As feed costs continue to climb, pork producers are redoubling efforts to maximize pig growth and efficiency. In some cases, that means updating or reconfiguring grow-finish facilities to match breed-to-wean pig flows, while older, ill-matched facilities are being razed and replaced
As the U.S. pork industry faces mounting pressure to abandon gestation stalls, we decided to take a closer look at how sows perform in three common housing alternatives — stalls, pens and pens with electronic sow feeding (ESF)....More
The National Agricultural Law Center is sponsoring a webinar on legal and policy issues dealing with farm animal confinement. The presentations center around laws and regulations with a special emphasis on the statutory evolution behind them.
The webinar is scheduled for May 10, 2012 from 12 to 1 p.m. (eastern standard time) and costs $50 to participate. To register for the webinar, visit http://learn.extension.org/events/500....More
Iowa Select Farms is continuing to refine what animal care should be, and is embedding a philosophy of caring for animals throughout all facets of production....More
Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack officially informed Congress that in 90 days USDA plans to approve consolidation of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices with other USDA service centers...More
A group of 44 meat, poultry and livestock organizations have written members of Congress opposing the USDA’s budget proposal requesting user fees for government mandated food safety inspection programs for meat, poultry and egg products...More
The National Pork Board's six producer-led science and technology committees recently met in Dallas, TX, and reviewed research proposals to select projects that the Pork Checkoff would fund in 2012. In all, the groups reviewed more than 100 proposals, ultimately selecting those that would be of greatest benefit to the overall industry....More
Steve Meyer, a regular contributor to National Hog Farmer, provides details in the CME Group Daily Livestock Report about the recent McDonald's decision to ask suppliers to phase out use of gestation stalls....More
