Industry Insights

These days, it is difficult to find and retain qualified farm staff. Automation could be part of the solution – one that could also bring a positive contribution to farm...

Findings in alternative home-grown protein sources could help the UK pig sector move away from unsustainable soya imports. At a time when global supplies of soy are looking increasingly fragile,...

Does keeping pigs in mobile, self-driving animal houses sound futuristic? Not according to a recent Canadian initiative. Canadian farmer and technologist Daniel Badiou of Ukko Robotics designed an outdoor mobile...

This article aims to highlight why oxidation in feed can become a big concern for swine producers, what the problems resulting from oxidation in pig feed are, and present practical...

Feeding sows during the lactation period is a particular challenge due to the high nutrient requirements. The NSP enzyme Natugrain TS from BASF can contribute to a better supply and...

Haiti reported an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on Sept. 20. This is the first case of ASF virus reported in...

Do you know the signs of African swine fever (ASF)? Whether it’s China, the Dominican Republic or elsewhere, ASF doesn’t always present itself with clear symptoms. According to Patrick Webb,...

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) can be introduced to pigs through the importation of contaminated feed products, confirms a new study performed by researchers from USDA ‘s Agricultural Research Service at...

Lameness is now the leading cause of mortality in mid- to late-finishing pigs. How did lameness develop into such a big problem? Mike Eisenmenger, DVM, Swine Vet Center, and Kathleen...

Monarch Bioenergy, a joint venture between Smithfield Foods, Inc. and Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE), recently finished installing manure-to-energy technology on nearly all of Smithfield’s Northern Missouri hog finishing farms. The...

Values for the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of Phosphorus (P) and Calcium (Ca) have been measured in most feed ingredients. In almost...

Efforts to control the feral pig population in Oklahoma are ahead of last year, USDA reports. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) created the National Feral Swine Damage...

Swine producers in Ukraine are considering plans to produce premium pork without the use of antibiotics, even though opinion polls show the local population is not bothered about antibiotic resistance...

The black soldier fly (BSFL) offers a range of opportunities for pigs, not only as a feed ingredient, but also as edible enrichment. Providing small daily portions of live BSFL...

As an often overlooked subpopulation on farm, boars are a critical component in the success and productivity of a sow farm. What can be done to ensure optimal health and...

As for many ingredients, a proper balance is necessary when supplying iron to newly weaned piglets. Iron is essential for piglets at this stage of life, yet too much of...

Reston virus should be considered a livestock pathogen with zoonotic potential. That was the outcome of a US study in pigs, who found that piglets experimentally infected with the virus...

Researchers in China set out to evaluate the effect of flavoured feed on reproductive performance and faecal microbiota of sows during late gestation and lactation. An overall positive effect on...

Now Germany had to face the first outbreaks of African Swine Fever virus in domestic pigs, the million dollar question more than ever is whether the country can get the...

Danish researchers put ventilation to the test in an attempt to see if methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) could also spread outside pig houses. The airborne spread of livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA)...

Pig and poultry producers in Brazil have been buying wheat in the futures market instead of corn in order to avoid higher feeding costs. The reason is the very high...

For the Philippines, the African Swine Fever outbreaks in recent years have led to a significant decline in pork production, pushing pork imports to a record high. Meanwhile, the Philippines...

The pig industry is facing new challenges when lactating sows are to be loose housed. How to identify sows with potential health issues for instance? After all, measuring rectal temperature...

Sulphur-containing compounds are essential elements for pigs. However, there is a rising concern about the excess of sulphur sources in the diet, as sulphates could serve as a substrate for...

South Africa’s swine sector has not been spared from the protest action, looting, and vandalism that recently took place in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces. Pig farms, slaughterhouses and animal feed...

As the global population increases, meat consumption may increase by 73% by 2050. Therefore, pig producers will likely aim to maximize the output per animal unit and to increase animal...

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed the risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) spreading through outdoor pig farms and has proposed biosecurity and control measures for outdoor farms...

Grower pigs can feel the negative effects of heat stress in various ways. To overcome this, a nutritional strategy of lowering crude protein levels and stepping up the amino acid...

Fresh data from China's state media indicates the world's largest pork producer is recovering from multiple years of African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks. The news comes after the disease wiped...

TRIGGA INTRODUCES NEW FEATURES As part of our drive to continuously improve your experience with us, we are delighted to introduce two new features aimed at making your lives easier...

When pigs get hit with significant illnesses during key stages of pregnancy, their immune response may negatively affect developing piglets, making them less productive on the farm. New research from...

A 2nd farm has been found infected with African Swine Fever (ASF) in Western Poland this year. A facility in the pig-rich Greater Poland province with 3,000 pigs on-site tested...

Can rodents transmit the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus? Although rodents are a possible transmission vector for other swine diseases, that path of transmission has been uncharacterized for ASF....

The global hog industry has had an interesting start to 2021, with expectations for slower production growth in many parts of the world. Rising herd health challenges, higher feed costs...

The pork industry is a buzz with carbon reduction goals and even carbon neutrality. Two questions often asked are what is a carbon-neutral pig and what can farmers do? A...

Vietnam’s pork production is on a rapid path to recovery, USDA said in its most recent Foreign Agricultural Service Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report. In 2020, the African swine...

Currently, feedstuff costs have increased tremendously of virtually all ingredients. Therefore, many feed and pork producers are critically reviewing what can be done to decrease feed costs/kg pork produced. Depending...

Changes at weaning can have significant detrimental impacts on the piglet's gastrointestinal tract structure and function. Sexual dimorphism, weaning weight, and weaning age play a role. Young, weaned piglets will...

The aggressive capacity expansion of large-scale farms in 2020 has driven an estimated increase in slaughter pigs for China. In 2021, the number is expected to grow by 19.2%, reaching...

Keeping pigs cool in times of heat stress has a positive effect on their fouling behaviour and subsequently on the formation of ammonia. In Sweden, researchers tested 2 methods of...