whether these
herds were operating as one-site production (‘farrow-tofinish
herds’) or two-site production systems (selling the
growing pigs).
Both production types have in common
that the nursery unit(s) are located at the same place
where the sows and their offspring were kept.
Any purchase
of pigs others than gilts or a replacement boar was
treated as an exclusion criterion. All 125 herds of this
study met the inclusion criteria.
The herds were typically managed according to a
batch-wise farrowing system in conjunction with agesegregated
rearing of the weaning and growing/finishing
pigs, and an all-in/all-out hygiene policy at the level of
the farrowing units, nurseries and fattening pig units.