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Pig breeder Bredek very contented with Nuklospray Yoghurt |
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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 00:00 |
 It was a challenge for pig breeders Jan and Natasja Bredek
(the Netherlands) to go from 200 to 400 sows, maintaining a good technical level. They both did not really expect it would work out this well. Despite recent expansion they deliver more than 30 piglets per sow per year. Jan and Natasja do not work with foster sows anymore and piglets are only moved minimally.
With an average of 14 liveborn piglets per litter, piglets are pushing and shoving for mother's udder. It is possible to lock up half of the litter for a short while, in order to make sure the other half will have a sufficient colostrum intake. And the other way around as well.
But after that something else is needed to make sure piglets will drink enough milk. Before, this was done by foster sows on a closed farm.
Now, piglets are fed with Nuklospray Yoghurt.
Very contented with Yoghurt approach
Natasja: "We have used Nuklospray Yoghurt for several months now. We started with this product to keep as many piglets with the sow and therewith work with foster sows as minimally as possible. We are very contented with this approach. So many teets there are, so many piglets we lay by the sow. The piglets show nice uniformity and foster sows are not necessary anymore. When piglets are not able to take in sufficient milk, they are additionally fed with Yoghurt."
Up to 10 days after birth, piglets are fed twice a day by pooring Nuklospray Yoghurt in a feeding bowl. In addition, they are fed with a prestarter gruel (gruel, because piglets will get porridge later on). "Early weaned piglets will continously be fed with Yoghurt.
We do not put them with another sow. Also piglets that stay behind are fed with Nuklospray Yoghurt."
Porridge for piglets
After weaning, piglets are fed manually with a kind of prestarter gruel, in order to have a smooth transition. Around 3 days after weaning the porridge feeding machine will take over de feed supply. The first 20 days after weaning piglets are fed with a ration of Agrifirm's vital growth feed with 3% potato steam peelings (for the viscosity in the ration). Then they receive a diet with for instance CCM (corn cob mix), milk rests, wheat starch, potato steam peelings and 60% Agrifirm additional feeds, with enzymes for a better digestion and feed intake.
Systematic way of working
The Piétrain offspring show good growth results, approx. 365 grammes from birth to delivery. Also the low mortality rate of 1% demonstrate that these entrepreneurs realize top performances with this breed. Antibiotics are hardly used. Agrifirm pig specialist Bennie Beerling explains: "Jan and Natasja are continuously looking for improvement. Matters we discuss and decide will be executed in a consistent and systematic way. Their passion to perform better each time is the basis for their excellent results."
Farm profile
Owners: Natasja and Jan Bredek
400 sows and 3,300 finishing pigs
35 hectares of agriculture, where they grow their own CCM
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Source: Agribusiness nr. 4, 2010, magazine of our distributing partner Agrifirm Meppel - the Netherlands
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