Hog Production
To set your pigs up for future success, it has been well established that the 3 to 10 days post-weaning are crucial. What’s the most overlooked, and arguably most important, component of wean pig care?
Years ago, Dennis DiPietre noticed a definite shift in the pork production mindset. Prior to 1985, he dubbed the motive as the pig production mindset. He takes a look back and weighs in on what could be next.
The uncertainty surrounding Proposition 12 is one reason why Scott Hays, a Missouri pork producer and president of the National Pork Producers Council, says he’s not interested in changing how his farm produces pork.
Although there is no shortage of topics the U.S. pork industry needs to wrap its head around right now, National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys says foreign animal disease continues to be a high priority.
A central Missouri county health board faces lawsuit after violating the state’s open meetings laws when making rules regarding CAFOs.
Gut check: If you sent a new auditor your standard operating procedures (SOPs), would that match what your farm employees do? Clayton Johnson, DVM, shares four auditing keys to success.
If you want to make change in the pork business, it has to be practical and executable, said Clayton Johnson, DVM, before a standing-room-only crowd at the 2023 Carthage Swine Conference.
When we consider the number of stressors wean pigs face, it’s no surprise that starting pigs in the nursery can be challenging. So, the question becomes, what can we do to help?
Pork producers are under a lot of stress these days. That’s what drives Denny McKilligan, Innovations leader for TechMix, to find answers to those challenges that keep farmers up at night.
What’s the mythical performance curve for net sow output? Dennis DiPietre and Lance Mulberry urge producers to think twice about the culling process. Here’s why.
The threat of a foreign animal disease reaching the U.S. has never been greater. Our existing traceability system has gaps that need to be addressed. The swine industry has an opportunity to guide what that looks like.
Jimmy Tosh uses business scale to drive efficiency on his Tennessee operation.
Jim Douglas and his son, James, are navigating the joys and hurdles of succession planning.
Phones, iPads, computers, Ring doorbells, all have become a part of our lives and it’s hard to imagine life without them. Iowa State is looking at how cameras can help producers recognize sickness and behavior changes.
You’ve taught your kids how to drive tractors, herd cattle and identify weeds. But have you passed on your money and management skills?
As the biofuel industry expands in response to federal biofuel polices to reduce GHG emissions and fossil fuel usage, agro-industrial byproducts, such as corn-DDGS and soybean meal, will be more available for livestock.
The line-up of speakers and topics for the 2023 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference is out!
Ventilation systems that function at their best are critical for pork operations. IPIC is now offering a seasonal approach to checking the various components in an easy-to-use checklist format to help producers.
Did you attend the National Pork Industry Conference? From animal activism and consumer demand to swine health and Prop 12, here are some insights and perspectives that stood out during the discussions.
Is Question 3 worse than Prop 12? That’s a question on many producers’ minds. A Massachusetts judge has signed an extension of the current stay on implementation of Q3. Here’s what that means for the industry.
NOVUS International, Inc., recently launched its new Scale Up Program for Grow-Finishers, for swine producers in the Americas aiming to maximize economic return.
AgDay’s Clinton Griffiths shares an update on this week’s top headlines.
Both cattle and hog finishing operations found profits on closeouts last week with higher prices paid from meat packers.
On a percentage basis, beef packer margins declined significantly last week. It’s all relative, of course, since the starting point from the previous week was stunning.
Average cattle feeding margins improved $20 per head last week, which beef packer margins declined 17%. Farrow-to-finish operations recorded per head losses for the fourth consecutive week.
Modest increases in cash prices for cattle and hogs helped boost average feeding profit margins the final week of February, while margins for beef and pork packers declined.
Lower average cattle prices last week cut average feedyard margins by $43 per head last week, while pork producers saw a $5 per head increase in average margins.
Cattle feeding margins improved with a $2 per cwt. increase in cash cattle prices while farrow-to-finish hog margins declined modestly on slightly lower lean carcass prices.
Both cattle and hog finishing estimated margins were positive last week despite rising feed costs across both enterprises. Cattle slaughter totals increased while hog processing numbers were near steady.
Average feed costs for finishing cattle and hogs are 25% to 28% higher than the same week last year, according to Sterling Marketing’s weekly calculations.