Hogs Reproduction

The Uterine Capacity Crisis: Managing High Litter Sizes in Modern Sows

Thu, 07 May 2026 15:55:35 GMT

How many piglets can modern sows conceive and how many can their uteri actually support? That’s a question University of Kentucky reproductive biologist Jonathan Pasternak is seeking to understand as decades of aggressive genetic selection have pushed litter sizes to historic highs.

Top-performing producers average nearly 16 piglets per litter, the University of Kentucky reports , with ovulation rates in some genetic lines reaching 40 oocytes — the number of eggs before maturation. Although geneticists have successfully increased the number of embryos a sow produces, uterine capacity has remained stubbornly unchanged.

Pasternak is leading a four-year study to investigate this issue through a $650,000 grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the developmental impact of uterine crowding in the contemporary sow.

“Ovulation rate is exceptionally heritable, but uterine capacity can’t keep pace,” Pasternak points out. “We now have sows producing more piglets in a litter than they have nipples to nurse them.”

One of the Biggest Issues Facing the Swine Industry

The result is a condition known as intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in piglets. Unlike traditional runts, which reflect poor genetic potential, IUGR piglets carry the full genetic capacity for efficient growth but are starved of nutrients in the womb, he says. Disruption during this sensitive period has lifelong consequences.

IUGR piglets can represent up to 30% of a contemporary litter but account for the overwhelming majority of preweaning mortality. Survivors grow less efficiently and rarely reach market weight.

“From a pure reproductive standpoint, this is arguably the biggest issue facing the swine industry today,” Pasternak says.

His team will track fetal development at sequential stages of gestation, measuring how and when individual organ systems begin to diverge between crowded and uncrowded environments. In the end, they hope to identify the precise developmental windows during which crowding begins to decrease growth. They will also look into why a subset of piglets appears naturally resistant to the effects of crowding.

Pasternak says he is not trying to roll back decades of genetic progress but to inform it. If the researchers can identify genetic and physiological markers that make some piglets more resilient to crowding, producers may be able to select for animals someday that maintain high litter sizes without the welfare and economic costs of IUGR.

“We’re never going back on litter size,” Pasternak says. “The goal is to perhaps inform the geneticists of what the limits of uterine capacity really are and find ways to maintain litter size while avoiding these low-quality piglets that won’t perform as desired.”

ABA Launches Advanced Genomic & EPD System to Revolutionize Berkshire Swine Genetics

Fri, 01 May 2026 19:34:55 GMT

The American Berkshire Association (ABA) is ushering in a new era of swine genetics in the purebred industry with the launch of its Genomic and EPD System. This sophisticated platform is designed to provide breeders with real-time data, predictive mating tools, and a renewed focus on the premium meat quality traits that define the breed.

The ABA’s Genomic and EPD system is built on the Helical platform by Theta Solutions, centralizing genomics, pedigree data and Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) into one secure, automated portal. Breeders can now access real-time data, including individual animal percentile rankings, “Top 100" lists by trait, and visual graphics for easier data interpretation.

Predictive Mating

“The new system brings multiple data types together to allow a breeder to view it all in a simple format and easily understand the genetic merit of their animals in real time,” explains Ben Smith, ABA Board of Directors member and Breed Improvement Committee Co-Chair.

Breeders can now “test” a mating on screen before it ever happens in the barn. This allows breeders to see the genetic merit of potential matings prior to breeding and accelerates the timeline for genetic progress.

Accelerating Quality

In addition, this system allows the organization to integrate the data collected from the ABA Progeny Test into the breed’s genetic evaluation system. This will include the inclusion of meat quality and meat eating quality traits that Berkshires are well known for, Smith says.

“We have always been strong supporters of genetic evaluations within the breed throughout its history,” he says. “This move not only enhances the accessibility and quality of data to breeders but strengthens the ABA’s commitment to providing breeders with the most advanced genetic evaluation possible.”

This system combines multiple standalone platforms from past systems into a single system with enhanced analysis to see genetic merit and genomics on a single animal on the same page together.

This chart displays percentiles for each trait. Lower percentiles = bars extending RIGHT and above average performance relative to the reference population for that trait, e.g., percentile 18 = top 18%. Higher percentile numbers = bars extending LEFT and below average performance relative to the reference population for that trait, e.g., percentile 99 = bottom 1%. Note: Some traits perform best in the mid-range, and your breeding goals may prioritize different either high or low percentiles for different traits.

(American Berkshire Association)

“Our new system and the partnership has created a roadmap for the ABA’s genetic improvement plan to move forward to modern evaluation methods with full transparency to the breeders,” Smith says. “These methods will improve the accuracy of evaluations and help breeders increase their rate of genetic improvement.”

Why Now?

As the pork industry evolves to meet changing consumer demands, Smith believes this tool will allow Berkshire breeders to have an even bigger impact.

“The ABA is excited and proud to be the oldest independent swine registry in the world, and to be Helical’s first swine breed client,” Smith says. “As the ABA continues to expand and improve our genetic evaluation system, we look forward to setting the standard of excellence in swine genetic evaluations.”

Here is the public link for viewers.

Sow Longevity: New Study Confirms Critical Management Triggers for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:48:20 GMT

Sow mortality continues to frustrate U.S. pig farmers. One of those key causes of sow mortality is pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Previous studies on purebred sows show that there is no silver bullet to prevent POP, but susceptibility can be reduced by genetic selection because it has a substantial heritability. A new study shows the same correlation exists among the crossbred (F1) commercial sows, but that’s not the only factor contributing to prolapse incidence.

A recent study led by Tricia Haefner, a master’s degree student at Iowa State University, evaluated genetic and non-genetic factors associated with susceptibility to vaginal/uterine POP in crossbred sows. She wanted to validate the non-genetic factors tested in the Iowa State University POP project led by Jason Ross , including the association of body condition score and perineal score measured during late gestation with POP in crossbred sows.

Data were collected on 3,983 crossbred sows during late gestation on two commercial farms in the Midwest during the summer of 2023. The data include:

Body condition score (1-5)
Caliper units (5-24)
Perineal Score (PS, 0=low risk; 1=moderate/high risk)
POP – defined as vaginal or uterine prolapse (0/1)

All sows were housed in group pens 35 days after breeding, except for a subset of sows at one farm, which were placed in groups immediately after weaning and managed according to California Proposition 12 regulations and moved into farrowing within 5 days prior to her due date.

The “Thin Sow” Problem

Using body condition score and the sow caliper tool, this study confirmed a “glaringly obvious” linear relationship between body condition score during late gestation and POP.

“Sows that are too thin during late gestation are at a substantially higher risk of prolapse,” says Jenelle Dunkelberger, a geneticist at Topigs Norsvin USA.

She says that’s an important message for the industry to hear right now.

“Late gestation is just a snapshot in time, but we should consider what her body condition at this time point might imply about her development prior to that point,” Dunkelberger says. “For instance, we need to be aware of, and perhaps even implement changes, regarding how she’s managed prior to late gestation to ensure that she is in the appropriate body condition going into farrowing, to maximize her success for longevity.”

Within parity groups, the data showed higher parity animals are also at a higher risk than gilts or Parity 1 sows.

Perineal Scoring as an Indicator

Researchers used a 1–3 scale developed by Iowa State University’s Jason Ross and former graduate student Zoe Kiefer to score the perineal region for swelling and redness. They found a high genetic correlation between perineal score and actual POP, indicating that these are, genetically, the same trait. More specifically, genetic predisposition for an unfavorable perineal score is strongly correlated with genetic predisposition for POP. Because perineal issues occur at a higher frequency (33%) than actual prolapse (2.4%), it can be considered a higher-resolution “indicator trait” for early identification of susceptibility to POP.

“POP is a binary trait – you either have a prolapse or not,” Dunkelberger explains. “Unless you have a high incidence rate, statistically, it’s tricky to analyze these types of traits. That’s why a trait like perineal score, which appears to have a higher incidence rate, may be an attractive indicator trait for POP.”

For this study, they did not see a large incidence of 3 scores, so they grouped together scores 2 and 3 and called them a moderate to high risk.

“We want to use this perineal score to try to develop an indicator of prolapse because you don’t get to see the incidence of it until it actually occurs,” Haefner says. “This helps identify it a little sooner so we can develop mitigation strategies.”

Prop 12 and Group Housing Stress

A significant finding showed that sows in Prop 12-compliant systems (weaned directly into groups) had a higher risk of POP and high perineal scores compared to sows kept in stalls for the first 35 days post-breeding.

“That was a little bit of a shock, but also we know that there’s a lot of stressors occurring around that time frame,” Haefner says, noting that there was limited data for this subset of animals. “It’s a critical time point of breeding and just getting off of lactation, wanting sows to recover their body condition. Even though those sows in that group were at this higher risk, we actually saw higher average body condition scores and caliper scores for them at late gestation.”

The sows were recovering, but Haefner says more research is needed to determine what’s different during that 35-day period as compared their non-Prop 12-compliant sows. She suspects hierarchy, including competition for feed, to be a key factor.

Still More Genetic Work to Do

After compiling this data, Haefner performed a genetic analysis on the tissue samples she collected.

“We were looking at perineal score and actual prolapse incidence,” Haefner says. “We were able to find moderate heritability for both of those traits, validating the heritability of POP in a commercial, crossbred population.”

Haefner says there’s still more that genetics can contribute to reducing the incidence of POP and improving perineal score.

“Perineal score and prolapse together being highly correlated means that we can utilize perineal score to also help mitigate against prolapse and select for perineal score alongside prolapse as well. Or, potentially, use perineal score in place of POP, to select for reduced incidence of POP,” she adds.

In other words, the same genes that control susceptibility to an undesirable perineal score are the same set of genes that control POP.

A Multi-factorial Approach is Needed

“Genetics can be part of the solution, and should be part of the solution,” Dunkelberger says. “But moderate heritability indicates that the majority of phenotypic variation in that trait is actually influenced by non-genetic factors. Therefore, you need to address both the genetic and non-genetic factors influencing POP to make a substantial reduction in the incidence rate of POP.”

Topigs Norsvin USA has been performing direct selection against susceptibility to POP since 2021. Dunkelberger says that should continue to reduce the genetic susceptibility to that trait, but effort should also be invested into looking at these non-genetic solutions as a way of complementing that approach.

“The lowest hanging fruit is body condition,” Dunkelberger says. “There are different ways to go about managing body condition and different things that can influence it. Having awareness of the relationship between body condition during late gestation and susceptibility to POP is important. I really believe that proper management of body condition will pay for itself in terms of sow retention.”

A Stockman’s Mind in an AI World: Dan Hamilton on the Future of Swine Genetics

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:28:47 GMT

Even as technology and artificial intelligence (AI) transform the pork industry, Dan Hamilton, senior director for product performance in the Americas for PIC, argues that a curious human mind is more important than ever.

“As an industry, we must be open-minded, especially toward new technologies and new ways of doing things,” Hamilton says. “To remain competitive, we must have the curiosity and willingness to try things so we can stay on the cutting edge and be right where we want to be.”

At the forefront of significant advancements in swine genetics, Hamilton has witnessed how cameras, sensors, and AI are revolutionizing the barn. While these tools collect and process massive amounts of data at lightning speed, Hamilton warns against blind reliance on the “black box” of technology.

“I always tell people when you create an algorithm, it always gives you an answer,” Hamilton says. “But stay curious. Ask yourself if it’s the right answer and if we should be making a decision based on it.”

Validating the Algorithm

Nothing replaces an inquisitive mind that constantly asks how to make things better. For Hamilton, the power of a company like PIC lies in its access to large, commercially relevant data sets. While PIC has always relied on nucleus farms for precise data, Hamilton notes they have expanded their reach into the commercial sector.

“As we use these new technologies, we’ve got more data points in differing environments,” Hamilton explains. “We must continually validate these technologies to ensure they are bringing value, and we must continue to retool the algorithms to make them more accurate and refined for their specific locations.”

