Getting weanlings off to a good start

When we think of nurturing young pigs, it’s always the piglets in the farrowing rooms that take centre stage. Yet, in just the time it takes to move piglets into the nursery, those same piglets find themselves in a strange environment, without their mother and her generous milk bar. Not only is this stressful and

Letters, April 12, 2012

Government should help fund transition Regarding the article, “Time to start thinking about group housing” (March 22, 2012), Bernie Peet is right to alert pork producers to the reality that gestation crates are on the way out. While transitioning to new housing systems, this is an opportune time for producers to improve housing conditions for


Understanding the options for group sow housing

Second of two articles on group sow housing There are a number of group sow-housing systems that can be used in converted buildings or new barns. Each of them has particular features and limitations that need to be understood in order to make an informed decision about which system to choose. While there are certainly

Time to start thinking about group sow housing

With a phase-out of sow stalls almost inevitable, producers need to start evaluating different systems

When the new Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Pigs is published in draft form this summer, it will very likely include a requirement that sow stalls be phased out over a period of time. Producers will be able to house sows in stalls for a period after breeding, in order to


Better Times Ahead For Hog Producers?

So far this year, Canadian producers have had their best period of profitability in the last five years, a relief for those who survived a four-year period of unprecedented hardship, with low hog prices and high feed costs. With market hogs fetching up to $200 a head and sometimes more during the summer, the only

EU Softens Ban On Eggs From Battery Hens

An EU ban on the sale of eggs from battery chickens to consumers will go ahead as planned from Jan. 1, 2012, but producers may be free to sell non-compliant eggs to domestic processors, the bloc s consumer affairs chief said Oct. 5. The commission does not intend to postpone the deadline of the ban.


U.S. Hog Farms Drive Growth With Genetics, Husbandry

U.S. hog producers are using genetics, modern farm housing, and animal husbandry to maximize pork production without greatly expanding costs for feed and barn construction, industry sources said. With global demand for food growing quickly and production land limited or even shrinking, pressures are mounting to produce more with the same or less throughout agriculture.

Planning For A Sow Housing Revolution

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. By the end of next year, pig producers in the European Union should have converted any existing sow stall housing into group housing. Legislation requires them


Cautious U.S. Hog Herd Expansion Underway

Record-high hog prices and strong demand from overseas markets are spurring U.S. hog farmers to pursue production expansion opportunities. But with global hog output expected to hit a record in 2011, producers need to be cautious about overexpansion – especially in the current environment of record-high input prices. U.S. hog farmers have been faced with

KSU Publishes Valuable Swine Research

Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. His columns will run every second week in the Manitoba Co-operator. The swine research team at Kansas State University, under the leadership of Dr. Mike Tokach, has an enviable reputation for carrying out practical and relevant research.