Tail biting - Why do pigs bite tails?

This second episode features once more Robert Hoste, Wageningen Economic Research, part of Wageningen University & Research, based in the Netherlands. In this podcast the topic is how to maintain profitability whilst focusing on sustainable pork production as well.

Why do pigs bite tails? That is a topic that is still very badly understood – it’s one of the multifactorial problems. Increasingly, however, it becomes clear that gut health also has a role to play in this web of cause and effect. In this podcast, Dr Franz Lappe of Vivet veterinary practice in Germany, and Dr Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager, Aarhus University, Denmark, explain their views on this topic.

A very relevant question in the pig industry: Why do employees stay? And why would they decide to leave? It’s all about paying enough attention to these matters – and it is exactly this type of question that got the interest of emeritus professor Larry Firkins, attached to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a veterinarian who developed a special interest in management matters and how culture in a pig-related work environment can help building a more pleasant work atmosphere. He will discuss this matter with host Vincent ter Beek, editor of Pig Progress.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes lung infections characterised by a low mortality, but high morbidity. This results in a higher FCR, lower daily growth, higher risk for secondary infections and increased treatment costs. Although M. hyo has been the topic of much research, its pathogenesis is still not completely clear, immune responses after infection and vaccination need to be further investigated. In this podcast host Vincent ter Beek of Pig Progress discusses the PhD study of Dr Evelien Biebaut, attached to Ghent University in Belgium, who spared no effort to learn more about how the bacteria behaves and how it can be controlled. Dr. Biebaut will tell you all about it.

Monitoring PRRS virus can happen perfectly well using tongue fluids, a topic that won a recent European PRRS Research Award. Pig Progress Editors Vincent ter Beek and Iris Hofman will discuss this technique with Dr. Andrea Ladinig, professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria.

This episode with Prof Dr Christian Visscher of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, Germany, focuses on Lawsonia intracellularis (causing ileitis). He speaks about its effect on the microbiome, and how this affects pig production and for what extend oral vaccination can have effect on these.

Consulting economist Lance Mulberry is based in Missouri, USA. He shares his opinion about the pig industry’s tendency to focus on average to evaluate on-farm economic performance. He will address problems related to that tendency: it ignores variation and suggests that the underlying distribution is a normal. That way using averages will result in hidden costs, having many implications for the industry. His plea is to apply a more precision based approach

This episode takes a trip down the road of pig economics with a very well-known name in the industry, being Robert Hoste, attached to Wageningen Economic Research, part of Wageningen University & Research, based in the Netherlands. In the podcast there will be attention for pig market developments in the largest pig states in the world and there will be a look into the future as well.

Prof Joaquim Segalés is working as full professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain and is researcher at the Centre for Animal Health Research (IRTA-CReSA). He has been performing research on swine diseases since 1993. In this podcast, he discusses methods how to best vaccinate against Porcine Circovirus Disease, for sows, piglets, boars and gilts alike.

Prof Hans Nauwynck is attached to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University in Belgium. Viral diseases are at the core of his attention – and they will take centre stage in this episode of “Meet the Expert”. He will discuss reproductive failure in pigs, with particular attention for the viral component of that problem: PCV2, PRRS virus and parvovirus will be discussed.