Insights

By Kendra Juurlink, B.Sc. (Agr), Alberta Farm Animal Care 

A recent Canadian study examined the impact of providing group-housed sows with enrichment on their welfare. Sow welfare can be measured by observing animal behaviour and the animal’s appearance (e.g., skin lesions).

Swine producers aim to reduce or eliminate aggression and the occurrence of skin lesions in their animals. Sows are known to be aggressive toward their pen mates if they are bored in their environment. Therefore, researchers wanted to examine the benefit of offering different enrichment treatments to the group pen.

The study compared four treatments. The first treatment was constantly offering the sows wood on a chain hanging in the pen. The second treatment was rotated offering three enrichments options (rope, straw, and wood on a chain). The third treatment rotated through the three enrichment options but associated offering the enrichment with a stimulus (e.g., a bell or whistle). The fourth treatment was a control where no enrichment was offered.

The study’s results indicated that sows were more interested in the rotate and stimulus treatments than the constant treatment. Researchers found that there was a “significant reduction in pen mate biting behaviour and wounds compared to presentation of a chain enrichment only.” The researchers discovered that there was greater interest with enrichments on the first day they were offered and decreased over time. It was suggested that rotating enrichments maintained their novelty to the sows.

The researchers concluded that social hierarchy and dominance was a crucial component of sows interacting with the enrichments. This is important research for swine producers to ensure the health and welfare of their animals which will have economic benefits as well.

By Kendra Juurlink, B.Sc. (Agr), Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC)

Overwintering cattle can be challenging for producers in Canada due to the climate. Especially with the concern of feed shortages during the winter months. Therefore, it is recommended that producers plan for potential feed shortages as best they can.

Research is being done across Canada that examines efficient crop management strategies. With the goal to ensure adequate growth of cattle over the winter and to minimize the economic impacts of feed shortages on the producer.

It is important that producers ensure that their cattle have adequate nutrients based on the stage of production. Some solutions to use feed more efficiently include grinding, using feed bunks to reduce waste, proper feed storage to reduce loss, and balancing nutrition for cattle.

In a recent Canadian Cattlemen’s article, Dr. Hushton Block was quoted saying “using a feed bunk instead of feeding on the ground can reduce feed waste from 25 per cent or higher to as low as 10 per cent”-

It is recommended that producers routinely sample and analyze the nutritional value of their feed to ensure proper nutrition for their cattle. Protein is an important component in the diet that must meet both the rumen microbe’s and animal’s needs.

The rumen of the animal is important in the breakdown of protein. When the animal has low levels of rumen-degradable protein (e.g., soybean, alfalfa), it results in decreased energy and microbial protein that the animal receives from the rumen microbes. This can impact the health and performance of the animal.

Another factor for ensuring enough feed is crop selection. Winter cereal crops (e.g., rye, wheat) have been shown as a viable option for forage in winter. Another recommendation is that producers secure alternate feed or additional feed supplies at a reasonable price. Having animals in good condition prior to the onset of winter can also reduce feed requirements.

Overwintering is an important component of livestock production. Producers can alleviate stress by planning ahead using various suggestions as outlined in this article. These suggestions can benefit the producer economically and optimize performance of their cattle during the colder months.

By Kendra Juurlink, B.Sc. (Agr), Alberta Farm Animal Care

Grazing is an important aspect of livestock management and behaviour. Farmers aim to reduce the economic impact on their production system as much as possible. Cow-calf operations tend to keep their livestock in small areas and provide supplemental feed (hay or silage). This is a costly strategy for producers and accounts for two-thirds of the costs of production. 

A recent study was completed on the Sieben Livestock Company Ranch (located in the Montana Big Belt Mountains) to explore the most efficient type of grass and legumes to grow over the fall and winter for grazing livestock. 

“It is estimated that grazing versus feeding cattle during the winter can save 42% to 70% of the yearly input costs in the western United States and Saskatchewan, Canada” – Chase Hibbard.

The study began by switching the cows to calve in late spring. This allowed the cows to be in the second trimester of pregnancy during the winter which allowed the farmers to maintain the cows on stockpiled winter forage of lesser quality.  

The species of grasses examined included meadow bromegrass, intermediate wheat grass, tall fescue, orchard grass, and crested wheatgrass. As well, alfalfa, sainfoin, and burnet were used as legumes.

The size and soil type of the location in the study was 10.6 ha, Monad Loam. There was no irrigation or fertilizer, except for manure from grazing cows, applied to plots. Resulting in less cost in forage production. For reference, Central Alberta is mostly lacustrine soil or black chernozem whereas in other places the soil is covered with debris that the glaciers left behind. This is an important consideration when comparing plant species grown in the Alberta region.

This research is important for producers to adjust management strategies by considering replacing harvested forage with stockpiled forage to be grazed post-grazing season. By improving grass mixture for stockpiled winter forage allows for a longer grazing season. The research has shown that the economic return is greater than the initial cost of changing forage species which is beneficial for producers.

Resource:
Hibbard, C., Hibbard, C., Larsen, R., Feuz, R., Rigby, C. W., Jensen, K. B., & Larsen, R. (2021). Potential to improve winter grazing pastures: Sieben land and livestock study. Rangelands, 43(3), 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2020.12.007 

By Linda Greening, Hartpury University

Sleep reportedly regulates a range of internal processes, plays a part in memory consolidation, and is governed by homeostatic and circadian processes. Thus, sleep is considered a critically important part of both mental and physical wellbeing for all mammals, with ‘sleep debts’ occurring when an individual fails to achieve an ‘optimal’ amount of sleep. The horse is no exception. Described as a polyphasic sleeper, the horse on average engages in several short sessions of sleep interspersed with longer periods of wakefulness resulting in a total of 3-5 hours sleep per 24 hours. Most commonly, equine sleep is observed between midnight and dawn, which is considered an evolutionary adaption by reducing the risk of attack at a time when the horse is most vulnerable. In a recent questionnaire-based study of nearly 600 horse owners, 29% reported never considering the amount of sleep their horse achieved, suggesting consideration of equine sleep may be under-prioritised when evaluating equine welfare within normal husbandry practices.

A new survey is being performed at the University of Guelph to investigate stress, depression, anxiety, burnout, suicide ideation, substance use, resilience, and coping in farmers across Canada. The survey take about 20 minutes to complete and will be open until May 7^th. Participants will also have the opportunity to enter their name to win one of 5 draws for $200. The chances of winning one of the draw prizes are approximately 1 in 1000.