Articles - Management

Antonio Palomo summarizes the presentations from the latest AASV, ranging from the future of the veterinary profession to the eradication of diseases, hog prices, and experiences in improving pig survival.

it is vitally important to be aware of the difficulties that this process can entail. Consequently, considerations must be made to ensure a good outcome.

The consequences of suspending castration on the rate of destructured hams are poorly understood. An IFIP study shows the frequency of this defect is around 19%.

This simple trick blocks pigs from going between the inside and outside pens, making them easier to handle.

From their respective academic and on-farm perspectives, Josep Gasa and Josep Casanovas comment on a recent study about the effect of postweaning feed intake.

It is a matter of considering animal welfare, workplace ergonomics, respect for the environment, and societal expectations.

We focus on moving surplus piglets, which forces us to use nurse sows. We explain two ways to do this in a very visual video.

In the previous article, we learned about the concept of feed safety, its impact on swine production, and the responsibility of the compound feed industry in the food chain. Now we will focus on how to practically apply this concept in the compound feed production process.

Straw is the best enrichment material to meet pigs' needs. How can we provide it?

A deep introspection from the perspective of our staff.

We propose a more direct indicator to look at and analyze reproductive problems on the farm.

Drying and warming the piglets favors their survival only in farrowing units with moderate or suboptimal temperatures (<25ºC).

We talked to Jonatan Sánchez-Osorio, Technical Director of Topigs Norsvin Spain, about the essential points in managing sows from this genetic line.

In France, the ban on castration of pigs without pain relief, i.e. without anesthesia, has been in force since January 1, 2022, and this has led to the production of entire male pigs. The main difficulty with this type of production lies in the risk of unpleasant odors being present in the meat from these animals.

A small cart is parked at the end of the aisle of each farrowing room, just below a dry feed distribution line.

Today's swine industry depends on a supply of properly balanced feed, the quality and safety of which are critical to pig health, welfare, and maximum productive performance.

Spain is the first EU country to legislate the installation of video surveillance systems in slaughterhouses, following the example of England, Scotland, and Israel.

A plastic safety fence, like those used in construction, is used to create a barrier between the doors, allowing one person to control sow movement.

Enric Marco examines the reasons why the average age at weaning has not yet reached 28 days in Spain.

Does more available space for finishing pigs improve production? Should we aim to have homogenous weight groups? This study assesses the effect of different elements on finishing performance.

There are many types of do-it-yourself sow card holders for farms, but this one stands out thanks to its simplicity and functionality.

Medicating water using a tank is an easy and flexible method used to administer drugs, but it can be imprecise if the products we use aren’t totally soluble.

Use a waist bag to always have the supplies you need for farrowing assistance at hand.

To ensure that each piglet intakes enough colostrum and to help the smallest piglets get it, split suckling should be used.