Taking the Subjectivity Out of Selection

Digital phenotyping—the use of automated technologies like cameras and sensors—allows producers to measure behavioral, structural, and production traits objectively and non-invasively. Hamilton has focused specifically on how this technology evaluates the feet and legs of swine.

“Feet and leg quality are vital to a sound breeding program,” he notes. “For generations, good stockmen have selected for better feet and legs, but there has always been a level of subjectivity. What I think is ideal, you might see as slightly different.”

By training AI algorithms using images from expert selectors, researchers can now evaluate structural soundness in real-time.

“This is a huge step forward,” Hamilton says. “We’ve found that algorithms are often more accurate and consistent than humans. Even the best selector doesn’t always score the same animal the same way every time. It could be because it’s Monday morning versus Wednesday afternoon, or they caught the pig at the wrong moment. The cameras, however, are three times more accurate, allowing us to make faster genetic progress.”

The ultimate goal? Predicting longevity.

“We are now using that data to predict which gilts or boars will have the greatest longevity in the sow herd,” he says. “Moving from what we thought were the best feet and legs to actual data based on herd retention is a major shift toward better outcomes.”

Decoding the “Social Network” of Pigs

The modern pig is not the animal your grandparents raised. Today’s pigs are raised in large, indoor pens, meaning selection traits must evolve alongside the environment. While profitability remains a driver, Hamilton says welfare and behavior are becoming equally critical.

“When I was in graduate school, we used to sit pen-side and manually record pig behavior on a tablet,” he recalls. “We could never get large enough data sets to really move the needle. Today, with AI, we can obtain behavior recordings on thousands of pigs simultaneously.”

By measuring “normal” behaviors—time spent eating, lying, sitting, or drinking—PIC is identifying highly heritable traits that can be improved through selection. This has led to the study of “social networking” within the pen.

“Pigs develop behaviors for a reason,” Hamilton says. “Understanding how they live together—which ones are dominant, which are subordinate, and what ‘cliques’ they form—creates opportunities. We want higher-performing, more profitable pigs, but we also want pigs with behaviors that are better for their pen-mates and their caregivers.”

Precision at the Feeder

Beyond health alerts and activity monitoring, Hamilton sees a future where cameras count pigs and predict weights with near-perfect accuracy, ensuring pigs go to market at the optimal size according to their growth curve.

He is particularly excited about the potential for AI to improve sow livability through automated body condition scoring.

“If you can take caliper or body condition readings and have them ‘talk’ to an automatic feeding system, you manage daily intake based on the sow’s specific condition and weight,” Hamilton says. “That brings us to a level of precision we’ve never seen on the farm.”

The Challenge of the System

Despite the high-tech tools, Hamilton reminds producers that they are still managing biological beings within a complex production system. Challenges like health breaks and “flow constraints” remain the industry’s biggest hurdles.

“Producers often have to put X number of pigs into X number of spaces. If they have a few extra pigs, they still go into that same space,” he says. “What is profitable in the short term may not allow for maximum genetic performance.”

Hamilton also applies his “curious mind” philosophy to the ongoing debate over pork quality. He suggests the industry needs to stop looking only at the loin and start looking at the consumer.

“We have great tools to improve pH, color, and marbling in the loin, but the loin is only one part of the carcass,” he says. “If we improve loin quality at the expense of ham quality, are we really winning? We need to understand why the U.S. consumer isn’t paying for higher quality before we can truly decide how fast to move. The technology is here, but the questions, and the curiosity, must come first.”

You can listen to more of Hamilton’s personal story of resilience on “The PORK Podcast” on YouTube or follow The PORK Podcast anywhere podcasts are found.

Anything That Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong in the Winter

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 18:29:02 GMT

Winter weather requires constant vigilance to maintain pig health and barn infrastructure. After all, Murphy’s Law that “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” is almost always true in the dead of winter.

“During the first real cold of the year, there is always a heater that doesn’t kick on or a water line that freezes up,” said Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS, during the recent State of the Pork Industry Report . “Things just happen during that first cold snap.”

Freezing Failures

For Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity, the biggest challenge his team faced during the recent snowstorm occurred on an empty site as it started to fill with pigs.

“You try to take all the precautions and do the right things,” Kuker says. “We were starting up a feed line that had some frozen ice in it, then the PVC snapped. Now we had to try to repair a PVC line in the cold temperatures – that’s not fun.”

When the snow starts to fall, Kuker encourages producers to make sure they clear snow away from tunnel curtains to prevent gaps and check pit fans for drifts to ensure proper airflow. Additionally, monitoring snow load on roofs is essential to prevent structural collapse.

(National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff)

“Winter brings a lot of challenges and keeps you on your toes, and that’s just outside the barn,” Kuker says. “That doesn’t even take into account inside the barn.”

Production Priorities

Inside the barn, ventilation is key to managing humidity and preventing disease, he says. Producers should monitor probe temperatures to ensure they are not in front of inlets, which causes heaters to run longer than necessary. Minimum fan speeds must be set correctly to balance heat retention with air quality.

Ventilation, feed and water quality are important every day to keep pigs performing well, emphasizes Brad Eckberg, account executive at MTech Systems.

To maximize profits, consider increasing breed targets by 5% to 10% during the fourth quarter to ensure full-crate utilization for high-value summer markets, Eckberg adds. Focus on body condition and parity distribution to maintain high farrowing rates.

Stress and Survival

Eckberg reminds producers that cold stress is a potential trigger for disease. During transport, cold stress increases mortality. What can producers do to protect pigs from cold stress during transport?

Start by making sure that trailers have adequate bedding and closed sides.

“We need to make sure that we’ve got the sides closed up enough that the route is safe,” says Cara Haden, DVM, director of animal welfare and biosecurity with Pipestone. “We need to make sure we’re not going to get stuck en route, that we’re moving loads if we need to off of these days that are so cold, or where there’s a chance that we’re going to get stuck in a snowstorm and not make it to the barn.”

Cold stress creates significant implications.

“If pigs get cold stress and then things like drafting or heater issues arise, that can trigger more issues,” Haden says. “If you get the pigs to the barn and your heater goes out for a couple hours in this type of cold, we need to make sure we’re responding quickly, because that can impact the health of a pig, too.”

“If pigs get cold stress and then things like drafting or heater issues arise, that can trigger more issues.”

Cara Haden, DVM

What’s Your Backup Plan?

She says it’s also important to note Scott Dee’s snowball experiment proved that porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) love blowing snow.

“They can move in blowing snow. They can move on vehicles that are covered in snow,” Haden says. “This time of year, we need to be super diligent.”

But ice makes diligence more challenging, she adds.

“When we go to disinfect a chute, trailer or a truck, disinfectants need to dry in order to function appropriately,” Haden says. “We need to make sure we’re either getting those in a warm enough environment that we can dry, that we’re adding propylene glycol along with our disinfectants, and ultimately are getting things as clean as they need to be.”

Create a backup plan, she advises.

“If your lines freeze and you’re supposed to be disinfecting a chute or a trailer, what will you do?” Haden asks. “There are products like ChloroSorb, which is a dry powder that we can use. We’ve got to have those plans in place so that we don’t end up having dirty trucks or dirty trailers going down the road because of some sort of freezing issue.”

Watch or listen to their entire discussion that delves into the impact of winter on your operation, wean pig health and nutrition tips, and conversations taking place at trade shows and more in the Farm Journal’s PORK State of the Pork Industry Report .

High Hemoglobin, High Drive: Boars Bring the Heat

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 15:46:21 GMT

Research has shown the clear production impacts of hemoglobin levels in sows and piglets. Low hemoglobin is documented to result in increased farrowing duration, stillbirths and mummies in sows as well as reduced post-weaning growth rates in piglets.

“Very little research has focused on hemoglobin levels in boars,” says Seth Reicks, a veterinary student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. “We wanted to define normal hemoglobin distributions in boars and explore how hemoglobin might be associated with reproductive parameters.”

Does hemoglobin in boars impact libido and sperm production? Reicks says their ultimate goal was to identify ways to increase boar stud efficiency and profitability for producers.

Collecting the Data

Reicks visited multiple commercial boar studs across the Midwest to collect blood samples from 246 boars representing seven breed lines, including Landrace, Large White, Danish Landrace, Meishan and two Duroc lines. He also measured hemoglobin concentrations using HemoCue analyzers.

“We first established a distribution of hemoglobin levels across the population,” he explained at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. “Then, in our ‘Why Hemoglobin Matters in Boars’ study, we evaluated relationships between hemoglobin and key reproductive performance indicators, specifically semen production parameters (such as total sperm output and sperm morphology) and boar libido scores.”

Hemoglobin and Libido

Reicks says the most important takeaway was that boars with higher hemoglobin levels demonstrated higher libido.

“Interestingly, hemoglobin levels were not associated with semen quality or quantity, suggesting that hemoglobin influences behavioral, rather than physiological, aspects of reproductive performance,” he adds.

This study provides practical applications for improving boar stud efficiency and profitability. Reicks encourages boar studs to incorporate hemoglobin testing into routine health assessments, consider iron injection interventions for low hemoglobin boars, and reevaluate boars with mounting difficulties by looking at their hemoglobin levels.

“Boars with higher libido require less time, energy and labor to mount artificial insemination dummies, which reduces handling time and improves overall collection throughput,” Reicks says. “Additionally, identifying and supporting boars with adequate hemoglobin levels could help reduce cull rates for poor libido, since boars that fail to mount cannot contribute to semen production, representing a financial loss for studs.”

He believes improving libido through hemoglobin management could enhance both animal welfare and economic outcomes for producers.

In the future, he believes further research should take a deeper look to determine if libido problems can be corrected with injectable iron supplementation.

Collaborators in this study include Darwin Reicks and Megan Hood of Reicks Veterinary Research and Consulting; and Chris Olson and Wesley Lyons of Pharmacosmos.

When ‘Negative’ Nurse Sows Become an Opportunity

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:08:27 GMT

When hyperprolific sows produce more pigs than teats, a recent study shows there may be better ways to manage those large litters. Abigail Jenkins, director of nutrition for Tosh Farms in Henry, Tenn., completed a study while she was at Kansas State University comparing the impact of sows nursing pigs above, at and below functional teat count.

She discovered the optimal litter size relative to functional teat count depends on the performance measure of greatest interest. Sows nursing a litter size below functional teat count have lower pre-weaning mortality and sow body weight loss and greater pig weaning weights. However, as litter size increases relative to functional teat count, overall farm throughput improves by increasing pigs weaned per litter, litter weaning weight and pigs weaned/sow/year.

The Need for Nurse Sows
Jenkins took her project one step further after compiling the data. Using the average pigs born alive and the average functional teat count at this sow farm at the time this trial was conducted, she determined how many nurse sows would be needed to handle the extra pigs because the live born was greater than the functional teat count. If the farm loaded 250 sows at each of the four treatments, this is what she found:

If the sows were loaded in groups of 250, at one less pig than functional teat count, 24 nurse sows would be needed for the extra pigs. If the sows were loaded at functional teat count, seven nurse sows would be needed. If the sows were loaded at greater than functional teat count (plus one or plus two), it actually resulted in negative nurse sows needed.

“Intuitively, this doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Jenkins said at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. “The explanation behind that is those sows are ones that we have cleared off her litter and put her pigs onto other sows to get them up to either plus one or plus two. Then, we have these sows that have just farrowed that now have an open crate that we can utilize as tools in our farrowing rooms. These sows can be used as what I refer to as opportunity sows.”

What is an Opportunity Sow?
Opportunity sows take pigs that are small, less than 2 lb. She says the key is the pigs are small, but they must be viable. The opportunity sows used for this should be younger parity, but not gilts. They should be sows that have proven production history. They also need smaller sized teats so the smaller piglets can nurse easily.

