Stockpeople

Investing in stockpeople is an investment in animal welfare

ABOVE: Pork producer Mark McLean has improved sow productivity on both Riverhaven Enterprises’ operation farms through improved farm management, genetics and staff training and development. Stockmanship is an occupation that requires expertise, endurance and empathy. Stockpeople have a direct impact on agricultural animal welfare and productivity. Unfortunately, stockpeople are undervalued and their role in agricultural…

July 2023

July edition headlines Investigating sow farrowing Calling out bad behaviour Investing in stockpeople is an investment in animal welfare and agricultural sustainability Cutting remarks and cry for more pork talk Coles raises big bucks for Big Freeze APSA announces invited speakers Carbon Neutral Agriculture Short Course review Spotlight on SEZ findings at Asian Agribiz Federal…

June 2023

June edition headlines CCTV in livestock processing Carbon dioxide stunning Stopping animal abuse with video surveillance One hundred not out for Craig Mostyn Group PorkStar kicks off 2023 events with new format Alliance for Animals calls on meat industry to support mandatory CCTV in abattoirs Pork industry cage age ending Apiam’s swine and feedlot teams…

compost

Great Aussie composting roadshow

ABOVE: A key learning distinction was made between compost – which has been matured or cured for over 16 weeks – and ‘hot mix’, which commonly undergoes only the first pasteurisation step of composting and is then used for further composting activities. Recently, I headed to Tocal to hear from global experts on the latest…

meat

Australian supermarket meats found to contain superbugs

ABOVE: The report revealed the presence of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria in chicken and pork meat sold in Australian supermarkets New research highlighted recently on ABC’s 7.30 Report revealed the presence of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria in chicken and pork meat sold in Australian supermarkets. The most alarming discovery was bacteria harbouring three different variants of a gene…

enrichment

New framework to categorise enrichment for farm animals

ABOVE: Environmental enrichment is often assumed to improve animal welfare, even in the absence of evidence for actual improvements. Environmental enrichment is often assumed to improve animal welfare, even in the absence of evidence for actual improvements. In addition, the various definitions of EE raise varying degrees of expectations regarding improvement to animal welfare. The…

pig

Bringing land managers together to address impacts of feral pigs

ABOVE: A report on the potential economic consequences to the Australian economy of an African swine fever incursion was released several weeks ago. pig The recent interception and seizure of 36 tonnes of prohibited goods by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry as part of Operation Avoca – together with the declaration by the…

apsa

One-page papers for APSA 2023

The nineteenth biennial conference of the Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) will be held at the Sofitel Brisbane from November 13-16, 2023. As a key supporter of research, development, education and training in the pork industry, Australasian Pork Research Institute Limited wishes to encourage individuals and groups associated with APRIL-supported projects to consider submitting their…

May 2023

May edition headlines New framework to categorise enrichment for farm animals Appreciation of Australian produce Pig gassing footage highlights broken animal welfare system Names matter amid stunning revelations Bringing land managers together to address impacts of feral pigs Australian supermarket meats found to contain superbugs Great Aussie composting roadshow Hands-on help available for pig owners…

quality

Quality assurance auditor training on pork sites in SA

ABOVE: Andrew Johnson, Cam Parker, Margo Andrae, Andrew Borgmeyer, Sofroni Eglezos, Andre Kings, the author, Charley-Rose Ford, Marianne Nelson and Ashley Barnes in front of the Mt Boothby Pastoral Co grow-out unit at Tintinara in South Australia. The premier quality assurance program for pig producers in Australia is APIQ, with over 90 percent of Australian…

DanBred

Piglet survivability breeding goal in DanBred

ABOVE: DanBred implemented new breeding goals in July 2022, which saw the previous ‘live piglets at day five’ LP5 goal split into three data points, termed ‘piglet survivability’. In last month’s APN edition, the article ‘New breeding goals to reduce piglet mortality’ from Aarhus University was published. As the article was written in 2021, I…

evidence

Evidence of Absence Surveillance Project

ABOVE: Vets can use their professional judgment based on case-by-case variables, such as the degree of the initial suspicion, sample types and the stage of the disease. To support the continued success of the Evidence of Absence Surveillance Project, the project sampling guidelines have been revised to allow veterinarians more flexibility – to use their…