The excessive amount of ice and snow that has fallen this winter has livestock owners concerned about snow load and potential roof collapse. The design roof snow load for residential buildings in MN is set by state statutes and is 42 pounds per square foot (psf) in northern MN and 35 psf in southern MN. However, many agricultural buildings are built using a 20 psf snow load which would be expected to handle six feet of dry, fluffy snow or one foot of wet, heavy snow.
Evaluation of internal farm biosecurity measures combined with sow vaccination to prevent influenza A virus infection in groups of due-to-wean pigs
Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog November 29, 2022. Recently Montse Torremorell’s lab published a paper regarding the impact that internal biosecurity measures can have on influenza A infection in piglets when combined with sow vaccination. Methods Six Midwestern farrow-to-wean farms, positive for swine influenza. No vaccination in the six months prior. Five farms used biosecurity measures and whole herd vaccination. One served as control. Added internal biosecurity included stopping piglet movement after day 3 and no nurse sow and switching of equipment between litters for example. All sows and gilts received two IM injections of farm-specific autogenous influenza vaccine. Thirty udder wipes were collected for three weeks (90 udder wipes total), starting six weeks after the second vaccination. Environmental samples were collected each week as well. Results Following these interventions, four of the five treatment farms had significant reductions in Influenza A Virus (IAV