Articles - Management

Pros and cons of rendering carcass disposal systems, alkaline hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, gasification, and homogenization.

Pros and cons of the most used carcass disposal systems: burial, composting, incineration, and rendering. Impacts on environment and biosecurity.

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.

We continue our series of articles in which swine reproduction and artificial insemination expert Javier Gil shares key points about proper management to improve fertility and prolificacy. This article addresses the criteria to establish correct insemination methods.

New approaches and technologies in objective monitoring of biosecurity reduce the risk of non-compliance or failure in application.

In this article we will talk about how to start a farm from a human resources point of view: how and where to look for and organize workers.

The movement of live animals out of the farm can compromise farm biosecurity. A meticulously designed transfer facility and safe load out protocols are key to prevent the risk of cross contamination.

Put more piglets on than teats? When to start fostering? Am I cross fostering piglets too many times?

In this series of articles about internal biosecurity we will review McRebel and other strategies that we perform to control the movement of pathogens within the farm as we complete our daily work

For several years now, post-cervical insemination has become common on most pig farms. In this article we review with Javier Gil, a specialist in swine reproduction and artificial insemination, what to keep in mind in order to do this technique correctly.

3D cameras placed above pig pens can automatically detect changes in tail posture, serving as an early warning system to alert farmers before tail biting outbreaks occur.

This second article analyzes data for the breedings done on weekday holidays in Spain in 2018, although the results can be extrapolated changing the dates for those holidays celebrated in each country.

This article compares the results of the inseminations done one week before the holiday, on the holiday, and one day after the holiday.

I had many great examples where the results of a farm were really the product of one person pushing for excellence. Best people will implement the science we taught them, nonetheless, their day to day work and observations will bring it to a higher level.

We propose a 2.5-week batch management system with weaning on several consecutive days.

This second article on the assessment of truck cleaning and disinfection describes how to carry out and evaluate the results of microbiological validation and adenosine triphosphate detection.

How does the number of pigs per feeder hole and the group size influence growth performance and ear and tail lesions?

What are the most important points to include when auditing the cleaning and disinfection of a truck that has transported pigs? In this article we focus on visual inspection.

A new, not yet tested material could help mitigate tail biting in growing and finishing pigs.

Not all progress is made through "smart farming." Here's a simple solution that can greatly improve biosecurity between batches of weaned piglets, preventing recirculation of disease.

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.

This article summarizes some of the most important measures illustrated in our infographic video to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 between farm workers while performing their daily tasks at the farm.

In the first part of this article series we addressed how to correctly stimulate oestrus. In this article we continue talking with swine reproduction specialist, Javier Gil Pascual, focusing on heat detection.

Does feeding time affect reproductive performance?