Articles

Effective biosecurity does not depend solely on protocols or staff discipline; it begins with the farm’s design, which involves defining zones, traffic flows, and access points that physically prevent errors.

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

To complement the necropsy course, we have produced a series of videos of different processes in pigs.

We often talk about costs in swine production, especially feed costs, but little is said about the impact that the feed mill can have on the farm's performance and profitability.

What is the cause of this disease in the field recently? Not always following the textbook description… Global swine professionals with field experience answer this and many other questions.

The fiber in the diet improves the colostrum yield of sows and it helps reducing farrowing length. But... how many grams of fiber are recommended to be supplied to the sows during last week prior to farrowing?

A group of swine professionals will describe their field experience and perspective gained while fighting against African Swine Fever.

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

This clinical case describes how, after discovering large numbers of dead and dying pigs in the sheds over a 4-day period, an expert team of veterinarians diagnosed African Swine Fever.

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose FMD? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

Enric Marco comments on the practical implications of a recent article investigating the transmission of ASF through ingestion of flies.

We need a container for syringes, needles, medicine bottles, sprays, and markers. Sometimes you see improvised and inadequate containers on farms, but the one presented here is very simple and functional.

In this article we share the WHO guidelines for hand hygiene, which is a very important part of the day-to-day on a pig farm as incorrect washing leaves some areas dirty.

Prices were expected to be significantly better than what ultimately materialized in the hog markets.

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

A gilt who has compromised limb health on entry to the breeding herd is more vulnerable to early removal as a result of lameness and more vulnerable to the negative production affects associated with it.

The best DanBred sow farms in Denmark have sow mortality as low as 5%, showing that management, including feeding strategies, is the key.

In this last article in the series we discuss the main causes of “vaccine failure”, i.e. when we aren't sure that vaccines are working or they are only partially working.

The “normal” sporadic and unexplained abortion rate in pigs is approximately 1 to 2 % of pigs that are mated and achieve a pregnancy.

When was the last time that you disinfected your cellphone?

Aspects to keep in mind when considering sows' nutritional needs in the transition period: fetal growth and associated tissues, mammary development, endogenous heat, and adaptive physiological processes.

In the first article of this series, the four specialists shared with us about the increase in neonatal diarrhea problems and explained which were the main causative agents according to their experience. In this article, we will address preventive strategies using vaccination methods.

In a factory farm located in Mexico an increase in the mortality in the farrowing quarters was seen, and this coincides with temperature and relative humidity increases.

333 interviews Dr. Craig Lewis, a leader in genetics and animal welfare, who is currently overseeing Genetic Dissemination in the EMEAR region.

Understanding potential causes of lameness can help reduce the levels of lameness in the breeding herd and thus improve farm productivity and sow welfare.

Fly control should not be limited to the summer months, as it plays a significant role in disease transmission and the well-being of people and animals.

Neonatal diarrhea is a common and often frustrating pathology, Today, four swine specialists give us their opinions about this problem, sharing their knowledge and point of view from different geographic locations.

Do's and don'ts of vaccine storage regarding location, temperature control, maintenance, and traceability.

On the finisher sites, the farmer noticed that the growing pigs in all the farm sheds had become dull and lame.

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.

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

In the fifth installment of the manual we address the examination of the organs of the abdominal cavity.

To ensure vaccines work properly, we must carefully control certain critical points in their handling.

Use a waist bag to always have the supplies you need for farrowing assistance at hand.

In the fourth installment of the manual, we address examining the thoracic cavity organs.

Javier Lorente outlines step by step the keys to reducing piglet stress during the weaning process.

In this second installment, we cover extracting the tongue, trachea, lungs, and heart in one piece. We will extract the organs of the abdominal cavity, both the digestive system and the urinary and genital tracts. In the head, we will access the nasal turbinates, brain, and cerebellum.

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?

Enric Marco sums up the essential points to control post-weaning diarrhoea in our farm.

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.

This is how to assemble an "emergency" ramp using the insulation panels left over from the construction of the nursery.

To many pig producers cleaning and disinfection is a chore they view as an expensive tedious burden.

In order to carry out this economic analysis we have kept in mind the variables between the two types of weaning in the different phases: site 1 (reproductive sows), site 2 (weaning), and site 3 (fattening).

Despite being a well-known technique, mistakes are still made with its application on farms, and questions are raised that we will try to answer.

Normally the productivity of the sow is valued for the number of litters/sow/year multiplied by the number of weaned piglets per litter.

To conclude this series of articles, swine reproduction and artificial insemination specialist Javier Gil explains the importance of proper post-service management in terms of when to move sows and how to feed them.

In this second part the actions described are the ones needed when the disease is already in the country.

The Danish pig producers’ research organisation has tested a number of different designs. They recommend pen dimensions of 2.7x1.8 m to accommodate modern prolific breeds.

A high dose of oxytocin given in the 16 h following the end of farrowing prolongs the colostral phase which can improve the quality of milk in early lactation.

In swine, dystocia is usually caused by oversized piglets (or by a narrow birth canal) instead of foetal positioning problems.

Here are things to keep in mind when interpreting a positive or negative ELISA result.

Piglets are born with very limited energy reserves: compared to other newborn mammals, they have much less energy stored per kg liveweight.

By far, the most common and most obvious health hazard to producers and workers is accidental needle sticks. This article will focus on accidental needle sticks, what risks they present, and how to prevent them.

We hold the legs of the piglets together with plastic straps, avoiding that they move apart from each other.

In 11 of the 15 countries analyzed, 333 users expected higher prices than were actually achieved.

Preventing the entry and spread of diseases should be an objective on any swine farm, so adequately designing biosecurity aspects is key. In this article, we continue to discuss biosecurity measures with two experts: Lara Ruiz and José Casanovas.

A correct supervision is one of the key points of a farrowing.

During lactation ensuring the sow consumes enough water is essential, as well as maintaining the water:feed ratio needed to lessen weight loss in the sow and allow a greater daily gain in the piglets.

We can place the weakest piglets from each litter to dry out and warm up in this incubator while we tend to the next sows.

Understanding the farrowing process and recognizing the signs for the different stages of birth, help us to develop management plans to improve the likelihood for live born piglets.

Never forget the basics: recommended reading for all young vets and those not so young!

Most infections with occupational diseases occur at slaughter, when humans handle potentially infected meat or body fluids. We’ll introduce two major ones here: erysipelas and S. suis infection.

For the animals to be comfortable it is important to know their needs. The more needs that we can fulfill the more productive the animal will be.

This new section, coordinated by the pathological anatomy team of the University of Cordoba, Spain, will show us, in a very visual and practical way, how to perform a necropsy on a pig.

Our experts Sara Mazo and Francisco Ruíz review the economic policies implemented during Trump's first term: protectionism, tariffs, and deregulation of the energy and agricultural sectors.

Answers to a series of frequently asked questions regarding vaccine usage and their interaction with the immune system.

This farmer's solution mitigates the effect of wind blowing through the windows, whether we have mechanical or natural ventilation.

The goal is to make the management during the gestation easier using a different colour spray colour each week to mark the tasks carried out with the sows.

Products obtained from insects have a high proportion of crude protein: 40-44% in the case of the black soldier fly larvae, or up to 60% in the case of black fly larvae or in grasshoppers, and even reaching 70% in the case of silkworms.

Main elements that can be found in the digestive environment and how they are involved in gut health.

How, when and why should feed be increased? what needs to be considered when drawing feed curves? first hand farmer experience from Can Ballau, answers these and other questions

ASF spreads mainly through the movement of infected pork and other animal products, as well as live animals, which includes wild boar.