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Ammonia Concentrations and Emissions from Finishing Pigs Reared in Different Growing Rooms
Author(s) -
Costa Annamaria
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2016.04.0134
Subject(s) - zoology , manure , environmental science , toxicology , biology , ecology
Even with the adoption of Best Available Techniques (BAT) standards, pig producers have observed different degrees of fouling on the floor during the finishing phase. These differences depend on the excretory behavior of pigs reared in different growing facilities. Our objectives in this study were to measure ammonia (NH 3 ) concentrations and emissions from finishing pigs reared in different growing rooms and subsequently housed in identical BAT room types. The 1600 pigs used in the study were reared in growing rooms with a slatted floor and a vacuum system for manure removal (WSF) or in growing rooms with a solid floor and an outside alley and storage pit (WCF). Pigs were grouped by type of growing room and allocated to two WCF finishing rooms per group. Mean NH 3 concentration (7.45 vs. 5.31 mg m −3 ) and degree of fouling on the floor (77 vs. 37%) were significantly greater ( P < 0.001) in the WSF compared with the WCF finishing rooms. Pigs in the WCF emitted 4.63 g NH 3 pig −1 during the measurement period, whereas those in the WSF emitted 6.55 g NH 3 pig −1 . Our results indicate that, because pigs’ fouling behavior is established during the growing phase, the finishing phase should be performed in a similar facility designed to maintain the NH 3 reduction provided by BAT systems. In this study, growers housed in a WSF facility exhibited the same defecating and urinating habits when moved to the WCF facility despite the availability of an outside alley. This management choice limited the capability to lower NH 3 concentrations and emissions, negatively affecting animal performance. Core Ideas Two groups of 800 fattening pigs were housed in different BAT weaning facilities. Weaners were reared either on slats or on full floor with external area. Floors were fouled by 35% in WCF and by 70% in WSF weaning rooms. With fatteners reared in WCF houses, fouling degree was 37% (WCF) and 77% (WSF). Ammonia concentration and emission was higher for WSF fatteners.