The Pig Edge

On the latest episode of the Pig Edge, Ciarán Carroll was joined by Keelin O’Driscoll, Research Officer at the Teagasc Moorepark Pig Research Facility to discuss cross-fostering and the use of nurse sow strategies to rear piglets. Keelin outlines the difference between cross-fostering and nurse sow strategies and details the main benefits of using these strategies. While they can be a useful tool...

Improving litters per sow per year is the topic for this month’s Pig Edge podcast and Pat Varley, Research & Development Coordinator with PIC Hermitage joined Ciaran Carroll with more details and information. Pat highlighted the cost associated with different litters per sow per year figures and detailed the main factors affecting the figure on farms. He also addressed what farms need to focus...

Mark Plunkett, Teagasc’s soil and plant nutrition specialist, joins Gerard McCutcheon on this month’s Pig Edge podcast to explain how farmers using pig manure or any organic manure can reduce their chemical fertiliser usage. Mark also highlights the environmental and economic value of pig manure with the benefits for both tillage and grassland farmers using this organic fertiliser an important fac...

For the last Pig Edge podcast episode of the year, Ciarán Collins was joined by Michael McKeon, Specialist Pig Development Officer with Teagasc, based at Moorepark, with a review of the Irish Pig Sector in 2020 and the outlook for 2021 Michael covers what happened with pig and feed prices in 2020 and the impact that Covid-19 and the more recent outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) has had on the...

As part of Animal Health Awareness Week - a DAFM initiative – on the latest Pig Edge podcast, Ciarán Carroll spoke to Margaret Wilson, Senior Research Officer with DAFM at Backweston. Margaret explained what Animal Health Awareness Week is all about, reminding the general public as well as livestock farmers how important animal health is to the farming sector, with particular focus this year to re...

On the latest episode of the Pig Edge podcast Peadar Lawlor, Principal Research Officer at Moorepark Pig Research facility discusses the inclusion of Rye and Field Beans in pig diets. The acreage of these crops grown in Ireland in recent years is on the increase. Peadar reports on recent research results from using rye and beans in pig diets in Moorepark, the impact they have on growth rates and f...

On the latest episode of the Pig Edge Michael Hennessy, Head of Crops at Teagasc Oak Park, joins Ciarán Carroll to give an overview of the tillage sector and how it interacts with the pig sector. He discusses the 2020 harvest and the implications it will have for the prices paid by pig farmers and feed compounders. He highlights some alternative crops for consideration in pig diets and the details...

Vaccines and vaccination programmes on farm is the topic for discussion on this week’s Pig Edge with Laura Boyd from MSD joining presenter Ciarán Carroll to discuss. Laura explains the different types of vaccines there are and when farmers should consider them. She also discusses some of the more common problems and mistakes that are made, and has important information on their proper storage and...

On the latest episode of the Pig Edge podcast, Ciarán Carroll discusses energy use on pig farms. Ciarán is joined by Damien Fowley and David Fitzgerald from Exemplar Energy Solutions to find out about the main contributors of energy use on pig farms, where savings and efficiencies can be made, and whether renewable energy could be a solution on farm. For more episodes and information from the Pig...

On the latest episode of the Pig Edge, Emer McCrum, Teagasc Pig Development Officer, discusses how farmers should go about optimising lactation feed intakes. Emer explains how optimising lactation feed intakes ensures sows consume sufficient feed on a daily basis to meet their maintenance and milk production requirements, minimises sow weight loss during lactation and optimises litter performance....

Mycotoxins and their impact on pig performance is the topic for this episode of the Pig Edge and presenter Ciaran Carroll was joined by Louise Clarke, Teagasc’s Specialised Pig Development Officer at Ballyhaise to find out more. For more episodes and information from the Pig Edge podcast go to https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/pigs/the-pig-edge-podcast/ The Pig Edge is a co-production with LastCastMe...

Anyone with an interest in the pig industry is well aware of African Swine Fever (ASF) and the threat it poses to the pig sector. On this episode of the Pig Edge, Amy Quinn speaks to Eithne White, Veterinary Inspector from the National Disease Control Centre at the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, to get an overview, update and general advice on ASF. For more episodes and informat...

Pig Farmers can often spend a considerable amount of time grading and sorting pigs throughout the production stages, but in this episode of the Pig Edge, Specialised Pig Advisor Michael McKeon talks to Amy Quinn to discuss why this well-meant practice might in some cases be costing producers. Michael first coined the term “Evenitis” to best describe this practice at the 2015 Teagasc Pig Farmers co...

Head of Knowledge Transfer for the Teagasc Pig Development Department, Ciarán Carroll joins Amy Quinn on this episode of The Pig Edge to discuss the topic of seasonal infertility in pig production. Ciarán firstly talks through what exactly seasonal fertility is and how it presents itself. He then discusses what measures pig producers should look at to minimise the potential effects over the coming...

The topical area of antimicrobial use and resistance in pig production is covered by Amy Quinn on the latest Pig Edge podcast with Teagasc PhD student Lorcan O’Neill.     Firstly Lorcan gives an overview of his study which looked at antimicrobial usage on Irish pig farms. He then discusses where the Irish pig industry stands in comparison to other countries in terms of measuring antimicrobial usag...

Teagasc Specialised Pig Advisor Ger McCutcheon joins Amy Quinn on the latest episode of the Pig Edge to discuss the newly released Teagasc National Pig Herd Performance Report which outlines the key performance indicators and their trends for the 2019 year.     Ger firstly introduces us to the eProfit Monitor system (ePM) and how it can be used as a useful management tool on pig farms. Ger then hi...

Teagasc Researcher Maria Costa joins Amy Quinn on this episode of the Pig Edge to discuss the completed PATHSURVPIG project.    This project may be familiar to many as over 60 commercial Irish farms were involved in the project which investigated the extent of respiratory disease on Irish pig farms, associated risk factors, and the relationship with performance, welfare and antimicrobial use.    F...

Teagasc Researcher Peadar Lawlor joins Amy Quinn on the first episode of the Pig Edge to discuss the WET-FEED project which is nearing completion, this project looked at optimising liquid feeding for increased growth and improved feed efficiency in grow-finisher pigs.   Firstly, Peadar explains what this project was all about and outlines its main objectives. Peadar also touches on the practice of...

The Pig Edge, Teagasc's new podcast for pig farmers is launching soon. Presented by Amy Quinn, the Pig Edge will cover the news, information and advice to keep pig farmers up-to-date.