GERDES FARM: Germany
//06 Apr 2009
Two years ago, Wilfried Gerdes, pig producer in the North East of Germany, decided to gradually move to Danish genetics, as he felt finishing could be better. To Gerdes' surprise, not only finishing, but also breeding results improved considerably. Pig Progress editor Vincent ter Beek went to have a look for himself, in November 2008.
Read more about the Gerdes farm in Pig Progress 25.02. Alternatively, you can click here to see the pdf.
The pig production site of Wilfred Gerdes, 29, is a family-owned farrow-to-finish facility in Lorup, Niedersachsen, Germany. His farm houses 200 sows and 1,200 finishing places and he has 35 ha land for silage maize and grains, for sale.
GERDES FARM: Germany
The pig production site of Wilfred Gerdes, 29, is a family-owned farrow-to-finish facility in Lorup, Niedersachsen, Germany. His farm houses 200 sows and 1,200 finishing places and he has 35 ha land for silage maize and grains, for sale.
Over the last couple of years, Gerdes moved away from German genetics to try Danish sows from Danbred - and with good results. Improvement could be seen in farrowing, health and growth.
Gerdes says, "Now I see, I did not have my health issues under control."
The Danish breeds are a cross between Landrace and Yorkshire, which are kept 6-7 weeks in quarantine.
The Danish gilts have a high health status, being vaccinated for PRRS, parvovirus, mycoplasma, erysipelas – and they have also been dewormed.
Electronic sow feeding was introduced at the farm in 2003, using Mannebeck feeding stations. The sows are kept in groups of 90 animals.
As the Danish genetics were introduced, live born piglets/sow/year increased from 29.1 to 34.1 – an improvement of 12.9 to 14.1 per litter.
The number of pigs sold/sow/year went up from 24.0 to 30.0.
Pre-weaning mortality went down from 17.8% to 12.5%.
At about 25-28 kg, the weaners go to fattening. About half of the population is finished on-site, the rest is sold.
There are plans for the addition of a new fattening house, in the direct neighbourhood, at 1 km away. This is planned to be ready in the next two years.
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