Stock Talk

Author: Farm Advisory Service

Welcome to Stock Talk, bringing you all the latest news and advice for livestock producers. Each month, livestock specialists will discuss current issues, opportunities and options for producers. Scotlands Farm Advisory Service is funded by the Scottish Government. Our podcast covers a range of topics which help support your farm or croft to be more profitable and sustainable.
Be a guest on this podcast

Language: en

Genres: Business News, News, Science

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

Get all podcast data

Listen Now...

The 5-Mile Pig!
Episode 2
Friday, 27 June, 2025

Welcome to Stock Talk hosted by Principal Consultant Kirsten Williams. On today’s episode Kirsten is joined by farmers Ben and Harriet Lowe. HB Farms in Aberdeenshire consists of Newseat of Dumbreck, an arable farm on tenancy and Pitmillan Farm which is home to 450 breeding sows and a finishing unit. In addition to grass, forestry and land for environmental schemes, they grow 397ha of crops, with the grain used as feed for the pigs whilst manure is recycled back onto the fields. Soil health, circular agriculture and long-term biodiversity are priorities for HB Farms. Episode Timestamps 01:05 Introducing Ben and Harriet Lowe 05:38 Farm stats 06:38 Pigs, from breeding to finishing and managing a weekly system 09:15 Knowledgeable staff 10:46 Creating a circular farm 11:36 Saving on inputs due to pig FYM 14:04 Ration changes throughout the cycle 15:53 Data driven decision making 19:19 Genetics and feed conversion 21:14 Target carcase weight and spec 23:36 Processing pig meat 26:13 Managing cashflow 27:31 Protein in the pig diet33:18 Nuffield: closing the loop in pig production: the 5-mile pig 39:30 LEAF demonstration farm 41:09 Resilience in the business 47:35 Advice for New Entrants FAS Resources FAS Case Studies - Gaining A Tenancy As A New Entrant Other Resources Instagram - HB Farms Nuffield scholar - Ben Lowe Leaf demonstration farms - HB Farms For more information, visit www.FAS.scot Facebook: @FASScot National Advice Hub Phone: 0300 323 0161 Email: advice@fas.scot