How to make efficient financial decisions for the future of your pig herd

What would you do if given the choice to invest or to not invest at all, in strategies to reduce aggression between pigs?

31 January 2020

7 minute read

By: Irene Camerlink | Rachel S. E. Peden

Europe

Table 1
Priorities and characteristics of groups of UK and Irish pig farmers (82 in total), when making financial decisions about strategies to reduce aggression between pigs. © Rachel S. E. Peden

"Tip 1. Before even starting with calculating costs, it is good to recognise what goals should be reached with the investment: only financial returns through increased productivity? Or also increased work satisfaction through improved animal welfare?"
--

Photo 1
Skin lesions due to fighting can be a route of infection for diseases and the energy spent on fighting comes at the cost of energy available for growth. © Marianne Farish

Photo 2
Pig’s communication is partly through smell and the pheromones related to the sow’s udder, from which the pig appeasing pheromone originates, calms pigs down. © Rachel S. E. Peden

Table 2
The results of cost-benefit analyses of each strategy, under the most likely, optimistic and pessimistic scenario. © Rachel S. E. Peden

"Tip 2. When calculating costs and benefits, take into account that the outcomes may vary. Therefore be optimistic about making changes, but certainly also pessimistic when it comes to financial estimations."
--

"Tip 3. Financial benefits of a novel implementation will depend on the current farm situation, in particular building design and available labour, as well as other investments that may be planned for the future."
--

References
References
Rachel S. E. Peden , Faical Akaichi, Irene Camerlink, Laura A. Boyle, Simon P. Turner
(2019)	Pig farmers’ willingness to pay for management strategies to reduce aggression between pigs. PLoS ONE	14(11)

Irene Camerlink

PhD and post-doc researcher

Irene Camerlink is a researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna (Vetmeduni) where she works on social behaviour in pigs and its relationship to neurobiology and animal welfare.