Thompson's tip: Lighten up for breeding sows
He points out that it is also important to ensure the weaned sow and service area is well lit, i.e. to an intensity of at least 200 lux and on a 16-hour light, 8-hour dark pattern.
Page 43 of articles about management
Stimulation during insemination: The Danish perspective
In Denmark the most common practice is to always stimulate with the boar together with a complete 5 point pattern of stimulation carried out by the inseminator.
Thermal control of piglets in the farrowing pen (III)
In this chapter we will take a look at the use of heat lamps and how to distribute heat inside the pen.
Oral fluid
Oral fluid samples can at times replace traditional blood testing while requiring less labor and technical skill. Also there is clearly reduced stress for people and pigs, which is becoming important in modern food animal production.
Thermal control of piglets in the farrowing pen (II)
In this chapter we will discuss the benefits of heating mats
Thermal control of piglets in the farrowing pen (I)
The majority of newborn mamals are very sensitive to low temperatures. However, piglets are especially predisposed to loss of energy.
Seasonality and mortality at fattening
One could think that the number of deaths increases in the winter in the northern hemisphere because the animals freeze to death.
Sow Farm: Taking the Mystery Out of Pork Production at Smithfield Food
Piglets begin their life on a sow farm, a place for pregnant mother pigs and their newly born young. Watch the process from the beginning and see how we ensure our piglets and sows remain healthy and comfortable.
Foundations for optimizing lactation
The milk production of sows is one of the parameters that has evolved the most over the last several decades.
Farrowing induction IV: Guidelines
In this chapter we will take a look at some other aspects of farrowing induction...
The role of lean tissue in handling bodily reserves
In practice there aren’t any direct methods to measure lean reserves in the field. On an experimental level, generally, ultrasound machines are used to measure the loin thickness (LT) as an indicator of lean reserves (just as the dorsal fat measure, DFM, is taken as an indicator of fat reserves)
The Netherlands initiates a social dialogue on mega livestock complexes
The Dutch administration wants to maintain an open dialogue with society about the future of farming and in particular, about mega livestock complexes. The most important arguments in this discussion are animal wellbeing and public health risks. This social dialogue is focused on several fronts, being carried out through an online platform, where anyone can give their opinion, converse, or ask questions on a website created for this purpose, as well as through meetings.
Managing a 3-week batch system, weaning at the beginning of the week
This may be a good option when farrowings and litter control during the first days are the priority.
Become a certified Pig Signals ® trainer!
Do you want to train pig farmers to maximize their efficiency by better looking at their pigs? Do you enjoy lecturing, but you want to improve your presentation skills? Become a Certified Pig Signals® trainer!
Aerial mapping: Adding to the swine industry’s toolbox for area regional disease control
Area regional disease control (ARDC) strategies are an important tool in the swine industry due to the ability of many swine diseases, most notably PRRS, to spread by methods other than direct animal contact.
Managing a 3-week batch system
On small farms it is better to group tasks on specific days, leaving other days with less tasks in order to organize days off...