Industry Statistics
The BPEX Annual Technical Report 08-09 compares costs of pig production in various countries (2007), performance trends in the British herds and retail pig meat purchasing trends (2004-2008).

R&D - Keys Rules for Greater Return
By Dr Grant Walling, Director of Research and Genetics for JSR Genetics, explains how companies within the food production and retail sectors can get better value from their R&D, and target their spending in the most appropriate areas.

Effective Ventilation 1
Harry Huffman of Huffman Engineering explained to delegates at the 2009 London Swine Conference about the importance of good air quality in pig houses, how to achieve it and how to avoid common mistakes.

Pig Meat Export Bulletin - July/August 2009
The British Pig Executive's (BPEX) July Export Bulletin reports that the EU markets are affected by the holidays, with reduced trade, a low number of slaughterings and prices generally maintained.

Review of On–Farm Intervention Strategies against Salmonella
A 40-page report summarising the available scientific literature on various aspects of Salmonella on pig farms has been written by R. Friendship of the University of Guelph in Canada and published by BPEX. The authors' findings and recommendations have...

Benchmarking and Tools to Maximise Profit
At this year's London Swine Conference, Greg Bilbrey of Agri Stats Inc. explained the benefits of benchmarking to optimise the business.

Effects of Ambient Temperature and Transportation Distances on the Resulting Pork Quality
Factors beyond the farm gate can affect the quality pork product, among them temperature and time in transport. This study, by Ray Hansen (Iowa State University) and Kelly and Nina Biensen (Eden Natural State Center) examines how these factors affect...

Rectal Prolapse and Rectal Stricture
Pig veterinarian, Mark White, explains the causes, identification and treatment of these conditions in the July 2009 Health Bulletin from NADIS.

Soluble Non-Starch Polysaccharides Decrease Nutrient Digestibility and Ammonia Emission While Increasing Manure Odour
The use of soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP; guar gum) reduced ammonia emission in aged manure but decreased nutrient digestibility and increased odour emissions, thus limiting its environmental benefits. These are the conclusions from Eric van...

The Rational Use of Antibiotics in Relation to Antibiotic Resistance
David Burch (Octagon Services) reviews the current understanding of pharmacokinetics in pigs, the pharmacodynamic information that may be developed in clinical and university laboratories. He also describes how these can be integrated so that the use,...

Dioxin Discovery Leads Ireland's Residue Plan Results
The discovery of dioxin in samples of pig fat is the major feature in the Irish Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (DAFF) results of testing carried out under the National Residue Control Plan for 2008, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris...

Boar Taint Vaccine Improves More Than Welfare
A new vaccination that inhibits boar taint in meat has also been found to have other benefits for the pig producer by improving feed efficiency and delivering a leaner carcass with better meat quality, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Pork Production Versus Consumer Demands
"With the high production costs in Canada, what can we do to build a long term competitive industry?" asked Mario Lapierre of Génétiporc Inc. at the London Swine Conference 2009.

United Kingdom Pig Meat Market Update - July 2009
Tony Fowler, senior economic analyst with AHDB Meat Services Economic and Policy Analysis Group, explains the latest trends in pig production in the UK and European Union.

Latest Vaccine Research from PCVD Forum
As part of its ongoing commitment to research and development into PCV2, Merial held its inaugural PCVD Forum in Athens where 350 pig veterinarians from across Europe exchanged information and views on Porcine Circovirus-associated diseases (PCVD).

Optimization of Swine Production by Use of Acidifiers
Weaning exposes piglets to nutritional, environmental and social stress that usually results in a postweaning lag phase manifested by slow growth and scouring.

Variability of Water Flow Rates and the Impact on Therapy Using Tetracycline Powder
The results presented at the 28th Centralia Swine Update by Glen Almond and colleagues at North Carolina State University indicate that medicating pigs with tetracycline in the drinking water is problematical and ineffective.

How to Improve Sow and Litter Performance Using Orego-Stim
Research from the University of Minnesota showed that sows receiving a natural phytobiotic feed additive (Orego-Stim from Meriden Animal Health) had larger litters in total and born alive, and the sows had superior breeding scores to the controls. The...

US Pig Herd Needs to Reduce
The US pig herd needs to reduce sow numbers by at least five per cent, and maybe up to 10 per cent to remain competitive, writes ThePigSite senior editor Chris Harris.

Learning Pig Health and Welfare Virtually
Learning what can go wrong on a pig farm and how to cope with outbreaks of sickness is an essential part of production management, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

US Pork Outlook Report - July 2009
By USDA, Economic Research Service. This article is an extract from the July 2009 issue of Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook Report. Pork prices are expected to remain weak throughout 2009.

Piglet Coccidiosis
Piglet coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan parasite called Isospora suis. Although Eimeria debliecki has been known to cause clinical disease in piglets, it seems that the only important pathogenic species known to cause clinical...

Biotronic GutPower in Swine - Innovation on the Horizon
The main ingredients of Biotronic^® GutPower are butyric, caprylic and capric acids in the protected glycerides form. The beneficial form of protection guarantees gastric by-pass and slow release of acids in the intestine where all acids become...