• Title/Summary/Keyword: Rearing season

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Review of Production, Husbandry and Sustainability of Free-range Pig Production Systems

  • Miao, Z.H.;Glatz, P.C.;Ru, Y.J.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.17 no.11
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    • pp.1615-1634
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    • 2004
  • A review was undertaken to obtain information on the sustainability of pig free-range production systems including the management, performance and health of pigs in the system. Modern outdoor rearing systems requires simple portable and flexible housing with low cost fencing. Local pig breeds and outdoor-adapted breeds for certain environment are generally more suitable for free-range systems. Free-range farms should be located in a low rainfall area and paddocks should be relatively flat, with light topsoil overlying free-draining subsoil with the absence of sharp stones that can cause foot damage. Huts or shelters are crucial for protecting pigs from direct sun burn and heat stress, especially when shade from trees and other facilities is not available. Pigs commonly graze on strip pastures and are rotated between paddocks. The zones of thermal comfort for the sow and piglet differ markedly; between 12-22$^{\circ}C$ for the sow and 30-37$^{\circ}C$ for piglets. Offering wallows for free-range pigs meets their behavioural requirements, and also overcomes the effects of high ambient temperatures on feed intake. Pigs can increase their evaporative heat loss via an increase in the proportion of wet skin by using a wallow, or through water drips and spray. Mud from wallows can also coat the skin of pigs, preventing sunburn. Under grazing conditions, it is difficult to control the fibre intake of pigs although a high energy, low fibre diet can be used. In some countries outdoor sows are fitted with nose rings to prevent them from uprooting the grass. This reduces nutrient leaching of the land due to less rooting. In general, free-range pigs have a higher mortality compared to intensively housed pigs. Many factors can contribute to the death of the piglet including crushing, disease, heat stress and poor nutrition. With successful management, free-range pigs can have similar production to door pigs, although the growth rate of the litters is affected by season. Piglets grow quicker indoors during the cold season compared to outdoor systems. Pigs reared outdoors show calmer behaviour. Aggressive interactions during feeding are lower compared to indoor pigs while outdoor sows are more active than indoor sows. Outdoor pigs have a higher parasite burden, which increases the nutrient requirement for maintenance and reduces their feed utilization efficiency. Parasite infections in free-range pigs also risks the image of free-range pork as a clean and safe product. Diseases can be controlled to a certain degree by grazing management. Frequent rotation is required although most farmers are keeping their pigs for a longer period before rotating. The concept of using pasture species to minimise nematode infections in grazing pigs looks promising. Plants that can be grown locally and used as part of the normal feeding regime are most likely to be acceptable to farmers, particularly organic farmers. However, one of the key concerns from the public for free-range pig production system is the impact on the environment. In the past, the pigs were held in the same paddock at a high stocking rate, which resulted in damage to the vegetation, nutrient loading in the soil, nitrate leaching and gas emission. To avoid this, outdoor pigs should be integrated in the cropping pasture system, the stock should be mobile and stocking rate related to the amount of feed given to the animals.

Study on the Establishment of Wildflower Pastures (야생화초지의 조성에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, In-Duk;Lee, Hyung-Suk
    • Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.89-98
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    • 2008
  • The purpose of this study was to suggest the basic data for establishment of wildflower pastures. The experimental design includes two treatments: Native wildflower pasture (NWP, Kentucky bluegrass + native wildflower 8 species) and Introduced wildflower pasture (IWP, Kentucky bluegass + introduced wildflower 24 species). The field trials were carried out on the experimental pastures plots at Chungnam National University throughout from Sep. 2006 to Dec. 2007. The results obtained are as fellows: In terms of the flower color in the wildflower pastures, the IWP was found more various than the NWP. But such problems as seasonal distribution and continuity were raised and moreover the time of flowering depended mainly upon the spring season. Even though the flower color in the NWP did not show up its variousness, seasonal distribution and continuity were found comparatively satisfactory. To perennially maintain the botanical composition, the variousness of wildflower species are found important after examining locally the beginning rearing and flowering characteristics of wildflowers as well as the basic turfgrass. Moreover, when the wildflower pastures was constructed in autumn, since most of the introduced wildflower were annuals, it maintained various botanical composition before wintering, but after wintering the botanical composition were found simplified due to the winter tolerance. The NWP did not show any problems in the winter tolerance but it could not make the botanical composition diversified. Accordingly, to maintain the wildflower pasture for many years, diversifying wildflower species based upon perennials including annuals seems to be good.

COMPARISON OF THE GROWTH RATES OF THREE STRAINS OF COMMON CARP, CYPRINUS CARPIO (잉어 3품종의 성장비교)

  • KIM In-Bae;JO Jae Yoon
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.8 no.4
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    • pp.222-224
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    • 1975
  • Three strains of common carp, i. e. , Israeli carp, red-and-white, and golden strains, were stocked in the same pond, and their growth rates were compared with following results: From August 12 to November 21 in 1975, fingerlings of the three strains of common carp, Cyprinus carpo, each weighing about 0.5 g with total length of 2 to 3 cm, were stocked. The pond had an area of $316m^2$ with a mean water depth of 55cm, and the bottom was covered with a 20 to 30 cm thick layer of silt containing a considerable amount of decaying organic materials. Feed given was prepared with equal amounts of fish meal and polished barley, of which, in addition, $10\%$ green grass and $1\%$ table salt were mixed together when prepared into paste feed using a chopper after boiling the barley. Total protein content of the feed was $34.9\%$ in dry state with $5\%$ moisture content. Total feed given was 30.08 kg calculated in dry state to produce 20.588 kg of the common carp fingerlings, thus the feed coefficient being 1.51. By strains, the harvested Israeli carp ranged 98 to 311g each with a mean weight of $172.69g(100\%)$, red-and-white strain 15 to 318g with mean of $104.1g(60.3\%)$, and the golden strain 30 to 268g with mean of $128.7g(74.6\%)$. During the rearing season mean water temperature was $23.9^{\circ}C$ and the assumed main growth period with the water temperature above $15^{\circ}C$ was, upto the end of October, for 80 days with a mean water temperature of $23.9^{\circ}C$. Taking this main growth period as the basis for growth rate analysis, the mean daily increments, expressed as the attained body weight in times of the starting weight, become 1.075786 times (or the Israeli strain, 1.06901 times for the red-and-white strain, and 1.07185 times for the golden strain.

