Intro to UK pig sector

Which country has the highest pig pop?

China

What are the different types of UK pig farms?

• Mixture of indoor and outdoor herds 60:40

  • Most finish in straw yards

• Variation in herd sizes 100-4000

• Free farrowing

• 3% free range

• Many small holdings / pedigree / rare breeds

What are the different types of producers?

• Farrow to finish —> 130kg (max 600-800 sow herd)

• Store pig producer (grower) —> 30kg, 10-11wks post weaning

• Weaner producer —> 7kg

What are the challenges on a pig farm and how do we deal with them?

• Juvenile pop

• Infection vs immunity (cont. production —> endemic infection)

• Batch systems

• Immunity basics —> colostrum

• Infection pressures

• Mutilations should be banned

• AMR

• People thinking outdoor better, slatted floors bad, confinemenr bad etc.

  • prey animals

  • modern slatted floors beneficial

  • controlled confinement good (temp, humidity etc. controlled)

Deal with them by ensuring:

• Good colostrum transfer (otherwise no immunity at all)

• Age breaks —> move to diff farm

• Hygiene

• Stable immunity

What are pig senses like?

• Good sensory receptors in snout

• Poor skin sensory receptors (reason why they crush their piglets)