Research Projects
The current research programme covers a broad range of commercially relevant topics, such nutrition, performance, management, health and welfare. The current projects are investigating:
- Pigtail - Using stakeholder insights to drive behavioural change in the pig industry
- ExcludeMRSA - Preventing transmission of MRSA from livestock to humans through competitive exclusion
- ProSwine - Development of a probiotic Bacillus pumilus as a substitute for in-feed medication for pigs
- WetFeed2 - Realizing the full potential of liquid feeding to reduce feed cost per kg gain in pigs
- PigNutriStrat - Novel nutritional and management strategies to reduce antimicrobial reliance and antimicrobial resistanceon Irish pig farms
- MonoGutHealth - Training and Research for Sustainable Solutions to Support and Sustain Gut Health and Reduce Losses in Monogastric Livestock
- TailBiteAdvice - Project is to develop a data-driven decision support tool that will actively advise farmers on how to reduce tail-biting occurrences
- PLFPigCarc - Optimising feedback of computerised meat inspection findings and Precision Livestock Farming monitors on farm to improve pig health, welfare and carcass quality
- PigNoDock - Development & implementation of tail biting risk assessment tool on commercial pig farms
- OneWelPig - Using a 'One Welfare' framework to develop alternative high welfare pig production systems
- EarWel - Elucidating etiology and risk factors for ear necrosis on Irish pig farms
- Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Animal Production
- Thermal or membrane processing for infant formula and its effects on pig growth performance and nutrient digestibility
- How to face therapeutic ZnO withdrawal (ZincO)
- The development of an economic model of pig production for the Irish industry
- Implications of stress in sows for performance & welfare & for the resilience of piglets to stress/disease (SowWeanWel)
- Water foot-printing and water use reduction of Irish pig production (WaterWorks)
- Aggressive behavioural pig phenotypes
- Introducing new feeding programs & facilities for Irish finishing pigs (PIGFEED)
- BM-Farm - Biomarkers and Microbiome in Farms for Antimicrobial Resistance Management
- PIGSMELL - Social Stability as a Foundation to Improve Health and Welfare in Pigs: The Role of Intraspecific Communication
Completed projects
- Factors influencing consumer purchase of higher welfare assured pig meat products in Ireland and the UK (WelSure)
- The use of NE systems in an Irish context when formulating pig diets
- Feed strategies on Irish farms for the improvement of production and feed costs (FEED-STRAT)
- Methods to optimising annual output per sow by increasing the number of viable piglets born alive and minimising pre-weaning piglet mortality (OPTIPIG)
- Environmental enrichment for growing pigs (ENTAIL)
- Gilt rearing strategies on gilt health, performance, longevity and the offspring productivity(GILTLIFE)
- Assessment of emerging technologies to manage sows and piglet during lactation (FarMan)
- Optimising liquid feeding for increased growth and improved feed efficiency in grow-finisher pigs (WET-FEED)
- Feed enzymes as a means of improving feed efficiency (PIG-ZYME)
- Investigation of respiratory disease on Irish pig farms, associated risk factors, and the relationship with performance, welfare and antimicrobial use (PATHSURVPIG)
- The development of digital & visual tools to improve knowledge transfer in the pig industry (DIGIPIG)
- The relationship between antimicrobial usage and the welfare status of pigs (WELPIG)
- The relationship between lesions identified in the slaughterhouse and welfare conditions on farm (PIGWELFIND)
- The relationship between gut microbiota and feed efficiency (ECO-FCE)
- Targeted low cost solutions for control of Salmonella in pig production (LoCost-SalmPig)
- Development of On-Farm Co-Digestion of the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste and Animal Manure for Bioenergy Production and Resource Recycling (GREEN FARM)