Sow Management
Explore the latest news, research and practical resources pork producers need to optimize sow herd health, productivity and longevity. Stay informed on effective management strategies ranging from nutrition and reproductive performance to farrowing care and housing regulations.
From undercover videos to legislative battles like Prop 12, the debate over sow housing has evolved into a strategic campaign to control how farmers operate.
Iowa State University’s new predictive model helps pork producers transition from reacting to nursery losses to anticipating them, allowing veterinary and labor resources to be deployed where they are needed most.
Learn how to calculate and compare the true value of your current sows against prospective replacement gilts to make smarter, timely culling decisions.
While feed mitigants offer a vital shield against PRRSv, validating their presence and mixing consistency at the mill is crucial to ensuring true biosecurity on sow farms.
From encouraging daily movement to fine-tuning feed-to-water ratios, simple management tweaks can unlock a lactating sow’s full reproductive potential.
New management strategies go beyond the basics to improve lactation and sow productivity.
While modern sow productivity has skyrocketed, standard nutritional guidelines haven’t kept pace—but new research reveals that targeted prefarrow supplementation can bridge the gap and dramatically improve sow survival rates.
How this farrowing production manager invests himself to grow elite caretakers and high-performance sows at Schwartz Farms.
It takes very little contamination to cause a lot of harm, making mycotoxins an invisible threat to pig health.
Paying attention to early-life hoof integrity can prevent premature culls, boost lifetime pigs weaned, and unlock your herd’s true genetic potential.
Managing temperatures for gestating sows and finishing pigs is critical for preserving lifetime performance, muscle development and long-term industry productivity.
By utilizing the top 1% of genetic performers, artificial insemination allows farmers to increase food production while optimizing resource management and reducing their footprint.
As new PRRS strains challenge even the most remote operations, a landmark 16-year study proves that air filtration is a critical tool to reduce disease risk and protect herd productivity.
Register now for NC State’s Innovation Forum and prepare for a deep dive into health and production at Iowa State’s McKean Swine Disease Conference and Iowa Swine Day.
Sow and piglet mortality are the toughest opponents facing the pork industry today. Mark Knauer applies the same “grind” mentality he used as a Division I wrestler to “takedown” this crisis.
Genetic selection is a viable tool for reducing incidence of pelvic organ prolapse, but research shows body condition score and perineal score need to be part of the solution.
Tackling rotaviral challenges is shifting away from simply treating an outbreak, to more aggressive preventive measures today.
Eight years ago, the pork industry took a hard look at mortality in all phases of production, realizing that 35% of pigs born in the U.S. never enter the human food chain. Here’s a look at how the industry is improving livability today.
Tags are shipped directly from Merck Animal Health to your premises with no middle steps, ultimately expediting getting tags into producers’ hands and pigs’ ears.
As more breeding herds shift to housing sows in groups, the need for validating practical and cost-effective disease surveillance protocols in this population is greater than ever. A recent Iowa State University study offers best practices.
A new index, built upon data from more than 30,000 sows across global herds, is designed to prove a correlation between claw lesions and sow productivity. Zinpro says the index allows producers to catch issues early before they impact pig performance.
Rachel Kontz set out to evaluate how two common industry practices interact and affect disease management and biosecurity.
Erin Brenneman says there’s something the industry needs to talk about — the critical importance of individualized day-one care during farrowing.
Although entering the pen to verify colostrum production may seem time-consuming or disruptive, a recent study shows this step can significantly impact piglet survival and sow utilization.
The U.S. pork industry continues to find ways to improve pig livability. The newly released Production Analysis Summary for U.S. Pork Industry: 2020-2024 shows improvements made and progress needed.
Research shows oxytocin can be a tool to increase the proportion of piglets achieving adequate immunity within the critical first hours of life.
A welfare-conscious system for delivering feedback material to group-housed sows provided 51% exposure within two hours in a new study.