Bernie Peet

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) plays a unique role in the Canadian pork industry as one of the few establishments carrying out practical research focused on the needs of pig producers. Like everyone in the pork sector, it has faced enormous challenges over the past few years, being forced to close its 600-sow Elstow barn […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes In my previous article, I explained how the Danish industry is improving productivity and reducing production costs through a focused research and development program which quickly delivers solutions to producers. The degree of co-operation and co-ordination in the industry ensures that challenges are promptly identified and addressed. A good example of this is the research […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes With the current high price of feed ingredients, hog producers are looking for alternative sources of energy and protein in order to reduce costs, without compromising performance. Producers in Western Canada have a range of alternative ingredients available, including distillers’ grains, faba beans, peas, extruded canola meal, flaxseed and lentils. The question is how to […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes By the end of next year, pig producers in the European Union should have converted any existing sow stall housing into group housing. Legislation requires them to house sows in groups for all but four weeks of gestation. In practice, it is unlikely that all producers will meet the deadline, which will create all sorts […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the last few years, the western Canadian pork industry has become heavily dependent on foreign workers. Indeed, it is not too far fetched to say that many producers would have gone out of business had they not been able to bring in well-qualified staff from countries such as the Philippines. Unfortunately, the needs of […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes I always look forward to the publication of the Kansas State University Swine Day proceedings detailing the results of a range of trials carried out over the previous 12 months. Editors Bob Goodband, Mike Tokach, Steve Dritz and Joel DeRouchey have an international reputation for their outstanding work, especially in the areas of nutrition and […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s difficult to think about seasonal infertility, which is associated with hot weather and declining day length, when we are still in the grip of winter. However, some things can be done well in advance to mitigate its effects and which require a certain amount of planning ahead. So it’s certainly not too early to […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Larger litters have created a new challenge in recent years when it comes to maximizing piglet survival rates. It is not unusual to see barns averaging over 14 piglets born alive, which means colostrum management and fostering have to be carried out very diligently to get good results. There is no doubt that split suckling […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes The sow’s protein and fat reserves may be severely depleted during the suckling period due to the limitations of appetite, notes Dr. Bas Kemp from the Department of Animal Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Weight and protein losses exceeding 12 per cent have been shown to result in reproductive problems such as extended […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes The trend to heavier hog carcass weights benefits both the producer and the processor, said two speakers at the recent Banff Pork Seminar. Ron Gietz, with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, pointed out that selling more kilos of pork per sow led to higher producer margins. Jason Manness, procurement director with Maple Leaf Foods, said […] Read more