We’ve heard a lot about viral variants since the fall of 2019. Swine researchers and veterinarians continue to work toward better understanding of swine diseases and methods of mitigating disease risks. In this study, the researchers sought to understand the potential long-term impact of multiple prevailing PRRSV variants on pig performance. Their study demonstrated the … [Read more...]
Pork industry experts list current priorities during World Pork Expo
As part of the pork industry's long-range strategic planning process, the Pork Industry Visioning Task Force prioritized international trade, foreign animal disease and labor as key policy issues to address that will move the industry forward. Source: Agri-Marketing, June 13, 2022. Link. Policy papers are available at www.nppc.org/wpxmedia for more detailed information. … [Read more...]
Vietnam first to commercially produce African swine fever vaccine
USDA's Agricultural Research Service sent an official letter to the Department of Animal Health of Vietnam confirming NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine is safe and effective. Source: National Hog Farmer, June 2, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
2022 World Pork Expo live June 8-10, 2022
Since 1988, the National Pork Producers Council has presented World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. There’s something for everyone including an expansive trade show, educational seminars, industry updates and networking. PLUS, there is tasty pork being cooked every which way. Source: World Pork Expo. Link. … [Read more...]
Performance impact of weaning pigs at older age
Raising pigs to meet market demands has required considerable research to manage pig health, sow fertility, genetics, nutrition, meat quality and production costs. Weaning age trials done by Pipestone Applied Research shows promising results across many factors. An older pig grew faster and was hardier, requiring less labor and overall production inputs on the finishing … [Read more...]
Understanding colostrum intake by newborn pigs
Consumption of colostrum is critical for newborn piglets. We know that. We also know farrowing can last over several hours creating variability in individual piglet vitality. Various interventions are implemented for late born pigs in farrowing units across the U.S. A recent study in more than 600 piglets examined relationships among birth characteristics, early nursing … [Read more...]
Protect pigs with proper ventilation
Many parts of the U.S. have already experienced temperatures in the 80’s. Five tips from Mark Oberreuter are good reminders to ensure hogs have an optimal environment during hot weather. Have your fans, shutters and other cooling system components ready, so that if hot weather is expected, your pigs can stay cool and at their highest levels of productivity.” Source: PORK, May … [Read more...]
Hunting feral hogs makes the problem worse
Hunting and killing may help with the feral hog population numbers, but it’s not the solution to this disastrous problem, according to John Tomecek, associate wildlife professor and extension wildlife specialist at Texas A&M University. Hunting spreads hogs across the landscape. Feral hogs move in groups called sounders. The best way to get rid of them is to get rid of a … [Read more...]
Mosquito-borne virus an ordeal for Australian swine producers
Swine producers are fighting with a new virus that challenges even the best biosecurity. Flooding and wet conditions have supported an increase in mosquitoes which carry the virus. Source: PORK, April 5, 2022. Link. The Japanese encephalitis virus is a flavivrus in the same family as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. The … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – April 7, 2022
Last week’s most read AHD posts How to follow up with someone who’s not getting back to you. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 31, 2022. Link. =================================== Feral pigs are biological time bombs. Can California stem their ‘exponential’ damage? Source: Los Angeles Times, April 1, … [Read more...]
Smithfield Foods awarded for net-zero, operational excellence projects
Despite criticism about carbon footprints, sustainability, factory farming and various waste concerns, animal production giant Smithfield Foods is making gains via its daily pursuit of operational excellence. Smithfield Foods, Inc. was awarded 2022 Manufacturing Leadership Awards by the Manufacturing Leadership Council, a division of the National Association of … [Read more...]
Scientists decode pig emotions from their sounds
Swine language is the new talk of the town. Researchers in Europe recorded 7,414 sounds from 411 pigs in different scenarios from birth to death. They also measured heart rate and monitored behavior. The researchers then developed an algorithm to determine if pigs were experiencing a positive or negative emotion or something in between. Due to the impact of emotions on … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – March 24, 2022
Last week’s most read post Preconditioning starts when the calf hits the ground. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, March 17, 2022. Link. =================================== Click here for a free 7-day trial --> Link #TalkatooTerry Your dog can go vegan – but cats are natural born killers Source: The Guardian, … [Read more...]
Fact sheet examines compounds to mitigate virus-contaminated feed
There’s no doubt we are more aware of biosecurity these days. One area of concern for livestock producers is whether feed and feed ingredients may also be routes of virus transmission and how to manage those risks. A new fact sheet from Iowa Pork Industry Center focuses on three research papers that evaluated compounds to mitigate virus-contaminated feed. Swine specialist … [Read more...]
3 Ways telemedicine improves veterinary care for livestock
Opinion It is no secret livestock owners, farmers and ranchers have challenges accessing qualified veterinary care. The Veterinary Feed Directive put added requirements on available food animal veterinarians. Many equine and livestock veterinarians have used the telephone effectively for years. Now, new digital tools offer potentially more efficiency and effectiveness for … [Read more...]
