Pigs & Poultry
30th Teagasc Pig Farmers’ Conference: Marking a milestone
30th Teagasc Pig Farmers’ Conference: Marking a milestone The 30th Teagasc Pig Farmers’ Conference is set to take place on October 22nd at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in County Tipperary, followed by a session on October 23rd at Farnham Estate, Cavan. The conference will commence at 12:30 PM on both days, […]
27 September 2024
Apply now for the Farm Technician and Farm Manager Apprenticeships
Apply now for the Farm Technician and Farm Manager Apprenticeships Amy Quinn of the Teagasc Pig Development Department tells us about apprenticeship programmes, which offer education and career pathways in the pig sector. Good news for those looking to further their education in pig production and those wishing to upskill their farm […]
20 September 2024
A twist in the tail
A twist in the tail Keelin O’Driscoll and Roberta D’Alessio write about the tail-biting risk assessment scheme for Irish pig farms, aimed at identifying farm-specific risk factors, and how efforts are underway to refine the tool for improved accuracy. Since 2019 Animal Health Ireland (AHI) have managed a tail biting risk assessment […]
13 September 2024
Is your crude protein costing you?
0 Is your crude protein costing you? Kieran Keane writes about variations in crude protein content, which can substantially impact diet formulation costs and effectiveness. The pilot Feed Nutrition Lab at Moorepark has been operational for the last number of months. During this time we have been sourcing feed ingredients samples from a […]
6 September 2024
Animal welfare in focus at international conference
Animal welfare in focus at international conference The 9th International Conference on the Welfare Assessment of Animals at Farm and Group Level (WAFL) takes place over the next two days in Florence, Italy. This conference was organised by Dr. Laura Boyle, Dr. Keelin O’Driscoll and Dr. Amy Quinn of Teagasc and is […]
30 August 2024
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