Latest News From Hogs Reproduction

Sow mortality due to POP is even more relevant than a year ago because it’s no longer an issue isolated to the U.S. Sow mortality reports are increasing around the world. That’s why a new genomics study is turning heads.

Experts from across the country came together at the 2023 World Pork Expo for an in-depth discussion on what the industry knows – and doesn’t know – about sow longevity and pig survivability.

As the threat of African swine fever inches closer to the U.S., more research is being conducted to help prevent and prepare for an ASF outbreak. Few studies about the risk of boar semen have been done until now.

Boars are often pushed to the side of research efforts, says Taw Scaff, a Purdue graduate student. He's studying how nutrition in boars can impact management, semen production and semen characteristics.

Here’s a rundown of recent pork industry and association happenings, including Missouri Pork, Bretanha – AMVC, and companies supporting Operation BBQ Relief.

High turnover in the swine industry is challenging in all areas, but there’s no doubt boar studs may have some of the most challenges when it comes to training staff, says Megan Hood, DVM.

Traditional breeding, which relies on existing, natural genetic variation within a population, can produce pigs with enhanced robustness to disease in a subsequent generation, Topigs Norsvin said in a release.

Seasonality in reproduction can impair our ability to maintain constant reproductive output. NCSU evaluated the impact of parity and prefarrow sow body condition in a hot environment on subsequent farrowing rates.

Verility Inc., led by Liane Hart, has closed $3.5 million Series A funding for a global platform that provides fertility analysis products that enable livestock producers and breeders to accelerate repro performance.

Although the 2017-2021 Production Analysis Summary for the U.S. Pork Industry uncovered some mortality challenges, it also uncovered many bright spots in the industry. Here's what you should know.

What do you get when you cross pig semen with coconut water? Uganda pig farmers experience new opportunities in herd reproduction.

Ongoing research aims to provide clarity on why sows die. What’s challenging about sow mortality is the largest contributor is a bucket of reasons labeled “unknown.” The leading identifiable reason? Lameness.

Reducing piglet mortality is one of the “low hanging fruits” in swine production, says Dalton Obermier, PhD student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He's optimistic technology will help the industry get there.

Four economists take a look at the issues most likely to spark attention in the upcoming USDA Quarterly Hogs & Pigs Report to be released on June 29.

Manually removing piglets from the sow’s birth canal during farrowing, or sleeving, is a positively viewed management practice. However, it can be hard to know when to intervene. Here are a few tips to help employees.

By adding one more pig to a litter, the U.S. pork industry could increase production by an estimated $120 million annually. To do that, Karl Kerns says we need to learn what influences the capacity of sperm to fertilize.

Behringer Ingelheim targets the highly infectious, endemic porcine parvovirus with ReproCyc ParvoFLEX.

Swine geneticists, industry leaders, university educators and students gathered for the first ever joint meeting of the Poultry Breeders Roundtable and National Swine Improvement Federation in St. Louis. Here's a recap.

In modern sow farms, piglet mortality is the leading restraint in producers not reaching their maximum production potential.

Sow death loss continues to rise. Many or most farms don’t have enough labor due to cost and availability. This leaves the pork industry asking a tough question: How can we make the most of the labor we have?

Sow reproductive performance drops off in the summer, and this year will be no different, according to Paul Yeske, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minnesota.

Shannon Dierking, a PhD student at South Dakota State University, is finding ways to “weed out” gilts that have a low likelihood of reproductive success.

Kayla Mills is studying ways to identify infertile boars and gilts before they enter the breeding herd in her Ph.D. research at Purdue University. She's the newest addition in our Up & Coming Leaders series. Read more.

Batch farrowing used to be a common practice, but as farms got bigger, continuous-flow production became the norm. Now it appears batch farrowing is making a comeback, according to John Deen.

Research has found the fertility of previously sterile mammals can be restored as they can produce sperm derived from donor stem cells.

Researchers find a naturally occurring sugar that slows maturation of sperm in pigs, possibility extending sperm storage time within the female reproductive tract and increasing the chances of fertilization through AI. 

How can the swine industry improve fertility outcomes of individual boars?

Most people would agree that just because you can walk to work each day, doesn't mean you are good at your job. The same concept holds true for evaluating boar semen. Just because it swims, it doesn't mean it's fertile.

Most people would agree that just because you can walk to work each day, doesn't mean you are good at your job. The same concept holds true for evaluating boar semen. Just because it swims, it doesn't mean it's fertile.

SwineTech, a company that leverages voice recognition, computer vision and behavioral tracking to safely raise pigs and reduce production inefficiencies, raised $6.3 million total for its farrowing management platform.

Improving farrowing rates in a pork operation can have significant economic value. Here are five ways you can improve farrowing rates in your operation.

Supplementing sows with copper and vitamins A and D increases the weight of newborn piglets, reduces the weight difference between piglets in the same litter and improves immunity.

A recent publication in the Journal of Animal Sciences reveals an important pattern of lower digestibility in gestating sows.

Producers can have more control to monitor and maximize feed intake during lactation with minimal labor.

The U.S. sees up to 4,000 sow losses each week to this issue.

Iowa Pork Queen Gracie Greiner made national news headlines for her heroic save of a baby pig at the Iowa State Fair, but she insists that is what any pig farmer would do.

Reproductive technology should earn its way on the pig farm via genetic improvement, says Amanda Minton, associate director of reproductive technology for The Maschhoffs.

Investigators also found participating breeding stock companies have robust biosecurity procedures for both import/exports due to their investment in maintaining the health status of these pigs.

Kent Bang encourages swine producers to take a closer look at production costs in 2019.

3 Ways to Maximize Gilt Potential and Longevity

Technology takes a backseat to good old-fashioned execution

Patrick Bane, an Illinois pig farmer, has been named America’s Pig Farmer of the Year by the National Pork Board. Bane will travel the U.S. as an ambassador and voice for the pork industry throughout the year.

It is not uncommon for sows to experience extended wean-to-estrus intervals, poor conception rates, irregular returns and increased embryonic death during the summer. Heat stress is one factor.

A new report from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) offers a primer on the science of genome editing, along with potential applications and challenges.

State University will host a national center of excellence devoted to understanding the genomic, or molecular, mechanisms that govern important genetic traits in swine such as growth and disease resistance.

Registration is now open for both distance education programs that target specific segments of the pork industry.

Recognizing herd health is a constant concern, Hanor uses a robust sire line in sow farms that have been more challenging in terms of pig performance.

Hanor was one of the early production companies to put in its own research capabilities.

Recognizing herd health is a constant concern, Hanor uses a robust sire line in sow farms that have been more challenging in terms of pig performance.

Because a terminal sire line can change company value so quickly, there’s a value we can create by selecting animals to specifically fit our system.