Research on the pig microbiome has been increasing over the years and providing exciting results that enable us to move forward as a global industry. As such a complex and multidisciplinary subject, the pig microbiome has been studied by nutritionists, veterinarians, microbiologists, among other professionals, each field adding new layers to that discussion. How about the geneticists? In today’s episode, I have a great talk with Dr. Francesco Tiezzi, an animal breeding and genetics specialist. D...
Apr 10, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 192
Lately, streptococcus suis ( S. suis ) has become a critical topic for discussion among swine producers and veterinarians. That happens because S. suis is currently one of the most important bacterial swine pathogens that affects post-weaned piglets, mainly causing meningitis, arthritis, and sudden death. In this roundtable, Dr. Brooke Smith and Dr. Ryan Strobel share their vast experience and practical insights on how strep suis is emerging as a significant issue in our systems. Besides, they a...
Apr 04, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 191
Making a career choice can be challenging, especially when we are still young and inexperienced. When we bring that discussion into the swine industry in particular, we realize that not many students know all the possibilities on the table beyond becoming veterinarians. Besides, not all of them come from an ag background. With that in mind, we must do our best to introduce them to our reality – and that’s what we talk about in this episode with Dr. Cassie Jones. At K-State, Dr. Jones coordinates...
Mar 28, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 190
Despite the many advances throughout the years, influenza still cannot be fully controlled and represents a major economic threat to the swine industry. Therefore, we can never discuss it enough and it's never too late to tackle this challenge. Regarding the topic, I have a great conversation in this episode with Dr. Jeremy Pittman and Dr. Marie Culhane, who have excellent commercial and research experience with controlling influenza in pig production systems. In this roundtable, we discuss the ...
Mar 20, 2023•37 min•Season 2Ep. 189
A lot has been going on in the US soy market nowadays: a major expansion in the soybean crushing industry, which is mainly driven by the current and potential demand for renewable diesel. That scenario implies some uncertainties for the soybean market in the upcoming years, as we see a critical shift in the industry from "crushing for meal" to "crushing for oil." Thus, what should swine producers and nutritionists know about the soybean crushing industry? To answer that question (and many others...
Mar 14, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 188
To honor the International Women's Day, we have prepared a very special episode for you! This week, I had a great conversation with Dr. Karine Talbot, who is currently the Director of Animal Health at HyLife Ltd., Canada. From the basics of biosecurity to strategies for making it work as effectively as possible, she shares with us her vast practical experience with biosecurity protocols on pig farms in this episode. Additionally, Dr. Talbot brings her excellent perspective on the secret behind a...
Mar 07, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 187
Everyone in the swine industry is ethically responsible for protecting our animals as well as promoting their welfare, safeguarding natural resources, and producing safe food. Once we do that, we keep building and improving our customer relationships, because we receive their trust. That's why internal and third-party audits and certification programs are so essential – and to answer many of the questions on pork producers' and managers' minds when it comes to the matter, I talk with Emily Erick...
Feb 28, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 186
As swine producers, nutritionists, and veterinarians, we all know that sow mortality is a complex challenge, since many factors influence it. Indeed, high mortality rates and poor sow performance greatly impact farm profitability, including feed costs. So how can we improve sow retention and longevity in our production systems? Are there nutritional strategies that can be employed to optimize sow retention? To answer these – and many more – questions, I talk with Dr. Kyle Coble, one of the brigh...
Feb 20, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 185
While temperatures are dropping, concerns are being raised for many swine producers. We are talking about Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), one of the biggest challenges for swine health because of its tremendous worldwide economic impact on pig production. In that scenario, we must keep an eye on the way PRRS viruses evolve year after year. So you might ask yourself: " What have we learned from PRRS outbreaks this year? " The good news is that I myself asked that same ques...
Feb 13, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 183
We all know that research is one of the forces that pushes the swine industry forward. Experiments are designed to test new products, check the efficiency of drugs and vaccines, evaluate animal behavior, improve farm practices… the list goes on. That's why swine research is conducted at so many of our universities across the country, integrates companies' strategies, and is the object of interest of certified organizations. In this episode, I have a very nice conversation with Dr. Dustin Boler, ...
