Piggy banks aren’t the only pigs that are full of money. The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) highlights in a new economic report how America’s pork industry and pig farmers are significant contributors to the U.S.’ agricultural and overall economy.
- The pork industry is a pillar of the American economy and has had positive effects on other related sectors as well.
- Terry Wolters, NPPC president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, Minnesota, says it’s vital to share the inform...
Until now, in Italy, the African swine fever (ASF) had only been seen in wild boars, but it seems it’s not only out there in the woods – pigs who enjoy staying home (well, at the farm) are at risk now, too. On June 9th, the first cases in the country were detected in domestic pigs. Now 1,000 animals will have to be culled so it doesn't spread.
Transitioning the weanling pig onto solid feed presents several nutritional challenges, as the body has not been producing all of the required digestive enzymes until this point. In this episode, I talk with Brenda Christensen about her study testing different forms of creep feed and nursery diets with varying protein sources to see how it affects the mucosal enzyme activity and the intestinal morphology in piglets.
Meet the guest: Brenda Christensen is a Ph.D. student at the University ...
Some pig traits can be easily improved with nutrition, but other things are better left to geneticists, and genetics can have quite a large impact on the performance of the sow and her offspring. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Mark Knauer about different sow selection parameters and which parameters the industry is focusing on for the next couple of years.
What you will learn:
1. Piglet survivability
2. Maintaining ideal temperatures
3. Piglet nutrient access
4. Functional teats o...
With the looming threat of ASF and other issues potentially disrupting our normal feed supply chain, we must be prepared and have a proper plan to hold off our pigs until we can get more feed while avoiding the onset of gastric ulcers. In this episode, I talk with Kayla Miller about two studies she ran determining the efficacy of different feed supply management strategies and the effects of particle size and feed disruptions on the development of gastric ulcers.
Meet the guest: Kayla M...
Since its discovery in 2015, PCV-3 has been a concern for veterinarians and swine producers worldwide. Fully knowing the impacts that PCV-2 can have on a farm, a third member of the Porcine circovirus family should be well understood. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Fabio Vannucci about his work with PCV-3, different methods of testing, and how it presents itself in our swine herds.
Meet the guest:
Dr. Fabio Vannucci is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota. He rece...
Learning, adapting, and overcoming challenges are constant battles everyone has to go through several times in life. The lessons learned from these experiences are extremely important in helping us find success throughout our careers. In this episode, I talk with Dr. James Kober about some of the lessons he has learned from being a practicing veterinarian for the last 35 years, as well as some issues in the industry that he thinks need to be addressed.
What you will learn:
1. Perceptio...