Page 8 of articles about management in Press releases

In a constantly changing industry, Iowa pork producer Greg Carlson has identified the importance of convenient and effective continuing education. That’s why he has subscribed for two years to the distance education series SowBridge. This innovative program, coordinated by the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) at Iowa State University (ISU), provides Carlson and pork producers around the world with timely and accurate information in a highly efficient manner.

Although eliminating the costly problem of seasonal infertility in pigs is probably beyond us, considerable research, supported by Australia’s Pork Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), has been pulled together into how best to combat it

VION Food Nederland will be able to supply Dutch retailers with pork from uncastrated animals as of 1 February 2011.

On Sunday 10 October, Chernigov Vladimir Vladimirovich, Deputy Head, Department Administrative and external relations MoA, was presented with the first editions of Cow Signals and Pig Signals in Russian.

Slap marking is an important method of identifying pigs. These days, besides identifying pigs for payment the slap mark is used to categorise the pig for ZNCP salmonella scores and the British Pig Health Scheme, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company ACMC Ltd.

The Farmex Dicam Daylength Controller is a software package that improves pig welfare, cuts costs and is good for the environment.

Pig farmers need to know whether boars have been individually tested for feed conversion and whether they have an EBV (Estimated Breeding Value) for this trait

Worms can still be a cause of financial loss in pigs. The main species of concern are ascarids (roundworms) which, in the course of the migration through the body, damage lungs and cause coughing.

An increased feeding of sows during the insemination phase results in a higher piglet birthweight.

Batch production — the all-in, all-out management method for finishing pigs — is placing increasing strains on ventilation systems, particularly in older piggeries, says Tim Miller, environmental specialist with ARM Buildings.

In the last few years a significant number of producers have restocked or expanded their herds through organic growth.

Pork Industry Training WA (PITWA) last week introduced 20 WA pork producers and piggery workers to the Pork Industry Skills Passport, which details and endorses a person’s workplace skills and competencies and provides an employer with verification.

Boehringer Ingelheim’s Metacam® (active ingredient: Meloxicam) 5mg/ml solution for injection obtained EU wide marketing authorization for its use as an analgesic to relieve post operative pain associated with castration in piglets.

Cleaning and disinfection are an essential part of successful disease control, preventing or reducing the transfer of infection from one batch of pigs to the next. However, drying out of pens is a frequently-neglected part of the process.

Pork CRC supported 4th year animal science honours student at Western Australia’s Murdoch University, Amy Lealiifano, has found that vaccinating boars for the second time with Improvac close to a fortnight before slaughter effectively controls boar taint, while also not blowing out fat levels.

A team of researchers from the China Agricultural University in Beijing have won an award for their evaluation of the performance of the boar taint vaccine Improvac® (Pfizer Animal Health) under Chinese production conditions.