Piglet baby pig 2 SB

(Sara Brown)

“The opportunity litters are going to be large — 15 or more pigs,” Jenkins says. “Essentially, this concentrates all your small pigs into a few litters, so you can have more in-depth care for these small pigs and less competition. We know that smaller pigs, especially those born less than 2 lb., if left in the crate, have a much higher chance of preweaning mortality. If we can focus them all into a few litters, give them less competition with those big pigs and give them more resources and more in-depth care, then hopefully we can raise more of those smaller pigs with less preweaning mortality, and get them up to a full-value pig at weaning.”

An Answer for Fall-Behind Litters
Another way to use these negative nurse sows, or opportunity sows, is in fall-behind litters – pigs that are removed from their initial litters because of failure to thrive or because they are not doing a good job nursing on their current sow.

“It’s important those pigs get removed early, whenever those signs are first being seen,” Jenkins says. “The earlier the intervention, the greater the chance that you can really make a difference, and the greater the chance that you wean a full-value pig.”

Although some people would use a traditional nurse sow for a fall-behind litter, she says the newly farrowed sows actually make an ideal sow for fall-behind litters for two reasons.

These sows are still going to be producing a little colostrum or they’re going to be producing transition milk — both of which are higher in fat and protein content. It allows you to get more nutrients into those fall-behind pigs.
Newly farrowed sows will allow the litters to nurse more frequently than a sow who has just weaned a litter of her own.

“When you combine having milk that is higher nutrient content and a sow that’s going to allow those pigs to nurse more frequently, your chances that those fall-behind pigs recoup faster is much better,” Jenkins says.

Is PRRS Really Worse Today Than in the Past?

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:08:55 GMT

From porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) pathology to converging factors that fuel PRRS epidemic waves, the conversations that took place during the Carlos Pijoan Swine Disease Eradication Center (SDEC) Symposium at the 51st Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn., centered around the question of is PRRS worse today than it used to be?

Here are some things worth repeating.

“Better communication about PRRS leads to a better response.” – Kimberly VanderWaal with the University of Minnesota in “The Perfect Storm: Converging factors that fuel PRRS epidemic waves”

“[When it comes to PRRS] I think we’re using the tools we have to be able to do the best for the pigs, which in my mind is to reduce the losses and accelerate that time to get the virus out of the herd. There is a lot of variability in the dataset on how people manage the outbreaks. I think it’s because we don’t have a silver bullet just yet. But I don’t underestimate the creativity of the practitioners in the room to put together those solutions and do what’s right for the pigs. I think we’re doing what we can taking advantage of the existing technology and solutions.” – Daniel Linhares with Iowa State University in “Production parameters in PRRSV infected farms over the years”

Daniel Linhares kicks off the discussion on PRRS: Is it really worse?

(Jennifer Shike)

“The biggest difference that I see right now is the change in that we’ll try just about anything to try and get to negative faster.” – Laura Bruner with Swine Vet Center in “Successes and Opportunities Regarding Intervention Strategies for the Control of PRRSV”

“I think biosecurity is very important, and we need to increase our awareness and our work. But for us, biosecurity has always been a little too centric on bioexclusion, not enough on the biocontainment. We need to work on our farm and protect our farm, but we need to also think of it at the greater level.” – Luc Dufresne with Demeter Veterinary Services, Inc., in “Successes and Opportunities Regarding Intervention Strategies for the Control of PRRSV”

“All PRRSV variants are pathogenic to non-edited pigs. The types of gross and microscopic lesions associated with PRRSV infections have not dramatically changed over time. The severity and distribution of lesions are affected by the PRRS variants infecting the pig and any concurrent diseases. Current 1C and 1H PRRSV variants tend to be highly virulent.” – Matt Sturos with the University of Minnesota in “Severity of PRRSV pathology”

“[Which vaccine strategy is the best?] Limiting to one vaccine is a good approach, at least within the individual pig or population, to not confuse with too much genetic material in there. I think the reality is we don’t have the science to answer that question. As an industry, we need to continue to advance the science so we can answer those questions with good, sound data to help us make the right decisions. Because right now, you’re hearing practitioner perspective from frustration that we don’t have better solutions. So we try. Putting data behind it is very important.” – Evan Koep with Pipestone Veterinary Services in “Successes and Opportunities Regarding Intervention Strategies for the Control of PRRSV”

“L1C5 grows better in pigs than the tested North American PRRSV isolates. The high level of virus and resulting cytokine response is at least part of the reason for the more severe clinical signs.” – Mike Rahe with North Carolina State University in “Comparison of immune response to circulating PRRSV isolates”

“The amount of virus that these pigs make is incredibly higher than what it used to be, so it makes execution of everything we do even more important. There’s less and less room for error because there’s more virus out there and it doesn’t take as much to infect pigs. The biosecurity procedures that we do today have to be executed perfectly. That worries me because you could go into a farm today and find 10 things that they’re not executing correctly. I think about how we get better at helping with that execution, whether that’s video cameras or AI technology. How do we find the problems before they actually become a problem?” – Laura Bruner with Swine Vet Services in “Successes and Opportunities Regarding Intervention Strategies for the Control of PRRSV”

“It does seem that immunity in our population does accelerate genetic change in the virus. The idea of why this happens is that the virus is evolving to evade host immunity.” – Kimberly VanderWaal with the University of Minnesota in “The Perfect Storm: Converging factors that fuel PRRS epidemic waves”

“The biggest opportunity is still the biggest unknown – further understanding immunity in the pregnant sow and how can we better manage that. Now, as far as what works the best, honestly, every farm is different. What works on one farm doesn’t always work on the next farm, and sometimes nothing works 100%. At the end of the day, it’s really trying to sort out does one particular work better for one particular farm than another and then trying to see what direction that goes.” – Mark Wagner with Fairmont Veterinary Clinic in “Successes and Opportunities Regarding Intervention Strategies for the Control of PRRSV”

“Teamwork and communication are really important for a good immune response.” – Mike Rahe with North Carolina State University in “Comparison of immune response to circulating PRRSV isolates”

A Better Pig and A Better Future: Roots Run Deep for Matt Culbertson

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 18:45:38 GMT

Matt Culbertson’s high school graduation celebration was interrupted by a disease outbreak on his family’s farrow-to-finish farm, later confirmed as his first experience with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

“It was surprising and devastating,” Culbertson says. “At the time, we weren’t really sure what to expect over the next two weeks, let alone the next 30 years.”

As the chief operating officer of PIC today, Culbertson can’t remember a day of his life that wasn’t centered around the pork industry.

“I was born and raised in the swine industry,” he says. “My dad worked for George Brauer, one of the original pioneers of the confinement movement within the swine industry in the early 1970s. In the mid-1970s we moved up to Geneseo, Ill., and my dad began to run a farm that was originally built by George’s brother in partnership with him.”

Matt’s dad, Dave Culbertson, (far right) appeared on the February 1971 cover of Hog Farm Management with George Brauer (middle) in a story about confinement.

(Provided by Matt Culbertson)

His bedroom window looked out over their farrowing house, Culbertson adds. He started working for his dad by the time he was in first grade – doing any job he could to be helpful on the farm. Although his parents knew their son was destined to work in the pork industry, they urged him to get outside of his comfort zone to make sure he really wanted to land a long-term career in it.

Culbertson pursued an animal science degree at Oklahoma State University, where he solidified his passion to go put his practical swine background to use in a future career. Read on to learn more about his 15-year career with PIC – from his business philosophy to his views on the future of the U.S. pork industry.

Q. Describe your path to PIC.
A. After getting my degree at Oklahoma State, I went to graduate school for swine genetics at the University of Georgia. After completing a PhD, I moved back up to the Midwest and worked for Heartland Pork for five years, where I experienced a rapidly growing swine production enterprise. I then moved my family to North Carolina, where I had the opportunity to work for Murphy Brown/Smithfield Foods for 10 years running their internal genetics, nutrition, veterinary medicine and aligning various integration activities. This gave me a great opportunity to see a bigger slice of the pork chain from start to finish. In 2010, I went to PIC where I’ve held various roles from sales to global product development to technical services. Two years ago, the opportunity arose to be chief operating officer and lead our global PIC business through – what I think – is a pretty exciting and transformational time for our business and for the global industry.

Q. Tell me about your business.
A. I would like to believe when somebody talks about PIC, they say our primary goal is to help make our customers as successful as possible. Obviously, we’re a swine genetics business, and that starts with providing an improving pig from generation to generation. That definition of improving is dependent upon the customer’s targets for success. In some markets, it may be around cost of production, and for some, it might be around carcass yield and value. By deepening our relationship with our customers, we can tailor our product and our genetic improvement to help build the initial foundation for driving their success going forward. We combine that with technical support and a supply chain that strives to meet customer needs for high-health, high-quality animals and on-the-ground customer support.

Q. What is your “why”?
A. My ‘why’ is to make a better, more successful global pig industry going forward. When I think about how to do that – and this goes back to the experiences and motivations I saw from my father growing up – it’s to continue to provide innovation to the industry. For PIC, that’s innovation around creating a better pig and providing technical support that goes along with that to allow people to achieve results they didn’t think were possible.

Q. Describe a typical day on the job.
A. Although there is no typical day, most days involve a mix of interacting with global customers, listening and understanding their needs, and exploring with our team how our business can help them fulfill those needs. My focus is on how we deliver value to customers and continue to innovate through technology and people development for the future.

Q. How does your company work with its customers.
A. We want to be involved in our customers’ operations as much as possible. Genetics is different from other inputs that go into the production system – it’s a much longer-term business relationship. We obviously want to supply great pigs but we also have a true desire to understand how our animals are performing in their system, both strengths and challenges, and then working cooperatively and proactively on the challenges.

Q. How has the swine industry changed since you started your career?
A. There has been a tremendous amount of transition over the last 20 to 40 years. I think one part of that is the structure of pig farming operations. They’ve become much larger in size and more specialized. That increased specialization and increased size has occurred against a changing landscape of the availability and type of labor we see in farms across the globe. My story of growing up on a pig farm and only ever working with pigs is not the story for the majority of the employees coming into the swine industry today. We need to help them understand how rewarding a career in the swine industry is so they have the continued desire to grow and become motivated leaders in the future. It’s also changed the demand for and impact of specialized expertise that fuels innovation across health, production management, nutrition, facility design or other strategies that allow good production practices to be consistently and efficiently implemented.

Q. What are the greatest opportunities in the swine industry?
A. For me, the swine industry is highly personal because I grew up in it, and it’s all I know. But beyond that, producing food for people across the globe is personally motivating. As I travel around the globe and see differences in food availability and security, and the efficiency with which it is produced, I think there’s a tremendous opportunity to have a positive impact.

Q. What are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
A. One challenge that we need to continue to actively recognize and lean into is how we grow and develop the human capital needed for our industry in the future. I think it’s important for all of us to help develop the next generation of leaders so that they can continue to evolve and improve the foundation that hopefully we’ve helped build to this point.

I think the other thing that is increasingly complicated is the global aspect of health and disease. The unfortunate reality is that foreign animal diseases, like ASF, continue to spread across the globe. This is combined with the increasing challenge of many common production diseases, like PRRS, which don’t seem to be getting more predictable to manage. The public has an expectation for their food to be safe, efficient and produced in a way that aligns with their values. We need to continue to invest in an innovation pipeline that enables us to meet the consumers’ demands of the future.

Q. What do you enjoy most about your job?
A. The thing I enjoy the most about my job is the people. We have a tremendous team of intelligent, high-energy, high-integrity people at PIC across the globe and that energizes and motivates me to continue to do what I do. That is multiplied by the wide range of different customers and others within the swine industry who I get to interact with. I tell people that the swine industry, for me, is much more than a job.

