Swine Extension

Episode 45: Discussion about H5 Influenza is now available on our Minnesota Swine & U podcast channel. In the podcast, Swine Extension Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with Dr. Marie Culhane about H5 Influenza. Especially concerning cases in poultry and dairy, and the risk of it for pigs. Dr. Culhane is a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. Her expertise is in influenza as it relates to food animals. Listen to the podcast https://z.umn.edu/Episode45Podcast (~27 Minutes; recorded April 22, 2025) Extra H5 Influenza information that was mentioned in the podcast This podcast was based on a Swine in Minnesota blog post, "H5 Influenza Q & A with Drs. Marie Culhane and Carol Cardona" Journal article talks about how susceptible pigs are to influenza . Journal article explains how pigs are a mixing vessel for influenza viruses. Minnesota Board of Animal Health H5N1 in Livestock Resources Minnesota Board of An...

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog May 2, 2025 Key points: Clinical re-breaks of PRRSV on sow farms are a frustrating reality for producers and practitioners and occur despite consistent use of modified live vaccines (MLV). 13 re-break events on 12 farms were identified from production and diagnostic data and were analyzed at the whole genome level. Numerous amino acid sites on structural proteins were observed to change frequently between the primary and secondary outbreaks. This includes sites previously associated with escape from serum neutralization or to be positively selected, and sites known to be accessible to antibodies. Read the full article on the Swine in Minnesota blog .

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as March 14 , 2025 Swine & U column Much of UMN Extension’s swine work involves disease preparedness. Not only are foreign animal diseases (FAD) a threat, but the endemic seasonal diseases faced by pig farmers every day require mitigation efforts.   The three FADs that swine producers prepare to NOT get are African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), formerly known as hog cholera and eradicated in the US in 1978, and Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD), which was also eradicated in the US in 1929. FMD can also infect cattle, sheep, goats, deer and more. Typical prevention education includes assisting producers in creating an enhanced biosecurity plan through the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) process. Nationally, SPS provides a common template of farm map creation, identification of a biosecurity lead person on the farm, enhanced plans for feed and other deliveries, mortality disposal, employe...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as April 25, 2025 Swine & U column Minnesota is typically considered an outdoor recreation, hunting-and-fishing state, the motherland to six outstanding professional sports teams, and home of the Mall of America. However, nestled within Minnesota’s rural communities are nearly 9 million hogs and hundreds of well-trained professionals who grow them. According to the 2022 Ag Census, Minnesota ranks 2nd in the U.S. in inventory of hogs & pigs, and in number of hogs & pigs sold (28.5 million). That number translates to $4.7 billion in sales, up 31% since the 2017 US Ag Census. Across the country, Americans are challenged to evaluate their health habits and assess their diets. While it’s important to consider the quality, quantity and nutritional value of food that we consume, I have been concerned about health experts who generously toss around terms like “toxins” and “poison”, and the phrases ...

Funding is still available through the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services and NPB to equip swine exhibition sites, cull sow market stations and processing facilities with RFID tag reader equipment. This program helps improve traceability and supports the transition to RFID tags. Swine exhibition sites can apply for handheld RFID readers, while cull sow market stations and processing facilities may receive both panel and handheld readers (up to five panel readers and four handhelds per site) with a valid premises identification number (PIN). Funding is available through September 14. Contact Dr. Brent Pepin , NPB director of swine health for more details.

Sign up for the new Minnesota Agritourism Quarterly Newsletter to stay connected with farm-based tourism efforts across the state. The newsletter includes best practices, regulatory updates, marketing tips, success stories and news from statewide partners and programs. ~ Freya Thurmer, Extension Educator, multi-county agritourism

The self-paced beginning livestock production course will cover the animal science and husbandry topics of nutrition, housing and facilities, health, and handling with information specific to beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and swine. The course will help beginning livestock producers decide which livestock species fits their system and goals. Participants will use this information to plan for the essential facilities, supplies and skills necessary to successfully raise livestock. Participants can ask questions during bi-weekly office hours with the instructor. The course will take about 8-10 hours to complete. Date/time: Course opens May 12 with enrollment any time on/after May 12. Participants would have access through December 13. Delivery: Online self-paced course Cost: $50 Registration: Register online

PQA version 6 is set to launch this coming June. With that, all current PQA Advisors need to recertify in version 6 to maintain their PQA Advisor status by August 31 (regardless of when certified in version 5). Emails granting online recertification access have been sent from the National Pork Board. If you didn’t get that email, let one of your Minnesota PQA+ Trainers know. Trainers:  Sarah Schieck Boelke , Diane DeWitte , or Lee Johnston .

