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Current projects

• Weaned piglet handling system - Fawley Farms Ltd.
  Click here to view video
  
  The aim of this project was to devise a method of minimising the stress on piglets at the same time as improving working conditions for staff while piglets were being handled, for example at vaccination. The idea arose following a change to the farm health plan on this outdoor unit, where the PCV2 weaner vaccine was introduced, leading to double handling of piglets. Following a number of prototypes, a piglet sorter built from stockboard was developed and fixed to the yard. The piglets move into the sorter from the trailer in groups of 10-12. They enter into pen one, where they receive their first vaccination and are marked, and then move into the second pen to receive a second vaccination and different colour mark. Before being released from the sorter the piglets are checked and if necessary removed for any medical treatments; some can be selected as replacement chaser boars. This system has the following benefits:
  
  - Piglets never have to be picked up (even at weaning they are shooed from the hut to the trailer)
  - The pens have drop down flaps to allow better access by stock people, enabling them to remain in normal standing position while vaccinating
  - Piglets are at a more suitable height for observation
  - The system can be easily cleaned
  - It can be put under shelter in bad weather
  - The system facilitates quick moving and handling of piglets as someone on the trailer moves groups of piglets up to the sorter while two batches are being treated
  - Vet and med equipment can be set out ready without risk of being disturbed by animals and doesn’t need to be moved around

  

  
  
• Evaluation of the use of Qscan in a commercial feeding system - RC & VE Buckle & Son
  The aim of this project is to provide the industry with case studies of the practical use of Qscan in commercial set ups and to put focus on the benefits of this advanced technology in day-to-day management of the feeding herd. So far it has been immediately evident that the initial goal of providing labour-free growth performance data is more than adequately being achieved. It is now a case of establishing and proving reliable internet connectivity to ensure that we can routinely drill down into the data sets from remote locations to piece together the various sets of virtual trial results that will demonstrate the impact of varying genetic and/or disease control inputs.
  
  
• Simplifying outdoor recording using electronic ear tags - Piggy Green Ltd.
  Pig unit manager Shane Worger used to keep all the data in his head, now all three of the people on the unit have all the records of each sow at their fingertips, at the touch of a wand. It means they all now know exactly where the sows are, their vaccination details, pregnancy testing and all the background data to improve performance. It will also help eliminate the problem of lost tags; if the main tag falls out, they will be able to search for it via the electronic tag and the sow’s information won’t be lost.The presence of the pocket PC handheld computer ensures that data can be input beside the sow as the event occurs, it also gives the user access to all individual sow records and the ability to view action lists on the screen (sows to farrow, wean, PD etc). All records collected are then synchronised with the computer and automatically updated thus making the data collection task a part of the stockman's daily routine, rather than a weekly session sat in front of the computer.

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• Improving uniformity of batches for slaughter - Bowes of Norfolk Ltd.
  To improve uniformity within slaughter groups and ensure a higher percentage of slaughter pigs reach their target slaughter weight. The study will assess the feasibility of weighing and grouping on a commercial scale on an ongoing basis, and measure the effects on production efficiency.

• Evaluation of water intake in grower/finisher pigs as a measure for subclinical disease - JH McCloy & Co Ltd.
  To evaluate the measure of water intake by growing pigs as an early warning indicator of emerging disease, using the Barn Report from Farmex.

• Batch weighing: an essential management procedure - Alexander & Angell (Farms) Ltd.
  The basis of this project was demonstrating the value of weighing pigs regularly as they move through the system. The producer involved took inspiration from the poultry industry, where everything that moves is measured and weighed. The process is simple, with no big capital investment needed; while the pigs are being moved eg between the nursery, growing and finishing stages, the trailer is allowed to rest on a set of mobile weighing pads, the weight is recorded and then the pigs are unloaded; the process adds no more than four minutes per batch. By weighing the pigs at each stage, it enabled the producer to identify where the pigs were falling behind and take appropriate, he has since been able to improve growth rates and the pigs are reaching slaughter weight in the required time frame. This project demonstrates the value of regularly weighing pigs in batches.

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• The effect of light intensity during early gestation on seasonal infertility in loose housed sows - PM & PM Rhodes
  Seasonal infertility is a problem commonly seen in British sow herds. The effect of shortening day lengths has proven to have a negative effect on conception rate, farrowing rate, total born and piglet quality; by controlling the light intensity artificially, it has been suggested that any seasonal effects can be negated. PM & PM Rhodes observe a drop in farrowing rate between the months November to February each year.
  The objective of this 12-month project is to assess the impact on fertility of housing sows in a 16-hour light 8-hour dark pattern for the first nine weeks of gestation, with a minimum light intensity of 200 lux, compared to housing in a naturally lit sow house. Five rows of Crompton-Crompack5 lights were fitted in the sow yard with 12 lamps in each row. Light sensors control each bank of lights, when light intensity exceeds the required level due to natural light, they will switch off. Additional Dakal Ltd IP65 lights were fitted to ensure the required light intensity was achieved. The natural light intensity was measured on a sunny day to range from 50-180 lux depending on location in the pen/yard.
  Preliminary results have not demonstrated the anticipated affect on productivity. Improving the light intensity in the sow yard for the first nine weeks of gestation did not seem to override the seasonal effect of reduced day lengths. However, other factors are thought to have contributed to the performance drop and analysis of temperature effects is ongoing.
  
  

• Verispec DNA traceability - PIC UK
  To demonstrate that full traceability, from farm, to stud, to plate, is achievable and as a result to develop the opportunity for full farm to fork traceability as a unique selling point.

• Piloting a system to identify labour use, cost and productivity - Delta Innovation Ltd.
  This project investigated benchmarking the cost of labour for particular tasks in a bid to improve efficiency. The technique was originally developed for use in the dairy industry but has now been applied to pig production. The idea is to illustrate efficient labour use, cutting back on the time taken to do tasks, allowing more time to be spent with the pigs. The data collected from the pilot farms indicated that there was a significant potential for increases in labour efficiency across pig units, for example during the initial pilot on eight breeding units, the notional labour costs per finished pig ranged from under £2 to more than £11! Scaling up from potential weekly savings to annual savings, differences of at least one full-time equivalent were seen, even across similar units. Whilst in some cases the causes of this variation were clear, for example in relation to feeding systems, in others it was less so. The next step of this project, for which more money has been awarded, is to get more producers to record times on their farms so that there is enough data to set standard benchmarks.

• Establishing benchmarks and case studies for labour efficiency - Delta Innovation Ltd.
• Assessing environment enrichment tools - KT team (various farms)
• Eradication of PRRS and EP in four breeding farms in the village of Brandesburton