No Plan to Develop Free-range Brand for Pork
NEW ZEALAND - The Pork Industry Board does not plan to use free-range branding for pork, despite public concern over meat sources.

Maine Bans Gestation Crates
MAINE, US - Maine has become the sixth US state to ban extreme confinement. Gestation crates for sows and crates for veal calves will be prohibited from January 2011.

Fruitful Meeting with Japanese Partners
GLOBAL - A Japanese delegation has visited Big Dutchman Asia for fruitful discussions.

NADIS Veterinary Report & Forecast - April 2009
UK - This is a monthly report from the National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS), looking at the data collected from their UK farm inspections.

ARM Buildings Running Flat Out to Meet Demand
UK - ARM Buildings, the Staffordshire-based pig and poultry buildings specialist, reports that it has been running flat out with 24-hour shifts having been introduced at its Rugeley factory to keep up...

New Standard in Canadian Housing Unveiled
CANADA - For two years, Canada has been facing difficulties in pig production. But changing circumstances motivate the innovative sector to prepare for better times. And the farm that was shared with fellow...

Open Day Attracts Many Visitors
GERMANY - The new barn for finishing pigs of the Driever family who live in Freren, northern Germany, was recently inaugurated with an Open Day.

Newquip Goes for Big Move
UK - Newquip has moved premises to allow optimised storage and distribution to increase customer support.

ACMC Tip: Spring Ventilation Check-up
UK - As we head towards the middle of spring, pig producers should review their ventilation systems advises Paul Thompson, veterinary consultant to pig-breeding company, ACMC Ltd.

Happy Piglets at High Power, IL
US - As you can see, there are some very happy, healthy piglets suckling on a sow at High Power Pork south of Carthage, Illinois.

How Green are Your Creeps?
UK - The UK pig industry could save nearly £2.5 million a year simply by enclosing creep areas in the farrowing house. In addition, it could reduce CO₂ emissions by 15,000 tonnes, thereby making...

Welfare Issues Impact Swine Production
US - The use of individual gestation accommodations (IGAs) for dry sows in commercial pork production is an issue that has raised much debate.

Experts to Address Sow Housing
US - A hot topic in the pork industry, group housing of sows, will be addressed 19 March during a meeting at the University of Illinois Extension office on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfiel...

Alternatives to the Farrowing Crate?
UK - Which way for farrowing crates? A possible peep into the future was provided for pig producers by an independent Swiss pig adviser, Thomas Zanotelli, at a packed meeting of the Suffolk Pig Discussion...

New Hog Assembly Yard Being Planned
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Marketing Co-op expects to begin the construction of a new hog assembly yard near Stonewall this spring, writes Bruce Cochrane.

NADIS Veterinary Report & Forecast - February 2009
UK - This is a monthly report from the National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS), looking at the data collected from their UK farm inspections.

Big Dutchman Strengthens Asian Pig Business Team
THAILAND - The Big Dutchman Group announces the appointment of Marc Broadbent as General Manager for Big Dutchman Agriculture (Thailand) Ltd. effective 1 March 2009.

Japan Uses Nedap Velos for Improved Results
JAPAN - Since the end of last year, the first Nedap Velos EFS has been running in a snowy and rice-producing region in Niigata prefecture of Japan.

A Double First for Roundhouse Building
SCOTLAND, UK - Roundhouse Buildings Solutions Ltd (RBSL), the makers of the innovative, award winning Roundhouse livestock building, has recently completed its first dual installation site for Strathmore...

Creep Heating Costs Cut by Over £3,000 a Year
UK - A Suffolk farming company is saving nearly £3,000 per year though accurate control of electricity use in the heated creep areas of its farrowing houses and installing plastic curtains to retain the...

DBMC in Support of 'Jamie Saves Our Bacon'
DENMARK - Danish Bacon and Meat Council (DBMC) watched ‘Jamie Saves our Bacon’ with interest last night.

Shoulder Ulcers Persistent in Danish Sows
DENMARK - In the spring and summer of 2008 researchers from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences examined no less than 3,831 lactating sows on 98 different farms.

Labour Costs in Straw Based Group Swine Housing
CANADA - Research underway at the National Centre for Livestock and the environment suggests higher manure handling and labour costs in straw based swine housing may be offset by reduced veterinary costs...

Non-Competetive Feeding Offers Advantages
CANADA - Researchers with the Prairie Swine Centre report feeding systems like the one being used at its new sow research facility offer greater control over feed and reduced aggression during feeding,...

Straw Houses - A Better Option for Sows?
CANADA - Research conducted by the University of Manitoba indicates, from an animal welfare perspective, sows housed in groups on straw tend to out perform those housed in conventional slatted floor systems,...