The opinion of the bloggers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of PigProgress.net or Reed Business. Comments welcome.
Latest Blogs (111-120 of 249)
More from IPVS 2010
The IPVS is plunging into the digital revolution. At this time we are still in the midst of planning and discussing many of the changes we envision. As a result I will hold off going into too much detail on some of the changes and instead, just lift the curtain ever so slightly to give a glimpse of changes that can be expected.
Hidden costs of nutrition
Not all that shines is gold, they say, and this could not be more true when it comes to nutrition. Especially, when it comes to purchasing ingredients that at first glance appear to be cheaper. Sometimes, hidden costs may actually increase cost beyond the initial purchase price. Let me explain with a recent example.
The future of the global pig industry – hit or bust?
Overall, the global pig industry must be a hit. It is a complex but well-structured industry with an end product that is wanted, needed and is a going to be a growing staple diet in many parts of the world. However, there are some bumps foreseen along the road.
A future urban lifestyle for pigs
Agriculture is changing. Fuelled by altered views on the way we should produce our food in combination with growing human population we see farms grow bigger and become more efficient. The basic principle for this expansion has always been: more production! However, buzz words such as sustainability, green and carbon footprints force us to re-evaluate the way (and moreover where!) we produce our daily food. In contrast to single farms getting bigger, initiatives such as "urban farming" - that integrate multi systems at one urban location seems to be gaining interest.
If you can't beat them...
Just when pork producers thought they saw light at the end of the tunnel, H1N1 turned up. The influenza A scares caused a somewhat depressing atmosphere at this year’s World Pork Expo, in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, in June. The ‘why’ is not hard to see.
Some thoughts on big pens
The big pen concept for growing/finishing pigs really caught on around 2003, so we have a good five years experience to fall back on. Numbers together range from 80 to 300 growers in the same pen.
North American concerns over DDGS
There is no doubt. Dried distillers grains with solubles, or DDGS for brevity, have been a great money saver for most North American pork producers. Today, many producers use about 20-30% DDGS in finishing diets, whereas the inclusion rate reaches even 60% in some gestation diets. The problem is not if DDGS should be used, but rather, how much more can be used before problems start to appear. And, DDGS is not without its problems!
Should future pigs roll in the mud again?
Increased hygiene and a lack of exposure to various microorganisms may be affecting the immune systems of many populations – particularly in highly developed countries like the USA –to the degree that individuals are losing their bodily ability to fight off certain diseases.
H1N1, PRRS and IPVS: a day in the life
How busy can the life of a professional swine veterinarian be? Dr Ernest Sanford is swine specialist at Boehringer Ingelheim's Vetmedica division in Ontario, Canada – and apart from that he is IPVS president, organising the next congress in Vancouver, BC. On top of that, H1N1 asks some attention…
A viral update – lots going on in the swine world
There is a lot going on in the swine world regarding viral infections over recent days and weeks – flu, PRRS and circovirus, so I thought it would be useful to give an overview for readers.
