Hugh Gabbie along with his team of staff lead by Johnny Chambers run a 1100 sow, birth to bacon unit near Crossgar.
Key to success on the farm is put down to monitoring all performance figures very closely, great attention to detail and controlling feed quality and cost. The farm buys in its own straights, much of which comes from local farms and mixes its own meal. “This way we know what’s in the meal and it costs less than buying it”, commented Hugh. “The performance has really accelerated the last 6/7 years, the number of piglets born alive is 13.7, with 12.8 weaned, and 2.4 litters per year. However I’d say replacement rates are now higher”, continued Hugh. “Currently prices are good and we are on the crest of a wave which I hope doesn’t break for some time, however regulations and staff shortages are challenges we face.”