By Yuzhi Li, professor of swine behavior and welfare, University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center. The Challenge Organic pig producers face significant economic pressure from two key inputs: high-cost organic feed (primarily corn and soy) and expensive bedding materials (like wheat straw). The market for these inputs is often volatile, making long-term financial planning difficult. A newly completed study (Li et al., 2025) evaluated how integrating winter hybrid rye as a dual-purpose crop could reduce production costs, using the grain as a partial feed replacement and the straw for bedding. The Study at a Glance The two-year study was conducted on organic land at the University of Minnesota, where winter hybrid rye was grown for pig feed and bedding. A feeding trial compared a conventional organic system with an integrated hybrid rye system: Control System: Pigs were fed a standard organic corn-soybean meal diet and bedded with purchased organic wheat straw. Inte...
Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Archer, C.A., Forster, S. L., Mote, B. E., Schmidt,T. B., Anderson, J., Johnston, L. J. & Li, Yuzhi . (2026). Understanding tail-biting in pigs: Effects of time of day, posture, and feeder occupancy . Journal of Animal Science, 103(9-10), Supplement 3, Abstract 217. Doi: DOI10.1093/jas/skaf300.011. Li, Y. Z ., Archer, C. A., Anderson, J., Schmidt, T. B., Mote, B. E., Johnston, L. J. (2025). Social network analysis of tail-biting behavior in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails . Journal of Animal Science, 103(8-9), Supplement 3, Abstract 2019. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf300.010. Wang, L., Moran, J., Yang, M. Y., Olson, B. A., Hogan, C. J., & Torremorell, M. (2025). Size distribution and viral RNA load of influenza virus-laden airborne particles emitted from pigs over the course of an H1N1 infection. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 33301. Doi:...