Seek and you shall find; The value of postmortem, in pigs?
Why should we do post-mortem examinations in pigs? That’s the question Jeff Bergermann, Veterinary Services Manager at Zoetis Canada, posed at the start of his presentation to participants of the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. It’s a good idea to do post-mortem examinations when you see changes in...
by
Ken Engele
P1 development strategies for peak performance
Kendall Weger, Technical Services Specialist at PIC, presented a lot of great data and tips around P1 development in her presentation at the PSC Producer Meetings. A sustainable P1 development program should consist of three important areas, including selection intensity, gilt eligibility at first mating...
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Ken Engele
Moving forward with improved sow housing: Current progress and prospects
Jen-Yun Chou, the new ethology and welfare research scientist at Prairie Swine Centre, introduced herself to the crowd at the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. She gave an overview of her previous research focus and travels through the pig world, including research on sow housing and environmental...
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Ken Engele
Insights into mycotoxins in swine diets
Mycotoxins are regularly found in ingredients used in swine diets and the issue seems to be getting worse. That’s why Dan Columbus, nutrition researcher at Prairie Swine Centre, presented some insights into mycotoxins in swine diets at the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. With the high prevalence...
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Ken Engele
Advancing swine welfare practices to empower your industry: What the Chair in Swine Welfare is doing for you
Martyna Lagoda, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Saskatchewan working for the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Swine Welfare under the supervision of Yolande Seddon, gave an update at the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings on the research results and tools developed by the Chair...
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Ken Engele
Advances in nutrition for improved pig health
Dan Columbus, nutrition researcher at Prairie Swine Centre, presented his work regarding advances in nutrition for pig health at the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. Nutrient requirements for development and immune response will be different from those for growth performance. In his research, Dan focused on...
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Ken Engele
A Survey of Best Management Practices of Swine Farms Across Canada – Part 2
This article will continue to focus on the adoption of best management practices; and how we are doing as an industry. Two projects funded by Swine Innovation Porc and carried out by Prairie Swine Centre (PSC) and Centre de développement du porc du Québec (CDPQ)...
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Ken Engele
When should we feed sows in farrowing?
There is evidence in cattle and ewes that feeding at night increases the incidence of calving during the day. In commercial farms, sows are typically fed during daytime hours, with a high percentage of farrowing events occurring unassisted overnight. The objective of this study was...
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Ken Engele
Amino acids as functional nutrients for pig health
The term ‘functional amino acids’ has been used to describe those amino acids supplemented in the diet for their roles beyond those for protein synthesis (i.e., lean gain). In the context of health, these include amino acids with significant roles in gastrointestinal health (e.g., barrier...
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Ken Engele
Know the temperature requirements of your pigs
Temperature requirements for pigs depend on many factors such as air temperature, air movement, humidity, flooring material, bedding/dryness (of the floor), age and size of the pigs, group size, feed type and intake level, and health status. The aim of temperature control in the barn...
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Ken Engele