Online feeding behavior monitoring of individual group-housed grow-finish pigs using a low-frequency RFID electronic feeding system.

Early identification of animals in need of management intervention is critical to maximize animal health and welfare and minimize issues with productivity. Feeding behavior, captured by automated feeding systems, can be used to monitor the health and welfare status of individual pigs. Here, we present a framework for monitoring feeding behavior of grow-finish pigs in real time, using a low-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) system.

Impacts of Farrowing Pen Design, Season, and Sow Parity on Litter Performance and Piglet Mortality.

Piglet mortality during lactation is a significant concern in swine production, influenced by complex interactions involving sow, piglet, environmental, and management factors. While crushing by the sow may be the ultimate cause of piglet mortality, there are many factors influencing the outcome, including parity, thermal stress, and animal housing systems. New farrowing systems are continuously being developed; however, it is difficult for producers to make decisions without any scientific basis.

Determining the Presence and Size of Shoulder Lesions in Sows Using Computer Vision.

Shoulder sores predominantly arise in breeding sows and often result in untimely culling. Reported prevalence rates vary significantly, spanning between 5% and 50% depending upon the type of crate flooring inside a farm, the animal's body condition, or an existing injury that causes lameness. These lesions represent not only a welfare concern but also have an economic impact due to the labor needed for treatment and medication.

Statistical and machine learning approaches to describe factors affecting preweaning mortality of piglets.

High preweaning mortality (PWM) rates for piglets are a significant concern for the worldwide pork industries, causing economic loss and well-being issues. This study focused on identifying the factors affecting PWM, overlays, and predicting PWM using historical production data with statistical and machine learning models. Data were collected from 1,982 litters from the U.

Estimating body weight and body condition score of mature beef cows using depth images.

Obtaining accurate body weight (BW) is crucial for management decisions yet can be a challenge for cow-calf producers. Fast-evolving technologies such as depth sensing have been identified as low-cost sensors for agricultural applications but have not been widely validated for U.S.

Feeding behavior of grow-finish swine and the impacts of heat stress.

Heat stress has negative impacts on pork production, particularly in the grow-finish phase. During heat stress events, the feeding behavior of pigs is altered to reduce heat production. Several different systems have been developed to study feeding behavior.

The effects of the forage-to-concentrate ratio on the conversion of digestible energy to metabolizable energy in growing beef steers.

Metabolizable energy (ME) is calculated from digestible energy (DE) using a constant conversion factor of 0.82. Methane and urine energy losses vary across diets and dry matter intake (DMI), suggesting that a static conversion factor fails to describe the biology.

Effects of Farrowing Stall Layout and Number of Heat Lamps on Sow and Piglet Production Performance.

Most farrowing facilities in the United States use stalls and heat lamps to improve sow and piglet productivity. This study investigated these factors by comparing production outcomes for three different farrowing stall layouts (traditional, expanded creep area, expanded sow area) and use of one or two heat lamps. Data were collected on 427 sows and their litters over one year.

Effects of diet type on nutrient utilization and energy balance in drylot heifers1.

Feeding cattle in intensified settings allows cow-calf producers to decrease their reliance on grazed forage and utilize alternative feedstuffs. During times of intense management, diet type may alter energy utilization. Fourteen pregnant MARC III heifers (405 ± 44 kg BW) were used in a 180 d experiment to determine effects of diet type on nutrient and energy utilization.

Thermal equilibrium of Nellore cattle in tropical conditions: an investigation of circadian pattern.

The aim of this work was to evaluate the diurnal patterns of physiological responses and the thermal regulation of adult Nellore bulls. Six 30-mo-old Nellore bulls (669 ± 65 kg BW) were randomly assigned to four 6-h periods in a Latin Square design such that measurements of each animal cover a 24-h cycle. Meteorological variables (air temperature, relative humidity, local solar irradiance, ultraviolet radiation, wind speed and black globe temperature) were recorded at regular one-minute intervals with an automated weather station.

Genome-wide association of changes in swine feeding behaviour due to heat stress.

Background: Heat stress has a negative impact on pork production, particularly during the grow-finish phase. As temperature increases, feeding behaviour changes in order for pigs to decrease heat production. The objective of this study was to identify genetic markers associated with changes in feeding behaviour due to heat stress.

