How can we make sense of the increasing information available regarding the swine microbiota and apply it at the barn level? In this second article of the series, Matheus Costa explains.

Feed represents approximately 60% of the costs in pig production. It is therefore very important to have a good feed conversion ratio.

We asked Antonio Vela, Francisco José Pallarés, and David Espigares about pleuropneumonia caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App). In this first article, we will talk about the evolution and control of the disease.

A simple piece of hardware could protect your piglet feeders from damage and save you time when cleaning.

Summer has been hellish with skyrocketing costs, slow rising pig prices and "anchored" pork prices. Guillem Burset analyzes the current situation in the swine market and predicts what the coming months will bring.

In a surplus situation, the best option is to export the digestate obtained following anaerobic digestion. If the cost of transportation is not affordable, other alternatives should be considered. Here we explain which ones.

How well do you understand ELISA testing? This is how it works, what it detects, and how to interpret results.

This tip uses a stamp to mark the sows that we should pay more attention to during farrowing.

In the context of reducing the use of antibiotics, proper use of feed additives begins with correctly defining the term and describing their composition and activity. Here we will discuss the differences between essential oils, functional oils, and botanicals/ phytogenic compounds.

This corridor allows sows to be moved with minimal intervention from the staff.

When real incomes fall, people will buy less pork at every price, meaning that if prices come back down to previous levels, less pork will be purchased than before at every price, high or low. This is called demand destruction.

Never before had the Spanish pig price reached 1.689 €/kg live... What will happen in autumn?

The use of Post Cervical AI in gilts remains a challenge due to the difficulty of passing the catheter through the cervix. In addition, the time required for PCAI compared to multiparous sows tends to be longer.

Choosing the right protein sources for (pre-) starter feed is crucial to support gut health, reducing reliance on feed additives.

In this last article of the series, we discuss management strategies and the vaccines available to control swine influenza.

Composting pig manure results in a product that can be sold in the organic amendment, horticulture, and gardening market.

A study reviews all ASF transmission routes described.

How to interpret a negative or positive PCR result with specific examples of what could be happening.

From their respective academic and on-farm perspectives, Josep Gasa and Josep Casanovas comment on a recent study regarding the effect of heat stress on sows: Which weeks does it affect the farrowing rate the most? What about the weaning-to-first-service interval? Are there differences depending on parity?

In spite of decades of research on S. suis vaccines, autogenous bacterins are almost the only preventive strategy available that swine producers have access to, but which are their weak spots?

A new herd, in a high density swine region, despite effective biosecurity barriers, gets infected by App

How PCR works and what to keep in mind when interpreting results.

Guillem Burset analyzes the current situation of the Spanish swine industry in the European and world market and gives us clues about what may happen in 2023.

With African swine fever on France's doorstep, a study assesses how much the losses would total.

Never forget the basics: recommended reading for all young vets and those not so young!

A simple, easy-to-build toy that will attract piglets to the feed dish to reduce post-weaning fasting.

Why have intra-EU trade flows of piglets, slaughter pigs, and sows changed?

Understanding the farrowing process and recognizing the signs for the different stages of birth, help us to develop management plans to improve the likelihood for live born piglets.

With more herds breaking with highly virulent PRRS strains, what can we do to prevent and control infection? How does the 1-4-4 L1C strain differ?

Among other things, anaerobic digestion improves the fertilizer quality of slurry and reduces odors and GHG emissions. The choice to use this or not will also depend on the justification of the cost, i.e. whether it allows for energy savings on the farm or whether it provides an income from the sale of the energy generated.

This study evaluated samples from different European countries to estimate the incidence of E. coli, C. perfringens, Rota and coronaviruses in the faeces of piglets suffering from neonatal diarrhoea.

Creating structure in the feed may be beneficial, but would this be the end of grinding all the ingredients in the same way?

In addition to the environmental benefits, the increased cost of energy and inorganic fertilizers make on-farm biogas production an interesting cost-effective option.

What is the microbiota, and how can it help keep pigs healthy? What are the current limitations to using DNA sequencing of microbes?

After several weeks of stable prices in Spain due to the fight between slaughterers and producers, the Spanish pig price finally went up. Guillem Burset forecasts what will happen now.

Regional control programs were designed for the control and eradication of different viral diseases. Why are there only a few regional control programs still active for swine worldwide?

Solid/liquid slurry separation systems improve the subsequent management of the slurry, such as its transport or further treatment of each fraction.

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

A farm in China observed ocular infection in piglets with pseudorabies virus (Aujeszky's disease), a manifestation of the disease not previously reported.

Goggles, masks, earplugs, helmets, boots... We use a lot of PPE on farms, but maybe you hadn't thought of how to protect your fingers when grinding teeth. We'll show you.

This concludes our series of three articles with explanations from Alberto Garcia and Chretien Gielen about the measures to consider to reduce post-weaning diarrhea without the use of zinc oxide. We couldn't end without looking at key aspects such as the environment, water, and use of biologics.

The use of fiber can be a good strategy to control post-weaning diarrhea, but what type of fiber is effective?

This PRRSV strain is affecting the U.S. Understanding where these viruses come from can help us stop this cycle.

Guillem Burset analyzes the current situation in the European swine market, which is entering uncharted territory: skyrocketing prices, exports threatened, prices of raw materials and energy going through the roof, a lack of pigs...

Acidification of slurry prevents the formation of ammonia and its loss by volatilization, reducing the loss of fertilizer value of the slurry.

The clinical picture associated with swine influenza is often complicated by temperature fluctuations, other viruses, or bacteria. In part two of this series, we look at the clinical signs of this disease.

These are our users' forecasts for the average pig price at slaughter for 2022. We received 831 responses from 62 countries.

The ban on the use of zinc oxide starting June 2022 makes it necessary to review and improve many aspects of weaning, especially in its early stages. With Alberto García and Chretien Gielen we address key management points for successful weaning without the use of zinc oxide.

We are going to be facing an extended period of inflation and wage escalation, so this is the perfect time to begin a rapid and serious reorganization of how we transport goods. It has already begun.

We present a biosecurity evaluation method that ensures a comprehensive review: Biosecurity in rings.

Allowing piglets to interact with the neighboring litter via an opening could reduce aggression at weaning.

We describe the main alternative systems to farrowing crates for sows, from zero confinement to temporary restraint.

Do we know what percent of imported batches of pigs are viremic for PRRS and to which strains?

We spoke with Alberto Garcia (Inga Food SA, Spain) and Chretien Gielen (De Varkenspraktijk, The Netherlands), to discuss aspects related to weaning management and conditions.

In a situation with a nutrient surplus, the cost of transport is often the most important limiting factor to consider when deciding on the best manure management system for the farm.

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

Currently, only the sperm-rich fraction is used. This article analyzes the possible use of the other fractions.

We continue our comparison of production data between sow farms in Spain and the United States. This time we focus on replacement rate, pre-weaning mortality, and weaning weight.

An early release of the economic commentary by Guillem Burset gives us the keys to understanding where the European meat industry is at this moment in time.