Microbiome Talk Offers Lots to Digest
The gut microbiome has implications for both pig and human health. Microbes form communities in the gut, with different behaviours noted when in the community or isolated. A more diverse gut microbiome leads to a more robust ecosystem of microbes....
Handled with Care: Research Targets Pig Comfort
Economics often limit the amount of comfort pigs have access to. Space allowance is a big issue for pigs since performance and behaviour are largely affected when there is not enough. Often nursery pigs are given less room due to...
Phase Feeding Research Offers Food for Thought
Parity-segregated phase feeding is an option to help reduce feed costs by reducing overfeeding of gestating sows while ensuring their energy and amino acid needs are met. Sows each have different nutritional needs during gestation and parity, so two separate...
Science Eyes Success with High-Tech Imagery
High-tech imaging may have a huge impact in many areas of the pork industry. This includes assessing carcass and meat quality along with providing information on live animals. The current method for assessing pork quality is very subjective and is...
On the Road Again: Health Research Targets Transport
Transportation is one of the major biosecurity risks for spreading swine diseases. Proper truck washing is time-consuming, expensive and still not completely thorough enough to eradicate disease. A high pressure hydrovac system may be more efficient in washing thoroughly. Dry...
Finisher Nutrition a Growth Industry
Grower-finisher pigs need to be fed well to ensure success, but with feed costs increasing different options for ingredients are needed. Pulse crops are an option since they are grown in abundance in Western Canada. This includes field peas, faba...
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...
Pork Industry has Appetite for Feed Options
The greatest cost of pig production is feed, which is up to 70% of the total expenses. Prices for feed ingredients are continuing to rise so alternative feed sources or co-products are being investigated to help lower these costs. Pigs...
Pork Belly Technology that’s Made to Measure
Measuring pork quality is still carried out using time-consuming, manual and subjective methods. Ribless belly is measured through picking it up and assessing how soft or firm it is. If a new technology was created to do this objectively, workers...
Can Micro-Nutrients make a Macro Difference for Piglets?
As litter size increases, birth weight and litter weight are decreasing and the piglets may not be receiving proper nutrition. Piglets are naturally dependent nutritionally on their mother until 135 days, which equals the whole post-weaning period. Micronutrients were screened...