Q. Who inspires you?
A. The greatest inspiration I draw from is my dad. He’s the one who taught me the basics of swine production. He’s the one I witnessed walking through a transition from outside dirt lots to inside sows in large groups of pen gestation with natural service to implementing artificial insemination with gestation stalls and large-scale breeding barns. And at the same time, he invested in the community that we lived in, in the team of people that were long-term employees on our farm, and in service back to the industry from cooking pork chops at the county fair to being president of the National Pork Board. He set a tremendous foundational example for me within the pig industry and as a husband and father.

Q. What is your business philosophy?
A. My business philosophy is to set strategic targets for the future and then surround myself with energetic, intelligent people who think differently but are motivated by the belief in doing big things. There will always be ups and downs on any given day. That’s to be expected, and that’s okay. I was drawn to PIC in part by the motto ‘never stop improving.’ That requires a recognition that you’re not perfect when you wake up in the morning. If you were perfect, you wouldn’t need to focus on the ‘improving’ part. That really speaks to me, both as an individual and as a leader aligning our business and team around having the freedom to take chances, to do what’s right for the right reasons and to focus on that from a growth mindset.

Q. What will the business look like 20 years from now?
A. PIC is wrapping up its 63rd year in business. We were started by a group of pig farmers who believed they should be able to use science to make a better pig to improve their operations. What exactly that science looks like has evolved dramatically over those 63 years, from simple weights and measures to large scale utilization of computing technologies to things like genomics and gene editing. In 20 years, I hope PIC is still known for focusing on customer success and keeping an open eye toward innovations that will allow us to develop a better pig at an increasing rate.

Q. If you could go back and do something differently in your career, what would it be?
A. I don’t know that there’s anything I would fundamentally go back and do differently. There were challenges I didn’t expect at certain points, but ultimately, I learned as much from those experiences as I did in the things I enjoyed the most. From a career progression standpoint, I’ve been given dramatic opportunities to do things I wasn’t prepared to do at every stop along the way. Those things sometimes went well but sometimes it took a try or two to get it to the point of going well. I do think they were all necessary to contribute to the perspective and understanding I have today.

Q. What advice do you have for someone interested in doing what you do?
A. When opportunities present themselves, don’t be afraid to take a step. Not every step is straight up a ladder. Sometimes the steps broaden your perspective and allow you to experience new areas of the industry or new areas of the business. This helps you become more balanced as a potential candidate for future roles but also expands your knowledge base.

Q. How does the threat of foreign animal disease impact the future of the U.S. pork industry?
A. I believe we’re at much greater risk of introduction of foreign animal disease (FAD) than the majority of our industry does, and that’s in part driven by my experience watching the spread of FAD across the globe. I believe the absence of FAD across the Americas is a huge competitive advantage when it comes to export markets, predictability of operations and the predictability of supply chains. However, that always has the potential to be disrupted by a bad day. If a FAD outbreak did occur within the Americas, it would be very difficult to fully eradicate it back out within a reasonable period.

The Cornerstone of Modern Agriculture: Today’s Sow is Changing Everything

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 16:22:15 GMT

She’s resilient under pressure. She’s prolific. She’s efficient. Today’s sow is pretty incredible and arguably one of the most valuable investments on your farm.

“Today’s sow is a true testament to the power of genetic improvement,” says Erin Brenneman, a day one farrowing specialist and education and event coordinator at Brenneman Pork. “Over the past few decades, focused selection for key maternal traits such as prolificacy, uniformity and piglet viability has transformed the modern sow into one of the most efficient and productive animals in agriculture. She is a cornerstone of modern agriculture, driving performance from farrowing to finish with consistency and power.”

Brenneman says the consistency of today’s sow has made a big difference in the industry and is a great improvement over years past.

“Production systems today are running in warp speed — with staffing issues, aging facilities, changes in legislation and standard operating procedures (SOPs),” adds Amanda Uitermarkt, USA technical director for JYGA Technologies. “Our sows have continued to show us they can produce well under a very wide variety of conditions. With the many advances in technologies and precision, we are more closely dialing in requirements of sows, minimizing wastage and improving productivity.”

The prolificacy of today’s sow is noteworthy. Just 25 years ago, Joe Popplewell, manager of POD Business for The Pork Group, Pork Division, remembers talking about 30 pigs per sow per year as something that may never happen, even though it was discussed.

“The top farms in the world today are doing 35+ pigs per sow per year,” Popplewell says.

Kevin Stuckey, sow division manager for Cooper Farms in Oakwood, Ohio, says the efficiency of today’s sow stands out to him as one of her superpowers.

“She has the capacity to produce these large litters of heavy pigs with less feed than was needed only a few years ago,” Stuckey adds.

Stuckey joins along with Uitermarkt, Popplewell and Jeremy Robertson, head of live production at Brenneman Pork, to discuss challenges and opportunities surrounding the modern sow.

What is the biggest challenge facing the U.S. sow herd today?
Popplewell: Herd health and keeping a solid workforce intact are the biggest challenges facing the U.S. sow herd. Keeping disease out of our sow herds is critical to stay in business. Costs continue to increase (insurance, utilities, labor, etc.) and subsequent margins continue to shrink. So, staying healthy and having a high level of production is critical for success.

Robertson: The pace of genetic improvement with changing health challenges is creating a difficult evolving landscape. Efficiency-driven swine genetics are moving at record speeds outpacing current nutrition, rearing and caregiving practices. Today’s sow herd is seeing record numbers of total born pigs driving demand on sows, nutrition and staffing to raise these large litters while improving loss. Imposing health challenges along with the demand on the herd is impacting throughput within the wean-to-finish phases.

Stuckey: At the barn level, it’s keeping our herds healthy. Compromised health is such a limiting factor to production. At the industry level, it’s securing enough demand for the quantity of pigs we can produce.

Uitermarkt: Survivability. We are losing too many sows (and gilts) too early in life. We are missing key steps in the gilt growth and management process that inhibits their long-term retention in the herd.

What is one of the best sow management tips you could offer another producer?
Popplewell: Invest in the best people and best biosecurity you can afford. Genetic companies have made sows prolific, so if we keep them healthy and can manage them, the rest of it is detail.

Robertson: Show up at the slat level. What does this mean? Regardless of the system, everything comes back to the owner of the pig. Understand the moving pieces of your business, understand your production numbers and, importantly, costs. Be your own best advocate continuously learning how to innovate and adapt.

Stuckey: Take care of the sow and she’ll do a lot of the pig raising for you.

Uitermarkt: Use data to make educated decisions but never stop teaching and emphasizing animal husbandry. All the data in the world can’t help our sows when we miss all the clinical signs when she’s having problems. In some cases, we have dialed in too well on tasks and goals, and we miss caring for animals as individuals. Take time to look at water nipples and make sure they have been used recently. Be observant to an off-feed sow breathing heavily at two days post-farrow. Walk pens daily and try and catch early-onset of lameness before she has to be removed from the pen.

Why does sow care need to be emphasized now more than ever?
Popplewell: Because of her prolificacy, she must have excellent care. My farm pickup is very dependable, requires little care and gets me from point A to point B, but it does it slowly, deliberately and without much comfort. A high-end sports car will get me there much faster and has a lot of cool gadgets, but I have to make sure it’s tuned up regularly or it won’t perform at that level.

Robertson: Topics such as nutrition, caregiving practices, housing demands and oxidative stress, combined with herd health, have evolved with genetic improvement and the sheer amounts of requirements from today’s genetic lines. We are seeing higher productivity from sows in a short time demanding daily care that does not allow sows to have a bad day. There are too many areas of modern sow production that have not evolved at the same pace, leaving more questions than answers. The one thing we do know is the best sow care can provide the best recipe setting the sow up for success — regardless of the demand of her production phase.

Stuckey: Today’s sow is so efficient and high performing that the gap between success and struggle has narrowed. Systems like Prop 12 can add to that challenge.

Uitermarkt: Our staff on farms are further removed from practicing animal husbandry, and the ratio of animals to staff is always pushed. Utilize tools and technologies that will allow you to spread more skilled labor over more sows. Let technologies and reports assist you in focusing on the animals that need assistance.

What’s something we need to talk more about when it comes to the modern sow?
Popplewell: There was a book called “Stockmanship” by Peter English, Gethyn Burgess, Ricardo Segundo and John Dunne. On the first page inside the book, it has a graphic labeled, “The Forgotten Pillar.” At the top is animal production. The pillars are genetics, management, nutrition, administration, housing and health. On the corner is a stockman in coveralls and boots holding up the corner of the building. I think that needs to be talked about more. SOPs are critical, particularly in large systems. Things need to be repeatable. I guarantee the people raising 35+ pigs per sow per year are following SOPs but are also practicing excellent stockmanship. I believe that is what differentiates excellent from good.

Robertson: Lactation is one of the most demanding phases of a sow’s life. Her body is under tremendous stress as she transitions from giving birth to feeding a large, hungry litter. How she’s supported during this time directly impacts not only the health of her piglets, but also her own ability to stay healthy, maintain condition and ultimately rebreed. If we neglect this phase, we compromise her lifetime productivity.

Stuckey: Training and making sure our people know the “why” of what we do. Making sure they are engaged.

Uitermarkt: Sows are biological animals with inherent variation. We’ve created SOPs with the assumption all sows will respond the same to feeding levels, treatment protocols and farrowing techniques. We can better educate that the variation within sow herds exists, and better benchmarking on individual animals and herd variation can assist us in providing better sow care.

Discount Ending Soon for Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference

Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:40:50 GMT

The deadline for a $50 discounted early bird registration closes July 4 for the 2025 Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference. It will be held on Aug. 13-14 in St. Louis.

Speakers from across the globe will tackle a variety of timely topics, conference organizer Tim Safranski, a University of Missouri Extension state swine breeding specialist, said in a release.

“The first Midwest Boar Stud Managers Conference was offered in 2000 when less than half of U.S. sows were mated artificially. There was a lot of interest in artificial insemination and a fair amount of training on the female side, but boar and semen work were woefully underserved,” Safranski said. “This is the only boar-exclusive event in North America. We typically have 160 to 180 attendees who represent 85% or so of U.S. boars. Besides attracting people from 18-20 states, we also have international attendees.”

Conference topics range from how protocols in isolation affect performance in collection to environmental impacts on boar development to the effect of varying feeding strategies on the working boar.

Safranski says the program targets routine knowledge as well as cutting-edge material and thoughts for the future. Speakers represent “the best of the best,” he added.

This year’s lineup of speakers originate from academia and industry from 10 U.S. states plus Germany and China.

He said barn and lab topics are covered, including an overview of what happens on the sow farm, semen collection, impact of environment, feeding and nutrition, health and hygiene, facility thoughts and semen processing updates.

“A highlight has been our stud managers panel where the moderator and the audience put some managers on the stage to answer questions that may not be covered by the speakers,” Safranski said. “That is the final agenda item the first day, just prior to the evening activity. There is also ample time built into the agenda for interaction with sponsors, speakers and other attendees.”

Learn more and register here .

Your Next Read: PRRS and Profitability: The Pork Industry Paradox

FDA Grants PIC Approval for PRRS-Resistant Pig Gene-Editing Technology

Wed, 30 Apr 2025 12:25:00 GMT

The gene edit used in PIC’s PRRS-resistant pig has been determined safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA granted approval to PIC on April 30, putting PIC among the first companies to gain approval for gene editing in commercial livestock in the U.S.

“We have spent years conducting extensive research, validating our findings and working with the FDA to gain approval,” Matt Culbertson, PIC’s chief operating officer, says in a release. “Today marks a major milestone for consumers, farmers and the entire pork industry who have desperately hoped for a solution to PRRS.”

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) costs the U.S. pork industry more than $1.2 billion per year. This FDA-approved gene edit will be used to breed PIC’s PRRS-resistant pigs, which are resistant to this devastating, global swine disease.

“PRRS causes needless suffering and premature death for pigs, negatively impacts animal welfare, exacerbates the need for antibiotics and increases the environmental impact of raising pigs,” PIC says in a release.

