Abstracts - Facilities and equipment

This study has identified a simple method of increasing the cleanliness of pigs’ dedicated lying areas, which has important implications for improving the design of pig housing facilities and maximising pig welfare.

The effect of aerating pig slurry during 2 min every 6 h was tested. Aeration increased slurry pH by 0.7 units and NH3 emissions by 20%. CH4 emissions decreased by 40% and no significant N2O emission was detected.

Removal of hydrogen sulphide in a biofilter correlates with the presence of fungi. The biofilter removed more than 60% of hydrogen sulphide in the presence of fungi.

Early social environment can affect the development of aggression in the pig. Group lactation piglets have reduced aggression and skin injuries post-weaning.

A sow cooling pad was developed to remove excess heat production. Three water flow rates were evaluated. Signs of heat stress were substantially reduced with the sow cooling pads.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the implications of replacing farrowing crates with an alternative housing system from 3 days postpartum until weaning.

Sows can exhibit clear preferences for enrichment type, with the sows interacting with the rope significantly more often throughout the study, at each sampling hour.

Provision of environmental enrichment and herbal compounds may reduce stress in current commercial pig husbandry systems.

The unexpected frequency of viral exchange between commercial and exhibition swine raises questions about the understudied interface between these populations.

The aim of the present study was to investigate how piglets’ use of a creep area is affected by using radiant heat compared to an incandescent light bulb.

According to the results, the optimal density was 1.2 m2/pig considering welfare and building utilization.

The reduction in infectious agents in the air by the EPI technology could potentially decrease the microbial exposure for pigs.

This trial showed the advantage, in an environmental point of view, to use 15% drainage openings on the solid part of partly slatted floors in pens for group-housed gestating sows.

The influence of feed structure and pelleting on the development of gastric ulcers in pigs is well established. Some studies have shown a beneficial effect of access to straw on gastric health. However, the role of other factors, e.g. disease and stress, is not well understood.

African swine fever (ASF) is a major pig health problem, and the causative virus is moving closer to Western European regions where pig density is high. Stopping or slowing down the spread of ASF requires mitigation strategies that are both effective and practical.

These studies are the evidences that indirect transmission of PEDV through contaminated personnel, which occurs rapidly, and how fomite material and temperature impact viral stability over time.

We demonstrate the asymptomatic circulation of IAV-S in the Vietnamese pig population.

The aim of the study was to determine both environmental and infectious factors, influencing occurrence of bacterial enteropathogens in suckling piglets.

The results confirm that a full removal capacity for doxycycline cannot be reached through the long-term storage of farm fertilizers.

The spatial distribution of large-scale pig farms corresponds with that of commercial pig breeds, and spatial analysis indicated that these were concentrated in lowland urban or peri-urban areas, close to means of transportation.

Very few studies about the impact of microbial cleaning and administration during production on the environment in animal houses is available. Our results showed that competitive exclusion by probiotic type bacteria is not a valuable alternative for classical C&D.

Of 30 environmental samples collected from a nursery room on our initial visit, 2 (7%) samples yielded 3 isolates: 2 ST 218 Escherichia coli and 1 Proteus mirabilis, carrying the metallo-β-lactamase gene blaIMP-27 on IncQ1 plasmids.

Prolonging the vacancy period in nursery units to 10 days after disinfection with no extra biosecurity measures has no impact on the environmental load of total aerobic flora, E. coli, faecal coliforms, MRSA and Enterococcus spp..

Findings suggest that concentrated swine feeding operations amplified transmission of influenza during years in which H1N1 was circulating.