Articles - Facilities and equipment

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.

Biosecurity is not an option, but rather a necessity for ensuring the long-term viability of pig farming in Africa.

Making the right choice is not just a matter of cost, but also of strategic vision and risk management.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

In this article, we look at which elements of biosecurity should be considered in the design of a sow farm, although they are applicable to any farm.