Abstract #819

# 819
Environmental impact reduction strategies for pig farms.
Richard Ulrich*1, Greg Thoma1, Jennie Popp1, Mark Hanigan2, 1University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 2Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

The purpose of this project was to determine what design and operational factors have a significant influence with minimal cost on the GHG, water and land usage impacts of a pork production facility. The Pig Production Environmental Footprint Calculator provides a detailed comparison of impacts as a function of animal feed practices, manure treatment strategies, barn heating/cooling settings and additives. The model utilizes the NRC nutrition equations to estimate feed intake and manure production as a function of barn temperature, animal gender, immunocastration, ractopamine use, and crowding. The model’s economic code calculates the dollars per kg of avoided equivalent carbon dioxide emissions. The results confirm that feed production and manure management are the leading causes of environmental impacts from pig farms but differential improvements can come from other areas. Decreasing treatment temperatures can lessen GHG emissions from manure systems through managing barn and tank conditions. Digesters can recover energy from produced methane while converting the methane to lower-impact carbon dioxide. Barn temperatures have an impact on animal feed intake and subsequent growth rates. Common feeds are evaluated for their environmental impacts per calorie or gram protein provided.

Key Words: environmental impact, modeling, pig farms

Speaker Bio
Dr. Ulrich is a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Arkansas.