Gaseous emissions from weaned pigs raised on different floor systems

in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (2009), 130

Gaseous emissions from agriculture contribute to a number of environmental effects. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are greenhouse gases taking part to the global problem of ... [more ▼]

Gaseous emissions from agriculture contribute to a number of environmental effects. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are greenhouse gases taking part to the global problem of climate change. Ammonia (NH3) emissions are responsible of soil acidification and eutrophication and contribute also to indirect emissions of N2O. This work evaluated the influence of the type of floor on the emissions of these gases in the raising of weaned pigs. Two trials were carried out. In the first trial, the animals were kept either on fully slatted floor or on straw-based deep litter and, in the second one, either on fully slatted floor or on sawdust-based deep litter. For each trial and on each type of floor, 2 successive batches of weaned pigs were raised without changing the litter or emptying the slurry pit between the 2 batches. The rooms were automatically ventilated to maintain a constant ambient temperature. The performance of the animals was not significantly different according to the floor type. In trial 1, the nitrogen contents of the straw deep litter (including the substrate) and slurry were respectively 276 and 389 g pig-1. In trial 2, the sawdust deep litter and slurry nitrogen contents were respectively 122 and 318 g pig-1. Raising pigs on straw deep litter produced proportionately around 100% more NH3 than raising pigs on slatted floor (0.61 vs. 0.31 g NH3-N d-1 per pig; P<0.05). Differences in CO2, H2O and CH4 emissions were not significant between systems. Raising pigs on sawdust deep litter produced also proportionately more NH3 (+52%; 0.55 vs. 0.36 g NH3-N d-1 per pig; P<0.01) but also more CO2 (+25%; 427 vs. 341 g d-1 per pig; P<0.001) and H2O (+65%; 981 vs. 593 g d-1 per pig; P<0.001) and less CH4 (-40%; 0.52 vs. 0.86 g d-1 per pig; P<0.001) than raising pigs on slatted floor. Practically no N2O emission was observed from rooms with slatted floor while the N2O emissions were 0.03 and 0.32 g N2O-N d-1 per pig for the straw and sawdust deep litter respectively. The warming potential of the greenhouse gases (N2O + CH4), were about 22, 34 and 168 g CO2 equivalents per day and per pig on fully slatted floor, straw or sawdust deep litter respectively. In conclusion, pollutant gas emissions from rearing of weaned pig seem lower with fully slatted plastic floor system than with deep litter systems [less ▲]

Le cortisol salivaire comme indicateur du bien-être chez la truie gestante lors de regroupement.

in 41èmes Journées de la Recherche porcine (2009)

Effects of space allowance on the welfare of dry sows kept in dynamic groups and fed with an electronic sow feeder

in Applied Animal Behaviour Science (2008), 112(3-4), 284-296

The minimal legal space allowance for grouped pregnant sows in the EU is 2.25 m(2)/sow. The effect of higher space per animal on agonistic behaviour and social stress of animals living in dynamic groups ... [more ▼]

The minimal legal space allowance for grouped pregnant sows in the EU is 2.25 m(2)/sow. The effect of higher space per animal on agonistic behaviour and social stress of animals living in dynamic groups is not known. Two groups of 34 pregnant Belgian Landrace sows were housed in two pens of respectively 102 m(2) (3 m(2)/sow) and 76.5 m(2) (2.25 m(2)/sow). Each sow lived there for 15 weeks. Sows were fed through an electronic sow feeder. According to the dynamic system, one third of each group (i.e. 11 or 12 nearly parturient sows) was replaced every 5 weeks by the same number of recently inseminated sows. Welfare indicators were collected during six of these 5 week-periods: performance, agonistic behaviour, skin lesion score and salivary cortisol. No differences were observed for production parameters, or for fighting activity. However, the mean number of one-way aggressions, when observed during 2 h-periods at 3 and 8 days after grouping, was significantly lower in the large pen than in the small one (respectively 16 +/- 2 versus 26 +/- 3, p < 0.01, and 10 +/- 2 versus 20 +/- 5, p < 0.05). The mean number of injuries was also lower with the 3 m(2) space allowance, when collected on the introduced sows one, 2 and 3 weeks after grouping. Some contradictory differences in salivary cortisol were noted 2 and 26 h after mixing, but without reaching statistical significance. An available area 33% higher than the EU legal minimum reduced agonistic behaviour and consecutive wounds and thus induced better welfare conditions for sows living in dynamic groups and fed with an electronic sow feeder. The impact on productivity and social physiological stress need further research. [less ▲]

Effet des consommations alimentaires sur les émissions gazeuses associées à l'élevage de truies gestantes en groupe sur litière.

in 40èmes Journées de la Recherche Porcine (2008)

Gaseous emissions during the fattening of pigs kept either on fully slatted floor or on straw flow

in Animal (2007), 1(1), 1515-1523

The aim of this study was to compare the environmental impact of the straw-flow system for fattening pigs with the slatted-floor system by measuring pollutant gas emissions such as ammonia (NH3), nitrous ... [more ▼]

