On the first day, they discussed the state and development strategy of the domestic pig industry; saving the veterinary budget during the crisis; methods of mycoplasma control; the impact of the reproductive performance of parent stock on production efficiency; modern methods of raising pigs with different genetics; and the main points involved in controlling artificial insemination techniques.

In particular, Volodymyr Shylo, a pig expert from Swinco, spoke about the automation of dairy feeding to improve productivity in the maternity ward.

He emphasised that one of the most effective solutions for increasing productivity over the past few years has been:

• feeding piglets with milk replacers and liquid milk pre-starters, which provides piglets with unlimited nutrients and prepares them for weaning;
• automation of the liquid feeding process to ensure that fresh liquid products are always available 24 hours a day, which minimises the impact of the human factor.

As for the advantages of liquid feeding, the speaker mentioned:

Lack of need for manual feeding.

Full automation; low probability of errors.

High level of hygiene with a fully automatic self-cleaning system.

Fresh warm feed is mixed several times an hour.

A reliable and easy-to-use one-piece cup with a patented nipple that prevents overfilling.

The result: reduced costs, uniformity, higher slaughter weight, better financial return!

Global trends in the use of automatic feeding and liquid feeding of piglets in the maternity ward on high-performance farms:

• Denmark – more than 60%.
• Netherlands – more than 50%.
• Germany – more than 30%.
• Great Britain – more than 30%.

The programme for the second day of the practical forum included the issues of vaccinating pigs against circovirus and mycoplasmosis; growing healthy livestock without the use of antibiotics; preparation of gilts for introduction into the herd.

In addition, we also talked about reducing the number of unproductive days for sows.

Working together to raise healthy pigs!