From the Wallingford Pig Study Group to PIC
UK - In 1955, a group in the UK called the Wallingford Pig Study Group was concerned that the traditional purebred breeders were not producing the right pig for future markets.

PIC Celebrates First 50 years of Genetic Improvement
UK - 26 February 2012 marks the 50th anniversary of business for global swine genetics leader Pig Improvement Company (PIC). From the very beginning, the company has been true to its "never stop improving"...

Slap-Dash Slap-Marking
UK - ACMC says it still sees numerous farm reports where slap-markings are recorded by the abattoir or by BPHS (British Pig Health Scheme) vets as illegible.

Research into AI Semen Age and Fertility
UK - Research carried out by pig breeding company PIC in the UK into the effect of semen age on reproductive performance in AI has seen a surprising result - that fresh is not necessarily best, writes...

Improving AI to Improve Commercial Pig Herd
UK - Fresh work on the study of porcine semen production could go a long way to improving the commercial pig herd in the UK, writes ThePigSite editor in chief, Chris Harris.

BPEX Launches Revamped Website
UK - The BPEX website has been given a makeover to make it easier to navigate around the vast amount of information it contains.

PIC Opens New AI Research Centre
UK - Pig breeding company PIC opened a gene technology research centre in the UK on Tuesday – believed to be the first of its type in the UK and probably in Europe.

New Head of Marketing for BPEX
UK - BPEX has appointed a new Head of Marketing to replace Chris Lamb who is retiring at the end of February after more than 20 years in the industry.

2TS Pig Finisher Challenge for 2012
UK - Pig finishing units have been challenged to see how far they can improve production by October this year.

Review: The Pig Journal, Volume 66
UK - The latest edition of the Pig Journal, published by the UK Pig Veterinary Society is now available.

Hermitage UK - Restock Reports Excellent Results
UK - Having been without pigs for the previous five years, Stephen Tuer from Northallerton, restocked his unit with 400 high health Classic 1 gilts from Hermitage Seaborough in the second half of last...

AI – Take Care of Semen in Cold Weather
UK - Semen for AI on pig farms should be stored at 17°C in temperature-controlled cabinets. AI suppliers take care to ensure that semen is in good condition on delivery.

Testing Females to Improve Accuracy
UK - Over 1,000 female pigs annually are currently individually tested at nucleus level for feed intake, feed conversion and growth rate by the Yorkshire-based international pig-breeding company, ACMC...

Phobic Food Marketing
UK - Think of some famous advertising brands, it is remarkable how many of these brands implement science and technology into their products and highlight its importance, writes Dr Grant Walling, Managing...

Herd Restock: Act Now for Earlier Payback
UK - With so many factors to consider - finance, logistics and sheer hard work - a full herd restock has never been a lightly made decision. What of the rewards?, asks James Christian, JSR's new COO.

Stuart Bosworth Pig Farmer of the Year
UK - Stuart Bosworth from Willingale, Essex (UK) is Pig Farmer of the Year 2011.

BPEX Manager Gets Accolade
UK - BPEX Foodservice Sector Manager Tony Goodger has been chosen as one of the top 20 most influential people in public sector catering.

PCV2 Impairs Danger Recognition, Says Top Expert
UK - Two leading experts on PCV2 provided vets with an update on the virus at the Pig Veterinary Society's autumn meeting.

Silver Success for Yorkshire Pig Farmer
UK - Yorkshire pig farmer, Ian Broumpton, gained an armful of trophies at this year’s Hull Market Christmas Fatstock Show, according to ACMC.

Dangers of Fluctuating Winter Temperatures
UK - As we move into winter, fluctuating temperatures can be a major stressor and precursor to pneumonia in pigs, warns says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC Ltd.

Benefits of Recording Feed Conversion
UK - "Efficient feed conversion is the most important economic trait in pig production yet, as an industry, we are quite poor at measuring it," Ed Sutcliffe, geneticist and technical director of pig-breeding...

Andrew Saunders Joins BPEX Board
UK - BPEX has welcomed Andrew Saunders as another new board member, following the departure of John Hughes who has retired.

BPEX LIVE Online to Discuss Health
UK - The first BPEX LIVE online workshop will provide practical advice for pig producers on managing a high health production system.

ACMC Tip: Keeping the Milk-Bar Flowing
UK - For a sow’s mammary gland to work efficiently it should have been suckled in the previous lactation, says Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC Ltd.

BPEX Funds Project to Predict Lameness
UK - BPEX has funded a project to develop objective methods of assessing locomotion in pigs.

Supermarkets Could Trigger Pork Shortage
UK - A massive shortage of fresh pork could result from short-sighted policies of major supermarkets, predicts Matthew Curtis, managing director of Yorkshire-based pig-breeding company, ACMC Ltd.

Development Post for Derek Armstrong
UK - Derek Armstrong has been confirmed as the new head of Research and Development for BPEX.

Successful 2TS Focus on Health Meetings
UK - The three 2TS Focus on Health conferences last week were a great success, say the organisers, BPEX.

Practical Pig Vet Moves to MSD
UK - Specialist pig vet, Ricardo Neto, MRCVS, has joined MSD Animal Health as Pig Business Unit Technical Manager. He will lead the company's technical customer support and be responsible for its comprehensive...

Conference to Feature Top PCV2 Experts
UK - PCV2 will be at feature prominently on the agenda at the Pig Veterinary Society's autumn meeting on 16 and 17 November at the East Midlands Hilton Hotel. In a session sponsored by Merial Animal Health...