Whilst it can mean enhanced biosecurity, more intensive and globalised pig production (based on a narrowing genetic base) also potentially increases the risk of disease and its spread. It has been estimated that production diseases can lower pig production efficiency by 10-15%, though financial losses can be much greater. The sector must allocate more resources to the creation and development of preventative measures that can be used to tackle the threat of disease. Optimising pig herd health and production provides a comprehensive review of the wealth of research on optimising pig health to prevent the development and consequent spread of diseases that can devastate the industry, such as African Swine Fever (ASF) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). Chapters in this volume consider the methods used to prevent disease outbreaks, ranging from on-farm strategies, such as managing feed, housing and stocking density to optimise health, to the development and use of vaccines.

This collection reviews the genetic and developmental factors that affect pig behaviour and assesses ways of optimising pig welfare at different stages of production, from breeding to slaughter.

This book on swine production, health and management emphasizes the swine rearing in totality. The authors have added expertise to all areas of the book. Swine, if reared under modern scientific methods, may provide significant economic benefits to its owner. Management, housing, knowledge about its anatomy and physiology, breeding/ reproduction, nutrition/ feeding, health/disease, production, products, marketing and economics are the facets which one needs to be well aware of to get optimum profitable return from this animal. The authors have tried to cover pig as an individual unit as well as an industry/ enterprise. Considering the importance of swine in the field of veterinary and animal sciences, this book has been written to provide a more academic, scientific and field oriented approach, thus making it suitable to the needs of academicians, scientists, students, field practitioners and the general reader. Newer aspects of swine husbandry are described with elaborate suggested reading references to aid in further reading.

This chapter describes major husbandry- and management-related factors affecting health, welfare and production efficiency in different swine husbandry systems. Given the current transformation in pig production, there are several conflicting goals which need to be addressed during design and adaptation of husbandry systems in the future. The following sections deal with the most important areas impacting pig health and welfare such as space, climate, flooring, water and feed supply. Since it is not possible to give a comprehensive overview of all systems the authors summarize fundamental housing requirements which must be achieved in all systems. They also review basic principles in assessing the quality of housing systems. The very important human factor is addressed at the end of the chapter.

The pig production sector faces many challenges, including the need to improve feed efficiency to reduce emissions from manure, finding alternative methods to prevent the onset of diseases affecting swine, as well as ensuring that the welfare of pigs is consistent with consumer and regulatory agencies' expectations. Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health offers a comprehensive coverage on the wealth of research on the porcine gastrointestinal tract, its key role in pig health and nutrition, as well as its implications for improving feed efficiency and growth. This collection details how optimising the gut microbiome can contribute to an overall improvement in pig health. Edited by Professor Mick Bailey and Emeritus Professor Chris Stokes, University of Bristol, UK, Understanding gut microbiomes as targets for improving gut health will be a standard reference text for pig/swine scientists in universities and research centres, pig feed manufacturers, and government and private sector agencies advising pig farmers on health and nutrition.

Multi-site Pig Production is the first comprehensive description of the most profound changes that have occurred in swine production methodology in many years. Dr Harris is singularly qualified to write this book because he has played a pivotal role in the development of multi-site rearing techniques that are being applied throughout the world. This book provides final definition for a variety of terms being used to describe swine production methods. A standardised nomenclature facilitates more accurate future interactions between participants in swine production systems that involve multiple sites, buildings, and rooms with different age groups and functions.