Lower Sow Mortality in Small and Outdoor Herds
The latest NADIS BPEX Commentary by pig veterinarian, Mark White, analyses a survey of sow mortality on UK farms, and relates the rate to farm factors. The main findings, summarised by ThePigSite editor, Jackie Linden, indicate mortality rate is linked...

Structure of the UK Pig Industry
More than one quarter of British sows are now kept outdoors, according to a survey of producers of Assured British Pigs, and around 35 per cent no longer routinely clip the teeth or dock the tails of piglets. ThePigSite editor, Jackie Linden, summarises...

A Biological Revolution in the Name of Profit
Ongoing advances in genetic technology mean that scientists can increasingly understand, identify and link animal traits with their DNA counterparts. Advocates claim that the commercial application of this technology leads to greater economic efficiency,...

France Faces Structural Rigidity
"There are many structural constraints on French pig producers," Yvon Salaün told ThePigSite in Paris, at the headquarters of the French pig institute, IFIP (Institut du Porc), writes Peter Crosskey for ThePigSite. Mr Salaün is the head of IFIP's pig...

Large versus Small Pen Groups in Finishing Pigs
"Is pig performance the same?" asks Ronald O. Bates, swine specialist at Michigan State University. He compared pigs in groups of eight or 100, and found that reduced floor space allocation or crowding in finishing reduces not only average daily gain...

NBAF: Securing a Threat, or Threatening a Security?
After months of deliberation, Manhattan, Kansas, has been chosen as the location of the new US National Bio and Agro-Defence Facility (NBAF), writes Adam Anson, reporting for ThePigSite. What actions will this new facility undertake, and what consequences...

New Handling Strategies
Minimizing injury and death during transportation and at the packing plant is more important than ever, writes Nick Berry for Farms.com.

Review of the Effects of Stress on Reproduction in Pigs
Stig Einarsson and colleagues from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala have reviewed the published literature into the effects of stress on boars, sows and gilts. They found the effects of stress to be dependent on its type, timing,...

Balancing Sow and Piglet Welfare with Production Efficiency
Sandra Edwards of Newcastle University in the UK gave this presentation at the London Swine Conference 2008.

Balancing Pig Welfare, Castration and Boar Taint
The welfare of pigs and the question of whether they should be castrated have caused controversy across Europe, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Poland - Agricultural Situation 2008
POLAND - This report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is subtitled, EU Cross-Compliance - What it Means for Poland, 2009 and Beyond. Particular difficulties are expected over animal welfare and for the already struggling pig industry....

Improving Efficiency
The National Pig Association (NPA) offers practical suggestions for improving efficiency within your business.

NADIS/BPEX Commentary - Vices
Pig veterinarian, Mark White, describes the results of a survey carried out by vets into the vices they come across on finisher pig farms. Tail-biting was the most widespread behavioural problem observed. Its prevalence was not particularly associated...

Pregnancy Housing Affects Offspring Performance
Sow stalls are much criticised by animal welfare groups although a 2004 review showed no evidence of any harm to sows in a well managed confined housing systems. New work from Virginia Tech, summarised for ThePigSite by editor Jackie Linden, shows that...

Proposition 2 - New Rules on Animal Welfare
Controversial animal welfare legislation was given the green light in California on 4 November at the same time that Barack Obama was voted into office as the President of the USA, writes ThePoultrySite Senior Editor, Chris Harris.

Solving Tail-Biting Problems
From Pork Information Gateway. Todd See gives an overview of the environmental, management and nutritional causes of tail-biting.

Processing Piglets Properly
Improving well-being during piglet processing: time is what matters most, writes Ed Pajor for Pork Information Gateway.

NADIS Health Bulletin - August 2008
NADIS Health Bulletins are designed to improve farm income, animal health and welfare by promoting disease control and prevention. This issue is by Mark White, BVSc DPM MRCVS, and covers porcine ringworm.

Shoulder Sores in Sows: Causes and Treatment
By BPEX. It is of interest to all parties to reduce the number of sows with shoulder sores, as sores not only affect performance but are also a major welfare concern. Reducing shoulder sores may have a greater impact on productivity than initially thought...

Balancing Sow and Piglet Welfare with Production Efficiency
This article by Sandra Edwards of the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University in the UK is taken from the London Swine Conference in Ontario.

Better Beginnings for Pigs in New Type of Pen
By Senior scientist Lene Juul Pedersen, Department of Animal Health, Welfare and Nutrition, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus.

Learning & Profiting from Animal Welfare Trends
New definitions and expectations surrounding welfare also carry strong value-added opportunities for the livestock industry, says Dr. John Webster in the proceedings from the Livestock...

Pew Commission Finds Industrial Scale Farm Animal Production Poses "Unacceptable" Risks
The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial...