Evaluate the impact of improving ambient conditions for boars at the Quebec Swine Artificial Insemination Center through the implementation of cooling strategies
May 2024 to December 2025
Sébastien Turcotte, Agr.
Responsible - Building and Livestock Management
Phone: 418 650-2440
Cell.: 418 997-3865
Email:
sturcotte@cdpq.ca
Objectives
Evaluate the impact of improving ambient conditions on the production and sperm quality of boars.
Specifically:
- Measure the effect of ventilation system elements (ventilation rate, air distribution, recirculation fans, air conditioning) on ambient conditions (temperature, relative humidity (RH), airspeed) under different adjustment parameters.
- Calculate the perceived temperatures experienced by boars based on adjustment parameters.
- Develop three adjustment strategies based on perceived temperatures:
- Cooling stage strategy
- Targeted perceived temperature strategy
- Cold perceived temperature strategy
- Evaluate the impact of the three strategies on variations in ambient conditions, energy efficiency, sperm production, and semen quality (% conformity) of boars.
- Optimize the strategy that yields the best results (ambient conditions, energy efficiency, and semen quality/quantity) while maximizing boar comfort.
- Conduct a techno-economic analysis of implementing the selected strategy.
- Develop deliverables and disseminate results.
Applicant
Centre de développement du porc du Québec inc.
Collaborators
- Centre d’insémination porcine du (CIPQ)
Funding
This project is funded by the 2023-2026 Territorial and Sectoral Development Program, Sub-component 2.1 - Agri-food Sector Development Projects.