Piglet castration with anaesthesia - what are the Dutch doing?

It was announced earlier in the year that Dutch supermarkets said they would only sell meat from farms where the male piglets have received anaesthetics prior to castration - what are the Dutch farmers actually doing?
17 Oct 2007 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »

Sources of fibre

To continue our discussion on fibre, let's start by saying that selecting a proper source of fibre is as important as defining the right level of crude fibre in a diet, and for some, as crucial as having the proper definition of the word 'fibre' itself! So, it is safe to say that not all sources of fibre are the same. And, naturally, they do not cost the same…
09 Oct 2007 - 1 comment(s) - Read more »

Overstocked hospital pens

The idea of the hospital pen has caught on well. And that's good. However, on the 30 or so large production units in five countries I have been invited to tour this spring and summer, by far the large majority - about 80% no less - were making one or both of these serious errors, at least in my opinion…
02 Oct 2007 - 4 comment(s) - Read more »

FMD is back again in the UK - but is that all?

Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is back again in the UK, causing all sorts of problems regarding movement restrictions and potential welfare problems, but is it only a shower before the real storm hits the UK and EU pig industry?
25 Sep 2007 - 2 comment(s) - Read more »

Fiber

Fiber in sow diets! Now, this is a widely debated issue and it is my intention only to provide a cross reference drawn from the most widely accepted 'norms'. I expect this to raise a lot of questions and why not, a constructive debate!
18 Sep 2007 - 8 comment(s) - Read more »

Antimicrobial use in man and animals - are we poles apart?

For the first time in the UK, we have been able to compare the usage of antimicrobials in humans and in animals. For most of the major antimicrobial families we are poles apart.
10 Sep 2007 - 0 comment(s) - Read more »

Legs - a recurring problem

From world data it seems that too many sows are not making it to a fourth parity. Leg problems are the secondmost reason for a premature culling of sows, after reproductive problems. There are definitely ways to deal with it.
03 Sep 2007 - 3 comment(s) - Read more »

Proper nutrition for gilts

I believe most nutritionists, veterinarians, and producers would readily agree with me against using gilts from the finishing floor as breeding animals. Not only for the purpose of using the right genetics, which of course is a very important consideration, but also for nutritional concerns. Keep in mind that market pigs are not fed with longevity in mind, with a notable example being dietary minerals and bone formation. So, how should we feed our gilts?
27 Aug 2007 - 3 comment(s) - Read more »

More on Light - Don't we need to study darkness too?

Those of you who know me, know that I'm hooked on light and how it affects pigs. Everyone, including myself, talks a great deal on the way light influences breeding patterns, such as how much light in relation to darkness, especially from midsummer onwards, influences autumn infertility. But there is almost nothing on the role how darkness itself may affect the situation.
17 Aug 2007 - 2 comment(s) - Read more »

MRSA in pigs in Holland - is there cause for concern?

High levels of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) have been isolated in pigs in Holland and also in pig farmers and vets, should we be concerned?
09 Aug 2007 - 3 comment(s) - Read more »