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Survey Studies on Serviceable Sericultural Communities in Korea (養蠶適地選定에 관한 調査硏究)

  • Choe, Byong-Hee;Gwon, Yeong-Ha;Mun, Jae-Yu;Baek, Hyeon-Jun;Lee, Geon-Yeong;Lee, Sang-Pung;Lee, Won-Ju;Im, Su-Ho;Jo, Dong-Ok;Kim, Seong-Ho;Hwang, Hong-Do;Kim, Gi-Seok;Kim, Su-Gyeong;Go, Nak-Yong;So, Byeong-Ju;Lee, Geon-U;Lee, Jae-Ok;Im, Dong-Rak;Jo, Jin-Gu
    • Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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    • v.25 no.1
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    • pp.34-43
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    • 1983
  • These studies have been carried out to find better locations for sericultural service regardless of the international silk market fluctuation in Korea. In order to acieve the purpose, various investigations and analyses have been carried out for more than four hundred sericultural communities to find out the main factors which caused to decrease in cocoon production in spite of a gloomy past silk market. Now, we believe that we have set up some fundamental guide lines in developing sound serviceable sericultural communities in Korea in case the government accepts the written advices, and the results obtained are as follows: 1. The Korean sericulture has been very prosperous from the 60's to the 70's. In 1976 the cocoon production was at its peak, reaching 41,704M/T from which its decline took place with annual averages of 18.5% for total cocoon production and 16.4% for mulberry field. These figures represent a quantitative decrease to one-third of the total amount in 1976. Since then, the Korean sericulture had continuously suffered from a shortage of raw silk resulting in a slow development of sericulture. At present, a steady development through all possible measures is great importance. 2. The downfall of the korean sericulture resulted from two factors of such as the external, which led to the decline in the price of raw silk at the international market and restrain of import and, the internal, resulting in the little increase of cocoon price and a comparatively lower benefits from the sericulture than from other cash crops. 3. The already established sericultural zone collapsed and then reorganized with the outstanding regional specialization so the decline in total cocoon production in the country. Based on the agricultural regions, 1980 cocoon production was very stable in the mountaineaus area of the east-south which used with intercropping. In this area there was small decline of 33% compare with that of the 1979, and with 70% decline in the dry field farming area of Kangwon Do. In an administrative districtwise, six counties beginning with Sanchnung county of Kyungsang Nam Do, showed less than 20% decline of cocoon production, sixteen counties beginning with Samchuck county of Kangwon Do marked above 80% decrease of cocoon production. In the smaller unit area-wise, there was a big difference among them. twenty-five myons rather increased and a hundrd fourty-three myons decreased above 80% of it. 4. The cocoon production was positively correlated with the decreasing percentage of cocoon production per household. It was also affected by the ratio of the mulberry field area to the total cultivated area per household and cocoon productivity per 10a. 5. Four hundred sixty-four villages in the seventeen counties were surveyed on the basis of farm management and techniques concerned ('80/'79), and then the results were evaluated by using of computer. These results are summarized as foolows: (1) Cocoon production per household There was no difference among the agricultural regions in cocoon production. The cocoon production per household in the comparatively stable villages increased from 100.8kg in 1979 to 122kg in 1981. Cocoon yield in the stable villages decreased by 20% of '81/'79. The cocoon production per house hold in while that of the unstable villages decreased by more than 40% from 102.9kg in 1979 to 82kg in 1981. (2) Cocoon yield per 10a mulberry field The cocoon yield per 10a was higher in the plain area than in the mountaineous area. The stable villages had an average of 73.4kg cocoon yield/10a while the unstabe ones had only an average of 55kg. (3) Adoption the mulberry branch rearing method The branch rearing method was more popular in the plain area than in the mountainous area. In the stable vilages adopted 24.2% in spring and 16.7% in autumn of 1979. In 1981 it shwed increases of 34.3% and 10.1% in the two seasons respectivly. However, the unstable villages showed 13.3% and 126% in both seasons, respectively. (4) The patterns of the combined management system in the sericultural farming The popular management system in the sericultural from was combined with rice and other cash crops, showing 55% of the total households surveyed. Fourteen percent of the households combined the management system with rice and other cash crops and 14% of the households combined with rice only. The villages wich earned less than 20% of the total income from the sericulture reached 81% of the total houscholds indicating that they were still far beyond a complete combination system. (5) Damage by agricultural chemicals The damage caused by agricultural chemicals was mainly due to the protection of rice against insectpests and diseases in the plain areas and took place mostly in the autumn season. The chemicals applied was 65% of Iiquid and 35% of powder forms and 35% of damage was from granulat form of the chemicals. The use of the granular chemicals was low because of high cost.

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