The Rural Voice, 1980-04, Page 30Reducing barn
dust and noise
According to a Swedish agricultural
engineer, high levels of noise and dust of
animal houses, which cause discomfort for
workers and adversely affect the health
and rate of gain of animals, can be reduced
to acceptable levels.
Christer Nilsson, of the Swedish Univer-
sity of Agricultural Sciences, detailed his
research during the 1979 International
Congress of Agricultural Engineering at
Michigan State University. His work
identified noise and dust levels in fattening
pig buildings, which commonly have the
highest levels of these irritants. Nilsson
attributed excessive noise to ventilation
fans, and early research indicates the
major source of dust is the sloughed -off
skin of pigs.
The Swedish scientist is testing several
kinds of silencing systems to reduce the
noise volume of exhaust fans. He con-
structed a special test room for this
purpose and will ultimately install the
systems in animal houses. Nilsson exper-
imented with placing fans at the far end of
winding ducts lined with absorptive
material; lining the roof and walls of the
building with sound absorbers; and
constructing a special addition to the
building to house the fans, with a noise
shield between the barn and the addition.
Nilsson is continuing his investigations
into what comprises the dust in fattening
pig houses, using a laser and mathematical
calculations to determine dust concent-
rations. He plans to eventually devise a
way to reduce the high dust level, which
many scientists believe to be a cause of
respiratory disorders in swine.
Which corn
hybrids should
you buy?
With 1980 and corn seed buying in
progress, farmers must decide which corn
hybrids to purchase. This decision is
affected by the new disease "head smut of
corn", observed for the first time in
Ontario in the fall of 1979.
This disease was found on Perth silt
loam and Perth clay loam soils in the
Norwich to Mount Elgin area. A few
isolated fields were also detected, one at
Fingal, one north of London at Bryanston,
and one near Shakespeare. Although
surveys are incomplete. the disease does
not appear to be widespread. If a field had
no head smut in 1979, it is very unlikely to
have any in 1980. Infected corn seed is not
considered the source of the current
disease outbreak. The smut fungus is now
believed to have existed for one or more
years in Ontario, but was not identified
until September 1979. Head smut fungus
will be spread by the black smut spores
with combines. trucks, tractors, and to
some extent by wind. It is unlikely that the
disease will spready rapidly or suddenly
become severe within a field.
In the United States, a similar problem
developed in Texas in 1973. By 1977, corn
hybrids resistant to head smut were
developed and in use. Therefore, a
research program, in collaboration with
corn breeders from industry, has been
initiated in Ontario, and both parent
inbreds and hybrids suitable for Ontario
will be evaluated by plant pathologists and
crop scientists of the University of Guelph.
Farmers who believe their fields may be
infested with head smut should check with
seed corn company representatives and
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food
extension personnel on the possibility of
obtaining resistant hybrids. Hybrids
should not be selected solely on the basis of
resistance to head smut. Other important
factors such as maturity (heat unit rating).
yield and stalk strength must also be taken
into consideration.
Closed swine
herd coming
Ontario swine producers are looking for
new ways to improve efficiency, and one
concept that is expected to become popular
in the 1980s is the closed swine herd.
"The goal of the closed herd concept is
to minimize exposure of the herd to
diseases," says Richard Smelski, Ontario
Ministry of Agriculture and Food swine
specialist.
"Disease is the number one concern of
swine producers," he says. "On the
average, disease costs producers about 10
per cent of their annual profits, and in
some cases these losses can run as high as
35 to 40 per cent."
True closed herds do not allow new live
animals to enter the herd, with the
exception of caesarean -born animals.
Before the development of swine artificial
insemination (Al), the closed herd concept
was not practical. However, now that swine
semen is readily available in Ontario, the
closed herd concept can be practiced more
easily in purebred and commercial swine
operations.
To make a closed swine herd system
work, a producer needs a healthy swine
herd, and the ability to artificially
inseminate sows. Ministry swine special-
ists are working with producers to adapt
this concept to present operations.
"Disease is becoming a greater concern
to producers because of the larger
operations and more confined animal
housing," says Mr. Smelski. "Modern
producers have more to lose than their
predecessors."
Swine diseases, such as transmissible
gastroenteritis (TGE) and Hemophilus
pneumonia have high mortality rates. A
producer could lose 10 per cent of the herd
to one disease, and for every pig that dies,
there are 15 to 20 sick pigs that cost
producers money in poor feed conversion
and medical treatment.
There are very few closed herds
operating in Ontario now; however, many
producers are taking the first steps toward
closing their herds by purchasing boars or
replacements from only one breeder.
Knowing the origin and state of health ot
new stock is the first step in controlling
disease in the herd.
Fatherly pride can
cause farm mishaps
Robert Goulet ot Blenheim, speaking at
a recent Kent County Farm Safety Assoc-
iation meeting, said fatherly pride some-
times is responsible for farm mishaps.
He told the audience, parents "let
children do things they shouldn't" and
boast of the early age at which their
children can operate a tractor.
Mr. Goulet said education does pay off
however. Lambton County recorded six
fatal farm accidents in 1978, with four of
the victims under age 15, but the toll was
cut to one in 1979 after a safety program
was introduced in county schools.
The speaker said farm safety promotion
is being moved into the schools since it
makes more impact on young people.
Darryl Wells, a consultant with Farm
Safety Association Inc., spoke on some of
the hidden dangers posed by plastic
insulation in farm buildings.
Mr. Wells said some of these materials
have the same heating value as heating oil
and burn just as quickly. He said their
combustion produces dapgerous gases and
dense black smoke, a threat not only to
livestock, but also to farmers and firemen.
The basic problem, Mr. Wells told the
association's annual meeting, is that such
materials as polystyrofoam board of poly-
urethane are installed without the neces-
sary flame barriers.
THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 19804PG. 31