Articles - Management

HoCoTec is a production system that takes on the challenge of serving as an open center for learning and experimentation.

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.

A much higher percentage of piglets prefer milk supplement over creep feed. Here are the results of the latest studies on this subject.

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

Here's how to make a modular gate that is adjustable in length and can easily be installed in all the aisles of the sow farm.

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 review of the strategies used to reduce boar taint by country and the detection systems available in slaughterhouses.

We went to visit an Italian farm where the sows are free housed in the farrowing room. We asked some questions to better understand the system.

Does co-mingling during lactation benefit piglets in the long term? See how socialisation influences pigs behaviour and physiology.

What factors can help with managing piglets without in-feed antibiotics and ZnO?

How to improve the characteristics of a chain as environmental enrichment. The secret is pigs being able to play together.

New regulations allow farmers to administer general anaesthesia to piglets via inhalation of isoflurane. This is how the German swine industry is adapting so far.

Is it best to separate gilts from sows? Which biosecurity measures are most important? In this article, four renowned veterinarians discuss their recommendations.

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.

Changes at weaning can have significant detrimental impacts on the piglet's gastrointestinal tract structure and function. Sexual dimorphism, weaning weight, and weaning age play a role.

Key biosecurity messages to move dead pigs out of the clean area of the farm to the deadstock management area prior to their treatment: external deadstock container, incinerator or hydrolysis container.

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

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.

In the fourth article of our series, we review the opinions from our group of global swine health experts on the potential relationship, if any, between the rise in nursery mortality that some countries have observed over the last few years and antibiotic reduction strategies.

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.

The design of this DIY chute allows sows' claws to be trimmed quickly and comfortably.