AHDB Pig Clubs underway

AHDB's round of spring and summer pig clubs is underway and will run until mid-June.

The meetings kicked off at Launceston, in Cornwall, on Monday, with the Oxford pig club taking place in Wallingford tonight. The meetings and run until June 12, with the final event at Shepton Mallet, in Somerset.

• For full details of the meeting dates and locations and to register, click HERE

Facilitated by KE Manager Pat Loten, the meetings provide an opportunity to catch up with and meet other producers in the region, with a focus in some meetings on pre-weaning gut health and, in others, on new dry sow housing.

At some events, Ben Golledge, a production manager in South West England, will be giving a virtual farm tour of his unit, including the new dry sow house, the service house and the farrowing house. There will also be a market update from one of our market analysts.

The remaining meetings will delving into pre-weaning gut health in piglets, from how it can affect growth of the weaned piglet, to how you can optimise gut health and maximise growth potential.

Dr Clare Gaukroger, who runs the research and development programme for Cargill UK’s pig team, will discuss the trial work conducted at Cargill’s weaner and finisher pig trial farms, focusing on the early life microbiota development of piglets. There will also be an update from AHDB’s Animal Health and Welfare team.