Swine Extension

By Yuzhi Li, UMN Associate Professor, Swine Behavior and Welfare Understanding tail-biting behavior in swine herds involves both the tail biters (pigs that bite and cause tail damage to other pigs) and victimized pigs (pigs with tail damage caused by biting). A current research project here at the WCROC is utilizing a computerized livestock monitoring system to further analyze behavior with the hopes of identifying early tail biters as well as to understand why a pig becomes a tail biter. Continue reading.

Join us for the 2022 Allen D. Leman Conference on September 17-20. Details are posted on the conference website . Five concurrent tracks are planned on the first day of the conference. Breakout session topics include fine-tuning Mycoplasma control and eradication, sow livability, chemical mitigation in feed, actionable monitoring of African Swine Fever, PRRS, post-weaning diarrhea, practical vaccinology, the emerging science of swine worker microbiome, and helping labor with innovation and community programs. Register on the conference website . The Leman Conference will be held at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. See Location and Accommodations for lodging information. The Leman Conference is presented by College of Veterinary Medicine and University of Minnesota Extension.

By Emily Krekelberg, Extension farm safety and health educator Nonfatal injuries, including both lost-time and no lost-time accidents, occur to about a third of the farm population annually. It has been estimated that 80% of farm accidents result from carelessness or failure to deal with hazards safely. Many accidents are avoidable, and having a culture of safety can help you avoid them on your farm. Continue reading.

Fall manure application is quickly approaching. Chryseis Modderman, Extension manure management educator and Melissa Wilson, Extension manure management specialist provide some reminders on best practices for manure applications and avoiding nutrient loss. Read the blog post on the Minnesota Crop News blog.

By Jerry Shurson, UMN Swine Nutrition Professor, Department of Animal Science Originally printed in The LAND - as July 8/July 15, 2022 Swine & U column Much has changed over the last 20 years in the choices of feed ingredients available and the way swine diets are formulated. One of the most significant changes is the use of corn-derived dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) in diets for all phases of pork production. In 1998, when the US ethanol industry was in its infancy, about 1.3 million metric tons (mt) of DDGS were produced, and only about 52, 000 mt (4%) were fed to swine. Today more than 37 million mt of DDGS are produced, of which more than 5 million mt (14%) are being fed to swine domestically and another 13 million mt (35%) are being exported for use primarily in swine and poultry diets in Asia and Latin America. This dramatic increase in DDGS use in swine diets has occurred for three reasons: Existence of an abundant supply of DDGS in major US pork producti

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND as August 5, 2022 Swine & U column Partnership in Renewable Energy Storage For over twenty years, the University of Minnesota Morris and University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) have been working to advance clean energy solutions in west-central Minnesota. In 2005, UMN WCROC installed the first industrial-scale wind turbine at a public university in the United States. In 2011, UMN Morris installed a second wind turbine. During the past decade, both University of Minnesota campuses have advanced research and demonstration projects. UMN WCROC built a globally-unique wind-to-hydrogen-to-ammonia platform, turning wind and water into fertilizer. UMN Morris demonstrated biomass gasification. And, both campuses built solar PV and solar thermal projects. For many years now, UMN Morris and UMN WCROC, have explored the potential of energy storage in rural Minnesota. In May, 2022, pa

Farming can be a stressful occupation. As we move into harvest it is important for farmers to take care of themselves and their families. Minnesota has numerous resources to help with those coping with farm and rural stress. Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline Phone: 833-600-2670 for a 24/7 confidential and free chat with trained staff and volunteers Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211 Email: farmstress@state.mn.us Minnesota also has two Rural Mental Health Counselors who work with farmers throughout Minnesota. No cost and no paperwork! Ted Matthews: 320-266-2390 Monica McConkey: 218-280-7785 The University of Minnesota Extension’s farm and rural stress programs offer resources for those dealing with farming’s current challenges and struggles.

Upcoming Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) certification sessions include the following dates and locations: September 13 - Worthington, MN - Nobles County Government Center, Farmers Room, 315 10th St. November 1 - Mankato, MN - MN Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810 December 8 - Stewartville, MN - American Legion Post 164, 1100 2nd Ave. NW PQA+ certification is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and TQA from 1 to 4 p.m. at all locations unless noted otherwise. Information for all PQA+ and TQA certification sessions scheduled for 2022 can be found on UMN Extension webpage under courses and events and searching for ‘PQA’ or ‘TQA’. Information can also be found on MN Pork Board's website ( www.mnpork.com ). Pre-registration is required by contacting Colleen at Minnesota Pork Board at colleen@mnpork.com or call 1-800-537-7675. PQA+ and TQA certification can be completed online in a self-paced course too. Your UMN Swine Exte

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Anderson, K. N., Deen, J. , Karczewski, J., Zhitnitskiy, P. E., & Vogel, K. D. (2022). History and best practices of captive bolt euthanasia of swine. Translational Animal Science, 6(2). doi:10.1093/tas/txac065. De Paula, V. R. C., Milani, N. C., Azevedo, C. P. F., Sedano, A. A., De Souza, L. J., Shurson, G. C. , & Ruiz, U. D. (2022). Comparison of chemical composition, energy content, and digestibility of different sources of distillers corn oil and soybean oil for pigs. Revista Brasileira De Zootecnia-Brasilian Journal of Animal Science , 51, e20210115. Doi: 10.37496/rbz5120210115. Dou, Z. X., Toth, J. D., Pitta, D. W., Bender, J. S., Hennessy, M. L., Vecchiarelli, B., Indugu, N., Chen, T., Li, Y. Y., Sherman, R., Deutsch, J., Hu, B., Shurson, G. C. Parsons, B., & Baker, L. D. (2022). Proof of concept for developing novel feeds for catt

In the podcast Swine Extension Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with Erin Cortus, University of Minnesota Extension engineer about environmental sustainability initiatives in the swine industry and elsewhere in agriculture. Erin helps explain the science and communication related to environmental sustainability initiatives. Listen to the podcast: z.umn.edu/PodcastEpisode31   (recorded August 19, 2022)