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Know How / Pigs / Feed and nutrition

A good pig feeding programme is essential to maximise Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCR) and reduce days to slaughter. Feed accounts for 55-75% of total costs. Therefore, an effective diet can make a huge different to profits. Here you can find information on the nutrients required at different phases of the pig’s life.

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AHDB resource

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PIGS

How separate paddocks can improve gilt performance

Managing gilts and mature sows in separate paddocks has increased piglets a sow a year from 25.4 to 27.46 for Farmer Focus contributor Rob McGregor. Gilts of a similar age…

PIGS

7 ways to encourage a healthy gut microbiome in pigs

Ahealthy gut microbiome is the starting point for good pig health, say producers Karen and Stephen Thompson. They run a 200-sow indoor herd on a three-week batch system in south…

PIGS

How a young farmer is producing pasture-fed, soya-free pork

Feeding soya-free rations to her small herd of outdoor pigs has helped secure Amy Chapple a contract with a London-based meat retailer. Miss Chapple, who runs her herd at Redwoods…

PIGS

How gilt ration tweaks are helping improve pig litter size

Focusing on the small details is one of Northern Irish farmer David Fulton’s winning ways and it is this approach that he hopes will help him increase litter size, by…

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How a Somerset farm is adding value to dairy bull calves

Father-and-son team Richard and Tom Calver have already built a name for Westcombe Cheddar, the raw milk cheese they produce from their two dairy herds. Now, they are adding value…

PIGS

Switch to rye saves £1.90 a pig on Yorkshire unit

A leading East Yorkshire pig unit has reduced its pig feed costs by £1.90 a head by replacing wheat with rye in its post-weaning rations. JSR Farms is among a…

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PIGS

7 tips on maintaining sow body condition

Managing sows so they neither gain nor lose too much body condition between parities should be the ambition of every pig breeder, as this single measure directly impacts on a…

PIGS

How to control pig feed costs and maintain nutritional needs

Feed has always made up the largest share of total outgoings, recently rising from about 70% to at least 80%. To help mitigate ongoing, high raw material costs, producers and…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Third-stage pig finisher diets review can help cut losses

A more frugal approach to third-stage finishing diets has been a potential cost-saver for pig farmers desperately trying to minimise losses this year. Adjustments have tended to be small and…

PIGS

Why strategic recovery is needed for pig industry survival 

A “reset” across pig farms focused on data gathering and pig husbandry is needed for independent producers to thrive as bigger players wait to pounce on opportunities left in the…

PIGS

3 ways to optimise pig nutrition for profit and planet

Improving pig health and delivering nutrients to pigs more precisely through their different growth stages can reduce cost of production and carbon footprint. This is according to Steve Jagger, senior…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How do field beans and forage stack up in pig diets?

With global supplies looking vulnerable and farmers facing huge spikes in feed prices, there is no better time to look at viable alternatives to feeding imported soya. The good news…

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PIGS

How forage in pig diets benefits meat quality

A study has shown that rearing pigs at pasture with a diverse range of grasses in the sward boosts their meat with fatty acids beneficial to human health. The on-farm…

PIGS

Can insect protein replace soya beans in pig diets?

Soya bean is often cited as one of the key contributors of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from pig farms. With all livestock sectors now facing moral- and government-driven pressures to…

PIGS

How lower-density starter diets can improve pig performance

A recent study carried out by Harper Adams and ForFarmers has found that, contrary to belief, lower-density starter diets don’t necessarily lead to lower performance. In fact, the study showed…

PIGS

Pig sector 'on knife edge' as farms turn to holding diets

Severely reduced processing capacity due to the Covid-19 pandemic has left some pig finishing units dealing with backlogs and feeding lower-energy holding diets to manage supply and avoid hefty penalties.…

FEED AND NUTRITION

5 zinc oxide alternatives for pigs compared

In less than three years, UK pig producers will need to know how to prevent post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets without using zinc oxide. The European Union has ruled that from…

PIGS

Moving drinkers next to hoppers doubles pigs' feed intake

Placing drinkers near hoppers doubles pigs’ feed intakes, an experiment has found. Feeding habits were monitored 24-hours a day across six batches of pigs – 420 in total – using Farmex data…

PIGS

Alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters for pigs

Since the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) was banned in the EU in 2006, there’s been growing interest in alternatives that can reduce the impact of pig disease and…

Feeding pigs silage offers sustainability gains

Growing and finishing traditional breed pigs on a grass silage total mixed ration (TMR) is a cost-effective way to produce a high-welfare product, research on an Oxfordshire farm shows. Trials…

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