Articles - Management

The design of a pig farm goes far beyond infrastructure. Proper planning of the flow of animals and people improves productivity, strengthens biosecurity, and directly contributes to the system's profitability.

If we combine air with some cool water it is possible to lower the ambient temperature by a few degrees.

Heat waves have a lasting negative impact on the health, well-being, and performance of pigs, with effects that can last for several weeks or even months, particularly on reproduction. Anticipating these events, adjusting management practices during the heat wave, and supporting the return to normal conditions can help limit these impacts.

How does heat stress affect our pigs? This four-part question-and-answer series will give us an in-depth understanding of this key aspect of pig production.

Drying and warming the piglets favors their survival only in farrowing units with moderate or suboptimal temperatures (<25ºC).

When we manage errors systematically, we stop punishing symptoms and start addressing the real causes.

Occasionally, breeders end up using semen with a suboptimal fertilizing ability due to inadequate storage conditions.

The constant search for solutions to challenges in management, health, reproduction, nutrition, and feeding—and their interactions—should be a technical principle if we aim to maximize the genetic potential of our farms.

The installation of physical barriers at strategic personnel entry points help to define distinct biosecurity areas. This method is commonly used in farms that lack a clear separation between areas with different biosecurity levels.

Despite the global dynamics of a growing sector, pig farming faces difficulties in attracting and retaining young talent.

This innovative ramp designed by Hylife improves piglet welfare and reduces physical strain on farm workers during the weaning process.

Why induce puberty? If I do choose to induce puberty, what do I need to do, and when?

This tip uses a stamp to mark the sows that we should pay more attention to during farrowing.

When was the last time that you disinfected your cellphone?

The relatively short but very intense lactation period is undoubtedly a key phase in pig production for both sows and piglets. The fragility of the piglets and the significant demands that sows face at this stage make early detection of problems essential. Do we understand what the animals are telling us?

Javier Lorente tells us how to make newly weaned piglets comfortable and, above all, how to get them to start drinking and eating as soon as possible.

Goggles, masks, earplugs, helmets, boots... We use a lot of PPE on farms, but maybe you hadn't thought of how to protect your fingers when grinding teeth. We'll show you.

Animals tell us how they feel, but do we understand what they are telling us?

We are sharing an example of a sow card used to record basic breeding sow data, which is essential on all farms regardless of their size.

This trick allows us to save hypothermic piglets easily, quickly and with surprising results.

Everything you need to know to successfully wean your piglets.

Meeting the needs of the newly weaned pigs often proves to be difficult in many production settings.

Why is it important to take sow temperatures after farrowing? How does feed intake affect litter size?

The aim of this trick is the improvement of the quality of the environment in the farrowing quarters for the sows as well as for the piglets, saving on energy consumption by means of the manufacturing of nests.