Hi there- Any good swine professional knows that they are not only that, but also an economist. Optimizing cost efficiency is the overall goal of a swine production facility, and with the unpredictable markets we have today with covid, we need to be aware of how best to maximize our net profits for our facility. In today’s talk Dr. Greiner chats with Dr. Glynn Tonsor on how the swine markets have changed, and potentially will change in the future, in regards to supply and demand and price fluctu...

Hi there - Preventing bacterial infection in the young piglet is critical for all farmers as they have weakened immune systems in the early stages of their life. In the past we used antibiotics until antibiotic resistant strains became more prevalent. Now zinc oxide is the most used antimicrobial feed additive during the nursery period but is it the most effective method? In today’s talk with Dr Schweer, he discusses alternative feeding strategies for preventing bacterial infection of the piglet...

Hi there - In hotter climates and seasons, heat stress can have a large effect on pig performance, regardless of their stage of production. Dr. Jay Johnson has been a wonderful asset to the swine community with his work on the effect of heat stress on pigs and shares some insight on his research findings. In today’s episode, he discusses the importance of understanding heat stress and different strategies we can utilize to help mitigate its effects on pig health and performance.

What you ...

As research continues to develop new ways to improve the swine industry, our farms have to find ways to feasibly implement these new developments. Some new technologies look good on paper, but are not feasible due to the cost of the extra labor. In today’s talk, Dr. Ken Stalder discusses different ways of defining sow productivity, the necessary training required to implement new technologies, and how to identify which technologies will be the most beneficial to implement on the farm:

Hi there - PRRS virus has affected herds across the United States for over 30 years and has been a major cause of economic losses across the industry. As many farms are now PRRS positive or are very likely to eventually contract PRRS, it is important to understand how to monitor, control, or even eliminate PRRS on our farms. In today’s talk with Dr. Daniel Linhares, he discusses several methods of dealing with PRRS to prevent infection and subsequent economic losses and how best to mitigate its ...

Hi there - When you think about improving nutrition, you typically measure your success with growth performance, but that should not always be the only goal. Today Dr. Laura Greiner talks with Dr. Dan Columbus about how nutrition affects pig health and how we should formulate our diets differently when faced with certain health challenges. Nutrient uptake can be altered during a disease outbreak, and adapting the diet to overcome this challenge is essential for maximizing production:

What...

Pre-weaning mortality is one of the most detrimental issues the swine industry is currently facing. In todays’ talk with P.J. Corns, we discuss ways to properly manage sows, piglets, and farm staff to reduce pre-weaning mortality and maintain high health standards in a farrowing facility. Proper pig care is extremely important and it all begins on day 1:

''The people and the pigs tell us everything we need to know'' - P.J. Corns

What you will learn:

1. Day one pig care

2. Ideal body c...