MAGAZINE: Focus on pig welfare and EuroTier 2012
The latest edition of Pig Progress (28.08) is a fat one – we look forward to EuroTier 2012 with innovations, an extensive show preview and there’s plenty of attention for animal welfare developments.
To start off: Where would we be without a little party? Congratulations for our faithful columnist John Gadd, who has contributed his 250th contribution in the series ‘What the textbooks don’t tell you about…” Not without reason, he answers the question where he got his inspiration all these years.
One of the topics amply covered in this issue is welfare. As reported earlier, physical piglet castration is a hot topic in the European Union. So what methods would be solutions for swine producers when physical castration is no longer allowed? Research in Belgium compared many alternative strategies.
‘Why sows benefit from satiety and silence’ is the title of a contribution by Dr Arthur Kroismayr, Agromed and Maria Arendt, Iowa State University. A little bit of peace and quiet can be quite helpful for sow welfare, they write.
Animal welfare is often also the main driver for activists. Increasingly, illegally acquired footage appears online in a protest against livestock production. “How to be better prepared?”, the US National Pork Board wondered.
Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) has made several steps in the last couple of years. With a Pig Welfare Monitor, the first steps are being made towards a Pig Welfare Monitor. More about this subject can also be found at EuroTier.
Now the EuroTier is mentioned – this year’s edition is more promising than ever with a projected 160,000 visitors. A preview speaks of chances and risks for German pig production. In addition, the Business News section is completely dedicated to innovations that can be found at this show in Hanover, Germany.
Another country in the spotlight in this edition is Argentina. Having a traditional focus on beef consumption, swine production has never been key. Pork consumption grows, albeit very slowly.
For those interested in health related articles, the last issue of Pig Progress offers an analysis of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea, which constitutes a problem in Asia.
A quick overview of how to replace antimicrobials is supplied by Dr Ioannis Mavromichalis and strategies how to keep Salmonella out of a pig farm has been aptly described by Nataliya Roth, Biomin.
“What vitamin D can do for hyperprolific sows”, is the promising title of a contribution by Antoine Meuter, DSM. He dives into the world of metabolism of sows – and what role vitamin D can play there.
As for returning series, the frequently asked nutrition questions zoom in on ‘minor legumes’; the series ‘Expert Talk’ moves to China where TC Wang, Anyou International, asks the questions how local farmers can be helped producing better; and this month’s Company Focus explains what Nuscience’s aims are in China.
Having already taken its readers to many continents this month, the farm visit tops it off with a feature from down under, from Victoria, Australia to be precise. Here, Fernleigh Free Range farm is visited, where rare swine breeds are being raised.
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