Suckling piglet management and rearing of saddle pigs in focus at network meeting of leading farms
In May 2025, the pig farms participating in the Focus on Animal Welfare network met in Ehingen-Berg in Baden-Württemberg. The meeting once again provided a valuable platform for professional exchange and exciting insights into current developments in the field of animal welfare in pig farming.
After a welcome by Constantin Haupt from FiBL Deutschland e.V., the programme began with a presentation of the participating pilot farms. Lukas Schmidle (Schmidle pilot farm) then gave a concise overview of the latest scientific findings on colostrum supply and suckling piglet management. In a joint discussion with the group of leading farms, participants shared their own experiences and reflected together on challenges in piglet management.
In the afternoon, Andreas Palzer, veterinarian and lecturer at LMU Munich, gave a presentation on "Milk quality, colostrum and suckling piglet management". His presentation offered in-depth insights into practical aspects of piglet rearing and was met with great interest by those present. In a further discussion round, the focus was then on the participants' farms. Reports were given on current animal welfare improvement measures, farm conversion measures and news from the farms – often supplemented by illustrative images from everyday farm life.
The evening concluded with a dinner and informal professional exchange, which was actively used to cultivate personal contacts and gain new inspiration for one's own work.
On the second day of the event, a visit to Stefanie Renz's Schirmerhof farm was on the agenda. The farm, with 890 sows and 650 fattening places for saddle pigs in a closed system, impressed with its structured organisation and animal-friendly husbandry concepts with straw and outdoor access. The focus was on visiting the piglet rearing and fattening facility. Stefanie Renz also explained her marketing strategy to those present, which includes her own butcher's shop and retail outlet. The group was able to get a first-hand impression of the quality of the products, as the well-deserved lunch took place in the farm's own butcher's shop.
After a brief preview of upcoming events within the framework of the Animal Welfare Focus Network, the network meeting came to an end and the participants returned to their farms with new ideas, deeper contacts and practical knowledge.
Author: Constantin Haupt, FibL Deutschland e.V.