29/10/12: probiotics for piglets; wheat outlook; new pig research facility opens

Hello, 

• Norel introduces Proporc, a new probiotic for piglet based in Bacillus licheniformis. Early weaning (three weeks of age) is a common practice for the swine industry, especially in intensive production systems. This early weaning results in several changes for the piglet such as separation from the mother, new housing, grouping with other animals and new feeds, normally solid, making the weaning period a stressing one for the piglet. Proporc, the biological additive developed by NOREL S.A., is based on spores of Bacillus licheniformis and has demonstrated its benefits by improving performance parameters in this stressful period. More information...

• Schothorst Feed Research (SFR) and Topigs join forces in new research facilities for pigs and sows. The new facilities will enable this independent research organisation to expand their feed research on the effect of technical performances. The new facility marks the last stage of a €9 million investment will house 350 sows and 3000 growing/finishing pigs and enables both TOPIGS and SFR to perform experiments on a practical scale. Furthermore, 40 Insentec feeder stations are installed that enable measuring individual performance and feed intake of 480 animals. More information visit SFR annd Topigs.

• This round up of the grain markets by Farming UK suggests that the USA will lead the way once Russia's wheat is 'exhausted'.  Read more...

Piglet 2 USDA (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Swine farm explosions possibly connected to DDGS

Foam at a hog farm

Foam rises from Hog manure, this foam has caused explosions at some swine farms, Swine farms in mid-western USA have stumbled on a phenomenon that so far has been difficult to explain. The foam caused the explosion of six pig farms since 2009. Originally the cause was thought to be methane trapped Charles Clanton, University of Minnesota, said, “This has all started in the last four or five years here. We don’t have any idea where it came from or how it got started. Whatever has happened is new.” Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of 'PPLAPP' click here.

Yoghurt for piglets from Nutriscan

Among Danish piglet producers, it’s well known, that sour milk products as yoghurt has a beneficial impact on the intestinal function and hereby on the health and welfare of the piglets. That is why yoghurt products are widely used for piglets suffering from digestive disturbances, for large litters and in periods when the sow does not produce sufficient amount of milk in order to support a healthy growth, and at the same time to keep the use of antibiotics low, especially at weaning.

The new product, YoghurLac, from Nutriscan is designed to have the same texture and acidity as yoghurt products, when the 125 grams of the product is mixed into one litre of lukewarm water. Besides active lactic acid bacteria, YoghurLac contains high contents of milk powder and lactose, providing the piglets with easily absorbable nutrient at the same time as the milk acidification ensures a low pH in the intestinal tract and thus damaging E.coli and other gram negative bacteria. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers. To get your copy of 'PPLAPP' click here.

Research about learning to eat like a pig

Feeding piglets

 Wageningen University and research center in the Netherlands shows that training can help piglets through the difficult timeframe around weaning. A recent PhD graduate Dr Marije Oostindjer whos thesis was called Learning how to eat like a pig, was key to her research on finding out how piglets learn and how we can use this knowledge to facilitate the weaning process. Three different points were looked at. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Global Miller, published and supported by the GFMT Magazine and the International Milling Directory from Perendale Publishers.