Animal welfare, sustainability, responsible animal husbandry – all terms that are currently on everyone’s lips, these have for a long time been part of PIC’s daily vocabulary. Numerous projects with internationally renowned scientific partners have been actioned allowing us to gain deeper insights. PIC has long valued innovation into the areas of welfare and behaviour, and we continue to evaluate findings into management recommendations as well as into breeding decisions.
Therefore, PIC is pleased to have Dr Irena Czycholl, a recognised expert in this field, joining PIC’s global Product Development and Technical Services team. The fact that Dr Czycholl has gained her scientific knowledge from research in German husbandry systems with the known high requirements means an important step in competence for PIC with real-time experience.
Dr Czycholl studied at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hanover, where she obtained her doctorate in behavioural veterinary medicine. Subsequently, she devoted herself to further research in this field at the University of Kiel and dealt with the scientifically objective evaluation of animal welfare in her postdoctoral thesis.
Asked why she decided to leave her scientific work at a university to join the global leader in pig breeding, she explains:
“Research is one thing, but ultimately it is important to use the findings in a targeted and successful way in practice. PIC is known for putting the further development of its products on a scientifically sound basis first. At the same time, PIC has a large worldwide network of experts who help pig producers to implement this in the best possible way. So, the combination of science and practice, especially in the area of animal welfare and behaviour, is what I was looking for as a new challenge.”
