Swine Extension

By Nancy Bohl Bormann, UMN Graduate research assistant; Melissa Wilson, Extension manure management specialist; and Erin Cortus, Extension engineer Why do we care about manure? Manure is an organic fertilizer that contains essential plant nutrients. However, it can be a variable product, making it a challenge to match plant nutrient needs to the amount of nutrients in the manure. Like commercial fertilizers, we also need to be aware of the risk of losing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and affecting water quality. Read more .

The UMN Extension swine team invites you to participate in their Needs Assessment survey. The results will help us better determine the educational needs of the pork industry in Minnesota. If you are involved in the pork industry in Minnesota, we want to hear from you! All Minnesota pig farmers (regardless of size or type of farm), owners, caretakers, contract growers and ag professionals are encouraged to participate. The survey is anonymous and can be completed online in 5 – 10 minutes at z.umn.edu/NeedsAssessmentSurvey . At completion, participants have the option to participate in a drawing for swine–related prizes.

The University of Minnesota Extension will host a free workshop focused on windbreaks for swine farmers in south central Minnesota. Other livestock producers are welcome to attend.  A windbreak that wraps around barn is a tried-and-true method for odor control. However, striking the right balance between function, productivity, and neighbor relations can be a delicate one. How can pig farmers plant a windbreak that will maximize its potential?  Join us on July 27, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Mapleton Community Center (304 2nd Ave NE, Mapleton, MN 56065) for “Windbreaks and Good Neighborship: Odor Control Resources for Pig Farmers”.  Topics will include tree selection, windbreak design (one vs. multiple rows), pest management/troubleshooting, and tips for effective neighbor communication.  The program is free, and lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is requested for accurate meal count. This can be done online at z.umn.edu/swinewindbreak or by contacting Shane Bugeja at sbugeja@umn.e

It is fair season in Minnesota, which means exhibitors and pigs are traveling to various county fairs across the state, jackpot shows and to the Minnesota State Fair. Also with the pork industry focused on keeping African Swine Fever (ASF) from entering the U.S., it is a good time to remind exhibitors about the importance of biosecurity as well as zoonotic diseases. The Pork Checkoff has several show pig resources . For last year's MN State Fair, Diane DeWitte and Sarah Schieck Boelke, both UMN swine Extension educators wrote fact sheets focusing on biosecurity in regards to ASF and PRRS . These fact sheets are still relevant. To remind exhibitors of zoonotic diseases, like influenza, the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH) is sharing the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for fair organizers and those exhibiting pigs at fairs. Influenza is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from people to pigs and pigs to people. Read about CDC’s g

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND as May 27/June 3, 2022 Swine & U column. Livestock and crop farmers are always being asked for their opinion, for information about their management practices, or a myriad of details about how they farm today. Four specific “asks” have come across my desk and computer screen lately, and each has important merit in the continuous improvement and protection of our swine industry. US-Swine Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) US-SHIP includes biosecurity, traceability and disease surveillance through a USDA Veterinary Services sponsored initiative with support from state and industry partners. US SHIP is modeled after the very successful National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) that has been in place since 1935. US SHIP is intended to provide a national program for certifying health status and is initially focused on African Swine Fever (ASF) and Classical Swine Fever (CSF). Minnesota has committed to participat

A team at the University of Minnesota is requesting your help in designing a new privately managed, early warning disease surveillance tool for swine producers. The concept is currently being tested in the early detection of African Swine Fever in regions where outbreaks are ongoing and uses information already being collected on the farm. In order to implement the tool here, we need to know the kind of information (not the data itself) that is being collected on Minnesota farms and the IT platforms being used to analyze it. We hope you or one of your farm managers might be willing to share that information with us by completing this short questionnaire. It should only take about 15 minutes, and the information will remain confidential. Click here to take the survey: https://bit.ly/UMN_PEDWS You have no responsibility to participate beyond taking this survey, but the team will eventually be looking for producers willing to calculate weekly surveillance scores on their sites and may of

Join us for the 2022 Allen D. Leman Conference on September 17-20. Details are posted on the conference website . Registration is open on the conference website . Leman Conference will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. See Location and Accommodations for lodging information. Depending on hotel, room blocks end either August 19 or 26 so make hotel reservations prior to those dates. Leman Conference is presented by College of Veterinary Medicine and University of Minnesota Extension.

PQA+ Advisors are the folks who work directly with producers to educate them on the PQA+ program and will help producers obtain PQA+ certification and PQA+ site status at their respective production sites.  A PQA+ Advisor training is planned for NEW advisors or those that let their PQA+ Advisor status lapse for: July 26 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., AmericInn, 1406 E Lyon St., Marshall, MN. Register here .  These PQA+ Advisor training session are for NEW advisors or those PQA+ Advisors that let their status lapse and are unable to renew online.  Individuals wishing to attend the training session must meet the qualifications to become a Certified PQA+ Advisor.  Qualifications include: Be a veterinarian, Extension specialist, or ag educator (for the purposes of PQA Plus, the definition of an ag educator is a person who spends full time in adult education or at least 50% time in production training) Have a D.V.M. or B.S. in Animal Science (or equivalent) Have two years of recent documentable swine

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Hammers,K. L., Jasper, J., Kern, S., Johnston, L. J. , Knott, J. S., & Boerboom, M. J. (2022). Effect of a Supplemental Water Source on Growth Performance of Finishing Pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 100(Suppl 2), Abstr PSII-12, 138-139. Hammers, K. L., Law, K., Gomez, A., Urriola, P. E., & Johnston, L. J. (2022). Effect of Water Delivery System on Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs. Journal of Animal Science, 100(Suppl 2), Abstr 107, 48. Hammers, K. L., Urriola, P. E. , Schwartz, M., Ryu, M. S., Gomez, A., Johnston, L. J. (2022). Timing of Dietary Zinc Additions During Gestation for Improved Piglet Survival. Journal of Animal Science, 100(Suppl 2) Abstr 122, 56-57. Lopez-Moreno, G, Davies, P. , Yang, M., Culhane, M. R., Corzo, C. A. , Li, C., Rendahl, A., & Torremorell, M. (2022) Evidence of influenza A infection and risk of transmission

  In the podcast Swine Extension Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with current University of Minnesota graduate student Edward Yang about his Ph.D. research. Edward’s Ph.D. research is looking at how feeding programs can affect the sustainability of pork production. Listen to the podcast: z.umn.edu/PodcastEpisode30  (recorded July 1, 2022) Learn more about research featured in the podcast Published in Journal of Animal Science , Volume 100, Supplement 2, Abstract 72 Published in Journal of Animal Science , Volume 100, Supplement 2, Abstract 264