Eight pig producers from across Europe – including one from the UK – have won international awards for their innovation in pig production.
They are the winning entrants in the EU PiG Innovation Group (EU PiG) Grand Prix and have each been awarded the title of EU PiG Ambassador.
The annual competition is designed to identify best practice on pig farms and share it with pig producers throughout the European network and beyond.
The winning examples of best practice from the 2018 EU PiG Grand Prix are:
Precision
- Daily manure removal to reduce emissions: Netherlands;
- Improving young sow retention: United Kingdom.
Meat quality
- Easy weighing of pigs for slaughter: Netherlands;
- Olive oil as a source of fat for pigs: Belgium.
Welfare
- Birth management in loose farrowing systems: Austria;
- Novelty enrichment material: Spain.
Health
- Different feeds as zinc oxide alternatives: Belgium;
- Cross-company approach to PRRS: Belgium.
The UK’s entry, Lancashire farrow-to-finish producer David Goodier, uses technology to measure and manage gilt body condition more accurately.
This is to help retain more young sows in the herd and improve sow lifetime productivity while reducing the replacement rate of gilts and associated costs.
A better understanding of changes in body condition was needed to avoid animals being over-fit at farrowing and under-conditioned at weaning, for example.
Weigh scales and a back fat tester are used to weigh gilts and measure their back fat at position two at service and on exit from the farrowing house at weaning.
They are also measuring back fat as gilts enter the farrowing house and after 18 days of lactation. The feeding system has been recalibrated to help ensure gilts are fed the correct amount at the right stage and monitoring is ongoing
EU PiG coordinator Ben Williams, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board in the UK, said: “Congratulations to the 2018 EU PiG Ambassadors who we’re looking forward to working with. We’ll be providing more details, photos and videos of how their innovations work in practice on our website.
“It shares new knowledge and practical case studies all in one place online, helping producers across Europe find out about the ideas and systems already out there that can help improve their own farm’s efficiency and sustainability.
“It’s a bit like going on a study tour without having to travel. EU PiG is providing another way for producers to pick up information and experience directly from each other. It is about connecting pig producers and others across Europe to help ensure an ever more efficient and competitive industry.”
