By Jack Bosworth, Director, FJ Bosworth & Sons. Published 19 March 2023.
I hope everyone is well.
Something I have written about a few times already is our gilts, and the importance of getting things right from the start to set them up for a successful breeding life on the farm. This piece is about the next step we want to take.
A funding opportunity worth applying for
The 2023 Farming and Equipment Technology Fund is expected to open this month for Animal Health and Welfare items.
We will be applying. If successful, and subject to good results from our ongoing trials, we will be investing in electronic feeding, weighing and sorting facilities for our gilts.
This is exactly the kind of investment that funding of this type should be for, and I hope we fit the criteria.
How our current gilt training system works
At present, our gilts are first introduced to an Electronic Sow Feeder (ESF) at around 210 to 220 days of age, having completed one to two weeks of training in a pen that is split in two by a replica ESF entrance and exit gate.
The concept is simple:
- Gilts have to walk through the one-way entrance gate to reach an ad-lib feeder.
- They then walk through the one-way exit gate to reach the drinkers.
The repetition teaches them that going through the entrance gate gives them access to feed, and leaving through the exit gate gives them access to water.
We have found that this training period sets the gilts up really well for negotiating ESF stations for their gestation feeding throughout their breeding life.
What the current system does not give us
The main downfall is that we are not able to monitor and make systematically informed decisions about the optimum timeline for introducing each gilt into the breeding programme.
To do that properly, we need to be able to monitor weights closely. That ensures the right nutritional intake for the age and weight of each individual animal before first service.
We do weigh a random selection of gilts at the moment. The current method involves running them through scales in a corridor. That is more stressful for the animal and more labour-intensive for the team than it should be. The decisions we are making off the back of it are also less informed than they need to be.
What the new facility would actually unlock
Getting our gilts onto ESF earlier, alongside a dedicated weighing and sorting facility, would bring real advantages:
- Daily weight monitoring for every gilt rather than a random sample.
- Direct comparison of feed conversion ratios between animals, which would be an incredibly valuable tool for selecting the best breeding stock.
- Forecasting an optimum service week for each individual animal.
- Reduced wasted feeding days.
- Improved conception rates through better-timed service decisions.
- Better health and welfare for our breeding animals through more individualised management.
- Lower feed and AI costs.
This is the kind of step-change that data-led management makes possible. It is the work that turns good stockmanship into something you can actually measure and improve year on year.
I will report back on whether the funding application is successful.
About the author
Jack Bosworth is a fourth-generation farmer and Director of FJ Bosworth & Sons, an arable and pig farming business at Spains Hall, Willingale, Essex. The farm has been in the family since 1919, and Jack farms alongside his father Stuart Bosworth, who was named Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year in 2011. The business is Red Tractor assured and runs an integrated farm-to-fork model, with home-grown cereals milled on site using solar-generated electricity.
You can follow Jack’s articles on fjbosworth.com, or get in touch via the WhatsApp link on the site.
Fourth-generation farmer at Spains Hall, Willingale. Runs the contracting team and writes most of what appears here.