Welcome to another fascinating episode of "The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast". This episode delves into a crucial and often underestimated aspect of the scientific world, especially in swine research: communication. We explore how scientists in our field can bridge the gap between complex research findings and the comprehension of swine professionals and people who aren't as intimately involved in the field. To discuss this, we are joined by Dr. Crystal Levesque, a seasoned professor of nutr...

In this week's episode, Dr. John O'Doherty delves into the critical issues encountered in swine nutrition in our rapidly evolving world, particularly focusing on sustainable meat production and food security. Dr. O'Doherty shares his unique insights into the necessity for and methods of attaining sustainable swine production amidst environmental and health regulatory challenges, offering us an invaluable perspective on this crucial field. As an example, Dr. O’Doherty uncovered that seaweed extra...

This episode presents a compelling conversation with Dr. Jordan Gebhardt, who has an impressive experience in swine nutrition research and experimental design. Here, Dr. Gebhardt explores and navigates the fascinating aspects of swine nutrition research and, in particular, the critical importance of the experimental unit in the overall experimental design, as understanding these experimental units can be quite challenging. Still, Dr. Gebhardt dives into the process of identifying and defining op...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lee Johnston, a respected authority in the swine nutrition research scenario. Over the past couple of decades, Dr. Johnston has given invaluable contributions to the field. Here, Dr. Johnston takes us through the details of the research he has been conducting on the impacts of zinc supplementation in the swine diet. He walks us through the results and interpretations from two vital research projects that he ...

As the swine industry continues to evolve, the focus on optimizing sow productivity is becoming more crucial. Recent research spearheaded by Dr. Mark Knauer, a Swine Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University, offers insightful perspectives in this regard. Dr. Knauer's research indicates that while pig geneticists have made successful strides in increasing litter size and the number of functional teats in sows, the increase in functional teats has not kept up with litter size. This ...

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There are several types of corn distillers dried grains with solubles available and they are often used in swine diets in order to reduce the cost of the diet. To discuss its impacts, we had a great conversation with Andres Toloza in this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast. Andres gives a detailed overview of a study he conducted at Kansas State University, focusing on the impact of increasing levels of threonine to lysine ratio in the corn-soybean meal diets of grow...

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Decisions in swine nutrition and production often result from a multifaceted approach, considering many factors that go  beyond the apparent biological implications. The studies led by Dr. Ashley DeDecker and her team continue to spark insightful discussions in swine nutrition and production. Dr. DeDecker is studying the comparison between mash and pellet feed for sow diets, specifically at micron size. This research aims to find the best grinding size to improve swine nutrition a...