Anti-mink farming bill should concern poultry, confined animal production industry
OPINION It’s easy to forget about mink production, especially if you live in a region where mink have never been raised, writes Roy Graber. The fact that a provision that would outlaw commercial mink farms in the U.S. made it into a larger legislative bill should be concerning to anyone involved in animal agriculture, he says. Animal agriculture has been under intense … [Read more...]
A coronavirus variant once helped the global pork industry. Could one protect us?
In 1946 veterinary researchers at Purdue University reported that something invading the guts of young pigs was causing diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss, ultimately killing most of them. The culprit was a coronavirus we know as transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV). TGEV has never harmed a human, and its relationship to SARS-CoV-2, the driver of COVID-19, is … [Read more...]
What to do when activists arrive
Anthropomorphic characteristics continue to define how humans see animals. With this comes more activism targeted at current stewardship methods, regardless of how much improvement has been made in pain management, care, housing, handling and euthanasia methods. Animal health professionals need to be prepared for animal activist encounters. If you encounter an activist on … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – February 10, 2022
Last week’s most read post Catching up or just back to normal? Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, Thursday, February 3, 2022. Link. =========================== It’s coyote mating season, and in my neighborhood that means trouble Source: Los Angeles Times, February 5, 2022. Link. The reign of terror in my Northridge neighborhood … [Read more...]
Wild pigs, a ticking time bomb on U.S. pork industry
Feral hogs pose a serious threat to the health of the U.S. pork industry specifically if African swine fever were to infect and spread in wild herds. There is no vaccine nor cure and the disease has a long track record of crossing international borders and wiping out billions of pigs. Source: PORK, June 29, 2021. Link. Wild pigs have exploded in numbers across the U.S., … [Read more...]
A pig’s role in human health
Xenotransplantation is the term for transplanting living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another, and the practice was first tried in the 1980s. Early in January 2022, as a last-ditch effort to save David Bennett’s life, doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center transplanted a pig’s heart into him. Bennett, a 57-year-old man, was not eligible for a … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – January 13, 2022
Last week’s most read posts Workplace bullying, a growing concern for HR departments. Link. To hug or not. Tools to solve the conundrum. Link. Last week’s AHD Bulletin Animal Health Digest Bulletin, January 6, 2022. Link. =========================== So you cried at work Source: Harvard Business Review, January 4, 2022. Link. To minimize the impact of … [Read more...]
Smart farming with free access stalls
Complimentary Commercial Content Food animal producers and the companies that support them continue to research and develop ways to improve animal welfare and optimize each individual animals’ production potential. Laurence Williams shares how free access stalls are deployed in sow units. Source: The Pig Site, January 7, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Top 10 animal feed industry stories of 2021
African swine fever was the most popular topic while feed pricing and production and the animal protein market also made the list. Source: Feed Strategy, January 5, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Salmonella sp. is ubiquitous and not going away
USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is mobilizing a strong and comprehensive effort to reduce Salmonella illnesses associated with poultry products. Swine producers took note since Salmonella I 4, [5],12:i:- has emerged as one of the most identified serotypes in pigs, pork and humans worldwide. Salmonella is an opportunistic bacterium that loves to get into something at … [Read more...]
Characterization of overgrown toes in sow breeding herds
Overgrown toes, often called digital overgrowth, can be a challenge for commercial sow breeding herds. The condition can contribute to increased locomotion challenges and reduced sow performance in the herd. Breeding sow herd lameness is a major contributor to mortality challenges, feet and leg conformation and lameness. Feet and leg structure rank right behind … [Read more...]
Pork community focused on environmental stewardship
Opinion While traveling between Kansas City, Missouri, and the Twin Cities recently, heavy smells from poultry and pork production facilities seemed reduced compared to trips over the past two decades. Although prevailing winds might be partly responsible, more facilities are bordered by trees, ventilation systems have been added to existing buildings, green space expansions … [Read more...]
Starlings. Rats with wings!
There are an estimated 160 million European starlings nationwide. In a September post <Link> we raised concerns about nuisance birds, such as starlings, as costly and as potential disease carriers in fecal-oral fomite cycles. These birds cause issues on farms and swarm as scavengers in cities and towns consuming songbird seed, garden waste and garbage. According to … [Read more...]
Keys to systematically minimizing and eliminating diseases in pig production
Joseph F. Connor, DVM, MS, is well known for applying his experiences and knowledge to the management and elimination of diseases in pig production. He shares how diseases were managed in the past and how to use what was learned to better manage current and potential future diseases. When you have multiple pathogens, the strategy should be first to focus on the one that can be … [Read more...]
In protein we trust
Rarely a day goes by without seeing content aimed at animal protein sources. Every animal health pro has a vested interest in animal protein production whether for your table at home or in the dish for pets. NAMI’s newest initiative, the Protein PACT is setting out to provide the necessary proof to secure and sustain consumer trust in the animal protein industry. PACT … [Read more...]