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. Two PQA+ Advisor training dates are planned for NEW advisors or those who let their PQA+ Advisor status lapse: September 9 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Minnesota Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Ct. Ste. 810, Mankato, MN. Complete and submit the application by September 2. November 18 - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Minnesota Pork Board Office, 151 Saint Andrews Ct. Ste. 810, Mankato, MN. Complete and submit the application by November 11. Contact Diane DeWitte ( stouf002@umn.edu ) or Sarah Schieck Boelke ( schi0466@umn.edu ) for a PQA+ Advisor application. Applications can also be found on MN Pork’s website . Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the link to the application. Individuals wishing to attend the training session must meet the qualifications to become a Certified PQA+ Advisor. Be a v...

A few in-person Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) and Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) certification sessions are scheduled for 2025. The sessions include the following dates and locations: June 10 : Le Center, MN - Le Sueur County Fairgrounds 4-H Building, 320 S Plut Ave July 15 : Olivia, MN - Renville County Government Center, 105 S 5th Street Nov. 11 : Mankato, MN - Minnesota Pork Office, 151 Saint Andrews Court, Suite 810PQA+ certification is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and TQA from 1 to 4 p.m. at all locations unless noted otherwise. If you need to renew your PQA+ or TQA certification and a date listed above does not accommodate your schedule, or if your farm has a large group of employees needing certification, please contact Colleen Carey at the Minnesota Pork Board office at 507-345-8814 or colleen@mnpork.com to schedule an alternative time for training. University of Minnesota Extension provides classes in partnership with the Minnesota Pork Board. PQA+ and TQA certificat...

Farming can be a stressful occupation. 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 Free, confidential, 24/7. If you or someone you know is struggling with stress, anxiety, or depression, reach out to the Minnesota Farm and Rural helpline. Trained counselors answer calls, and sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone you don’t know. And if you are experiencing business, financial, or legal problems, they can connect you to that kind of help. 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 of...

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Blaha, T., Shurson, G. , & Grabkowsky, B. (2025). The need to transform intensive livestock production toward sustainability and animal well-being. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Early Access Article. Doi: 10.1007/s00003-025-01556-6 Garrido-Mantilla, J., Sanhueza, J., Alvarez, J., Pittman, J. S., Davies, P., Torremorell, M. , & Culhane, M. R. (2025). Reduction of Influenza A Virus Prevalence in Pigs at Weaning After Using Custom-Made Influenza Vaccines in the Breeding Herds of an Integrated Swine Farm System. Viruses-Basel. 17(2). Doi: 10.3390/v17020240. Meneguzzi, M., Bravo, J., Boucher, C., Torremorell, M. , & Noyes, N. (2025). Exploring Viral Co-infections Using the TELSVirus Workflow. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal. 60(1) Supplement S, Abstract A-6. Palowski, A., Balestreri, C., Urriola, P. E. ,...

May May 28: SowBridge program - “Iron status of sows: Impacts on farrowing duration.” June June 4-5: World Pork Expo , Des Moines, IA June 10: PQA+ & TQA certification, LeCenter, MN July July 2: SowBridge program - “How to manage gilts not cycling.” July 15: PQA+ & TQA certification, Olivia, MN August Aug 6: SowBridge program Aug 21 - 24: 4-H Livestock Encampment at the Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN Aug 25 - 28: Open Class Swine Show at the Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN September Sept. 3: SowBridge program Sept. 17 - 18: Minnesota Nutrition Conference , Mankato, MN Sept. 20 - 23: Alan D. Leman Conference , St. Paul, MN