Absence of protein can protect pig foetuses from PRRS The absence of an essential virus receptor protein in dams completely protects piglet foetuses from...
Wrapping up April: What’s new in the world of pigs? April was a relatively quiet month in terms of innovations or take-overs in the international swine business....
Methionine in the spotlight at Adisseo pig event Adisseo zoomed in on the effect of methionine and selenium in sows, piglets and pork at a 2-day event in...
8 Modern swine innovations in the Netherlands Clever software applications, environmental tools as well as animal health solutions were key at this year’s...
Cooling pads for sows developed at Purdue University US-based Purdue University has developed personal pig cooling pads, to help them cool down while feeding the...
Wrapping up February: What’s new in the world of pigs? Big Data and sensor technology increasingly make their entry into the global swine business, so much became...
Which management practices maximise piglet survival? French researchers have established a list of do’s and don’ts on the basis of a survey amongst farrow-to-finish...
Alibaba: Artificial intelligence inside Chinese pig farms Chinese E-commerce giant Alibaba is introducing artificial intelligence technology for inside pig farms, like...
Keeping zinc out by using prefermented rape seed The medicinal use of zinc oxide can be replaced by adding prefermented rape seed through pig diets, according to...
German pigs appreciate 2-level pens in trial German researchers have embraced the idea of introducing 2-level pens as a way to increase space allowance for...
What is the maximum weight a sow can wean? Sows can wean litter weights of over 115 kg at 28 days of age and pigs with low birth weights can have feed...
Berries and ramsoms could kill E. coli in piglets A cocktail of ramsons and acidic berries has been found to be have strong and synergistic antimicrobial...
Piglet castration may be avoided by gene editing The long road to avoid castration appears to have got another turn. 2 US companies have teamed up to jointly...
Weighing at weaning can help identify diseases early French researchers are currently testing a tool capable of alerting swine farmers when weaner pigs show signs...
"Aiming for at least 850 g daily pig growth" Pig breeder Hypor Genetics is aiming for vital and uniform pigs. According to the company’s product manager...
4th parity sows yield most vital piglets Piglets from 4th parity sows have been shown to be the most vital in terms of reaching teats.
Striving for perfection in free farrowing pens Welfare and housing expert Vivi Aarestrup Moustsen has been involved in Danish trials to test 10 different...
Sows in the Champions League - how can we help? Playing in Champions League for sows is possible – but not without hard work from staff – and sows, writes...
The importance of implantation (I) Implantation is an important stage in a successful gestation cycle – and it is a phase that is not to be...
Mixing weaners without tears Mixing weaners has always been a bit of a problem and is likely to become a bigger problem in the European...
Zinc: Diarrhoea treatment in piglets and… children The use of high levels of zinc oxide in piglet diets for prevention of post-weaning diarrhoea is a hot topic...
Loose house farrowing systems – where do we start? From an animal welfare standpoint, much focus has been placed on assessing how the sow’s environment during...
How do we know the nursing capacity of sows? Ideally, 90% of our sows should wean at least 15 piglets at each weaning – and do so again and again… They could...
Some sows are better mothers than others Neonatal piglet mortality is a challenge for all sow holders – but for some more than others. There is no doubt...
BLOG: Consumerism – analysis or just more politics? We are all consumers but I have to say I was disappointed when the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) ‘The...
BLOG: PEDV – A disaster waiting to happen in the EU Although we have African Swine Fever (ASF) knocking on our Eastern door, Europe needs to wake up to the...
BLOG: Diseases running west There is a somewhat unwanted parallel between North America and Europe at the moment, as in both continents,...
Cephalosporin use – Shock, horror – or is it? Many newspaper journalists like to use the ‘Shock, horror’ tactics to get stories noticed. Increasingly, it...
BLOG: Antimicrobial use monitoring – what is the best... Following on from my last weblog, how should we move forward with monitoring of antimicrobial use in pigs in the...
Perfect piglet feed Sometime ago, I was asked to make 'the perfect' piglet feed without regards to cost. Rightly so, a couple weeks...
A different subject: Talking about smaller litters Attending a conference on the end of piglet castration in the European Union, held in Amsterdam, the...
Inulin Since 2004, I have been using inulin indirectly and incidentally, being unavoidably present in one of my...
A tropical view on heat stress in sows Heat stress in pigs can vary strongly depending on the region where the animals are being kept. As a tropical...
8 Danish tips to help reduce antibiotics Danish pig producers are among the highest performing in Europe and have been achieving consistent health and...
Yangxiang aims high with sows on many floors Chinese pig company Yangxiang go where few have gone before: with the construction of pig farms with 7, 9 or...
An isotonic drink for pigs – what is it? Did something good ever come from the 2014 PEDv outbreak in North America? Well, definitely yes – one of the...
An easy farrowing enhances piglet health Sometimes, when humans feel bad, early help can help them to perform as usual, which in turn helps them to be...
Feeding can provide but also cost energy In the last episode of this series, a fourth strategy is explored to counteract heat stress. Where earlier...
Creep feeding helps nursery pigs thrive Creep feed is traditionally offered to piglets in their first few weeks of life to allow them to get used to...
Long lasting protection against PCV2 infections Several years ago, Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2) was the swine business’ enemy number 1. Nowadays, the virus...
Improve iron status of piglets with phytase Phytases do interact with many other ingredients in pig feed – effects on zinc and phosphorus are well-known....
Heat stress series: Management tips to reduce heat stress In this series, every author looks at the problem of ‘heat stress’ from a different angle. In Pig Progress,...
Research farm teams up with the world In a world that is increasingly connected, research has to reflect that. At Cargill’s Global Innovation Center...
Smart protein use needed for piglet health In the critical time around weaning, every little step has to be made as easily as possible for young piglets....
Role of functional fibres in pre-weaning nutrition One just can’t start early enough with paying close attention to piglet feed. Ingredients present in pre-weaning...
Tail necrosis: A cause of tail biting? Damaged tails are usually seen as an effect of tail biting caused by attacks by other pigs. But it looks like...
Better piglet health by enhancing sow diets It is becoming increasingly clear that piglet performance can be increased through providing the right nutrients...
Algae extracts to improve piglet gut health At what moment does a piglet need help? At weaning or does protection have to start sooner? Applying a strategy...
Photo report: Dan Yu Breeding Farm, China The Danish pig industry is rapidly building up its presence on the shores of China. In recent years, a breeding...
2 tips to create the right farrowing environment Mature sows perform best when room temperatures are between 18-21°C (65-70°F), while young piglets require a...
PHOTO REPORT: Krannestrup Farm, Denmark Danish pork producer Niels Aage Arve at Krannestrup Farm is happy to have new systems tested at his modern...
Swiss castration method Switzerland is one of Europe's leading countries with regard to the piglet castration discussion.