Grower/Finisher Articles

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Keeping an eye on every single finisher pig

In sheep and goat production, the system is already in use. In pig production, however, individual finisher identification has not been commonplace. Until this October – when the first finisher pig house with individual electronic ID was opened. Welcome to a whole new range of opportunities.
The Classens farm is probably the first commercial farm using an individual finisher sorting system. This ‘aerial... read more »

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The best start for piglets

All pig producers know that the first few hours of a piglet’s life are critical to its survival. In addition to a warm, clean housing environment, a readily available supply of nutrients is the key. An effective nutritional strategy can give the weakest piglets thebeststart in life, setting the stage for future growth and development. read more >

High feed prices remain worrisome for US producers

High, higher, highest. The development of US feedprices seemed to be a one-way traffic in the first months of 2011. Although the situation has stabilised over the summer, it’s likely new levels are here to stay – so US pig producers should be prepared for a higher cost of production. That was, once more, the key message from this year’s World Pork Expo, held in Des Moines, Iowa, US, from 8-10 June 2011. read more >

New feed ingredients affect carcass fat quality

As the quantity of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) increased in pig rations so has the concern over fat quality. It is well known that the use of DDGS increases the amount of unsaturated fat in rations. This has the potential to negatively influence carcass fat quality since carcass fat composition is affected by the type of fat in the diet. read more >

Mixing sows into groups only days after AI

Within less than two years, all breeding farms in the European Union have to keep their gestating sows in group housing as from a month after insemination. Some producers, experiment further. Smeenk Farms in Haarle, the Netherlands, keeps sows in crates for only a couple of days – and with success. read more >

Pig house design is key to production success

For long, proper ventilation and insulation have been key points in constructing proper pig housing. Agri-housing is never a case of ’one-size-fits-all’. read more >
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