Quick Hits http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits RSS Feed for Quick Hits en-us Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:00:00 GMT Researchers Feed Pigs Fungus http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Researchers-Feed-Pigs-Fungus--176791471.html Initial studies show a fungus grown in the leftovers of ethanol production could provide an energy feed source for pigs. Promote Your Open House http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Promote-Your-Open-House-176791241.html If you’re thinking about an open house to bridge the information gap between consumers or the community, particularly as it relates to new or remodeled facilities, the National Pork Board’s “We Care” program offers some very useful support materials. New Method Helps Reduce Piglet Mortality http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/New-Method-Helps-Reduce-Piglet-Mortality--176790911.html Pre-weaning mortality costs the U.S. pork industry an estimated $1.6 billion each year, and one of the contributing factors is insufficient colostrum intake. Piglets that fail to nurse and receive enough colostrum within the first 24 hours often do not survive. Consider Advances to Boost Efficiency http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Consider-Advances-to-Boost-Efficiency--176790501.html “The U.S. pork industry is facing a predictable crunch, which happens when major drought collides with ever-increasing competitive demand for corn-for-fuel,” says Dennis DiPietre, Knowledge Ventures. Ethanol now reportedly exceeds all livestock corn use on an annual basis in the United States. USGC Releases Updated DDGS Handbook http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/USGC-Releases-Updated-DDGS-Handbook--176790191.html To update customers on advances in research and end-users’ experience in feeding distillers’ dried grains with solubles, the U.S. Grains Council has released its third edition of A Guide to Distillers’ Dried Grains with Solubles. Tough Credit Decisions for the Year Ahead http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Tough-Credit-Decisions-for-the-Year-Ahead--176789811.html With economists forecasting losses of $40 to $50 per hog marketed through year’s end, U.S. pork producers are anxiously awaiting a return to profitability. However, expectations are that producers will face losses into the second quarter of 2013. Feed P1 and P2 Sows Right http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Feed-P1-and-P2-Sows-Right-173301401.html Getting through the first litter is stressful for a gilt and can result in under-conditioning, which can affect the length of time it takes for it to return to estrus, says Mike Hemann, swine nutritionist for Purina Animal Nutrition. Sharpen Your Focus on Feed Quality http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Sharpen-Your-Focus-on-Feed-Quality-173303741.html With early planted acreage and this summer’s extreme drought, grain moisture dropped quickly and harvest got underway early. PRRS Continues to be Costly http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/PRRS-Continues-to-be-Costly-173302321.html A National Animal Health Monitoring System survey revealed that 21 percent of U.S. hog operations had some form of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infecting their herds. Resistant Pathogens Persist in ‘Antibiotic-free’ Pigs http://www.porknetwork.com/pork-magazine/quick-hits/Resistant-Pathogens-Persist-in-Antibiotic-free-Pigs-173301771.html North Carolina State University researchers have found identical strains of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter Coli in both “antibiotic-free” and conventionally raised pigs.