We don’t just want to be the best in Bulgaria, we want to be the best in Denmark.
If you are ever in Northern Bulgaria you might be so lucky to come upon the successful Brashlen Farm. It is run by Mr. Dimitrov, but he could not do it without his 60 dedicated employees who help care for the 2,300 sows. This farm started using DanBred genetics more than 20 years ago, and they have reaped the exceptional results ever since.
Weaned / average litter
PSY
ADG (from weaning to slaughterhouse)
Around 20 years ago, we switched to DanBred genetics and replaced all of our technology. We wanted a complete renewal of the farm! The old breeds were not performing very well, and we had an ambition to improve. We researched the market and looked at the results of different genetics companies, DanBred was simply the most impressive one.
We didn’t experience any major difficulties with the switch to DanBred genetics. Our buildings are big, with a lot of volume, so we had the room for new technology – and we had already decided that we wanted to update all of the equipment inside the buildings. So in close collaboration with DanBred, and with expert guidance from the Solutions team, we could update our entire farm with new equipment to help us get the most out of DanBred genetics.
A few years back, we also entered into a GenePro agreement with DanBred to make sure we only select the best sows in our herd to produce the next generation. DanBred’s Data Bank gives us an easy access to the continuous genetic progress – we can follow the breeding index of our boars and the genetic progress of our herd.
Our old breeds had a lower lean meat percentage and a high feed conversion. When we switched to the DanBred gilts, we quickly saw the results – we went from pigs with 4 kg feed conversion to 2.5 kg, and from 8 weaned piglets per litter to 16 weaned piglets. So, we were extremely satisfied!
We love working with DanBred because the animals are highly productive, but also very sensitive – you have to be alert at all times. To achieve the best results and truly utilize the potential of the genetics, we must focus on getting the job done – and employ all possibilities to seek the expert knowledge of the DanBred team. We want to see the same results with Danish genetics in Bulgaria as farmers do in Denmark!
Devastating! But we had to pick ourselves up again, and try to see the positive perspective. The farm was empty for almost 1.5 years; we refurnished again, and then we bought an entirely new herd from DanBred. Production started in December 2020, so we’re seeing the first results following ASF right now. And they’re actually even better! The conception rate is up, the farrowing rate is up, and the daily gain is up. The feed conversion is lower – for piglets of 7-40 kg the feed conversion is down from 1.6 kg per 1 kg gain to 1.55 kg per 1 kg gain.
Well, first of all, we’ve switched dam and sire lines for the DanBred Hybrids; before, the dam line was DanBred Landrace and the sire line was DanBred Yorkshire, now, it’s the other way around.
Second of all, and maybe even more important, is our increased focus on biosecurity. The health status is much higher now, and our animals are free of diseases. Of course this is something we also focused on before ASF, but we’ve definitely increased our attention to this area – and it pays off.
Our employees are a crucial part of our success – and we wouldn’t be able to come back after a crisis like that without our dedicated team. Our team is very stable, there’s not a lot of replacements of the employees. They are well-educated, and specialists in pig production. We are all working together to be the best farm!
In 2019, the unthinkable happened when the African Swine Fewer hit Brashlen Farm. ASF was first discovered in Bulgaria in October 2018 and, unfortunately, it quickly expanded to multiple farms around the country. Luckily, Brashlen Farm refused to let this force them out of business; they increased their focus on biosecurity and started a new production of slaughter pigs with DanBred Duroc as terminal line and DanBred Hybrid’s dam line – and the results are even better than before!
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