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National Hog Farmer March 2012 Issue

Taking a look at ways to live with reduced antibiotic use, restrictions mean it may be time to look at dietary options. Learn more about umbilical hernias, pig health impacts on carcass contamination, a new road study recording the impact of manure transport equipment, euthanasia options and sow housing alternatives.

Swine Health

  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Preparing for Less Antibiotics

      The pork industry faces gradually tightening restrictions on the use of antibiotics to treat swine health issues. But producers are well suited to meet this challenge, says University of Illinois swine nutritionist James Pettigrew....More
  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Resolving Weaned Pig Health Issues

      Mark Fehr and his brother-in-law Don Stuber buy 1,000 head of 21-day-old weaned pigs every nine weeks from a sow co-op. The pigs flow into a hot nursery and then flow into one side of a 2,000-head, double-wide finishing facility....More
  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Evaluating Use of Regano in Sow Diets

      A University of Minnesota study evaluating the use of Regano in sow diets found that the dietary product improved sow reproductive performance, pig growth rates and carcass value. Regano is Ralco Animal Health’s branded product containing Regano essential oil that supports gut health in sows for improved reproductive performance and better litter health....More
  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Co-Product Antibiotic Levels Nearly Nil

    Livestock producers and their nutritionists have been wondering whether antibiotic residues from the ethanol fermentation process might linger in the distiller's co-products used in livestock diets....More
  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Pig Health Impacts Carcass Contamination, Food Safety 1

    An Iowa State University study quantitatively demonstrates the link between food animal production practices and human health implications for food safety....More
  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Understanding Umbilical Hernias

    Umbilical hernias can cause increased low-value pigs at harvest and significantly reduce the profit potential of a barn. The prevalence of umbilical hernias is estimated to be between 0.4 and 6.7% in commercial herds....More

Animal Well-Being

  • Mar. 14, 2012
    Article

    Making Animal Well-Being a Priority 1

    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
  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Electrocution May Ease Concerns About Timely Piglet Euthanasia

      Every pork production system faces the challenge of what to do when it’s clear that young pigs won’t recover from disease, weakness or trauma and need to be euthanized in a timely, humane and safe manner. This can be especially problematic with suckling pigs. Current approved methods including blunt force trauma and non-penetrating captive bolt are heavily criticized by consumers and animal rights organizations. And these methods may impact the caregivers’ well-being and psychology....More

PRRS

  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Scientists Identify Pigs with Reduced Susceptibility to PRRS

    The discovery of the genetic marker — called a quantitative trait locus (QTL) — associated with resistance to PRRS virus infection, is a collaborative effort that targets the elimination of PRRS. The research team includes scientists at USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Kansas State University (KSU) and Iowa State University (ISU)....More
  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Don’t Live with PRRS

    The latest combined incidence data from USDA's PRRS project and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) confirms that sow farms are breaking with PRRS at a rate of about 3% per week, peaking in the fall....More

Manure Management

  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Modern Equipment, Old Roads 1

    A recently concluded, multi-year road study looked at factors such as axle design and spacing, tire design, pounds/square inch, total weight, hauling speed, time of year, time of day, road design and construction to determine three primary predictors of damage are axle weight, distance from the edge of the pavement and pavement construction/road drainage....More
  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Flirting with the Law

    Manure hauling regulations vary by state and there are some agricultural exemptions but, generally speaking, the maximum weight limit on most roads is 80,000 lb. gross vehicle weight (GVW), equivalent to a five-axle semi tractor and trailer. Are these rigs legal?...More

Veterinarians on Call

Sow Housing

Tech Watch

  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    Ag Web Site Offers Mobile Apps, Data Delivery

      Pork producers who are seeking a coordinated or customized approach to managing electronic information, either via their own Web site or through a mobile application (app), may want to check out what AgriCharts has to offer....More

Genetics

  • Mar. 15, 2012
    Article

    DNA Identifiers Loop Back to Producers 2

      DNA testing has come a long way. Fans of the CSI television franchise tune in every week to see how forensic scientists use tiny tissue samples to unveil the culprit of a crime. DNA traceability could also be a valuable tool in tracing food back to its origins when needed....More

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