ODOR NUISANCE POTENTIAL AND PIG PERFORMANCE OF A CONVENTIONAL AND A HIGH RISE~(TM) SWINE FARROWING BARNS

摘要

This study, conducted from February to August 2001 in Indiana and included two farrowing groups, compared odor nuisance and pig performance in an old conventional swine farrowing bam (Barn A) with a new High Rise~(TM) swine farrowing barn (Barn B). Sixteen odor samples (four at barn inlets, seven at exhaust fans, four at pig pens, and one at ambient air) were taken at each of six odor sampling events and assessed by trained odor panel members and a dynamic olfactometer. Odor concentrations convertedto European Odor Units (OUE/m~3) at air inlets, pens and exhausts at the Barn B were 26%, 54% and 45% lower than those at Bam A, respectively. The differences in exhaust and pen odor concentrations at the two bams were statistically significant (P<0.05).Although different odor descriptors were chosen by the odor panel, it was difficult to distinguish odor quality between the two barns. Odor hedonic tones at the pens and from the bam exhausts at the two barns were not statistically different. Average emissions per AU (animal unit=500 kg animal mass) for five of the six sampling tests were 107 and 27 OUe s~(-1) AU~(-1) for Barn A and B, respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05) due to large variations of the data. Sowdaily feed intake increased by 0.63 kg head~(-1) d~(-1) (P<.01) and weight loss during lactation decreased by 17.6 kg/head (PO.Q001) in Bam B compared with Barn A. Better environment in animal rooms could have contributed appreciably to the improved pigperformance in Bam B.