But Will Consumers Accept It?
Although the disease-resistant technology is new, pork from PRRS-resistant pigs is no different than the pork consumers already know and love, PIC says, except for resistance to the infection caused by the PRRS virus. This was confirmed by a recent study which reviewed 97 meat quality and composition data points.

In this study conducted by Circana , 72% of consumers like the idea of the PRRS-resistant pig and its benefits after reading a description of gene editing in food and the PRRS-resistant pig.

“When you talk about the benefits, because they align with what the consumer has been demanding of the food supply for years now, they’re really excited about what the technology can do,” says Marisa Pooley, PIC director of communications and engagement. Read more about what consumers think about gene-edited pork.

Addressing PRRS can allow the pork industry to improve animal welfare and reduce the environmental impact of raising pigs, says Banks Baker, global director of product sustainability.

“Recent research indicates that PRRS increases the need for antibiotics by more than 200%,” Baker says. “Plus, a recent ISO-conformant lifecycle assessment found that eliminating PRRS could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% in the U.S.”

When Will Commercialization in the U.S. Occur?
FDA approval does not automatically trigger commercialization, PIC says. Approval is an important step, but Culbertson adds it’s just one part of the overall strategy.

“Because pork is a globally traded commodity, we need to receive additional approvals from other countries around the globe, such as Canada, Mexico, Japan and China, to allow producers in the pork chain to freely trade pork back and forth,” Culbertson says. “We expect to achieve those other regulatory approvals over the next, hopefully six to 18 months, and that will really be the trigger point for the commercialization and sale of the product in the various markets.”

Colombia and Brazil have already issued positive determinations for the technology used in PRRS-resistant pigs, meaning those countries will regulate them the same as any other pigs.

“We are committed to the responsible and intentional introduction of the PRRS-resistant pig around the globe,” Culbertson says.

The PRRS-resistant pig will not be commercialized in the U.S. until at least 2026.

Read more:
In the Driver’s Seat: Consumers Share What They Think About Gene-Edited Pork

What You Need to Know Now About the PRRS-Resistant Pig

What Does the Future Hold for the PRRS-Resistant Pig?

Data Makes the Difference: PIC Seeks Answers to Environmental Impact of Genetics

Colombia is First Country to Issue Positive Regulatory Determination for PRRS-Resistant Pig

The Path to a PRRS-Resistant Pig: A Look at What’s Next

Iowa State Livestock Research Aims to Uncover How Biological Factors Impact Human Fertility

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:25:44 GMT

Despite having sperm with good motility (forward movement) and morphology (cell shape), one out of every four boars experience a conception rate of less than 80%. The issue mirrors human fertility challenges with one out of eight couples struggling with infertility, and one-third of those cases are attributed to male factors, according to the National Institute of Health.

“Pigs and cattle are species we have plenty of oocytes and sperm cells available for, allowing us to conduct in vitro fertilization research,” says Karl Kerns, Iowa State University assistant professor of animal science in a recent article . “They also are effective models for human reproduction compared to rodents, who do not model the human as well genetically or phenotypically at the cellular level.”

He dedicates his research efforts to pigs and cattle .

Kerns’ Lab specializes in molecular reproductive physiology with a focus on understanding and enhancing livestock sire fertility. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including andrology and molecular biology labs as well as an in vitro fertilization (IVF) lab. The IVF lab has computer-assisted semen analysis and time-lapse fluorescent microscopes to image-based flow cytometry paired with deep learning, artificial intelligence analysis methods and sorting flow cytometry.

The lab’s goal is to enhance reproductive efficiency by analyzing sperm quality and identifying biological markers that influence fertility rates. The process involves sorting sperm cells using advanced flow cytometry technology. The sorter system uses microfluidics and lasers to analyze and sort cells based on fluorescence-marked biomarkers.

“We can track thousands of cells per second, identifying key fertility indicators and sorting them accordingly,” Kerns says.

The process allows for an in-depth analysis of fertility potential and production capabilities.

Kerns’ team employs both positive and negative biomarkers to evaluate sperm quality. Positive biomarkers are generally considered good and reflect increased chances of conception, while negative biomarkers can indicate compromised fertility potential.

The team also assesses mitochondrial activity, zinc signatures and protein detection, all of which assist the lab in detecting and analyzing both healthy and unhealthy sperm.

Ian Shofner, a third-year doctorate student in mammalian reproductive physiology, focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and developing models that predict sperm fertility metrics in the Kerns Lab.

“Currently, male fertility diagnostics are lacking in accuracy, and my work aims to improve these predictions for better assessments of male fertility in mammals,” Shofner explains. “With this, we intend on enabling the industry to make cost-effective AI solutions for fertility diagnostics using affordable brightfield microscopy technology.”

Tyler Weide, a third-year doctorate student in the interdepartmental genetics and genomics program, has an emphasis on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms for fertilization.

“It’s an ideal environment for those interested in reproductive physiology to apply critical thinking in solving complex problems relevant to both agricultural and biomedical sciences,” Weide says.

Your Next Read: Gene Editing: Livestock Genetic Improvement Through DNA Editing

5 Ways to Protect Your Farm from Animal Activists

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 21:14:09 GMT

An undercover video filmed in a hog barn was recently released. The video never showed any sign of animal abuse, says Cara Haden, DVM and director of animal welfare at Pipestone. Although she’s thankful it wasn’t a Pipestone farm, she says it’s still incredibly frustrating that someone got into a pig barn and produced a video with the intention of making the pork industry look bad.

“Apparently this undercover person couldn’t find any abuse going on at the farm, so what they had to do is take normal things that happen on farms and try to make them look bad,” she explained during the April 2025 State of the Pork Industry Report. “Please don’t go watch the video as we don’t want to drive any views.”

She says it’s frustrating that it’s not enough to have perfect welfare and that it’s not enough to have no abuse or animal welfare concerns on your farm.

“If someone gets in, they can still try to make things look bad no matter how good your farm is,” Haden says.

Although the video doesn’t appear to be manipulated, the video content was produced to manipulate the viewer. For example, the video tries to say the sows are too long for their crates, when it’s evident the sows had plenty of room at the other end of the crate, Haden says.

“The video talked about gestation stalls and how the sows can’t turn around,” Haden says. “From a welfare professional standpoint, there are gives and takes to those sorts of things. There’s pros and cons to that system. It is not always bad from an animal welfare standpoint, there are some great things about stalls and the ability to control the amount of feed and more.”

The truth is animal activists don’t care about improving animal welfare, Haden points out. They want to end animal agriculture.

How can you prevent a similar incident happening on your farm? Haden and experts on the State of the Pork Industry Report shared five things you can do to help keep animal extremists at bay.

1. Educate your team.
One of the most important things producers can do to avoid a situation like this is to focus on the education of all employees, but especially new hires, says Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS.

“Have multiple discussions on welfare and animal handling topics,” he advises. “Most importantly, reinforce if you see something, say something. We want people to report any type of issue right away, so it doesn’t grow into something bigger.”

2. Carefully screen potential employees in the interview process.
Keeping animal activists out starts with a thorough interview and screening process of new employees. Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity, says their team has implemented a committee approach to interviews.

“It can be somewhat intimidating to a production tech or anybody coming in to have a committee of people asking questions, but we think it’s in the best interest of the farm,” Kuker says. “We start off the interview by stating that we have a zero-tolerance animal welfare abuse policy and gage their reactions off of that.”

When the interview is over, the committee has a debrief, he says. They address questions including: Was there anything in the interview that was said or done that gave us pause as to whether we thought that the individual interviewing across the table from us had ulterior motives?

“I think we get into a position where we need a warm body now, and we don’t think of those things in the interview process,” Kuker says. “By having a committee approach, we always keep these things in the front part of our minds.”

3. Keep a vigilant watch in the barn.
Haden encourages producers to remember the basics. Locking doors is important and so is hiding your key in a good spot, she adds. Make sure door codes are changed regularly.

“Protect what comes into the farm,” Haden says. “I think it’s crazy, but there are recording devices that can go in glasses and all sorts of things, so we need to be aware of what’s coming into our farms.”

4. Look for suspicious activity.
Pay attention to caregivers who hang out in sensitive areas, especially if they’re not supposed to be there. From castration and processing to euthanasia and hospital spaces, those areas need extra close attention.

“If they’re not a caregiver trained in euthanasia yet, they shouldn’t be hanging out in the euthanasia or mortality area,” Haden says.

Other red flags include people who want to work on your farm who have no reason to be in the geographic region of your farm, she adds.

“If someone wants to work in South Dakota, and they have no reason to be there because they have no connection to the area, that’s suspicious,” Haden says. “If they’ve got higher education, but it’s not in the swine space, what are they doing trying to work at a pig farm?”

5. Tell your story.
When the first videos came out 15 to 20 years ago, it was really surprising, says Brad Eckberg, account executive at MTech Systems.

“I think we did a great job from an industry standpoint to really educate those from outside the industry that this is not the normal,” Eckberg says. “We are not like this. It became an opportunity for many great companies to open up their doors to outsiders. Come in, see what we actually do on a day-to-day basis and how much we care for those animals.”

Let people know the importance of continual training and certification for your farm such as PQA Plus certification and adhering to We Care ethical principles.

Watch or listen to their entire discussion ranging from PRRS to H-2A challenges to unique things they’re doing on the farm on YouTube or anywhere podcasts are found. These experts share their perspective on what’s been happening on farms in Q1 2025 and what’s yet to come this year.

Catch up on past State of the Pork Industry Reports .

New IVF Method Mimics Fallopian Tube Environment, Increasing Sperm Viability

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 15:09:52 GMT

The success of in vitro fertilization depends on many factors, one of which is sperm viability. A recent study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign documents a new way to select viable sperm and prolong their viability in the laboratory, reducing one source of variability during the process.

“The fallopian tube in women, or the oviduct, has an ability to lengthen sperm lifespan that, until now, we couldn’t recreate in IVF. In 2020, we discovered that complex sugars called glycans are the components of the oviduct that can bind and store sperm and keep them alive,” said senior study author David Miller, professor in the Department of Animal Sciences, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at Illinois.

Miller’s group collaborated with chemists to test hundreds of oviduct glycans for their ability to bind pig sperm, settling on one called sulfated Lewis X trisaccharide, or suLeX, for further testing. They focused on pig sperm not only as a proof of concept for future human studies, but also because animal agriculture relies on IVF, too. In pig IVF, multiple sperm often fertilize single eggs, resulting in inviable embryos. The hope with using glycans was that fewer free-swimming sperm would approach and fertilize eggs simultaneously.

The researchers attached suLeX to the bottom of culture dishes, then added sperm. The sperm were given 30 minutes to adhere to the compounds before the researchers began adding eggs, introducing them 0, 6, 12, or 24 hours later.

“By adding eggs at later time points, we could test the system to see whether suLeX increased the longevity of the sperm. Essentially, we found we can maintain or extend fertilization rates over time, increasing the window of successful IVF,” Miller said.

At 0 hours, IVF efficiency (fertilized zygotes vs. total number of eggs) was significantly greater with sperm that were initially attached to suLeX (at 53%) than a control with no oviduct compounds (36%) and two alternative “control” compounds (about 40% each).

The time delays decreased fertilization rates for all groups, but less so for suLeX. In the control group with no oviduct glycans, fertilization was down to 1% at the 24-hour time point. But with suLeX, 12% of the eggs were fertilized after 24 hours.

The IVF setup with suLeX droplets also allowed the researchers to wash away free-swimming sperm before introducing eggs.

“Because the sperm were bound securely to the glycan compound, we could reduce the overall number of sperm, which meant fewer cases where more than one sperm fertilized the eggs,” Miller said.

The foundational study could one day improve IVF success for both animals and humans.

“There are companies, especially related to dairy cattle, that use IVF to produce and sell high-genetic-merit embryos that, after they are delivered, will produce milk more efficiently,” Miller said. “This technology could potentially help produce meat and milk more efficiently.”

