Health Studies Proceeding at Fever Pitch
Genomics can have a major impact on the pork industry since it can help improve disease resilience. This will help pigs cope with disease, leading to a faster recovery. Serologic testing, the study of blood serum is also important in...
Move Over Multi-Vitamins and Supplements: Here Comes Carnosine
Carnosine is naturally made in the body, contains two amino acids and acts as an antioxidant. It can improve meat quality by reducing the effects of acidity in the muscles, but it can also reduce muscle fatigue and improve muscle...
Swine Health Research Just as the Doctor Ordered
Pig health is important in protecting the herd and the bottom line. Three threats to pigs include Brachyspira, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv). Brachyspira can be deadly and research is being done on its antibiotic resistnce...
Conestoga a Big Fan of Pig Cooling System
Since pigs do not have sweat glands, it can be hard for them to cool themselves down. This can be very dangerous to the pigs or even fatal, especially in transport. To help with this problem, ventilation systems and water...
When Wounds Talk, Researchers Listen
Carcass lesions can help tell how the pig was injured. Lesions are both an economic and welfare issue, as they impact the carcass quality and cause pain for the animal. Usually they occur when mixing unfamiliar pigs, often before slaughter....
PRRS Research Prompts Infectious Enthusiasm
A common swine disease in Canada is porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and it is a very expensive disease for the swine industry. It spreads in many ways, including through pigs, the air or fomites like equipment and clothing....
Research on Pig Health is Irresistible
Genomics may be able to improve disease resilience and sustainability in Canadian pork production. Animals who are more resilient to disease will recover faster, affecting production a lot less. Disease has a large impact on the economics of pork production,...
Genomics Lets Pork Industry Be Selective
A reference population of pigs were genotyped in order to determine traits of interest for producers. Once the genes of interest are identified, they can be selected for in the future so that the herd will include those traits. Traits...
Just Say No to Drug Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide concern since bacteria or viruses are evolving to be immune to antibiotic treatments. Using antibiotics needs to be significantly reduced, with livestock animals having more restricted access to them. In Canada, they can no longer...
African Swine Fever: The Heat is On
African Swine Fever poses a huge risk to the global pork sector, with it currently spreading throughout China and Europe. It will most likely arrive in North America as well so producers need to be prepared. Symptoms to look for...
African Swine Fever a Hot Topic in Banff
African Swine Fever is a contagious hemorrhagic disease that affects all ages of pigs with a very high mortality rate. It is currently spreading through Europe and China and is largely spread through human activity. This disease is an increasing...
Brachyspira 2.0: Novel Disease Needs Novel Approach
A novel species of Brachyspira was discovered that causes severe illness in pigs. Testing is being completed on different strains and how to treat them as some may be resistant to certain antibiotics. This testing has many benefits like the correct...