Feb 06, 2023•32 min•Season 2Ep. 183
Influenza viruses are a huge concern for swine producers around the globe: firstly, because they cause high levels of illness in the herds; secondly, because they are very contagious and evolve very quickly. Although swine (and human) influenza viruses can circulate throughout the entire year, most outbreaks do occur during late fall and winter – so there is no better time to talk about them! In this week's episode, I talk with Dr. Montserrat Torremorell about the main strategies for solving inf...
Jan 30, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 182
There is a lot we need to consider when managing nursery pigs. Swine producers, nutritionists, vets, and everyone else involved in the process must do their best to protect the pigs from stressors after weaning while raising robust and healthy animals. However, it is common knowledge that there is not a single answer or a silver bullet to solve all the issues in nursery production, since every system is different and demands adaptable solutions. In this week's episode, I talk with Dr. Wes Schwee...
Jan 23, 2023•36 min•Season 2Ep. 181
It is common knowledge that any biosecurity program must be well designed to both minimize the impact of endemic pathogens to which the herds have been exposed and fend off pathogens to which they have not come into contact yet. But even though we recognize the importance of biosecurity processes, we sometimes forget that they must change from season to season: the cold months bring different disease and management challenges when compared with the hot months. Considering how critical such a top...
Jan 17, 2023•31 min•Season 2Ep. 180
Certainly, we are asking a lot of our professors, especially the new ones, since meeting both their teaching and researching agendas as part of their roles at the university can be quite a challenge. Additionally, they must keep an eye on what is happening in the swine industry and on the ways they can better coordinate their students' training and research goals with the industry demands. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Ben Bohrer about his vast experience with that very interesting topic. He ...
Jan 09, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 179
It’s quite true that the US hasn’t been hit by ASF yet. However, if there’s one thing we can know for sure is that we need to be prepared for it in case it does cross our borders. In order to stop ASF from spreading, first we must be able to identify it, a process which begins with proper sampling. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Justin Brown about a new sampling certification that anyone who works with pigs can receive. It involves training in proper ASF sampling techniques, so that our countr...
Jan 02, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 178
The more diseases emerge, the more we have to rely on antibiotics to fight them. However, fighting back with antibiotics can, of course, result in the development of antibiotic resistant strains, which makes it even harder to eliminate diseases on your farm. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Noelle Noyes about her research on microbiome and antimicrobial resistance. We also discuss what measures we should take in order to reduce antimicrobial resistant bacteria within swine populations. "Good ...
Dec 26, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 177
The usage of fiber in swine diets has come a long way in the past 50 years. Throughout this time, we have been continuously learning more about how it can positively affect swine growth and what nutrients it can actually provide. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Marc Decoux about how fiber is used differently across the globe, how we can continue to learn more about all of the available types, and when it is most beneficial to include it in the diets of pigs. “I have had conversations about fibe...
Dec 19, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 176
When we analyze a population of pigs, oftentimes the average pig is considered the most important statistic, and efforts are directed to improving them in the barn. However, if improving the entire population is our goal, maybe that shouldn’t be our main focus. In this episode, I talk with Dr. John Deen about his experience with increasing the total value and potential success of pigs in the barn by paying attention to what percentage of them are below certain specifications. “Averages don't mea...
Dec 12, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 175
All facets of a swine facility need some form of maintenance from time to time – that includes the pit underneath the pigs. Certain conditions in the pit can cause the manure to foam up, which may lead to both safety and logistical issues. In today’s episode, I talk with Matthew Schutte about pit foaming and what we need to do to ensure it doesn’t occur in our barns. “Make sure to take measurements in your pit. It is a lot easier to deal with foam early on rather than later." - Matthew Schutte W...
Dec 05, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 174
The genome of swine (of any animal, as a matter of fact) holds what seems to be an endless amount of information – and the future of swine production as well. Therefore, the knowledge we have gained so far about the pig genome could, in theory, be used to improve sustainability and performance in the industry. But how can we accomplish this? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Max Rothschild about his work in understanding the pig genome and the way new technologies can be employed to perform gene ...
