Reading Time: 3 minutes In my last article, I noted that most of the new draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs was good husbandry and therefore acceptable to producers. The proposals also include some “priority” areas which are more sensitive for producers. These are controlling the pain of castration, methods of euthanasia, space allowances […] Read more
Controversial code components require compromise – Part 2
Draft code of practice strikes difficult balance — Part 1
Reading Time: 4 minutes The draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs is now in its public comment period, which ends Aug. 3, and can be viewed at www.nfacc.ca. Its publication has been delayed due to disagreement over some of the sensitive issues that were identified as priorities by the Pig Scientific Committee members. These […] Read more
Electronic sow feeding first choice for productivity
peet on pigs Both the pigs and the barn staff need training when moving to open sow-housing systems
Reading Time: 4 minutes When considering group sow housing systems, electronic sow feeding (ESF) is likely the best choice for pig producers with high productivity expectations, according to Thomas Parsons at the University of Pennsylvania. “We now have farms pushing above 30 pigs weaned per sow per year and thus the technology itself, if properly managed, is not a […] Read moreContinued uncertainty for hog producers in 2013
Reading Time: 3 minutes After a six-year period of poor profitability, Canadian producers are on a knife edge, especially those in the West. With the hog price at around $1.45 and production costs of at least $170 per hog, they have been bleeding cash over the winter. And now the latest census data suggests that the supply of hogs […] Read more
Getting the most of the dollar spent on dietary energy
An increased number of ingredients used for energy sources has made the job of feed formulation more challenging
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the cost of dietary energy more than doubling in the last eight years, it’s vitally important to optimize the efficiency with which it is utilized. Meeting the energy specifications of a typical grower diet now represents about 85 per cent of the cost of the diet and over 50 per cent of the total […] Read moreGetting the most of the dollar spent on dietary energy
An increased number of ingredients used for energy sources has made the job of feed formulation more challenging
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the cost of dietary energy more than doubling in the last eight years, it’s vitally important to optimize the efficiency with which it is utilized. Meeting the energy specifications of a typical grower diet now represents about 85 per cent of the cost of the diet and over 50 per cent of the total […] Read moreThere are many ways to improve farrowing rates with little or no cost
Make sure breeding gilts aren’t too light, the barn isn’t too dim, and your management practices haven’t slipped
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a large variation in farrowing rate between farms, ranging from as low as 75 per cent to around 92 per cent. Many producers still view 85 per cent as being an acceptable target and figure it can’t be improved much further. But close attention to a range of management factors can often result in […] Read moreContinued uncertainty for hog producers in 2013
Reading Time: 3 minutes After a six-year period of poor profitability, Canadian producers are on a knife edge, especially those in the West. With the hog price at around $1.45 and production costs of at least $170 per hog, they have been bleeding cash over the winter. And now the latest census data suggests that the supply of hogs […] Read more
Feed withdrawal saves costs and carcass contamination
Optimum Lower carcass contamination and optimum pork quality are achieved with 14 to 18 hours of fasting
Reading Time: 3 minutes Not withdrawing feed for a period prior to shipping market hogs can cost up to $5 per head, according to Dr. Eduardo Beltranena of Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. Not only that, he says, it can also increase transportation losses and compromise pork safety. However, while packer contracts stipulate that feed withdrawal should be carried […] Read moreHow will the hog industry transition to group sow housing?
Limited success Experience in Europe suggests that converting existing barns does not work well
Reading Time: 4 minutes There is now a growing acceptance in the Canadian pork industry that producers must eventually move away from sow stalls and towards group housing. When the new welfare codes of practice are released this summer, they will likely require that no new stall housing is built after 2014 and that existing facilities are converted to […] Read moreCyber-Savvy Farmer
