Farm visit: Grower pigs thrive in large groups

Large pens for growers and finishers – that is one of the key features for grower pigs to thrive. With plenty of space to run around and plenty of feed to consume, a German farm is achieving a grower ADG of 480 g and 1% mortality. The moment farm manager Jonas Zacharias rattles with a bucket, the piglets below him realise what is about to happen. What follows is a nervous gathering of pink snouts. A few scoops of hay pellets disappear into an orange vertical tube, which is hanging from the