Meet Bo Williams, 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: 24
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Iowa State University; master’s degree and pursuing PhD, Kansas State University
Hometown: Iowa Falls, Iowa
Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry?
A. I became interested in production agriculture during high school while working for Iowa Select Farms. My dad has worked in the swine industry for 25 years and encouraged my siblings and I to work in the barns any chance we had.
Q. How have internships helped you in your career path?
A. During undergrad at Iowa State University, I worked for Christensen Farms as a production intern. I spent time in sow farms – both in farrowing rooms and in breeding barns. I also had the opportunity to spend time in the wean-to-finish barns taking care of nursery pigs as well as marketing pigs to go to plants. The following summer, I served as a swine sales intern for Merck Animal Health. I also interned with Nutriquest helping conduct research.
Q. Describe your undergraduate research experiences.
A. I helped at Iowa Select Farms’ commercial research facility and collected data and individually tattooed pigs for carcass collection. During my internship with Nutriquest, I helped conduct multiple studies that evaluated a product on wean pigs inculcated with E. coli.
Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. During my master’s work, I evaluated the use of Enogen Feed corn and particle size in nursery, finishing and lactating sows. I also conducted a study evaluating pelleted feed versus meal diets in finishing pigs. The studies showed reducing the particle size of the diet improves feed efficiency in nursery finishing pigs. Feeding pelleted diets improves average daily gain and feed efficiency compared to meal diets. During my PhD, I will be validating a model on branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) developed by Dr. Henrique Cemin on finishing pig growth performance as well using increased synthetic BCAA in late nursery and growing pigs.
Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A. I think the biggest challenge for my generation is a challenge the industry has always faced: labor. Raising pigs is a very easy task – if they have quality feed, water and air – they will grow with no problem. The issue production systems face is finding good quality labor to make sure the pigs are receiving everything they need to maximize their growth.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Maternal Nutrition Strategies Can Decrease Piglet Mortality, Martinez Says
uston Explores Ways to Improve Biosecurity on the Farm
Lozinski Studies Impact of Water Quality on Pig Health
Becker Explores How Essential Fatty Acids Can Improve Sow Longevity