He added that the specific glycans that bind human sperm have not yet been identified, but once that happens, glycan-IVF could help with timing mismatches between egg maturity at harvest and sperm viability in humans.

“Both eggs and sperm have to undergo a maturation phase before they’re ready for fertilization, so the timing is critical. There’s variability in the time it takes sperm to complete their final major maturation step,” Miller said. “We think glycan-IVF could lengthen the fertile window of sperm and possibly increase IVF rates, though we need further testing to verify that.”

The study, “Porcine sperm bind to an oviduct glycan coupled to glass surfaces as a model of sperm interaction with the oviduct,” is published in Scientific Reports [DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-88986-2]. Authors include Sandra Soto-Heras, Larissa Volz, Nicolai Bovin, and David Miller. The research was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, part of the National Institutes of Health (award no. RO1HD095841).

Your Next Read: Is the Swine Industry Ready for H5N1? Texas Veterinarian Says “No”

Boar Fertility: Improving Productivity Through In Vitro Fertilization

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 13:59:48 GMT

Meet Isabel Rodriguez, 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
Hometown: Valencia, Venezuela before moving to Iowa City, Iowa
Education: Bachelor’s degree and pursuing master’s degree, Iowa State University

Q. How did you become interested in the swine industry?
A. I first became interested in the swine industry during an introductory class at Iowa State University that led me to taking other swine industry-related classes. Additionally, I participated in the ISU Swine Experience.

Q. Describe any internship experiences you’ve had.
A. I participated in the ISU Undergrad Veterinary Internship Program. I visited Hanor Company where I shadowed farm managers, a veterinarian and assisted in pig bleeding, vaccination preparation and other barn-related chores.

Q. Describe your undergraduate research experiences.
A. I worked at a microbiology lab at the College of Veterinary Medicine at ISU. I was in charge of lab chores, helped with research project preparations and took images using a confocal microscope.

Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. I am studying animal reproductive physiology with a focus in swine. My research focuses on boar fertility and the steps leading up to fertilization through the technique of in vitro fertilization. Findings from my research can impact the swine industry by identifying the most fertile cohort of sires, increasing productivity, and reducing sperm cells needed in an artificial insemination dosage.

Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A. I think that the biggest challenge for my generation in the swine industry will be balancing sustainability and productivity. With the increasing world population, the demand for pork production increases, meaning that we need to find a way to enhance such productivity while using less resources.

Editor’s Note: Rodriguez is part of the National Pork Board’s Pork Scholars Program, intended to develop highly trained professionals who are dedicated to a career in the U.S. swine industry. The program includes a research component with a cooperating university, a practical on-farm experience with an industry cooperator and cross-training across more than one academic discipline (i.e. genetics and data science).

Your Next Read: Tail Biting: How Can Computer Vision Technology Identify Future Problems?

Australian Officials Detect Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Two Pig Farms

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 19:19:43 GMT

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) has been detected at two pig farms in Queensland, Australia.

Biosecurity Queensland issued an alert confirming the detections of JEV in the state’s south but did not provide specific locations or infection numbers, ABC News reports.

Although these are the first detections of JEV in animals in Queensland since July 2022, according to the alert, the disease is considered established in mainland Australia. JEV exploded into new regions of Australia in 2022, affecting over 80 swine breeding farms and causing significant production losses .

JEV is a flavivirus in the same family as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. The virus is maintained in a cycle between mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts, mainly ardeid birds such as herons, egrets and bitterns. There is spillover of JEV to other species including pigs, humans, horses and other domestic animals. Humans and horses are considered dead-end hosts because they usually do not develop high levels of viremia, while pigs are an amplifying host.

Experts say clinical presentation varies by age and prior exposures in pigs. For adult pigs, it is primarily a reproductive disease, though affected adults may present with a non-specific fever. Sows can exhibit abortion, stillborn, fetal mummification, or subsequent production of weak piglets. Boars exhibit orchitis and infertility. In piglets, non-specific signs and wasting are evident as are neurologic disease and high mortality.

Queensland officials are encouraging people to make sure their vaccinations are up to date and to take extra mosquito control precautions. Humans can contract JEV from mosquitoes, however it does not spread human to human. JEV can be deadly in humans.

What is the U.S. Doing to Prevent and Prepare for JEV?
Although JEV has never been detected in the U.S., experts are paying close attention to this virus as it poses an emerging transboundary threat to domestic sow herds susceptible to viral infection and would cost the industry millions. If JEV struck the U.S., a recent study estimates it would result in economic losses between $306 million and $612 million to the U.S. pork industry.

Six proposals are being funded a total of $1.3 million by the Swine Health Information Center and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research to enhance U.S. prevention, preparedness, mitigation and response capabilities for JEV.

“As a transboundary disease risk for U.S. introduction, JEV is transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitos and can cause reproductive failure, abortions, and stillbirths or weak piglets in swine breeding herds,” SHIC reports . “Recent expansion of JEV into new geographic regions of Australia warrants close investigation to prevent a potential JEV incursion into the U.S.”

Your Next Read: Japanese Encephalitis Virus: 6 New Projects That Could Advance Swine Health

4 Things We Learned In 2024 to Be Better Pig Farmers in 2025

Wed, 29 Jan 2025 23:13:52 GMT

In a competitive industry like the U.S. pork business, it’s important to reflect and learn from your experiences. The experts featured each quarter in the State of the Pork Industry Report share four ways they grew from experiences they went through in 2024.

1. We’re in the people business.
One thing that Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS, is taking with him from lessons learned in 2024 is how to relate to people in the barn.

“We all have protocol books. Every company has them. You can read the protocol, ask a few questions and go out in the barn. But one thing we tried last year was an ‘extreme farrowing makeover.’”

For three weeks, Annegers and the production team worked side by side with the entire farrowing team. It was very structured and organized, playing people’s strengths against each other, he explains.

“Not everybody is great at everything, but we figured out who’s our really good monitor, who’s our really good day one person, who does really good with sow care and on down the line,” he says. “At first, it was kind of organized chaos. The farm staff was nervous that all these people were in the farm with them. The manager was really uptight and nervous. But by the third day, we were really able to teach that team how to be efficient and prioritize things. That really put the icing on the cupcake.”

Prior to the extreme farrowing makeover, that farm weaned 11.9 pigs per litter and just last week, they weaned 13.2.

“How we need to teach and approach our teams is different than the old Gen X guys that we are,” Annegers adds. “This made me look in the mirror and ask myself, ‘What can I do differently to help that next generation of the industry?”

2. Don’t make it complicated.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about this question: what is the center of our industry?” says Pipestone veterinarian Cara Haden.

After reading through some National Pork Board data about pork consumption in the U.S., Haden admits she was a little discouraged. Boomers ate a lot of pork. Millennials eat much less. Generation Z eats half as much as millennials.

“In this recent downturn, we realized that no matter how low the pork prices go, that’s not necessarily going to drive pork purchasing from millennials and Gen Z,” Haden says. “As we move into 2025 as an industry and personally, I think we need to ask ourselves how we can help change the industry.”

Right now, the industry is very focused on production. Haden says it’s time to change that perspective to be more customer focused.

“What can we do to become relevant to millennials and Gen Z consumers? I got to sit in on a great presentation from Dr. Candace Croney from Purdue. One of the things she talked about is that the consumer wants to know the pig lived a good life. Don’t make it any more complicated than that. That’s going to be my focus this year – trying to centralize our industry around something other than production numbers. Let’s think about what the consumer wants and tell the story of pigs living a good life.”

3. Speed up and slow down.
Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity, learned two contradictory messages in 2024: speed up and slow down.

“Speed up making decisions and communicating with key stakeholders within your company,” he says.

Last summer, they came across a health challenge in the barns. They manage pigs with different health statuses, so when problems arise, Kuker says it’s important to act quick.

“Switching that pellet to a meal to try to reduce the number of ulcers is important,” he explains. “We had that issue happen this summer, and we learned from that. We were quick on some and not as quick as we needed to be on some others.”

He learned the ‘slow down’ lesson when they transitioned a couple barns to a different producer.

“Our team was really happy with how healthy these pigs were from this producer,” Kuker says. “Even though there weren’t as many health issues (and shots) to deal with, there was still opportunity.”

Getting them to slow down and be more observant, looking for new things they haven’t looked for before, was key, he adds. In this case, Kuker taught them to slow down and keep an eye out for strep by looking for swollen joints.

“When you’ve got 165 pigs in a pen, you don’t have time to stop and look at every joint on every pig, but you need to look for different things than what you were looking for before,” he says. “If that pig isn’t moving away from you as you enter the pen and trying to escape, or if it’s not trying to move with the rest of the group and it’s lagging behind, that’s a pig you need to take a closer look at.”

4. The strong shall survive.
The past two years have been incredibly challenging for U.S. pork producers. Of all the lessons Brad Eckberg, account executive at MTech Systems, learned in 2024, this one stands out in his mind as he reflects on the challenges the industry has faced.

“If you’re sitting in a good position today, good job, especially coming out of 2024,” Eckberg says. “But we need to keep in mind there will be another downward cycle in the future. Unfortunately, it’s not if, but when will it happen? How will you withstand the next slide economically?”

He says producers need to keep adapting. Whether it’s pen gestation, antibiotic-free, Prop 12, just remember to consider all options to stay viable.

“We might not be a fan of some of these production practices, but there could be a financial benefit to it,” Eckberg says. “Maybe it’s time I build a mill or buy a feed mill, consolidate areas where I’m raising pigs or be more efficient from a medication usage standpoint. This industry has its ebbs and flows, and you need to prepare for it. Learn from your past experiences so that in the future you can avoid those bad mistakes and be better guided with those that were good.”

Watch or listen to their entire discussion ranging from PRRS and labor turnover to third-party Prop 12 audits and influenza on YouTube. These experts share their perspective on what’s been happening on farms in Q4 2024 and takeaways for producers to consider in 2025.

Catch up on past State of the Pork Industry Reports .

Registration Now Open for 2025-2026 SowBridge Educational Series

Thu, 26 Dec 2024 20:30:34 GMT

SowBridge, the distance educational series for those who work with sows, boars and piglets, and with genetic and reproductive issues, begins its next program year in early February 2025, and registration is now underway. The series is provided online through the Zoom platform and each session is recorded for later viewing.

Sherry Hoyer, communication specialist with the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University, said suggestions from participants guide the selection of future topics and speakers, and the opportunity for interaction with session speakers will not change.

“SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts, and to contact those experts following the individual sessions,” she said.

Sessions generally are held on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. Central Time. One exception this year: the fifth session is moved up one week to May 28 to avoid conflicts with World Pork Expo.

During each session, participants can ask questions of the industry expert presenter from the comfort of their home, office, or swine unit. Each registration provides access to one Zoom connection per session and all program materials provided by presenters.

The cost is $200 ($U.S.) for the first registration and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Registration is due Jan. 20, 2025, to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 5. A flyer with information and registration form is available on the IPIC website.

The 2025-2026 program session dates and topics are as follows.

Feb. 5: H5N1 as it Relates to Pigs
Mar. 5: Feeding Frequency Pre-Farrow: Impact on Farrowing Duration
April 2: Your Farm Broke with PRSS/PED: Now what?
May 7: Overcoming Barriers and Understanding the Psychological Impact of Pig Euthanasia
May 28: Iron Status of Sows: Impacts on Farrowing Duration
July 2: How to Manage Gilts not Cycling
Aug. 6: Diagnostic Testing
Sept. 3: Depopulation Preparedness
Oct. 1: Where’s the draft coming from?
Nov. 5: Farrowing Stall Environment Management
Dec. 3: Heat Synchronization Protocols
Jan. 7, 2026: Treating Sows According to Farm SOP

For more information on the sessions or registration, contact Hoyer by phone at 515-294-4496 or email shoyer@iastate.edu.

SowBridge is provided through a cooperative effort of 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine producing states.

