# Pig Research Centre, Bedfordshire - March 2013



## steve2109 (Mar 31, 2013)

With a free Saturday for once I called up OMJ and suggested we go check out this site I had seen that looked interesting, I think the thought of a new site persuaded him to join me in the snow and take a look. 

Wasn't sure what to expect with this it was either going to be a fail or a quick mooch round a yard but how wrong we were !

We were there for several hours and the place is a lot bigger than it looks and relatively untouched, it made for an enjoyable morning and a lot of pictures to go through. Below is a History of the place and then the pics. I am sure OMJ will add his unique take on the place.....







The British pig industry owes a huge debt of gratitude to its centre of research and development at Stotfold.

The UK pig industries Development Unit, just outside Stotfold in Bedfordshire was opened by Lord Belstead, Minister of State (Lords), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods in November 1984.
Over the years it has undergone many changes but has always been at the forefront of research firmly aimed at delivery of practical opportunities, work which could be quickly disseminated and implemented on working pig farms.






At its peak the unit employed 10 staff and had 300 sows farrow to finish. However major changes in the industry and a fundamental shift in the strategy of the British Pig Executive (BPEX) meant it was no longer needed and over the last six months has been gradually wound down.

The final piece of research work was completed in May 2007, part of the Defra LINK £3.5m weaner research programme. Stotfold's part was to look at weaner diets that maximised the use of home-grown cereals and oilseeds. To the end, the stock performed excellently with weaning to slaughter growth rates of 740g/day and grower to slaughter in excess of 1050g/day.

A BPEX Director of Pig Industry Development said: "Stotfold has been a huge asset to the industry over the years and we are sad to see it go. "BPEX carried out a major review of its research and development and unfortunately Stotfold didn't fit into the new perspective."

Research over the years
Over the years, the work at Stotfold has included:
- Introduction of soya bean meal to pig diets 
- Copper sulphate as a growth promoter 
- Evaluation of commercial genotypes for sow productivity, growth
- Performance and carcase and meat quality (Stotfold First Trial) 
- Development of ultrasound technology for carcase composition 
- Blueprint for pig meat eating quality 
- Stotfold sow lactation feeding strategy 
- Phase-feeding - protein requirements of commercial genotypes 
- Established speed of growth and pork tenderness were positively 
correlated 
- Liquid feeding offers savings of 14p/kg dead weight 
- Liquid feeding halves the percentage of pigs testing positive for Salmonella at slaughter 


BPEX has been exploring the redevelopment of the site and planning permission is being applied for.


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## stateless68 (Mar 31, 2013)

fantastic stuff... great visit and interesting phots..


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## SeffyboyUK (Mar 31, 2013)

Decent thorough report there, looks like a good mooch!


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## ZerO81 (Mar 31, 2013)

Interesting looking place, nice shots too.



>



This looks like some sort of pig-morgue!


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## muppet (Mar 31, 2013)

looks like a good place thanks for posting


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## mookster (Mar 31, 2013)

ZerO81 said:


> Interesting looking place, nice shots too.
> 
> 
> 
> This looks like some sort of pig-morgue!



That's exactly what I was going to say!


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## Stealthstar79 (Mar 31, 2013)

I could smell pig sh*t just looking at these! 
Poor little sods, pics 23 and 24 look like prison cells, maybe for pigs who tried to fight the system! LOL
Thanks for sharing...


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## UE-OMJ (Mar 31, 2013)

Great report and write up Steve.

To add a bit from me....





















































There's always a mirror somewhere....



















Also on the site were a row of 6/7 houses, presumably staff accommodation?









































































Bullets! These were scattered all over the site...

















All in all a successful trip with Steve2109, this place was bigger and better than either of us imagined it would be.


Thanks for looking.


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## sweet pea (Mar 31, 2013)

top stuff as always guys i believe those bullets are 'bolts' for humane dispach


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## AlexanderJones (Mar 31, 2013)

Top report, and great photographs from you both!


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## sonyes (Apr 1, 2013)

Quality pics from you both. Looks an interesting place.


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## UEP-Wales (Apr 1, 2013)

I quite like the look of this! Great shot guys


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## Mars Lander (Apr 1, 2013)

Now thats a bit different , indepth well photographed report lads, top stuff


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## flyboys90 (Apr 1, 2013)

Very informative report & great photos,thanks both for sharing.


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## Black Shuck (Apr 1, 2013)

Well done lads, that's fookin' ruddyilliant! Brilliant pics and write up!


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## John_D (Apr 2, 2013)

Great pics! Looks like a concentration camp to me.:shocked::shocked:


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## The Wombat (May 1, 2013)

good work guys


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## TeeJF (May 2, 2013)

Oink...

Those bullets are a bit of an enigma... they've already been fired, so what on earth are the heads on them supposed to be???


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## PCWOX (May 2, 2013)

This place is pretty fascinating, spent a good while there myself recently mooching around...


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## shatners (May 2, 2013)

Great report there chaps... the finnisher unit sounds pretty brutal lol


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## prettyvacant71 (May 8, 2013)

def an interestin visit nicely captured...does have "concentration camp qualities" all that concrete and bars...glad EU banned pig pens...but British farmers only ones who seem to have taken notice...rest of europe still using them


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