Swine Extension

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) costs the US swine industry more than $580 million each year. First described in North Carolina, Iowa and Minnesota in the late 1980s, the virus rapidly spreads through swine barns and is one of the industry's biggest game changers. Additionally, pigs infected with virulent strains exhales aerosols containing a large quantity of the virus. Today, researchers in the Veterinary Diagnostic Lab at the CVM are looking to apply research they are doing on decontaminating foods in collaboration with the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) to swine barn air filtration in an effort to further promote swine health and safety in the food industry at large. Continue reading .

By Dr. Jerry Shurson, University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science © 2018 Feedstuffs. Reprinted with permission from Vol. 90, No. 12, December 3, 2018 The fatty acid composition of dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) is important for several reasons, including its contribution to metabolizable and net energy content, effects on pork fat firmness in growing/ finishing pigs and susceptibility to lipid oxidation during production, transport and storage. As shown in Table 1, the major fatty acids present in DDGS corn oil are linoleic acid (54%), oleic acid (26%) and palmitic acid (14%). Linoleic and oleic acids are unsaturated fatty acids that contribute to the high-energy content of DDGS but also cause the oil in DDGS to be susceptible to oxidation. Linoleic acid is the primary contributor to soft pork fat when feeding DDGS to growing/finishing pigs. The fatty acid profile does not appreciably differ between high-oil (greater than 10% crude fat) and reduced-oil (les

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 a 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 February 5 - 6. 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. The Biosecure Entry Education Trailer (BEET) unit will be on display. Stop by to see how it can be utilized to educate employees and others about biosecurity. Contact the MN Pork Producers Association for more information about attending MN Pork Congress at (507) 345-8814 or mnpork@mnpork.com .

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension Team who have had their work published recently. Baidoo, S. K. , Yang, X., Pangeni, D. P., Manu, H., Huang, Q., & Wu, S. (2018). Replacement of Zinc Oxide with Encapsulated Zinc Oxide on Growth Performance in Early-Weaned Pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 96, 121(Abstract).

By Diane DeWitte, Swine Extension Educator Originally printed in The Land - December 14/December 21, 2018 Winter has arrived and with it some particular disease concerns, both in the pig barn and with the caretakers. In swine, the "Big Four" diseases are PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome), Mycoplasma pneumonia, Porcine Circovirus (PCV) and Swine Influenza Virus (SIV). Swine Influenza Virus can be simply referred to as the flu, but there's nothing simple about it in the herd.

Additional Secure Pork Supply (SPS) workshops have been scheduled by UMN Swine Swine Extension in January.  University of Minnesota Extension’s swine team is continuing to collaborating with Dr. Dave Wright, Minnesota’s SPS coordinator appointed by the MN Board of Animal Health, to provide swine producers the opportunity to create their farm’s SPS plan.   Additional workshops will be held at these dates and sites: Tuesday, January 8, 2019, 1:00—4:00 p.m. -  Renville County Government Center, Room 117, Olivia MN Wednesday, January 9, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon -  SMSU Conference Center Room 211, 310 Welfald Drive, Marshall, MN Monday, January 14, 2019, 1:00-4:00 p.m. -  Pine Country Bank, 750 County Road 21, Rice, MN Tuesday, January 29, 2019, 1:00-4:00 p.m. -  West Central Research & Outreach Center, AgCountry Auditorium, 46352 State Hwy, Morris, MN Click  HERE  for a printable brochure. Participants are asked to bring a personal or farm laptop, copies of the farm

By Cesar A. Corzo, Associate Professor and Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota The article was originally printed in The LAND - November 16/November 23, 2018. Infectious diseases of swine continue to be a major challenge for pig producers and swine veterinarians around the world. Diseases become profit robbers due to poor performance and high mortality, something that every producer wants to avoid in their farms. Besides the economic impact, there is also a psychological impact in that disease outbreaks generate frustration and lower morale, which together have an indirect impact on future performance. Thanks to intense research, disease behavior, specifically, how pathogens like viruses or bacteria transmit, has been understood. This knowledge has allowed researchers and swine veterinarians to develop measures and protocols to avoid transmission and keep animals healthy. In simple terms, the group of these me

Sarah Schieck, UMN Swine Extension Educator talks to University of Minnesota Animal Science  Graduate Student, Kirsten Sharpe about research she conducted to measure  electrical and thermal energy consumption in midwest commercial swine barns .    Research highlighted in this podcast was funded through a Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) grant. Listen to the podcast:   z.umn.edu/PodcastEpisode9   recorded December 20, 2018 Subscribe On iTunes Or through your favorite podcast app by searching UMN Extension Swine Learn More About Research Featured in Podcast Presented at Farm Energy Conference June 14, 2017 ( YouTube  and PowerPoint ) Energy Systems for Swine Production on West Central Research & Outreach Center's website Article published in National Hog Farmer December 27, 2017 Published in Applied Engineering in Agriculture   Presented at  Swine Energy Management Seminar  November 15, 2018, in Fairmont, MN.