What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose African swine fever? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

We went to visit an Italian farm where the sows are free housed in the farrowing room. We asked some questions to better understand the system.

Spain's production has grown 90% in 32 years, from slaughtering 29 million head of pigs in 1989 to slaughtering more than 56 million in 2021. Explosive growth no matter how you look at it.

We review what's new in the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) guidelines, which include new monitoring techniques and expanded and modified categories.

Does co-mingling during lactation benefit piglets in the long term? See how socialisation influences pigs behaviour and physiology.

If my farrowing rate is low but I don't have empty sows or abortions, I must consider the culled pregnant sows.

In this article, we look at which elements of biosecurity should be considered in the design of a sow farm, although they are applicable to any farm.

In March 2021, a high percentage of severe lameness appeared in 12 to 17-day-old piglets, approximately 20% of the piglets present.

The first days of the finishing phase are key, as they will determine finishing performance. This article addresses two types of pathologies caused by two different pathotypes of Escherichia coli.

What factors can help with managing piglets without in-feed antibiotics and ZnO?

Bacteria in the gut microbiota that stimulate the immune response to vaccines in pigs also stimulate growth.

September will show in all its harshness the precariousness of the present moment: pigs will arrive for slaughter in droves and it remains to be seen whether slaughterhouses will be willing to process those pigs whose pork they cannot sell.

Fertilization is the most direct and simplest way to give value to our slurry. Here we explain several points to take into account for proper fertilization of your soils and crops.

Currently, the pig price in Italy is set by a Single National Commission (CUN), which began functioning on April 15, 2011.

The most frequent problems are reproductive and locomotive. What should I do if the percent among sows serviced is greater than 2%?

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose erysipelas? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

How to improve the characteristics of a chain as environmental enrichment. The secret is pigs being able to play together.

Data sheet with the nutritional value (table comparison) and most recent studies about calcium carbonate.

Reducing slurry at the source means modifying production guidelines to reduce environmental effects and improve the subsequent management of slurry.

We are so unmoored from “normal” that it makes sense to situate the current pork industry within the current macro environment.

Each farm should analyze its historical data to quantify the effect of seasonality on its farrowing rate and prolificacy.

Virtually absent pork exports to China and poor demand in the EU lead to a 17% drop in Spanish price in 7 weeks, and it will keep dropping.

The slurry that my farm produces is becoming a problem. How can I get the most value from it? How do I make the most of this resource? This step-by-step guide will help you decide which way is best suited to your situation and will allow you to transform what is perceived as a problem into an opportunity.

How should you decide if your current routines on colostrum are working? How much intake is enough?

What should I do if the percentage of empty sows among the sows serviced is greater than 1%?

How is the growing demand for greater animal welfare on farms articulated?

How do nutritional requirements differ between male and female pigs, and how does this affect the cost of production?

Data sheet with the nutritional value (table comparison) and most recent studies about sunflower meal.

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose Aujeszky’s disease? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

If your motivation to stop using in-feed antibiotics and zinc oxide is to comply with regulations, think again. What does it take to remove in-feed medication?

Increased demands for production, welfare, traceability; more animals per worker... It is clear that technology will play a key role in helping us face these challenges. What are the main advantages and challenges of these advances?

New regulations allow farmers to administer general anaesthesia to piglets via inhalation of isoflurane. This is how the German swine industry is adapting so far.

The main concerns related to the carcass collection process and how to overcome them.

For the first time in 20 years, Spanish prices fell in June. We are in an extremely exceptional situation that must be corrected as soon as possible.

High virulence PRRS virus strains cause more accentuated clinical symptoms, higher mortality, higher viral load and dissemination in body tissues, as well as a higher inflammatory response.

In a series of seven articles we have discussed with four prestigious veterinarians the different aspects of neonatal diarrhea: infection, nutrition, management, environment, etc. We couldn't end this series without specifically addressing how to manage treatment.

What could be causing abortions that are not seasonal and that are not affecting a certain phase of gestation in particular?

Nutritional programs that manipulate the microbiota and mucosa towards the correct balance should be incorporated for the S. suis control program.

The mixing of ingredients into feed and the distribution of feed to the farm location where consumption occurs is referred to as the ‘manufacturing and post-manufacturing stage’ of the feed supply chain. This article outlines how biosecurity concepts can be applied to the manufacturing and distribution of pig feed to ensure a pathogen free product is consumed.

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose Streptococcus suis? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

The pig price in Spain is the most expensive in Europe and Burset predicts that it is very close to the upper limit. China is decreasing imports, buying at cheaper prices, and therefore, is absent in the Spanish market.

The change from gestation to lactation feed concerns us, but in practice we are conditioned to this change taking place abruptly.

Objective inspection and evaluation that checks current biosecurity measures and points out weaknesses in the system so that improvements can be made.

Is it best to separate gilts from sows? Which biosecurity measures are most important? In this article, four renowned veterinarians discuss their recommendations.

User responses of the 333 survey on gestation length in sows reveal gestations are trending around 115.5 days.

To conclude this series of articles, swine reproduction and artificial insemination specialist Javier Gil explains the importance of proper post-service management in terms of when to move sows and how to feed them.

In our series on neonatal diarrhea we must include a discussion on how sow feeding plays a role.

Changes at weaning can have significant detrimental impacts on the piglet's gastrointestinal tract structure and function. Sexual dimorphism, weaning weight, and weaning age play a role.

Standard digestibility protocols measure digestibility only at the end of the ileum using growing pigs models. Are these protocols valid in newly weaned pigs?

How will policies geared toward the environment and animal welfare shape our swine industry? Here's an overview of the potentially limiting factors.

What could be causing the abortions happening at a particular point in the gestation?

Pig market: Unbridled in Spain, unsettled in Europe, and with question marks in China. Pork market: rock bottom in Europe.

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose ileitis? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

Key biosecurity messages to move dead pigs out of the clean area of the farm to the deadstock management area prior to their treatment: external deadstock container, incinerator or hydrolysis container.

While European prices are forecast to be lower than in the previous two years, 333 users in the Americas are forecasting higher prices. China's forecasts remain between 2019 and 2020 levels.

What laboratory diagnostic methods can I use to diagnose Edema disease? Which one should I choose according to the situation? How do I interpret the results?

Pros and cons of rendering carcass disposal systems, alkaline hydrolysis, anaerobic digestion, gasification, and homogenization.

This article considers the component parts of disease transmission, how it applies to the pig feed ingredient supply chain, and how manufacturers of final feed can mitigate the risk of disease transmission through contaminated ingredients.

In this article we summarize further discussions that we had with Dr. Nauwynck about his research findings on PRRS virus-host evolution.