Know How / Pigs

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Hot weather can severely curtail growth in finishing pigs by suppressing their appetite and also reduce farrowing rates in the breeding herd by as much as 25%. With UK temperatures…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

There are big opportunities to achieve better pig health and growth through simple changes to water systems, with potential yet to be fully explored on many units. Pigs need ready…

FARMER FOCUS

I am writing this column on a Sunday evening at the end of a farrowing week. The numbers stand at 96 sows farrowed, 13.88 born alive a sow, mortality at…

FARMER FOCUS

Running a 380-sow pig unit would, in normal circumstances, put us under the 750-sow threshold for which an environmental permit is required.  However, because we have two poultry farms in…

FARMER FOCUS

Well, I must say I feel a complete cheat writing this column sat by a pool in Italy with a cold beer by my side. I am very privileged to…

PIGS

South Africa, a land known for its tropical weather and miles of dry terrain, is hardly conducive to pig farming, with everything from temperature fluctuation to farm security to consider.…

PIGS

Set in the heart of the US corn belt, Iowa is a farming mecca. Mile after mile of maize and soya bean fields make this an ideal place for pig…

LIVESTOCK

Strict regulation has more than halved Dutch antibiotics use in recent years as a new era in farm health planning and probiotics has driven livestock systems. More frequent veterinary visits,…

FARMER FOCUS

We’re now into our sixth week with little or no rain and temperatures in the high twenties. These high temperatures are starting to have an accumulative effect on us and…

LIVESTOCK

Back in February I talked about the astounding weights we achieved out of Batch G, in which the bacon pigs averaged 90kg deadweight (117.7kg live) at 157 days old, thereby…

LIVESTOCK

On our way back from the England v Wales game, two of my pig farming mates gave me a bit of stick. In my February column I said we sold…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Scientists have produced pigs that can resist porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) by changing their genetic code. PRRS is an endemic disease and costs the pig industry about £1.75bn/year…

LIVESTOCK

A stable price, improving performance and market demand are all painting a positive picture for pig production in 2018. The UK pig market has been through a period of stability,…

FARMER FOCUS

I was at a meeting just before Christmas where a woman from AHDB Pork pointed out the dangers of African swine fever (ASF). I must say I found it very…

PIGS

The Welsh pig sector is set to benefit from £1.29m of funding aimed at growing the industry and capitalising on opportunities post Brexit. The investment will come from the Welsh…

LIVESTOCK

Record-breaking quarterly figures for the diagnosis porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in the UK swine herd could be due to better virus survival and transmission rates during the long, wet winter,…

PIGS

Ten European loose-housed farrowing pens are being assessed for pig, piglet and worker welfare in a world-leading product test. This follows industry targets for 10% of Danish sows to be…

TV presenter and pig farmer Jimmy Doherty will star in three short films on Channel 4 On Demand to raise consumer awareness about British pork. The three-minute films, which will…

LIVESTOCK

The pig industry will face continued challenges in 2012 but begin to grow during 2013 as improved productivity gains kick in, was the message at Livestock 2012. Feed prices are…

LIVESTOCK

Reporting from the British Pig and Poultry Fair 2012, Farmers Weekly's Sarah Trickett speaks to pig industry producers and experts on what the EU sow stalls ban will mean for…