Odorous Volatile Organic Compounds, , and Nutrient Concentrations when Kiln-Dried Pine Chips and Corn Stover Bedding Are Used in Beef Bedded Manure Packs.

Pine ( spp.) bedding has been shown to lower the concentration of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pathogenic bacteria compared with corn ( L.) stover bedding, but availability and cost limit the use of pine bedding in cattle confinement facilities.

Ammonia, Total Reduced Sulfides, and Greenhouse Gases of Pine Chip and Corn Stover Bedding Packs.

Bedding materials may affect air quality in livestock facilities. Our objective in this study was to compare headspace concentrations of ammonia (NH), total reduced sulfides (TRS), carbon dioxide (CO), methane (CH), and nitrous oxide (NO) when pine wood chips ( spp.) and corn stover ( L.

Use of wood-based materials in beef bedded manure packs: 2. Effect on odorous volatile organic compounds, odor activity value, , and nutrient concentrations.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of three types of wood-based bedding materials (kiln-dried pine wood chips, dry cedar chips, and green cedar chips) and corn stover on the concentration of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total in bedded pack material. Four bedded packs of each bedding material were maintained for two 42-d periods ( = 32; eight replicates/bedding material). Straight- and branched-chained fatty acids, aromatic compounds, and sulfide compounds were measured from the headspace above each bedded pack.

Use of wood-based materials in beef bedded manure packs: 1. Effect on ammonia, total reduced sulfide, and greenhouse gas concentrations.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of using corn stover or three different wood-based bedding materials (kiln-dried pine wood chips, dry cedar chips, or green cedar chips) on airborne concentrations of NH, total reduced sulfides (TRS), CO, CH, and NO above lab-scaled bedded manure packs. Four bedded packs of each bedding material were maintained for two 42-d periods. Airborne NH, TRS, CO, CH, and NO were measured weekly.

Effect of bedding materials on concentration of odorous compounds and in beef cattle bedded manure packs.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of bedding material (corn stover, soybean stover, wheat straw, switchgrass, wood chips, wood shavings, corn cobs, and shredded paper) on concentration of odorous volatile organic compounds (VOC) in bedded pack material and to determine the effect of bedding material on the levels of total in laboratory-scaled bedded manure packs. Four bedded packs of each bedding material were maintained for two 6-wk periods ( = 64). Straight- and branched-chained fatty acids and aromatic compounds were measured.

Shade material evaluation using a cattle response model and meteorological instrumentation.

Shade structures are often considered as one method of reducing stress in feedlot cattle. Selection of a suitable shade material can be difficult without data that quantify material effectiveness for stress reduction. A summer study was conducted during 2007 using instrumented shade structures in conjunction with meteorological measurements to estimate relative effectiveness of various shade materials.

Shade material evaluation using a cattle response model and meteorological instrumentation.

Shade structures are often considered as one method of reducing stress in feedlot cattle. Selection of a suitable shade material can be difficult without data that quantify material effectiveness for stress reduction. A summer study was conducted during 2007 using instrumented shade structures in conjunction with meteorological measurements to estimate relative effectiveness of various shade materials.

Soil versus Pond Ash Surfacing of Feedlot Pens: Occurrence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cattle and Persistence in Manure.

Reducing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle and their manure is critical for reducing the risk for human foodborne and waterborne illness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of soil and pond ash surfaces for feedlot pens on the prevalence, levels, and/or persistence of naturally occurring E. coli O157:H7 and total E.

Water spray cooling during handling of feedlot cattle.

Activities involved in receiving or working (e.g., sorting, dehorning, castration, weighing, implanting, etc.

Shade material evaluation using a cattle response model and meteorological instrumentation.

Shade structures are often considered as one method of reducing stress in feedlot cattle. Selection of a suitable shade material can be difficult without data that quantify material effectiveness for stress reduction. A summer study was conducted during 2007 using instrumented shade structures in conjunction with meteorological measurements to estimate relative effectiveness of various shade materials.

Impacts of individual animal response to heat and handling stresses on Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 fecal shedding by feedlot cattle.

The reduction of foodborne pathogens in cattle destined for human consumption will require knowledge of the factors that impact the carriage and shedding of these organisms. The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of heat and handling stress levels on the fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and generic E. coli by feedlot cattle.