There are three coloured circles on the disc, one to mark the time over the course of 12 hours, the second to record how many piglets were born alive at the time they were last checked and the third to mark how many piglets were born dead. Three movable arrows are used to show the sow’s latest progress.

BPEX Knowledge Transfer Manager Lis Ravn said: “Each time the farrowing sow is checked, the arrows can be quickly adjusted on the disc so that all staff can see exactly how the farrowing is going and decide if or when to intervene.

“Attention to detail during farrowing is essential to get newborn piglets off to a good start and it has a major influence on overall litter productivity, which is one of the key focus areas for producers aiming for the 2TS target.”

There is also a space at the bottom of the disc to write additional notes, such as use and timing of inducement, interventions or treatments.

The disc can either be hung above the farrowing pen on a string with a bulldog clip or attached to the pen side somewhere visible and easily accessible. After each sow has finished farrowing, the disc can be moved to the next farrowing sow and it is useful to have several discs in each farrowing house.

To request farrowing discs and a guide to using them contact Clancy Smith at kt@bpex.org.uk or 0247 647 8792.

Notes to editors:

The aim of the 2TS campaign is to help English pig producers achieve an industry average of 2,000kgs of pig meat per sow per year.

Latest available figures show the average carcase weight per sow per year for Great Britain is 1,608kg compared with the EU average of 2,000kg.

Closing this performance gap is crucial to ensure the long term competitiveness of the English pig sector. Producers need to ensure they are in strong position to sustain profitability during periods when the market place and exchange rates are less favourable.