2TS Conferences

2TS Focus on Health – October 2011

It was another great turnout in Cirencester, Stowmarket and Wetherby for the 2TS Focus on Health conferences. Five speakers from the UK, US and Denmark discussed current research and knowledge associated with health and how the industry can shift towards a more collaborative approach to combat disease for the long-term. The three events were held in Cirencester, Stowmarket and Wetherby on 17-19 October 2011. View all the presentations below.

Presentations:

Richard Pearson – George Veterinary Group
Managing Health and Disease Indoors and Out
Good herd health adds value to the bottom line and must be protected. There are many practical steps to tighten biosecurity on both indoor and outdoor units, from using an all in all out system to the positioning of loading ramps – and always remembering that the majority of diseases move via a pig.

Paul Toplis – Primary Diets
Feeding a healthy vs. a challenged pig
Good pig health can earn an extra £1 per pig because it is so much more efficient at converting feed for growth than a disease-challenged one. Feed intake is key to growth so, even when there is a herd health problem, producers can make just as much difference as the vet and nutritionist by reducing all other stressors.

Luke Minion – Pipestone Systems
PRRS Eradication Mapping and Filtration
PRRS is a massive economical issue for producers in the mid-west of America. They continue to press vets for a solution – to save them the $5-10 a pig the disease currently costs them. Real progress has been made in Pipestone county in the last couple of years due to collaboration between vets and producers to improve biosecurity in every way they could. Air filtration has proved to be a real breakthrough.

Anders Elvstroem – Odder Dyreklinik
Regional PRRS eradication
In east Jutland in Denmark they reduced the number of PRRS positive units from 80% to just 20% between 2000 and 2008. Sharing health information via a public swine register has been central to this, along with targeted vaccination of gilts and strict all-in all-out systems. One unit even moved weaned piglets through a window to avoid the risk of infection.

Robin Brice – Producer
How our business deals with health challenges
Good stockmanship helps to spot clinical signs early, vaccinating at the optimum time for the pig is more important than just fitting into routine and good rodent control must come hand in hand with good cleaning and disinfection. A case study shows how Rattlerow went about a PPRS eradication programme over at total of 42 months, which Robin believes was very worthwhile.

What producers said:

"Biosecurity is what I will take from today. We’re in the process of a de-population and it’s made us think even harder about making sure we do a good job for when we start afresh with the new herd".

"This is the second time we’ve been – it’s useful to come and hear about some of the challenges coming up".