Swine Extension

Sarah Schieck, UMN Swine Extension Educator talks to graduate student Julia Holen about her undergraduate research on the effects of dietary zinc source and concentration on performance of growing-finishing pigs reared with reduced floor space. Listen to the podcast (recorded December 13, 2017)

One of the main foci of swine research at the WCROC is to provide producers with research-based information for making decisions on their own farms. Two of our more recent projects were highlighted in the National Hog Farmer magazine; one on making the conversion from individual gestation stalls to group housing for pregnant sows ( pg 5-6 ), and the other on energy consumption in swine production systems ( pg 18-19 ). National Hog Farmer .

Influenza continues to plague swine herds across the state and elsewhere in the industry. Included in a National Hog Farmer research review ( pg. 34 ) University of Minnesota's Veterinary Population Medicine shares results from a five-year study showing that influenza had a cyclical pattern explained in part by air absolute humidity and temperature changes over time.

Don't have a lot of time to attend a seminar or conference, but are still interested in staying current with new research and management techniques in the pork industry? PorkBridge and SowBridge programs allow owners, managers and employees to increase their knowledge and skills without needing to leave the comfort of their home or farm office. Both programs are distant education programs combining a presentation viewed on a computer with live presentations delivered by teleconference from topic experts at a scheduled time or via a recording if unable to participate during scheduled time. The difference in the two programs is the audience they are aimed at.

Be sure to visit the University of Minnesota's swine group booth at MN Pork Congress January 16 & 17. MN Pork Congress is an annual event sponsored by the Minnesota Pork Producers Association and held at the Minneapolis Convention Center. A number of seminars are held throughout the 2-day event. Additionally, while at MN Pork Congress, stop by the U of MN booth to visit with individuals from the University of Minnesota swine group about current research and other swine related happenings at the college. Contact the MN Pork Producers Association for more information about attending MN Pork Congress at (507) 345-8814 or mnpork@mnpork.com .

Join fellow CFANS (College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences) alumni and friends for the annual Alumni Social at MN Pork Congress on Tuesday, January 16th from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity to reconnect with your former classmates and network with CFANS folks in the industry you may have never met. Stop by, try some meat and cheese from CFANS's Meat Lab and Dairy Store, and spend time with friends new and old. Be sure to join the Facebook event . Details of the social can be found on the CFANS Alumni website . Be sure to RSVP ( https://z.umn.edu/porkrsvp ) if you are able to make it.

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension Team who have had their work published recently. Harris, E. K.; M. A. Mellencamp; L. J. Johnston; R. B. Cox; G. C. Shurson. 2018. Effectiveness of different corn dried distillers grains with solubles feeding strategies and increasing the time intervals between the second Improvest dose and slaughter of immunologically castrated pigs on belly and pork fat quality. Meat Sci. 135:62-73. doi. 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.08.025

Episode 3: Effects of dietary zinc source and concentration on performance of growing-finishing pigs reared with reduced floor space is now available on our UMN Swine Extension Podcasts channel. In this episode Sarah Schieck, UMN Swine Extension Educator talks to Julia Holen, a Masters graduate student about her undergraduate research on effects of dietary zinc source on performance of growing-finishing pigs raised with reduced floor space. Two ways to listen: Open in iTunes to download and subscribe - search for UMN Swine Extension Podcast Search "UMN Swine Extension Podcast" on your "Podcast" app on your mobile device and subscribe.  New to podcasting? Find Answers to your questions.

You're invited to University of Minnesota Extension's Women in Ag Network 3rd Annual Conference on February 15, 2018. Our theme this year is Overcoming Adversity, and we have planned a dynamic day with great speakers and breakout sessions focused on timely agricultural topics. When: February 15, 2018 - Registration at 8:45 a.m.; Conference from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Where: Holiday Inn & Suites, 75 37th Avenue South, St. Cloud, MN 56301 Cost: $50 early bird rate if register by February 1, 2018. Rate goes up to $65 after February 1. Students receive special student rate of $20 Register: z.umn.edu/WAGN-2018Conference

Author: Rick Koelsch, University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Funding support is from North Central Region Water Network ( http://northcentralwater.org ) Manure has value. That value may result from improvements in soil quality, increases in yield, and replacement of commercial nutrient required for crop production. Previous articles on manure's value have focused on its soil health, environmental benefits, and tools for estimating manure's value. This article will focus on the economic benefits of manure. Continue reading.