Your Next Read: PORK Perspectives: A Minute with Fredrik Sandberg

It’s Time to Focus on the Wins: Q3 State of the Pork Industry Report

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 21:20:22 GMT

In the third edition of the State of the Pork Industry Report, Farm Journal’s PORK editor Jennifer Shike joins Cara Haden, veterinarian with Pipestone; Randy Kuker, director of swine production for The Equity; Adam Annegers, sow production manager at JBS; and Brad Eckberg, product subject matter expert with MetaFarms, to compare Q3 2024 sow and grow-finish data (obtained by MetaFarms from July 1 to Sept. 30) to what the experts are seeing in the barns.

Watch or listen to their entire discussion on YouTube. These experts share takeaways from Q3 and how understanding percentiles can help your farm be more profitable now and in the future.

“There is a lot of positivity in the pork industry right now that can be attributed to higher farrowing rates this year, as well as higher born alive and lower stillborn numbers,” Eckberg says. “We saw a decrease in sow mortality by 1.2% from the from the same time last year.”

This positive reduction in sow mortality is significant for the industry, that will likely see the first yearly decline in almost six years of collecting sow mortality data, Eckberg adds. He believes extra focus on animal husbandry and animal welfare has helped the industry make improvements.

Meanwhile, Haden points out the decrease in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is contributing to the reduction in sow mortality, too. From 2011-2012, the PRRS incidence rate was 40%. In 2023-2024, the PRRS incidence rate was less than 20%.

“It is absolutely, hands-down, the best PRRS year we’ve had since we started tracking PRRS incidence,” she says.

As a sow farm manager, Annegers likes seeing the industry trend in the right direction but says there is still opportunity to improve.

“A big thing we’re working on is focusing on what we can control,” Annegers says. “We can identify those girls that need to be treated earlier and get medication into them. We can select the highest quality gilts with good leg structure. We can keep sows in the right condition all the time. If we focus on what we can control, we’ll be a lot better off.”

Kuker says it’s harder for him to correlate the lower sow mortality rates with what he is seeing on the finishing side, but he does know he has been seeing healthier pigs in the last six to nine months.

“I’m getting better startups on my pigs,” he says. “I’m dealing with less respiratory issues. Of the flows that I see, we’ve had less instances of PRRS breaks from the sow farms and less lateral breaks in our area than what we dealt with a year ago.”

That increase in overall health of the wean pig and decreased incidence of lateral disease has been a nice change, he adds.

On the grow-finish side, Eckberg says average daily gain continues to surprise him. In Q3, finishing hogs averaged a 1.94 lb. average daily gain. Feed conversion was also improved at 2.76 for finishing hogs.

Kuker says they’ve experienced less severe E coli. breaks, which he attributes to using more biosecurity measures and different feed ingredients and different levels of zinc.

Here are a few other key points the experts discussed:

1. Execution counts.
“In the pig industry there are many different companies and many different protocol books, but 90% of the protocols are the same. Those teams that can execute daily protocols and make the right decisions will share in that success,” Annegers says.

2. Invest in continuing caregiver education.
“Don’t underestimate how important caregivers are and how a different caregiver can drive different numbers. You can have a really healthy farm, and it can have very different performance depending on the caregivers and their ability to take care of the sows,” Haden says.

3. As the seasons change, don’t let up on biosecurity.
“We know once crops come out, we’re going to start hauling manure, pumping manure and there’s just going to be a lot of activity going – a lot of virus out there that wasn’t there before. Being prepared and being proactive is a huge part to keeping your farm healthy through those challenging months,” Annegers says.

4. Focus on transportation.
“Take your time and take smaller groups. Do more training and set expectations to make sure people are moving the pigs in a responsible way so they’re not over-stressing them and causing more damage than they should be,” Kuker says.

5. Caregiver presence in the pens before marketing makes a difference.
“Studies would consistently show that the more time a caregiver spends in the pens with the pigs prior to marketing, the lower stress those sorting and loading events are going to be on the pig. Prior to marketing is when we may start ignoring groups because they’re just about to be out of our hair. That’s really when we need to be boots-on-the-ground in the pens, getting them used to the presence of people,” Haden says.

There are always many things that producers can focus on, but Annegers reminds producers to stay positive.

“It’s easy for us to point out opportunity areas. But, sometimes we forget to focus on the wins,” Annegers adds. “Help our industry by spreading some enthusiasm and positivity on where we’re headed.”

Watch the full State of the Pork Industry Report on YouTube or listen on The PORK Podcast anywhere podcasts are found.

Your Next Read: What’s Wrong With Being Average? Q2 State of the Pork Industry Report

Long-Term Trends in Pigs Per Litter

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:07:18 GMT

By Michael Langemeier, Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University for farmdoc daily

Key performance metrics for swine production include feed conversion, litters per sow per year, pigs per litter, and pounds of pork produced per sow per year. All of these metrics have improved dramatically over time. A recent article by Franken (2024), noted that pigs per litter reached another record in September. Improvements in production performance are critical to controlling production costs and for the industry to remain competitive in comparison to swine producers in other countries and competing meats. This article examines long-term trends in pigs per litter.

Pigs per litter data for the U.S. are available from USDA-NASS on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Figure 1 illustrates actual and predicted pigs per litter for the last 30 years, 1994 to 2023. A simple linear trend was used to predict pigs per litter for each year. The annual growth rate in pigs per litter was 0.107 pigs or 1.1 percent per year. This may seem small, however, over the 30-year period, this equates to an increase of 3.11 pigs per litter or an increase of approximately 37.4% over the 1994 to 2023 period.

Figure 1. Trend in Pigs Per Litter

(USDA-NASS (farmdocDAILY))

Production performance, measured using pigs per litter, has been particularly strong in the last few years. As evident in Figure 1, since 2015, pigs per litter have been above the trend line. This was particularly true for 2019 and 2023. Actual and predicted pigs per litter were 10.98 and 10.78 in 2019, and 11.42 and 11.21 in 2023. In other words, pigs per litter were approximately 0.2 pigs above the long-run trend for these two years.

Improvements in production performance, such as litters per sow per year and pigs per litter, have impacts on the number of sows needed to supply the domestic and export markets. Obviously, if pigs per litter had not increased over the last few decades, we would need a much larger sow herd. In addition to production performance, the increasing market weight of barrows and gilts has impacted the size of the sow herd needed to supply our markets. To provide some perspective on the importance of production performance and market weights, we will contrast the growth rates in sows farrowed, pig crop, and swine production in pounds (USDA-NASS). The annual growth rate in the U.S. sow herd during the 1994 to 2023 period is only 0.17% per year. In contrast, the annual growth rate in the U.S. pig crop (1994 to 2023) and U.S. swine production (1994 to 2023) are 1.28% and 2.07%, respectively. In 1994, the pig crop (swine production) was 101.5 million head (24.4 billion pounds). The pig crop in 2023 was 135.8 million head, and swine production totaled 42.6 billion pounds. To summarize, we have increased U.S. swine production by 74% by increasing the number of sows by only 5.2%. In terms of per sow production, pounds produced per sow increased from 1,972 in 1994 to 3,580 in 2023.

In closing, pigs per litter has increased at a rate of 0.107 pigs per year since 1994. Another way of stating the same thing, the annual growth rate of pigs per litter in the U.S. was 1.1% from 1994 to 2023. Continued improvements in production performance will help ensure the U.S. swine industry remains competitive.

References
Franken, J. “Record Pigs per Litter Starting to Sound Like a Broken Record?” farmdoc daily (14):177, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, September 30, 2024.

United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Quick Stats, https://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/ , accessed October 23, 2024.

Your Next Read: Influenza Expert Gets Real About the H5N1 Risk to Your Swine Herd

Surging Sow Production Prompts Change and Research

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 14:10:51 GMT

Walk onto a modern hog farm and it is typical to find climate-controlled farrowing houses filled with hardworking sows nursing litters of 12 or more piglets.

That scene, says Kansas State University swine specialist Mike Tokach, is quite different from two decades ago. Tokach notes that sizeable growth in litter sizes has elevated sow input needs and created demand for new information.

“We used to wean 8-9 pigs per litter,” he said. “As an industry, we have increased the number weaned across the United States by over three pigs per litter on average, which brings along a big change in the milk production needed to support that entire litter.”

To determine how to achieve adequate milk production, researchers at K-State have conducted numerous studies on supplying sows with the correct nutrient intake, Tokach said. Their work will be presented during the annual K-State Swine Day, scheduled for Nov. 21 at the university’s alumni center.

Registration, which is available online , costs $25 and is due by Nov. 13.

“One aspect evaluated in our research was the best type of feeder design that will allow sows to consume feed easily and to increase feed intake,” he said. “We found that a very well-designed, dry feeder can get a higher level of feed consumption without wasting feed – something we see more with wet feeders.”

Beyond feeder type, the time-of-day that sows have access to feed also influences their productivity, leading to the industry’s widespread adoption of automated feeding systems.

“Most hog producers have moved to these kinds of feeders instead of hand feeding them,” Tokach said. “We know that sows like to eat at times that are different than when we are there to feed them.”

“A perfect example of this is nighttime in the summer here in Kansas. Generally, sows take in most of their nutrients during that time.”

With automated feeders comes the capability to blend diets and precision feed sows, Tokach said. Precision feeding can maximize litter weights while minimizing feed costs and the excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus, limiting environmental impacts.

“Nutrient requirements of a sow change as the litter grows during lactation and as her feed intake pattern changes,” he said. “In turn, they need a more nutrient-dense diet in one period of lactation than another, but most of the time, we only feed one diet.”

He added: “Within automated feeding, there are technologies now that we can mix diets and be more precise; it is not being done on an awful lot of farms today, but that is what is coming in the future.”

An older technology called drip cooling also has a hand in sow performance, according to Tokach, noting that a pig’s inability to sweat requires external means to keep their internal temperatures in check for optimal performance.

“Drip cooling sows is simply placing droplets of water on their shoulders while they are in the farrowing house to cool them down,” he said.” Now, we have cool cells on barns – almost like air conditioning – and so, the thought as an industry was, ‘Well, maybe we do not need that extra cooling.’”

“We found out that the drip cooling, in addition to the cool cells, helps to lower a sow’s temperature further and also allows us to increase feed intake even further while growing weaning weights,” he added.

Your Next Read: Don’t Back Down From the Hard Stuff in the Pork Industry

NPPC Speaks Out on FDA Regulation of Gene Editing

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 19:22:30 GMT

Gene editing has the potential to improve animal health, reduce antibiotic use, and help produce safe food if it is not overregulated, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said in Capital Update on Aug. 23.

“Treating gene edits as an “animal drug” could force the technology to other countries, which already are taking a science-based approach on the issue,” the organization noted.

Although NPPC supports the FDA’s efforts to clarify regulatory requirements for developers of intentional genomic alterations in animals, as well as efforts clarifying that downstream producers choosing to invest in this technology will be exempt from regulatory oversight, it does not believe the updated guidance offers any significant improvement to the burdensome regulatory process.

The updated guidance, GFI #187B Heritable Intentional Genomic Alterations in Animals: The Approval Process, treats “altered genomic DNA” as a drug under the Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) Act because it is “an article intended to affect the structure or function of the body of the animal, and, in some cases, intended for use in diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in the animal.”

In comments to the FDA on July 31, NPPC notes that the updated guidance did not take into account gene editing that deletes DNA or inserts DNA that could be found naturally. In updating the guidance, FDA said an alteration that has an effect on animal disease, such as creating resistance to a disease, would be subject to regulation under the FD&C Act — a burdensome, costly, and time-consuming process.

NPPC previously asked FDA to use a National Academies of Sciences report to determine what, if any, approval under the FD&C Act is required for gene edited animals that are not intended for producing biopharmaceuticals or medical devices.

“Gene editing offers a tremendous opportunity for the U.S. pork industry, but continued regulation under FDA and the FD&C Act create extreme barriers to utilization by industry and is not in keeping with federal policy and precedence — and indeed global regulatory trends — concerning the use of biotechnology in agriculture,” NPPC concluded in its comments.

