Do pigs really suffer from 'drafts'?
By Nick Bird for FarmEx - So, what about "draughts"? After years of research, I feel I can tell you a little about them. Draughts are something your granny feels, but you don't. They are something that pigs that tail-bite feel, but pigs that are happy...

Optimizing Heating Costs in Grower-Finisher
By S.P. Lemay and L. Chénard and published by the Prairie Swine Center - Livestock production under cold climate requires control systems that provide a healthy environment for animals and workers without wasting energy. Most of the control systems that...

Dust Mask Use in Swine Barns Reduce Health Effects
By James A. Dosman, Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan, Shelley P. Kirychuk, Stéphane Lemay, Ernest M. Barber, Philip Wilson, Yvon Cormier, Charles Rhodes, Tom S. Hurst, Denise Bono and published by the Prairie Swine Center - The objective of this study was...

Compilation of the Scientific Literature Comparing Housing Systems for Gestating Sows and Gilts Using Measures of Physiology, Behavior, Performance, and Health.
Authored by J. J. McGlone, E. H. von Borell, J. Deen, A. K. Johnson, D. G. Levis, M. Meunier-Salaün, J. Morrow, D. Reeves, J. L. Salak-Johnson, and P. L. Sundberg.

Considerations for the Large Group Housing of Pigs: Part 3
By the Prairie Swine Center - This is Part 3 of 4 of a special document outlining some considerations for the large groups housing of hogs.

Considerations for the Large Group Housing of Pigs: Part 2
By the Prairie Swine Center - This is Part 2 of 4 of a special document outlining some considerations for the large groups housing of hogs.

Practices to Reduce Dust and Particulates from Livestock Operations
Prepared by Wendy Powers, Iowa State University - Practices to control particulate and dust emissions associated with livestock production can be applied to animal housing and manure storage areas. This document provides an overview of various practices...

Considerations for the Large Group Housing of Pigs: Part 1
By the Prairie Swine Center - This is Part 1 of 4 of a special document outlining some considerations for the large groups housing of hogs.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Biosecurity
By DAHS - This article by DAHS looks at the causes of Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome and methods of biosecurity to help prevention and control.

Reducing Electricity Costs: Understanding Cable Losses.
By Nick Bird for FarmEx - A factor that is usually little considered in the cost of electricity is "cable loss". All electrical cables have electrical resistance, albeit it small. This means that a small amount of power is lost between one end of the...

Mask use in swine barns reduces health effects
James A. Dosman, Ambikaipakan Senthilselvan(1), Shelley P. Kirychuk(1), Stephane Lemay, Ernest M. Barber(2), Philip Willson(3), Yvon Cormier(4), Charles Rhodes(5), Tom S. Hurst(6), Denise Bono(1), published by Prairie Swine Centre - The objective of this...

Controlling Rodents
By Dr Todd See, Swine Genetics Specialist, North Carolina State University - Rats and mice can be a major economic threat around swine facilities. They consume and contaminate feed, and they have been implicated in maintaining or spreading diseases. House...

How Pigs Perceive Space
By Harold W. Gonyou, Prairie Swine Centre and W. Ray Stricklin, University of Maryland - Space allocation is an important part of barn design and management. When planning your facility you need to design your pens to accommodate the pig flow you expect....

Controversy over Air Quality
By Theo van Kempen, Swine Nutrition Specialist, North Carolina State University - The biggest challenge for the animal industry is likely air quality. Odor may affect the quality of life of those down-wind from a swine farm. Ammonia may contribute to...

Insect Control on Swine
Prepared by Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist, University Of Kentucky - This article looks at methods to control insect populations on pig farms, and focuses on the correct insecticides to use for the situation.

Gestating Sows: All Group Housing is Not the Same, But Neither are All Stalls
By Harold W. Gonyou, Prairie Swine Centre Inc. - The greatest factor affecting the productivity and longevity of sows in a herd is control of their body condition, or, simply put, their weight. Neither thin nor fat sows are able to consistently produce...

Getting My Barn Built - An Update on Regulations from a U.S. Perspective
By L. M. Safley, Jr., President, Agri-Waste Technology, Inc. - This paper, presented at the January 2003 Banff Pork Seminars, discusses the influences on the confined animal feeding operation (CAFO) regulations.

Group Housing: Alternative Systems, Alternative Management
By Harold Gonyou, Prairie Swine Center - This paper, presented at the January 2003 Banff Pork Seminars, looks at group housing systems by feeding type, and also examines management options for social behaviour, sow comfort, and reproduction.

Nursery Management Using Big Pens
By Ciaran Ormond, Partners in Pork - This paper, presented at the January 2003 Banff Pork Seminars, discusses the experiences with changing over to large pen sizes for nursery barns.

"Psychological heating" - An expensive mistake
By Digby Scott, National Pig Association - This article is based on Nick Bird's case study "Gas use on a US breeding unit" and looks at why altering the temperature and ventilation settings for pig buildings can create unnecessary heating bills.

Water Systems - Troubleshooting common mistakes
By John Carr, DPM, PhD, Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University - This article looks at the findings of a field study undertaken to identify the problems in drinking systems and explains how enhancing...

Using pig behaviour to optimize pen design
By Bernard Peet, Pork Industry Consultant, Lacombe, Canada. In these days of fully slatted pen floors, there is a tendency to think that pen shape and layout is less important than when part slatted and solid floors were more widely used. If pigs dung...

Barn Wash/Disinfection Trials
By Dr. Dan Hurnik, Industry Chair for Swine Research - Washing of pens or barns has become a routine part of pig production. The reasons are numerous, but the main one is that washing removes bacteria, viruses and parasites left behind from the previous...