What Are the Predictors of Sows Who Won’t Milk?
Meet Jamie Studer, our latest addition to Farm Journal's PORK's Up & Coming Leaders feature. We are showcasing some of the fresh, new voices of the pork industry who combine innovative thought and work ethic with scientific savvy and a passion to make a difference.
Age: 26
Education: Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, Iowa State University; currently pursuing Ph.D. at Iowa State University
Hometown: Wesley, Iowa
Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry?
A. I grew up on a small wean-to-finish hog farm, so I was exposed to swine production at a young age. My dad stopped raising hogs on our farm around 2014 following economic hardships due to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. When I decided to major in animal science, I was not sure what path I would take. Ultimately my familiarity with hog production led me to pursue internships and research opportunities in the swine industry.
Q. How have internships provided you with direction?
A. My first internship as an undergraduate student was with The Hanor Company where I was exposed to commercial operations such as nurseries and wean-to-finish barns. I was tasked with traveling to various farms to collect oral fluid samples to test for the presence of ractopamine. My second internship was with Gourley Premium Pork/Protein Sources where I worked on a sow farm in Minnesota. This was my first experience at a sow farm. I assisted with developing a perineal scoring system to evaluate risk for pelvic organ prolapse in sows. This scoring system was then used in an industrywide survey by the Iowa Pork Industry Center and has been implemented in multiple studies from our lab.
Q. Did you take part in undergraduate research experiences?
A. As an undergrad I worked in Dr. Jason Ross’s lab where I assisted with IVF and embryo transfers in swine. The project was utilizing pigs as a biomedical model to study severe combined immunodeficiency. I also was able to perform various analyses in the lab and develop valuable bench skills. Dr. Ross connected me with the internship opportunity at the sow farm in Minnesota.
Q. Describe any other swine-related experiences you’ve had.
A. I have been involved in many swine studies in university research settings as well as in commercial settings. These studies include heat stress studies, mineral supplementation, antibiotic supplementation and others. I have also worked on studies at sow farms in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois.
Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. My research is focused on sow survivability and disorders surrounding farrowing such as pelvic organ prolapse and agalactia. Currently I am working on determining if immune cell profiles and circulating biomarkers in sows at farrowing are predictive of future agalactia. Understanding more about these disorders will aid in the development of mitigation strategies to alleviate some of the burden on producers.
Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A. I think one of the greatest challenges for the swine industry today is the public perception of commercial pork production and the focus on the environmental impact of animal agriculture. As an industry, we need to be more transparent with consumers about how we are dedicated to responsible pork production.
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