Laurence Williams
Laurence Williams is a health-focused journalist for The Pig Site who writes about how producers manage disease, immunity and technology to keep pig herds productive. His coverage tracks the practical frontiers in animal health, from intestinal conditions such as ileitis through to immune function, vaccination systems and on-farm infrastructure. He combines a senior commercial role in global livestock media with detailed reporting that explains how specific tools and practices work on real farms.
Health, immunity and disease control in pig herds
Williams’ core through-line is the health status of pig herds and how producers can reduce losses by understanding disease processes and immunity. In his work on immunity and disease protection, he links immune function directly to sow mortality, productivity, weight gain and feed efficiency, translating complex biology into operational levers producers can act on. When he writes about ileitis, he treats it as an under-recognised challenge that demands more attention from producers, emphasising the economic impact of intestinal disease and the need for systematic control.
Across these pieces he stays close to the farm gate, describing conditions and outcomes in terms that matter to herd managers rather than abstract science.
He often uses manufacturer resources and technical manuals as anchors for practical guidance.
In his coverage of an updated Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) manual, he highlights how structured information on respiratory disease can support better treatment and prevention decisions on farms. The health beat runs through these articles: the central question is how producers protect pigs from specific pathogens, minimise clinical disease and preserve performance, with each story taking one high-impact issue and unpacking it in clear, direct language.
Vaccination technologies and immune management
Vaccines and their delivery systems are a recurring focus.
Williams writes about intradermal, needle-free vaccination technology, explaining how devices such as the Hipradermic 3.0 injector change the experience of mass vaccination for both pigs and staff. He breaks down the design of the equipment, its comfort benefits and the implications for welfare and compliance on large units, framing vaccination not only as a health intervention but as a workflow and labour issue.
In his reporting on the “next frontier” in animal health, he explores faster, smarter and more scalable vaccine approaches, showing how innovation in immunisation is positioned as a key tool for future disease control. These pieces combine vendor-led developments with a practical lens on what adoption looks like on farm: the number of animals vaccinated, the handling systems required and the trade-off between cost, convenience and protection.
Together they mark him out as a reporter who treats vaccination technology as both a scientific and operational theme, tracking devices, protocols and strategic thinking around immune management.
Nutrition, sustainability and performance
Williams regularly connects health to nutrition and sustainability. In his article on sustainable lysine production, he uses a case study of an amino acid supplier to outline how life cycle assessments and process choices affect the environmental footprint of feed ingredients. He describes how more sustainable lysine can contribute to efficient growth while aligning with broader sustainability goals, positioning feed formulation as part of both performance and environmental strategy.
This strand of his work sits alongside health reporting but keeps performance outcomes in view: weight gain, feed conversion and sow productivity are treated as outputs of both disease control and nutritional planning. By engaging with corporate sustainability efforts and detailed technical concepts such as life cycle assessment, he gives communications and technical teams a platform where environmental claims must connect back to measurable effects in the barn and at the feed mill.
On-farm systems, equipment and management
Beyond health and nutrition, Williams covers farm systems and equipment that underpin herd management. His piece on electric motor burn out addresses a common failure point in agricultural settings, explaining what “burn out” means in practice and what producers can do to prevent and respond to motor failures that can disrupt ventilation, feeding or other critical systems.
He treats technical infrastructure as part of herd health, recognising that mechanical reliability affects welfare and performance.
In his reporting on sow management with BigFarmNet technology, he describes a large-scale Polish project housing thousands of sows and how integrated software connects the entire farm.
The article looks at data flows, automation and centralised control, showing how modern management platforms organise feeding, breeding and environmental control at scale. Across these stories he is interested in how specific technologies - whether motors, software or vaccination devices - fit into the daily routines of commercial pig production, and he writes with an emphasis on usable detail and concrete examples.
Role within global livestock media
Alongside his reporting, Williams holds a senior client-facing role at Global Ag Media, serving as Head of Client Services and working across The Pig Site and other livestock titles. That position gives him regular contact with animal health, nutrition and technology companies, which is reflected in his frequent use of sponsored content formats and company case studies. His work sits at the intersection of editorial and commercial communication: he presents vendor solutions in clear, factual terms while keeping the focus on herd-level outcomes, operational detail and the producer’s perspective.
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