The aim of this study was to compare the environmental impact of the straw-flow system for fattening pigs with the slatted-floor system by measuring pollutant gas emissions such as ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), manure nitrogen (N) content and emissions of water vapour (H2O). Three successive batches of 32 pigs were fattened. For each batch, pigs were allotted to two groups raised in separated rooms fitted either with a concrete totally slatted-floor system (0.75 m(2) per pig) or with a straw-flow system (0.79 m(2) per pig). With this last system, pigs were kept on a sloped floor, straw being provided daily at the top of the pen. Throughout the fattening period, about 34.4 kg of straw were supplied per pig. The straw, mixed with dung, travelled down the slope by pig motion and went out of the pen to a scraped passage. The solid fraction was scraped every day, stored in a heap in the room and removed every month, 1 week before each period of gaseous emission measurement. The liquid fraction was automatically pumped from the scraped passage into a hermetic tank, which was emptied at the end of each fattening period. Rooms were ventilated mechanically in order to maintain a constant ambient temperature. Once a month, the emissions of NH3, N2O, CH4, CO2 and H2O were measured hourly for 6 consecutive days via infrared photoacoustic detection. Mean daily emissions per pig fattened on the slatted floor or on the sloped floor were, respectively, 4.98 and 13.31 g NH3, 0.67 and 0. 68 g N2O, 15.2 and 8.88 g CH4, 548 g and 406 g CO2 equivalents, 1.61 and 1.77 kg CO2 and 2.33 and 2.95 kg H2O. Except for N2O emissions, all the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). From the slatted-floor system, the amount of slurry removed per fattening period was on average 256 kg per pig. From the straw-flow system, solid manure amounted on average to 209 kg per pig and liquid manure to 53 kg per pig. The total N-content of the manure was 2.23 kg N per pig with the straw-flow system (solid and liquid manure) v. 3.26 kg N per pig for slurry from the slatted-floor system. This reduction of 30% observed with the sloped floor was mainly explained by the higher level of NH3-N emissions. [less ▲]

Effets du moment de regroupement par rapport au début du cycle alimentaire sur le bien-être de truies en groupes dynamiques et alimentées au Distributeur Automatique de Concentré (DAC)

in 39èmes Journées de la Recherche Porcine (2007)

Précision de l'estimation de l'âge des chevaux par l'examen des dents: résultats d'une étude sur des juments de Trait belge

in Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire (2007), 151(1), 6-14

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of judging age from teeth, with standard aging guides, of mares from 2 to 20 years old registered in the Belgian draft horse stud-book. The replacement of ... [more ▼]

The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of judging age from teeth, with standard aging guides, of mares from 2 to 20 years old registered in the Belgian draft horse stud-book. The replacement of the deciduous incisors by permanent teeth occurred when expected as the disappearance of the infundibulum on the permanent lower intermediate incisors. The disappearance of the infundibulum was however observed until 16 months earlier than expected on the central incisors and until 18 months later on the corner incisors with 64 % and 50 % of the concerned mares respectively. The modifications of the shape of the occlusal tables from oval to round occurred from 1 to 4 years earlier than expected. The risk to attribute an older age than the true age during the so called round period is lower when taking into account the disappearance of the cup cement leaving only an enamel spot on the occlusal table surface. The modifications of the shape of the incisor tables from round to triangular and to biangular was also observed earlier than expected but only with the central and intermediate incisors, not with the corner incisors. The measurement on photographs of the profile angle of the corner incisors confirmed that this angle decreases with age from about 134 degrees at about 5 years to about 72 degrees at 20 years. Statistical analyses of the differences between real ages and those estimated on pictures by a college of three experts, show that ageing horses from their dentition is more accurate for animals of 8 years old or less, than for older ones. For those animals, the overestimation was about 10 % of the real age. [less ▲]

Comparaison des performances zootechniques et du contenu en azote de l'effluent lors de l'élevage de porcs charcutiers sur caillebotis ou sur litière de paille accumulée.

in Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire (2006), 150(2), 137-144

Two identical rooms were arranged to house fattening pigs on a fully-slatted floor in one and on a straw-based deep litter in the other one. Each room was ventilated with an exhausted fan and the ... [more ▼]

Two identical rooms were arranged to house fattening pigs on a fully-slatted floor in one and on a straw-based deep litter in the other one. Each room was ventilated with an exhausted fan and the ventilation rates were adapted to have the same temperatures in the two rooms. Six successive batches of 16 pigs per pen were raised. The slurry pit was emptied and the litter removed after each fattening period. The mean daily weight gains of the pigs raised on slatted floor and on deep litter were of 742 and 729 g/day, the food conversion ratios 3.0 and 3.1 kg/kg, the lean meat percentages 59.8 and 60.0 % and the prices at slaughter 1.06 and 1.04 E/kg live weight, respectively. None of the differences was statistically significant. The amounts of slurry and manure produced were 290 and 187 kg per fattening pig, corresponding to 3.04 and 2.06 kg nitrogen per fattening pig, respectively. These differences were significant. [less ▲]

Comparison of performance and carcasse quality of fattening pigs kept either on fully slatted floor or on straw-based deep litter.

in 19th International Pig Veterinary Society Congress (2006)

Caractéristiques morphologiques des juments de Trait belge

in Annales de Médecine Vétérinaire (2006), 150(4), 247-252

Belgian draft mares were measured when visiting their owners. The mean wither height of at least 4-year-old mares (n = 207) was 1.64 m and the girth circumference 2.22 m. Compared with the wither height ... [more ▼]

Belgian draft mares were measured when visiting their owners. The mean wither height of at least 4-year-old mares (n = 207) was 1.64 m and the girth circumference 2.22 m. Compared with the wither height, the hip height was 1 % higher (1.655 m) and the body length 8 % higher (1.775 m). The mean cannon circumference was about 30 cm. The wither height, the body length and the girth circumference of the 2-year-old mares ( n = 39) represented respectively 98 %, 96 % and 94 % of the corresponding measurements of the group of older mares ( at least 4 years old). The morphological characteristics of these last ones, compared with results published about 50 years ago, show that the wither height remained identical whereas body length and width seem to have slightly increased. [less ▲]