News and events

Please note that these are only legislative changes that affect the compositions and/or labelling of products produced by our Ghent and/or Putten production sites.

In May 2023, a royal decree regarding the castration of piglets was issued. Since January 1, 2024, it has been definitively prohibited in Belgium to castrate without anesthesia. However, it remains permissible to castrate under anesthesia in collaboration with the farm veterinarian. Other alternatives, such as immunocastration and raising intact boars, are also becoming increasingly popular. Each choice has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of meat quality, feed conversion, and/or behavior in fattening pigs. In this article, we explain our research findings on feeding strategies for immunocastrates.

Please note that these are only legislative changes that affect the compositions and/or labelling of products produced by our Ghent and/or Putten production sites.

Efficient protein feeding means conversion of feed protein to milk protein in the most efficient way. Efficient conversion also means saving on manure disposal costs, whether calculated through the urea amount or nitrogen excretion through the BEX. In addition, protein is a costly component in the ration, so reducing protein while maintaining performance is associated with a higher feed balance.

Did you know that heat stress in dairy cattle can start as early as 12 degrees Celsius? It may seem surprising, but a recent research and literature review from 2021, conducted by Josje Scheurwater of Utrecht University (the Netherlands), has shown that adapted behaviour in dairy cattle due to heat stress can occur under moderate climate conditions, long before temperatures rise to the previously assumed 16 degrees Celsius.

Techniques around feed analysis are evolving and results are gained much faster. But how accurate can and should we become, how often do we need to test, and how can artificial intelligence contribute? Those are the key questions in this article.

Because of the environmental impact and increasingly stringent regulations around nitrogen emissions, it is important that we feed our cows (even) more precisely in the future. The goal is to convert feed protein into milk protein as efficiently as possible. Efficient conversion not only results in savings on manure disposal costs, regardless of whether we calculate them through the urea track or the farm-specific excretions, but also in a higher feed balance, given protein is a costly component in the ration.

The utilization of phytase enzymes to unlock vegetal phosphorus has been a longstanding practice in animal nutrition. Over the years, advancements in enzyme technology have led to the introduction of new generations of phytase enzymes. In this article, we explore the question: Do new phytase sources still make a difference?

Streptococcus is one of the most common pathogens in piglets. Almost every pig farmer has had to deal with them at some point and knows that these terrible disease-causing bacteria are certainly no fun... From severe meningitis to pneumonia and even heart failure. Did you know that in severe streptococcal outbreaks, mortality rates were as high as 20%? We share this and other insights from a 4-year study with you in this article.