Smart Thinking

The Smell of Money is Cleaner Air

Everyone in confinement livestock production strives to improve air quality in the barn as part of the goal to improve production efficiency. A new production tool that does just that is called electrostatic particle ionization, or EPI. ... Full story.

In Pursuit of the Fantastic Four

Mention the “Fantastic Four” to most people and they’ll think about a team of comic-strip superheroes. As a reproductive physiologist working in the pork industry, however, I tend to make a different association. ... Full story.

Swine Dysentery Déjà vu?

Swine dysentery, commonly known as bloody scours, seems to be making a comeback. It was first described in 1921 in the Midwest. By the early 1970s the disease was prevalent in up to 38 percent of U.S. herds, with an estimated annual cost to the industry near $130 million. ... Full story.

Setting the Gold Standard for Ileitis Control

Health setbacks in the finishing phase can be costly. Any illness or infection that leads to reduced appetite or feed conversion in pigs can quickly add up to lost market weight and revenue. ... Full story.

Consumers Provide Food for Thought in 2012

With an eye toward the new year, pork producers might consider a resolution aimed at bolstering consumer trust and confidence. ... Full story.

The Changing Face of Swine Influenza Virus

Flu in pigs has been known for 90 years, and on the surface, it may appear as though little has changed. We still suspect flu when a high percentage of pigs have a sudden onset of barking cough, especially during temperature fluctuations in the fall or spring. ... Full story.

Are They Ready for the Ride?

All animals experience some level of stress during transport. Those that are fit and healthy are able to withstand and recover with little to no detrimental effects; however, animals that are compromised before transport will have a much harder time coping. ... Full story.

You Gotta Have Zinc

Long before pork producers stopped feeding “slop” to pigs, they knew there was something in that galvanized bucket that kept the pigs healthy. It turned out that zinc prevented poor growth and rough, cracked skin with open sores, characterized by the disorder called parakeratosis. Pork producers seldom, if ever, see this condition today because we routinely add zinc to swine diets. ... Full story.

Tax Changes that Benefit Your Business

Last December, President Obama signed The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (2010 Tax Relief Act) in an effort to stimulate the economy. ... Full story.

Practical Steps for Odor Control

For an odor to be detected downwind, odorous compounds must be formed, released to the atmosphere and transported to the receptor site. Inhibit any one of those steps and the odor will diminish. You can use odor-control practices at any of the steps to break the odor event. ... Full story.

Opportunities and Challenges of Raising Pigs without AGPs

The use of antibiotic growth promoters or AGPs in pork production is a contentious issue. While they’ve been shown to improve growth rate and feed efficiency in pigs, there is concern that they may result in bacterial resistance to some antibiotics and could limit options to fight diseases in both humans and farm animals. ... Full story.

DDGS: What’s the 'Correct' Level?

The use of distillers’ grains in swine diets is soaring as a result of ethanol production using nearly 5 billion bushels of corn. As ethanol corn usage increases, the availability of cost-effective feedstuffs becomes a growing concern. ... Full story.