The Teagasc Pig Farmers’ Conference will take place next month.

On October 7 at 1:30p.m, the event will be held in the Horse and Jockey Hotel, Co. Tipperary, and on October 8 at 3:30p.m in the Farnham Estate, Co. Cavan.

This year’s Teagasc conference features a line-up of speakers on topics including:

Feeding the lactating sow - meeting energy requirements in 2025;
Can good biosecurity improve performance;
Weaner and finishers - floors and space;
Gaining an edge in grower performance.

The international guest speaker this year is Dr. Vivi Aarestrup Mousten from SEGES in Denmark.

SEGES is an independent research and development organisation and Denmark’s leading agricultural knowledge and innovation centre.

Mousten is chief scientist at SEGES Innovation (livestock) and appointed honorary associate professor in animal production (pigs) at the University of Copenhagen.

She received her MSc in animal science from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University in Frederiksberg, Denmark, in 1995, and her PhD in animal science from the same university in 2002.

She has been focusing on research and development of housing of lactating sows at SEGES since 2001.

Since 2002 the emphasis has mainly been on development of systems for loose housed farrowing and lactating sows.

The research includes determination of sow and piglets’ dimensions; space needed for important behaviours; and criteria for pen design.

An aim of SEGES is to develop, test and recommend the best technologies for production of pigs in Denmark.