Nov 28, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 173
Dr. Ken Stalder was a legend and an icon in the swine industry. He dedicated much of his life to bettering the lives of pigs and the lives of the people working with pigs. Just as he dedicated his life to the pork industry, we are dedicating this episode to him. In this episode, Dr. Steve Moeller comes on to share some thoughts and memories about Dr. Stalder to reminisce on all he has done for all of us in the pork business. "Dr. Ken Stalder's leadership in the industry will be recognized for ma...
Nov 21, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 172
Everyone performing swine research loves to see one thing: p<0.05 . We love to discover those significant differences and hope to find something that will be beneficial for our nation's swine producers, but sometimes there’s still value in no significant differences. In today’s episode, I talk with Gene Gourley about the value of swine research in our industry, what we can extract from the data, and how to determine if your farm would benefit from a research facility. "If you are interested i...
Nov 14, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 171
In a broad spectrum, we all know what welfare is. However, how can we measure it in our animal facilities? And once we have established what the weak points are, how can we improve them? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Antonio Velarde about the parameters and causes of welfare concerns in swine facilities, the best ways to provide enrichment, and how to minimize stress in order to improve pig welfare. “ The pig's relationship with the human is also important. There can be detrimental effects if...
Nov 08, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 170
If you think about your career plans back when you were in highschool or college, you’ll probably realize that, just like most people, you aren’t doing exactly what you thought you would. It’s funny how life has a way of leading you down paths that you may had never considered before, but ends up enjoying. In this episode, I talk with Erica Lain about her switching from the beef industry to the swine industry, her current role as a sustainability manager, and how she has learned to become a uniq...
Nov 01, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 169
As soon as a sow is designated as a cull sow, it is very easy to mentally move her down on the priority list. However, just like all pigs in a swine facility, they deserve proper care and actions to mitigate stressors as they make their way to the market. They have earned that! In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Cecilie Kobek-Kjeldager about her work studying the factors that cause stress for the cull sow during transportation, as well as potential ways to help her and mitigate some of those c...
Oct 24, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 168
Labor shortages in the swine industry are now worse than they have been in a long time. For the issue, there are several solutions, such as learning to adapt to the new generations of workforce as well as seeking out employees from other countries. In this episode, I talk with Victor Ochoa about how the TN Visa works and how it can bring in more employees, as well as what Millennials value the most and how we need to adapt our hiring processes to attract more of the younger employees. "The 80's ...
Oct 17, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 167
No ‘silver bullet’ can ever hope to solve the complex issue of biosecurity. That’s because it requires cooperation among everyone involved, as well as lots of time and patience to make it as effective as possible. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Derald Holtkamp about his experiences in mitigating risks of disease and helping veterinarians handle and prepare for outbreaks in their area by using standardized practices. “Employees are being asked to do a lot for biosecurity, which can take up a lot ...
Oct 10, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 166
For years we have used ingredient databases such as the NRC to estimate nutrient levels for formulating diets for our pigs, but what if I told you that there is another database out there with recently updated values that also has some modeling capabilities? In this episode with Dr. Phillip Miller, we talk about a database he and his colleagues have been working on, the National Animal Nutrition Program, that has new ingredient composition information and many other capabilities that can help nu...
Oct 04, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 165
Animal welfare is one of the main concerns for animal producers all over the world. Sometimes however, it is hard to maintain efficiency while maximizing animal welfare. In this episode, I talk with Jason McAlister to find out how we can improve animal welfare while simultaneously improving the efficiency of our production facilities. We may just need to get down on all fours and think like a pig would… "Engineers tend to like right angles, pigs do not. We have to put ourselves in the position o...
Sep 27, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 164
There are a ton on areas in the swine industry where you can be an asset. Working in a feed mill is another example of being a critical step in the industry without having to actually work directly with pigs. In this episode, I talk with Victoria Wilson about her work as a feed mill coordinator and her experiences getting involved in swine production with no prior swine experience. "There are so many facets of swine production that we don't always think about and being able to show people all th...
Sep 19, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 163
