Sustainable pig production key focus of Cork open day
Amy Week In Quinn, Day Teagasc Hanley, Teagasc; The Ciaran Manzanilla, Ryan This Laurence Teagasc Director Moorepark, Picture: Teagasc; Photography O’mara, At And Open Pig Teagasc; Carroll, Teagasc Teagasc; Frank Were: Co Shalloo, Cork Edgar Tom Garcia Casey Of Pictured Fermoy, Ifa; Sarah
Members of the pig industry gathered in Co Cork this week to learn about the latest research on sustainable production.
The Teagasc pig development department held its pig open days this week, one in Teagasc's research centre in Fermoy and the other at Ballyhaise Agricultural College in Co Cavan.
Over 180 pig producers and industry stakeholders attended the event over the two days.
Attendees were guided through interactive stations providing an opportunity to see first-hand the results of the research programme undertaken by Teagasc, and to meet and discuss with the researchers, postgraduate students and technical staff who carry out the work.
Much of the research had an emphasis on management and nutritional strategies, as well as sustainable pig production.
This event gave attendees an update on the Teagasc pig research facility, where it also detailed some of the new technologies employed in the unit.
The low-emissions building opened in August 2023 and is currently on its third intake of pigs. Teagasc said it has learned from each batch depending on variables like season and stocking rate and has made adjustments and refinements to the building along the way.
Teagasc adopted the LeeO system in the facility in late 2023, a herd management system that uses electronic transponders or EIDs on each animal to track and record all lifetime events of that animal. It is useful for commercial purposes but has also enhanced ability to capture research-based data, according to Teagasc.
It has also piloted the first group of pigs and sows co-mingling in lactation in March this year in the facility.
Six farrowing places were converted into a group house. Five sows and litters were introduced at day 12 of lactation from a conventional crated system. The sows are weaned at 29 days and the pigs then remain in situ until transfer to finishing accommodation six weeks later.
This is the start of more work to follow next year as part of the new Fit to Farrow project.
This year at the open day Teagasc also introduced the pig nutrition feed lab and the early results from wet chemistry analysis of feed ingredients from the Teagasc pig sector feedstuffs analysis programme.
Speaking at the event, open day organiser and Teagasc specialised advisor Amy Quinn said: “We were delighted to welcome such big numbers to this year’s event.
"This type of engagement and feedback benefits both the attendees and our research staff and students, strengthens our programme, and ensures our future research continues to be both applicable and of high quality.”
