Pigs & Poultry
Farm safety: Farm construction and work at height
Farm safety: Farm construction and work at height Louise Clarke emphasises the importance of prioritising health and safety on pig farms, particularly during maintenance and repair work, to prevent accidents and fatalities. A pig farm is a busy place where several tasks are being completed each day and health and safety should […]
23 August 2024
Empty days – a hidden but very real cost
Empty days – a hidden but very real cost Louise Clarke and Ciarán Carroll discuss how “non-productive days” (NPDs) in breeding sows impact herd efficiency and profitability, emphasizing the importance of managing factors like “not in pig” sows (NIPs), repeat breeding, and environmental conditions to minimize NPDs and improve productivity. Empty days […]
16 August 2024
The importance of pellet quality
0 The importance of pellet quality Peadar Lawlor discusses the benefits and challenges of feeding pigs pelleted diets, emphasizing the importance of minimizing fines to improve feed conversion ratio (FCR) and reduce feed costs. Typically when dry or wet-dry feeding, pig producers opt to feed pelleted diets to their pigs. Although, pelleting comes […]
9 August 2024
The latest on breeding and reproduction
0 The latest on breeding and reproduction This month’s Pig Edge is focusing on breeding and reproduction and Amy Quinn is joined by Teagasc Specialised Pig Advisor, Emer McCrum, to share her thoughts and experiences on the common themes and issues from around the country. The discussion highlights several pressing concerns and practical […]
2 August 2024
Moorepark Pig Unit Mid-Year Performance Highlights
0 Moorepark Pig Unit Mid-Year Performance Highlights In the latest update from Moorepark Unit’s Pig Research Facility, Aisling Holmes presents key figures for the first half of 2024, showing continued progress in pig production metrics. Breeding The farrowing rooms have reported an average of 15.9 live births per litter, with piglets weighing in […]
2 August 2024
Keeping accurate records to become a top producer
Keeping accurate records to become a top producer Ciarán Carroll, Head of Knowledge Transfer, Pig Development Department, tells us why one of the major differences between top producers and those who strive for the top is in how they keep and analyse their records. The Teagasc National Pig Herd Performance Report for […]
12 July 2024
Beat the Heat: Keeping cool this summer
0 Beat the Heat: Keeping cool this summer Although the weather to date has proved disappointing with average temperatures below normal for this time of year, current predictions indicate that temperatures in July, August and September will trend above normal. Emer McCrum tells us how to beat the heat on farm. Recent years […]
5 July 2024
Too much of a good thing!
Too much of a good thing! Michael McKeon tells us that over the last few months the main topic of conversation for pig groups has concerned pig manure storage and spreading. It has been a difficult year so far, primarily due to the very wet autumn-winter-spring, making ground conditions difficult for spreading. […]
28 June 2024
Farm Fresh Turkeys Biosecurity
Farm Fresh Turkeys Biosecurity As we approach the time for considering placing Christmas turkeys on farm, it is important to be prepared for these young birds arriving. It is crucial to consider the management and biosecurity around these new stock on your farm. Rebecca Tierney, Poultry Adviser, tells us more. What is […]
27 June 2024
A summary of the National Pig Herd Performance Report 2023
A summary of the National Pig Herd Performance Report 2023 Gerard McCutcheon gives a summary of the 2023 National Pig Herd Performance Report. The 2023 Profit Monitor figures have been analysed and the National Herd Performance Report has been completed. The figures show an improvement on the 2022 figures. The 2023 data […]
21 June 2024