Investing in profitable pigs

UK - It might be my imagination or it might be a fact but I detect there are more tidy pig units now than ever before. Why would I say that? I have had the pleasure of visiting several units in recent weeks, all of them a credit to their owners and staff.
calendar icon 8 December 2004
clock icon 3 minute read
National
Pig
Association

National Pig Association
THE VOICE OF THE UK PIG INDUSTRY

NPA is active on members' behalf in Brussels & Whitehall, and with processors, supermarkets & caterers - fighting for the growth and pros-perity of the UK pig industry.

I believe pig keepers have realised that if they are going to stay in the industry then they have to reinvest and do the job properly. The days of make-do-and-mend have gone; poor performance and poor prices drive people out of the industry.

The updating of units has two effects: it keeps the staff happy as they have better conditions to work in, and of course the pigs do much better too.

A lot of the performance improvement is not just due to new buildings, but also to the realisation that herds need to be healthy. This usually means getting rid of respiratory problems and scours. It's happening more now, with regular vaccines for PRRS, Parvo and other secondary infections, whilst the use of Pulmotil on sows is having a dramatic effect, not only on numbers born but also on growth rates, fertility and feed conversion.

So over the next three months Pig World will be reporting on an array of units that have either always been tidy or have updated and refurbished with resultant increases in performance.

  • One producer, Robert Wilson, summed it up for me, when he said, "Happy pigs make happy people." Happy bosses too methinks. The units on his enterprise are a delight to behold.

  • Midland Pigs have just completed a massive Pulmotil programme with incredible results.

  • And we have also been looking round the DRS units. These too are immaculate with minute attention to detail.
All this producers use different techniques. And some are indoors, some outdoors. But all have the same aim - to produce pigs profitably in today's competitive environment.

Source: Sam Walton - National Pig Association - 8th December 2004
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