Farmer Focus: Abattoir inspection is the important bit

I’ve just returned from the abattoir. I think it’s easy to forget the importance of following your livestock right to the end of the line.

Every now and again something happens and I realise I need to go and spend some time in the factory to see our pigs being killed.

See also: Read more from our Livestock Farmer Focus writers

It’s like everything, it’s easy to think you’re doing a great job and that the job is finished after the pigs are loaded onto that wagon, but what happens next is the important bit!

Health scheme benefits

The AHDB Pork Health Scheme reports that we receive as a paying levy member are a great tool to know what health our pigs are in. However, not every pig or even yard has a report generated and so going to see it for yourself is not a bad routine to get into.

It’s important to see your pigs hanging and see inside each animal – you realise just how clear that slap mark must be to make sure you are getting paid for your pigs. Making sure they are clean is vital.

Another job that I must do more often is ensure that I work out our killing out percentage, by weighing pigs on farm or getting a wagon weight and working it back to make sure it’s what you expect it to be.

Farmers are sometimes accused of not sharing information with one another. I must say I think the pig industry is quite good at being open and sharing knowledge.

Farrowing and fieldsman

We are currently looking at putting up new farrowing accommodation to replace some older buildings we have. We have been fortunate enough to visit several farms to look at what they have just put up and how it is performing.

It’s a massive investment and so seeing as may different designs is very important because no one is ever 100% happy with a new building and it’s good to go and find out the issues so we don’t have the same. It’s always exciting when you are planning new buildings so I’ll keep readers updated on what we decide on.

Just a quick update on my new fieldsman, he’s doing great and fitting into our team really well – It just shows everything happens for a reason! 

Kate Morgan and family farm 1,700 sows indoors in East Yorkshire and 1,200 outdoors in North Yorkshire, taking all the progeny through to slaughter. Kate is a 2012 Nuffield scholar.