The Cornish Pig Club met to review all physical performance figures, discuss the benefits of the new buildings erected and compare against our European counterparts.
Nick Dymond shared his visit report of a tour to Holland he was fortunate to attend with Helen Thoday.
It was felt that, although the Dutch wean over 30p/s/yr and wean at 21 days, the down side is that the pigs are smaller and weaker so post-weaning mortality is greater.
More investment in buildings and equipment has been made improving
Dutch efficiency. The Rescue Deck visit showed the benefits of plasma
proteins which are not permitted in the UK on any Farm Assurance scheme.
Scanning is undertaken as early as 21 days and sows are culled out earlier.
In summary, visits to other units and countries are very important
and often very motivating.
The group’s plans for next year are:
·
Continue to monitor our own performance
·
Compare against others
·
Review this performance with all staff
·
Ensure that COP is known, as chasing physical performance
doesn’t always mean more margin!