus as the most costly components. Current extremely high feed cost due to post-pandemic ingredient shortage, transportation disruptions, international conflict, and severe weather events highlight the need for developing […]