NPPC will continue to advocate for the transfer regulatory authority over gene editing from FDA to the USDA.

Read More:
Innovations Have Potential to Transform the Industry
What You Need to Know Now About the PRRS-Resistant Pig
What Does the Future Hold for the PRRS-Resistant Pig?
Growing Losses from PRRS Cost Pork Producers $1.2 Billion Per Year
The Path to a PRRS-Resistant Pig: A Look at What’s Next

Does Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae Elimination Impact Reproductive Performance and Retention?

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Meet Lindsey Huntress Britton, 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 and master’s degrees, North Carolina State University; Pursuing DVM at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Hometown: Edenton, N.C.

Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry?
A. My first exposure to the swine industry was in my introduction to animal science class taught by Billy Flowers at North Carolina State University (NCSU). I did not grow up around livestock. Through my first animal science class, I decided that I wanted to learn more about the industry. I pursued a swine production internship working on a large sow farm the following summer and then started working as a student employee at NCSU’s Swine Educational Unit. These initial experiences developed my interest in the industry as I fell in love with not only the pigs, but the people, too. I knew after that I wanted to learn more about the industry and to become more involved however possible.

Q. Describe any undergraduate research experiences you’ve had.
A. I did not directly work in a lab during my undergraduate degree, but through the internships I completed I developed an interest in research and pursuing a master’s degree.

Q. Describe any internship experiences you’ve had.
A. I have completed two veterinary internships with Smithfield Hog Production where I had research projects that focused on rotavirus, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP), swine influenza, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv). These internships formed a deep interest in conducting research to help reduce and eliminate the impact of diseases on the swine industry which led me to pursue my master’s in swine physiology under the direction of Billy Flowers.

Q. Describe any other swine-related experiences you’ve had.
A. I am very grateful for the swine industry and the people in it that are so willing to educate young people and develop our passion for the industry. I have had the opportunity to participate as a Real Pork Scholar through the National Pork Board which has developed my communication skills and built my network within the industry as well as it has provided me with an industry mentor. Programs like this are amazing for students looking to further develop themselves to become better advocates for the industry when they enter the workforce.

Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. My master’s degree research focused on the impact of MHP elimination on reproductive performance and retention within swine herds. MHP is a bacterial pathogen known to cause enzootic pneumonia and leading to reduced growth and feed efficiency. All of the work that has previously been done with MHP has been looking at grow-finish animals and their reduced performance. My master’s degree work looked at the impact of MHP at the breeding herd level to see if there was any impact on reproductive performance and retention of gilts exposed to high and low levels of the pathogen. This research could be very beneficial knowledge to the swine industry to encourage producers to eliminate the pathogen from breeding herds in order to have greater reproductive success with more animals staying in the herd longer with reduced disease loads. I am looking forward to the next step in my education pursuing a DVM where I will be able to impact the swine industry as a veterinarian in the future.

Q. What’s the greatest challenge for your generation?
A. I believe my generation will be facing many challenges within the swine industry which includes the lack of labor on farms, the lack of people turning towards agricultural jobs or returning to the farm, and the transition of the consumer choosing protein sources other than pork for their meals. I’ll focus on the third challenge the industry is facing, which I believe the National Pork Board is making great strides to begin to understand and address this point through their consumer segmentation study. Understanding the consumer and what they are looking for can better help us as an industry market our product.

Read More:
Meet the 2023 Real Pork Scholars

Shofner Uses Artificial Intelligence to Ensure Boar Semen Quality

Tue, 21 May 2024 16:19:11 GMT

Meet Ian Shofner, 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: 23
Education: Bachelor’s degree, Iowa State University’ Pursuing master’s degree, Iowa State University.
Hometown: Weyauwega, Wisc.

Q. How did you become interested in pursuing a career in the swine industry?
A. My dad is a dairy veterinarian and raised me with a strong emphasis on the importance of agriculture. I grew to love the swine industry through involvement in showing pigs and though swine industry internships.

Q. Describe any internship experiences you’ve had.
A. I had an undergraduate research internship with The Maschhoffs working in their various research farms. This gave me a broader perspective of how swine research can impact production in very real and meaningful ways.

Q. Describe any undergraduate research experiences you’ve had.
A. Back at Iowa State University, I started working in Dr. Karl Kerns’ lab working with male reproductive physiology. This helped tie together my understanding of academic research and its role in production and increasing global food security.

Q. Describe any other swine-related experiences you’ve had.
A. I grew up showing pigs in Wisconsin. I started at the county level and grew to the state, then the national level. Through this, I was introduced to commercial swine production and how I could have a career in it.

Q. Tell us about your current research.
A. I am currently working on next-generation boar sperm analysis, addressing the current shortcomings in sperm quality assessment. This endeavor is crucial as subpar analysis can lead to the use of inferior boar semen, adversely affecting reproductive efficacy and litter size. My work integrates artificial intelligence (AI) to discern micro-morphological variations in sperm cells. The aim is to develop a sophisticated, label-free semen analysis software, enhancing the capabilities of boar studs to conduct high throughput semen evaluations and ensure superior semen quality management.

Q. What is your generation’s greatest challenge?
A. I believe the greatest challenge for my generation will be, as with those before us, sustainability. In an era of expanding populations, it’s imperative to increase pork production while reducing inputs such as labor, water, energy and feed. This sustainable approach is crucial to balance the demands of a growing global populace with the finite resources of our planet.

Editor’s Note: Shofner is part of the National Pork Board’s Pork Scholars Program, intended to develop highly trained professionals who are dedicated to a career in the U.S. swine industry. The program includes a research component with a cooperating university, a practical on-farm experience with an industry cooperator and cross-training across more than one academic discipline (i.e. genetics and data science).

Read More:

A Quest to Improve Profitability for U.S. Pig Farmers

How One Student is Using Image Analysis to Increase the Genetic Potential of Pigs

Parity and Body Condition Score Drive Summer Fertility in Sows

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:13:06 GMT

By Mark Knauer, North Carolina State University

Depending on the dynamics of your production system, consistent weaned pig output can be a large economic driver. Seasonality in reproduction can impair our ability to maintain constant reproductive output. Sows that lactate during warm summer months may have poorer subsequent litter sizes and farrowing rates when compared with sows that lactate during non-summer months.

Past research suggests heat stress impacts subsequent farrowing rate more than subsequent litter size. Our team recently evaluated the impact of parity and prefarrow sow body condition in a hot environment on subsequent farrowing rates.

We collected data on 1,866 sows at a 3,600-sow commercial farm in eastern North Carolina from May to August 2021. The farm had a history of experiencing more seasonality in reproduction than the other farms within the production system. Traits recorded included the percentage of sows conceiving by seven days after weaning (includes sows culled for no heat), the percentage of sows farrowing a subsequent litter, sow caliper score prefarrow, sow caliper score at weaning and sow caliper lactation loss.

As you can see in Figure 1, as perhaps expected, first litter sows lost more body condition than multiparous sows as they are, on average, not able to consume as much lactation feed.

Figure 1. Impact of parity and prefarrow sow body condition score on lactation body condition loss during periods of heat stress. P1 = gilt litters; P2+ = multiparous sows; Sow caliper <12 = “thin”, 12 to 15 = “ideal”, >15 = fat; Sow caliper loss – a one-unit change is equivalent to 1/3 of a body condition score change (1 to 5 scale).

Again, as may be expected, Figure 2 shows first litter sows were less likely to conceive by seven days after weaning relative to multiparous sows. However, there was an interaction between parity and prefarrow sow body condition. First-litter females were more likely to conceive by seven days after weaning if they had more body condition prior to farrowing.

Similarly, Schenkel and fellow researchers reported in 2010 that heavier body condition in first-litter sows resulted in greater subsequent reproduction in a tropical region in Brazil. Yet, this was not the case for multiparous sows. Prefarrow sow body condition did not appear to greatly impact the percentage of sows conceiving by seven days after weaning in multiparous sows. Our findings in multiparous sows does not support the belief that greater lactation condition loss impairs subsequent reproduction. Further validation is needed.

Figure 2. Impact of parity and prefarrow body condition score on the % of sow conceiving within 7 days of weaning during periods of heat stress. P1 = gilt litters; P2+ = multiparous sows.

As you can see in Figure 3, a similar percentage of first-litter females ultimately farrowed a subsequent litter when compared to multiparous sows. But the first-litter females accumulated more costly nonproductive days in doing so. Within first parity females, there did appear to be a trend for lower herd retention for “thin” gilts.

In summary, this study suggests this commercial farm should farrow gilts that are just into the “fat” range on the Knauer sow caliper scale. In the U.S., gilts are commonly bred at this condition score if bred between 300 and 330 pounds. The participating farm likely needs to identify “thin” gilts in late gestation and adjust feeding levels accordingly. Going forward, our team will continue to evaluate ideal sow body condition in relation to productivity and profitability in modern genetic lines.

Figure 3. Impact of parity and prefarrow body condition score, during periods of heat stress, on the % of sows farrowing a subsequent litter. P1 = gilt litters; P2+ = multiparous sows.

References:

Bryan, M. R., C. E. Hostetler, and M. T. Knauer. 2013. Industry productivity analysis – Seasonality in sow farm traits. J. Anim. Sci. 91(Suppl. 2):94.

Knauer, M. T. and M. T. See. 2007 (Abstr.). Genetic relationships between swine maternal traits in different seasons. J. Anim. Sci. 85(Suppl. 2):19.

Knauer, M. T., and D. J. Baitinger. 2015. The sow body condition caliper. Appl. Eng. Agric. 31:175-178.

Schenkel, A. C., M. L. Bernardi, F. P. Bortolozzo, & I. Wentz. 2010. Body reserve mobilization during lactation in first parity sows and its effect on second litter size. Livestock Sci. 132: 165-172.

Read More:

Simple Solutions Are Often Best: Sow Caliper 3.0 Provides New Options

How Do Obesity and Heat Stress Affect Reproductive Health?

Thu, 14 Sep 2023 11:00:00 GMT

The impacts of obesity and heat stress on reproductive health will be the focus of a study at Iowa State University funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The research project will determine whether heat stress causes additive impacts on ovarian toxicity in lean and obese mice. It will investigate impacts from the compound known as DMBA a member of a chemical class found in smoke from wildfires and other types of burning organic matter, including cigarette and second-hand smoke.

The award provides $401,550 over the next year for the project, which will be led by Aileen Keating, professor of animal science and director of the Interdepartmental Toxicology Program at Iowa State. The funding will also support training for two early career scientists to assist with the research.

“The rationale is that many metabolic changes are similar between obese and heat stressed animals,” Keating said. “We have already learned that obesity sensitizes mammalian ovaries to damage, and we hypothesize that this vulnerability will be compounded in heat-stressed obese mice.”

Keating has a strong record of research documenting the effects of obesity, heat stress and toxicants on ovarian function in swine.

“We have determined that female pigs experiencing heat stress suffer seasonal infertility and have altered insulin levels, similar to diabetes in humans,” she said. “The pigs also tend to develop other health problems related to heat stress, including leaky gut.”

Keating’s previous research has also found obesity leads to a cascading set of health risks for mammals, including altering the ability to resist stress on the ovaries and impairing genetic structure in ways that reduce the ability to repair DNA damage from toxic exposures.

“Obesity and environmental stresses represent a variety of challenges for reproduction,” Keating said. “It’s important to understand better how these combine to multiply health risks, as they often do in the real world.”

The new project will contribute to National Institute of Health initiatives on climate-related health effects and health equity.

Keating hopes the study can provide insights to improve reproductive success for humans and production animals.

“This work is important nationally -- and globally,” Keating said. “It is especially relevant to firefighters and military personnel or others living in regions with high temperatures. It will also be of special interest to farmers who raise livestock in hot environments.”