Sunday 27 May 2012
pigs
Optimism for the future of the British pig, poultry and egg sectors is strong among visitors and industry representatives. Improving prices and fairer regulations across Europe mean more producers have greater confidence in their business than they have had in recent years. And while the industry still faces challenges in the face of rising...
Increasing demand for sites for Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants could see farmers and landowners across the country being approached by developers looking to build a plant on their land - providing the farmer with a significant rental income. At least 8 well funded AD developers are currently looking for sites throughout the UK to build 1.5 - 2...
With cull sow prices currently good, now is an ideal time for pig producers to review the sow parity distribution in their herds, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC. Sow parity distribution can be a major driver of herd fertility and productivity. Animals over target parity for the herd frequently under-pe...
A European directive that could leave British pig farmers facing a £28 million bill has been criticised by agricultural accountants. New rules introduced by the European Commission will require pig producers to reduce the gap in slatted floors and keep animals in larger pens. Many of the pens currently used are too small for the pig to turn aro...
Large numbers of pigs could be screened more quickly and cost-effectively for a range of common pathogens, such as PRRSV, SIV and PCV2, thanks to a new PCR-based test system developed in the US. The system uses samples of oral fluids which can be obtained quickly and easily by leaving a cotton rope in each pen for pigs to chew on. After 20 minut...
BPEX Director, Mick Sloyan, will be announcing new developments for pig health at the Pig & Poultry Fair. As the national Pig Health Improvement Project (PHIP) scheme approaches its first anniversary, BPEX is anticipated to report strong support from producers and industry. Helen Clarke explains: "To date 345 businesses have signed up to the...
Animal nutrition specialists Optivite have launched a new salmonella control programme for pigs. The programme looks at meeting an overall need rather than looking at problems in isolation. "The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) report last year suggested that pigs and pig meat may be responsible for 10 to 20 per cent of all ...
Martin Smith has been appointed area business manager for Ufac-UK. After graduating from the University College of North Wales with a BSc in zoology, Martin pursued a career in the animal feed industry, first with feed compounders then with specialist probiotic, vitamin and supplement manufacturers in both the ruminant and monogastric sectors. ...
While it may seem early to be discussing summer infertility, many breeding herds on pig farms have predictable dips in fertility associated with seasonal — or unseasonal! — weather, warns Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC. To help overcome this problem, extra gilts need to be served to compensate for reduced fert...
Leading global pig breeders and geneticists, JSR Genetics, have successfully won two prestigious Technology Strategy Board grants in conjunction with top UK academic partners. The recently awarded grants, totaling near £800k, have been allocated to projects firmly focused on efficiency and sustainability, highlight JSR’s on-going commitme...
Pig and Poultry Fair 2012 will see the launch of a keenly anticipated new Sireline, the ’faster finishing’ JSR Geneconverter 800m Boar, by leading global pig breeders, JSR Genetics. Bred specifically for speed of growth, JSR Geneconverter 800m progeny are up to 3 days faster to finish, giving an extra 5 kilos for those wanting more w...
The global population of farm animals increased 23 percent between 1980 and 2010, from 3.5 billion to 4.3 billion, according to research by Worldwatch. These figures continue a trend of rising farm animal populations, with harmful effects on the environment, public health, and global development. Both production and consumption of animal produc...
New rules for the pig industry are intended to create a more-even set of welfare standards across Europe and stop some farmers - such as those in Britain - being undercut by competitors using less welfare-friendly methods. European Commissioners cannot sit back - they must take tough action against any countries that flout new rules partially ba...
Representatives from the NFU have met with scientists at the leading UK research institute studying livestock diseases to hear of progress in understanding Schmallenberg virus (SBV). Among the delegation touring The Institute for Animal Health (IAH) at Pirbright, Surrey was NFU President Peter Kendall and NFU Vice President Adam Quinney. They me...
Children in the West country are being reminded about the potential dangers of farm animals and playing in the countryside ahead of the Easter school holidays. As part of its ’FarmSafe for Schools’ project, rural insurer Cornish Mutual has produced a new set of guidelines for youngsters to avoid the risk of death or physical injury...
The National Beef Association (NBA) believes the UK general public has largely dismissed claims published yesterday linking red meat to higher mortality levels. The report, resulting from a study in the USA, hit the UK media yesterday ’ but the NBA says that many of the over-the-top headlines caused a lot of people, some of them high prof...
The RSPCA’s Freedom Food labelling scheme is launching a new online advertising campaign this month in a bid to increase awareness of of farm animal welfare. Featuring Celebrity MasterChef winner and ex-Atomic Kitten singer, Liz McClarnon, the campaign kicks off on Monday 12 March and will run for four weeks across popular news, lifestyle...
Argyll Lone Worker Solutions today announced it has secured a two-year contract with Co-operative Farms. The contract win comes on the back of the latest HSE figures which show there were almost 1,000 incidents where lone workers in the agricultural sector suffered fatal or major injuries in 2010/11. The Dunoon-based security specialists wi...
Scour in farrowing houses is well recognised. Perhaps what is less recognised is how much effect this can have on the post-weaning performance, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC. It has been reported that the gut damage (villous atrophy) in piglets following rotavirus infection can persist for up to 30 da...
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