SPACE: French animal production, trends and 2010 forecasts

With the agricultural show SPACE coming up early September, it is time to zoom in on France. Except for sheep, production prices in France for all animals have decreased in 2009. On average, agricultural incomes dropped by 30.4% for French professional farms, the worst situation being registered for dairy farmers (-49.5% income).*
30 Aug 2010 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »

Managing Variation at Slaughter by using a 'Profit Box'

“ Some variation is largely unavoidable - but manageable!” (Dr. John Patience, 2008). This last year I seem to have visited more farms than usual where this problem was raised. The problem of variation in shipping weights resulted in under-occupied pens holding up the re-occupation of the finishing building with new pigs. I’m sure you have noticed it, but housing costs as a percentage of real-term total costs (outside inflation) of raising a finishing pig have nearly doubled in the past 20 years, especially for new-builds. Empty pens waste capital resources.
23 Aug 2010 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »

Animal welfare: a science or not?

Treating animals with care and respect is very important and (I hope) there is hardly any discussion about its importance in animal production. But there seems to be a discussion going on whether 'animal welfare' is considered a real science or just a combination of values, emotions and interpretations. But does it really matter?
16 Aug 2010 - 2 comment(s) - Read more »

The 21st IPVS Congress delivers!

The 21st International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress is over and what an event it was!
09 Aug 2010 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »

Milk Immunoglobulins

We all know quite well that sow’s milk is an ideal source of nutrients for newborn piglets. Not only milk, and especially colostrum, is rich in nutrients like protein, lipids, and lactose, but these very nutrients are extremely digestible. What is less known is the fact that sow’s milk and colostrum are also an essential source of functional compounds, mostly proteins that play an important role in piglet growth, development, and overall health.
02 Aug 2010 - 2 comment(s) - Read more »

IPVS 2010 Vancouver, Canada – What scientific delights can we expect?

The long awaited 21st International Pig Veterinary Society Congress in beautiful Vancouver, Canada is here...(18-21st July). What scientific delights can we expect?
19 Jul 2010 - 1 comment(s) - Read more »

Pre-weaning mortality

I am still surprised when I visit farms where pre-weaning mortality is not only exceeding 20%, but also such performance is considered acceptable and even normal.
13 Jul 2010 - 4 comment(s) - Read more »

Where are you in these comparisons?

Those of you who know me have learned that I collect farm figures like crazy – have done so for 40 years or more. They teach you so much about what is really happening on pig farms.
06 Jul 2010 - 2 comment(s) - Read more »

Health teams: for future proof pig farms

The pressure is on for reducing antibiotics in animal production systems. But to be successful in this, the veterinarian, farmer and nutritionist should cooperate more in the form of 'health teams'.
29 Jun 2010 - 1 comment(s) - Read more »

Bringing home the bacon

IPVS 2010 is just a few short weeks away; we are in the home stretch. Are we ready? In many ways I think we’ve been ready for a long time. We have been preparing for all foreseeable eventualities. The unexpected surprises could still be a little unnerving, and rest assured we know a few surprises will emerge, no matter how well we are prepared, but by the same token we are well positioned to accommodate those surprises.
22 Jun 2010 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »