Using the Biocheck.UGent™ scoring tool in Irish farrow-to-finish pig farms: assessing biosecurity and its relation to productive performance

Table 1 Description of the sample of 58 Irish farrow-to-finish pig farms used in the 2016 biosecurity assessment and comparison to the Teagasc database (ePM) population (n = 129)

Item	ePM mean ± SD	Study sample^a
Item	ePM mean ± SD	mean ± SD	median (Range)
Farm characteristics
No. of sows	726 ± 610.8	754 ± 554.9	639 (113–2479)
Experience of farm manager, years	–	26.8 ± 10.14	28.0 (5.0–50.0)
Number of workers	–	4.9 ± 3.65	4.0 (1.0–16.0)
Age of the oldest building, years	–	35.3 ± 25.46	32.5 (5.0–210.0)
Age of the youngest building, years	–	3.9 ± 5.14	3.0 (0.0–25.0)
Herd productive performance
No. of pigs produced per sow per year	25.7 ± 2.30	26.0 ± 2.27	25.8 (18.0–31.2)
Piglet mortality, %	10.5 ± 2.80	10.3 ± 2.70	9.8 (5.1–16.3)
Finisher mortality, %	2.4 ± 1.47	2.2 ± 0.97	2.0 (0.8–5.1)
Average daily gain^b, g/day	703 ± 79.8	704 ± 62.0	699 (554–856)
Feed conversion ratio^b	2.41 ± 0.171	2.38 ± 0.144	2.36 (2.01–2.78)

^aFarm characteristics retrieved from the Biocheck.UGent™ scoring tool which was applied to 58 Irish farrow-to-finish pig farms from February to May 2016. The correspondent herd productive performance was retrieved from the Teagasc ePM for the year 2016
^bAverage daily gain and Feed conversion ratio correspond to the period from weaning to finish

ISSN: 2055-5660