Swine Extension

By Yuzhi Li, professor of swine behavior and welfare, University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center. The Challenge Organic pig producers face significant economic pressure from two key inputs: high-cost organic feed (primarily corn and soy) and expensive bedding materials (like wheat straw). The market for these inputs is often volatile, making long-term financial planning difficult. A newly completed study (Li et al., 2025) evaluated how integrating winter hybrid rye as a dual-purpose crop could reduce production costs, using the grain as a partial feed replacement and the straw for bedding. The Study at a Glance The two-year study was conducted on organic land at the University of Minnesota, where winter hybrid rye was grown for pig feed and bedding. A feeding trial compared a conventional organic system with an integrated hybrid rye system: Control System: Pigs were fed a standard organic corn-soybean meal diet and bedded with purchased organic wheat straw. Inte...

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Archer, C.A., Forster, S. L., Mote, B. E., Schmidt,T. B., Anderson, J., Johnston, L. J. & Li, Yuzhi . (2026). Understanding tail-biting in pigs: Effects of time of day, posture, and feeder occupancy . Journal of Animal Science, 103(9-10), Supplement 3, Abstract 217. Doi: DOI10.1093/jas/skaf300.011. Li, Y. Z ., Archer, C. A., Anderson, J., Schmidt, T. B., Mote, B. E., Johnston, L. J. (2025). Social network analysis of tail-biting behavior in growing-finishing pigs with intact tails . Journal of Animal Science, 103(8-9), Supplement 3, Abstract 2019. Doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf300.010. Wang, L., Moran, J., Yang, M. Y., Olson, B. A., Hogan, C. J., & Torremorell, M. (2025). Size distribution and viral RNA load of influenza virus-laden airborne particles emitted from pigs over the course of an H1N1 infection. Scientific Reports, 15(1), Article 33301. Doi:...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Written for submission to The LAND - as September 12, 2025 Swine & U column Memorial Day 2025 was going so well, it was a beautiful day of clear air, high clouds, and the distant hum of field work…. until we got that call that the baling tractor was on fire. Thankfully, someone knew where to find a fire extinguisher, and no one was hurt. The tractor driver had unhooked the baler and driven away from it, and, although the new baling tractor needed work under the hood, everyone was okay, and the operation resumed when a different tractor was hooked up. On Memorial Day Tuesday, new fire extinguishers were placed in every tractor and truck. In fact, even I, a small-town-dwelling civilian, have secured a fire extinguisher for MY truck. Field fires are a fear and a certainty when fall farm work begins, and the reasonably inexpensive insurance of a fire extinguisher on board can mean the difference between an incident and a tragedy. NAT...

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: 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 certification can be completed online in a self-paced course too. Your UMN Swine Extension Educators Sarah Schieck Boelke and Diane DeWitte can assist you in gaining ...

  Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Li, Y. Z. , Kavanagh, M., Lazarus, W. F. , Lima, G., Hilbrands, A. M., Wilson, M., Garcia, A. G. Y., Tallaksen, J., & Johnston, L. J. (2025). Evaluating the economic viability of growing winter hybrid rye to feed and bed organic pigs. Frontiers in Animal Science , 6. Doi: 10.3389/fanim.2025.1566483. Melini, C. M., Kikuti, M., Torremorell, M. , VanderWaal, K., Rossow, S., Torrison, J., & Corzo, C. A. (2025). Evaluation of the infectivity of three porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) variants. Veterinary Research , 56(1), Article Number 158. Doi: 10.1186/s13567-025-01591-z. Mena-Vasquez, J., Marco-Fuertes, A., Culhane, M. , & Torremorell, M. (2025). Emerging threats of HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in swine: knowledge gaps and the imperative for a One Health approach . Frontiers in Veterinary Science , 12, Article...