Reducing Water Use When Washing Barn Rooms

Washing barn rooms is essential for herd health — but it can use a lot of water. Researchers have identified several simple ways to reduce consumption without compromising cleanliness.

Nozzle type, water pressure, temperature, and speed of application all influence how much water is needed. For example, combining hot water with a rotating nozzle reduces water use by 31% and cuts washing time by 24%. Smooth surfaces like plastic or stainless steel are also easier to clean than porous concrete.

For producers, simple tools like a luminometer (ATP method) offer an objective way to measure room cleanliness — going beyond visual inspection alone.

Precision Feeding in Gestation: Smarter Nutrition for Better Litter Performance

Feeding gestating sows the right nutrients at the right time is a challenge. A one-size-fits-all approach often means overfeeding early in gestation and underfeeding late — neither is ideal. Researchers at CDPQ and Université Laval tested whether precision feeding could better match each sow's actual needs across three reproductive cycles with over 500 gilts.

Four feeding strategies were compared: a conventional program, bump feeding (increasing feed intake in late gestation), precision feeding by parity, and individual precision feeding. Precision feeding by parity stood out — producing 0.6 more piglets weaned per litter, reducing lysine and phosphorus intake by 20%, and cutting nitrogen output by 10%.

For producers, precision feeding by parity appears to be the most practical and promising approach. Individual precision feeding also showed benefits for second-parity sows. Longevity results from the third parity are still being analyzed.

Keeping Your Pigs Cool This Summer: Simple Strategies That Work

When it's hot, pigs eat less and grow more slowly. CDPQ specialist Sébastien Turcotte reminds producers that ventilation alone stops working once outdoor temperatures exceed 22°C.

The first strategy is to create airflow directly over the animals. When air is too warm, wetting the pigs is the most effective solution — water evaporating from their skin cools them down, even in humid conditions. In farrowing barns, drip cooling at the base of the sow's neck keeps her cool without wetting the piglets.

On the feeding side, splitting meals into smaller portions and shifting feeding times to cooler nighttime hours can help limit the summer drop in feed intake. Taking advantage of cool nights to lower barn temperature can translate to as much as 3 to 4 kg of extra gain per pig.

Reducing GHGs by improving feed efficiency pays off !

Feed production accounts for the majority of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in pork production. CDPQ agronomist Sébastien Turcotte shows that several practical adjustments can meaningfully reduce those emissions while improving profitability.

Improving feed conversion ratio (FCR) by just 0.1 saves $5.46 per pig and cuts emissions by 9.9 kg CO₂e. A 100 g/day improvement in average daily gain (ADG) generates $3.54 more margin and reduces emissions by 34 kg CO₂e per pig. Simple actions — proper feeder adjustment, well-timed feed withdrawal before slaughter, and using Improvest in males — all add up.

For producers, these improvements are achievable today, and genetic progress will continue delivering FCR gains of 0.02 to 0.04 points per year automatically.

Your Feeding Stations Know More Than You Think

Managing farrowings well is critical for piglet survival and sow welfare. CDPQ researchers have found that data already collected by electronic feeding stations could predict the start of farrowing up to eight hours in advance.

By analyzing over 1,900 farrowing events using artificial intelligence, the algorithm correctly predicted whether farrowing was imminent in 87% of cases — with no additional sensors required.

For producers, the practical applications are real: better staff scheduling, avoiding unnecessary farrowing injections, and automatically activating piglet comfort equipment at the right time. Commercial farm trials are planned for the near future.

Hot Weather Feeding: Practical Strategies to Keep Your Pigs Eating

When temperatures rise, pigs eat less — and that hurts growth performance and sow reproduction. CDPQ agronomists have compiled practical strategies to help limit these effects.

Two main approaches are recommended. First, adjust feeding management: split meals into smaller portions and shift feeding times to cooler periods, ideally between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. Second, revisit feed composition: reduce crude protein and fibre — which generate more body heat during digestion — and increase fat content to compensate for lower feed intake. Additives like vitamin E, betaine, and sodium bicarbonate may also help counter the metabolic effects of heat stress.

For producers, these adjustments are practical and can be applied right away. Nutritional changes are most effective when planned ahead — before summer heat arrives.

Elevator Farrowing Crates: A Promising Tool to Reduce Piglet Crushing

Crushing is one of the leading causes of pre-weaning piglet death. CDPQ researchers evaluated a new technology — the elevator farrowing crate — where the floor beneath the sow automatically rises about 20 cm when she stands or sits up, preventing piglets under 8 days old from sheltering underneath her.

Results showed a significant reduction in crushing deaths — down 11.3% compared to conventional crates. Some tradeoffs were noted: a slight increase in stillborns (+1.9%), lower weaning weight (-0.20 kg), and reduced average daily gain (-11.1 g/day).

On the practical side, keeping the floor raised makes it easier and faster to catch piglets during care and at weaning — a real time-saver for barn staff.

For producers, this technology offers a meaningful reduction in crushing losses. Regular maintenance of the compressor and pneumatic system is needed to keep things running smoothly.

Precision Feeding in Gestation: Real Gains, But Some Tradeoffs to Work Through

Feeding gestating sows is costly and has a significant environmental footprint. Researchers at CDPQ and Université Laval wanted to know whether tailoring feed to each sow's actual needs — rather than using one standard ration for all — could improve performance while reducing nutrient inputs.

Over three reproductive cycles, 393 gilts received either conventional feeding or a precision feeding ration adjusted by parity or individually. Researchers tracked body condition, litter performance, and sow longevity throughout.

The results are encouraging: precision feeding reduced lysine intake by 15%, crude protein by 11%, and digestible phosphorus by 17%, while producing about 0.7 more piglets weaned per litter. The tradeoff — sows on precision feeding had slightly more unproductive days and a tendency to be culled earlier after the first cycle.

For producers, this approach shows real promise — fewer inputs, lower environmental impact, and better litter performance. Some fine-tuning is still needed to protect gilt longevity before wide-scale adoption.

Hybrid Rye Could Be a Win-Win for Quebec Pork Producers and the Environment

Feed production — especially corn — accounts for more than half of the environmental footprint of Quebec pork. Researchers at Université Laval looked at whether replacing corn with locally grown hybrid rye could shrink that footprint without hurting pig performance.

Using a method called life cycle assessment (LCA), they measured the environmental impact of feeding finishing pigs rations where 25% or 50% of the corn was swapped out for hybrid rye. Pig growth performance was assumed to stay the same, which aligns with existing research.

Replacing 50% of corn with rye reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12%, and cut freshwater nutrient pollution by up to 77% when crop rotation benefits were included. Land use was the one trade-off, increasing slightly due to rye's lower yield compared to corn.

For producers, this is promising news. Hybrid rye is agronomically sound, requires fewer pesticides, and improves soil health. The economics also work — grain farmers in a corn-soy-rye rotation can see better profitability as early as their second rotation cycle.

PRRS virus is one of the costliest diseases for pig producers. When it hits a sow herd, newly weaned piglets often get sick fast — and without quick action, mortality rates can climb. Researchers in Quebec tested whether adding Tylvalosin (Aivlosin®) to drinking water could help nursery pigs fight through a natural PRRS outbreak. Half the pigs received the water treatment alongside a standard feed antibiotic; the other half received only the feed antibiotic. The results were promising. Nursery mortality dropped from 10% to 4% in treated pigs, and fewer pigs needed individual antibiotic injections. Survival rates from nursery to market also improved significantly. For producers dealing with PRRS, adding Tylvalosin to drinking water could be a practical, straightforward tool to reduce losses and cut down on injection treatments — without affecting daily gain or feed efficiency.