Health Management
Browse the pig producer case studies and technical reports below, which share best practice in Health Management. The producers are EU PiG Ambassadors and winners of the annual EU PiG Grand Prix, who have focused on one of the specific Health Management challenges chosen by the industry each year.
A network of experts forming the EU PiG Health Management Thematic Group consolidates existing industry knowledge and validates the best practice identified through the EU PiG Grand Prix.
This theme is about improving the health of the European pig herd to increase farming efficiency.
To see those best practices that reached the top ten in the 2020 Grand Prix? click here
Production data exists in different ‘boxes’ or databases, from breeding to slaughter. The movement of this data from one box to another was done by farmers when they had time.
Ambassador: Patrick Ryan, Ireland
Publication date: July 2020 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Use of slaughter data to improve health outcomes
The challenge was to improve the biosecurity against ASF and other pathogens (PRRS, Salmonella, E.coli and Swine Dysentery) at the moment of animal transportation.
Ambassador: Spain
System - DrySist
Developing Company: Techtrans System SL (OPPgroup)
Company using the system: Piensos Costa S.A.
Publication date: July 2020 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: African Swine Fever (ASF) biosecurity measures
An app that monitors pig temperature is helping with early detection of hyperthermia, enabling this Spanish farm to manage disease outbreaks, provide treatments more effectively, reduce mortality and improve pig welfare.
Ambassador: Pep Peraire, Spain
Publication date: February 2020 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Early warning of diseases and production errors
A fermented liquid feed system is providing an alternative to zinc for integrated Dutch producer, the van Asten group. The fermented feed works as a probiotic and lowers the pH to reduce the risk of bacteria.
Ambassador: Marco van Asten, Netherlands
Publication date: February 2020 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Influence of gut health on disease and production
A group of 13 pig farms in the same region have reduced PRRS problems by 30% in a three-year period by working together and learning from each other to help tackle the problem.
Ambassador: Tom Mertens, Belgium
Publication date: June 2019 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Optimal vaccination strategies
Kris Gios’ farrow-to-finish unit has trialled feeding herbs in piglet diets instead of including zinc oxide and has reduced production costs by 2.4%. Average daily gain and feed conversion rate have improved and weaner mortality rate has been reduced.
Ambassador: Kris Gios, Belgium
Publication date: June 2019 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Reducing zinc oxide
Dutch farmer Kees van der Meijden has achieved the enviable goal of reducing antibiotic use to almost zero, while at the same time, improving pig performance; the farm is producing 33 piglets per sow per year.
Ambassador: Kees van der Meijden, Netherlands
Publication date: May 2018 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Reduction of antimicrobial medication
Producer Eugene Sheehan from Ireland has reduced pig production costs per kg slaughter weight by 9.3% and lowered antibiotic use by 90%, having been the first to use a new biosecurity scoring tool, Biocheck.UGent ®.
Ambassador: Eugene Sheehan, Ireland
Publication date: May 2018 | Theme: Health management
Challenges: Biosecurity