Benefits of Extra Late Gestation Feed Only Found for Gilts
At Kansas Swine Day 2009, N.W. Shelton reported no effects of giving extra feed to sows in late pregnancy in terms of subsequent litter size although the same treatment for gilts resulted in some beneficial effects on reproductive performance in the second...

What Does 'Local' Mean for Pork?
In surveys, consumers seem to be confused over the definition of 'local' but Professor Goddard said at the 2010 Banff Pork Seminar that whatever the definition, there is growing demand for local produce, including pig meat.

Corn, Oil and the Future of the Livestock Sector
Kevin Grier and Steve Meyer predicted a crisis in the North American livestock sector at the 2010 Banff Pork Seminar.

No Effect of PRRS Vaccination Found in Finisher Performance
Sirrah-Bios PRRSV-RS vaccine administered at four days of age did not affect performance or mortality in a commercial finisher herd, reported M.L. Potter at the Kansas Swine Day 2009.

Kansas Swine Day 2009
Kansas Swine Day and Technology Trade Show was held at Kansas State University's (KSU) Alumni Center on 19 November 2009. A list of presentation titles is given, together with a link to the proceedings.

Banff Pork Seminar 2010
A series of reports from the Banff Pork Seminar 2010.

Antimicrobials Boost Nursery Pig Performance, Returns
For the overall trial, adding antibiotics to the diet during any phase improved performance and economic returns, according to M.U. Steidinger and colleagues, presenting their paper at the Kansas Swine Day 2009.

New Face of Farm Animal Care in Canada
Most livestock producers would accept that farm animal care is going to become a bigger factor in their lives, said Ed Pajor at the 2010 Banff Pork Seminar.

Second PCV2 Vaccination Brings Benefits in PRRS-Challenged Pigs
Despite the decrease in performance related to the second vaccination of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), the second vaccination improved final performance and decreased the number of removals due to the health challenge from porcine respiratory and...

Consider Impact of PCV2 and M-Hyo Control Strategies on Nursery Pig Performance
Vaccinating pigs for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M-hyo) reduced the performance of nursery pigs, reported Potter and co-authors at the Kansas Swine Day 2009, and this effect should be taken into account when...

Antibiotic-Free Pork Challenges Industry Norm
Manon St-Hilaire described the successful setting up of an operation to produce pork without the routine use of antibiotics at the 2010 Banff Pork Seminar.

Productivity Improvements - The Betagro Way
Mr Vanus Taepaisitphongse, CEO of the Betagro group, a major force in the Thai livestock and food industries, speaking at the 2009 Asian Livestock Feed and Meat Industry Conference gave a fascinating insight into the benefits to Betagro of detailed analyses...

Experts Discuss Diagnosis of PCVD
At this year's PCVD Forum sponsored by Merial, two European experts in the field of diagnosis discussed methods for testing porcine circovirus disease (PCVD), writes Jackie Linden for ThePigSite

AgriLive: The Red Meat Debate
Climate change dominated a debate led by a panel of red meat industry experts at AgriLive in the UK, as issues such as declining livestock numbers, cheaper imports and profitability were pushed aside, reports ThePigSite junior editor, Charlotte Johns...

Case Studies Show PCV2 Vaccination Improves Finisher and Breeding Performance
At the most recent PCVD Forum sponsored by Merial, leading pig veterinarians explained how vaccination against porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) improved performance and reduced antibiotic use in finishing herd, and boosted health in the breeding herd,...

Improving Carbon Footprint of Pig Meat Production
There are many different drivers that affect meat production ranging from government policies through to oil and commodity prices and food security as well as consumer demands, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

How PCV2 Interferes with the Immune System
A story of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and PCV-associated disease (PCVD), could be subtitled 'PCV2 and PCVD – when immunology goes wrong'. Dr Kenneth McCullough, head of research at Switzerland's Institute of Virology and Immunoprophylaxis explained...

Abundant Harvest of New Knowledge on PCV2 Biology
Dr Catherine Charreyre, head of research projects in the swine business at Merial, outlined the key lessons from the different work packages on porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) by the PCVD Consortium at the recent PCVD Forum 2009 organised by Merial in...

Biosecurity in Swine Production: Widespread Concerns?
The importance of applying biosecurity measures in pig production were explained by Marie-Ève Lambert and Sylvie D’Allaire from the University of Montreal at the Banff Pork Seminar 2009. They say: "A knowledge of the biosecurity procedures used in a region...

Cost of Production Forecast – US versus Canada Comparison
Grant Lazaruk from Hytek Ltd explains how the pig industries in Canada and the US compare in terms of the technical aspects of pig production, processing and marketing. He was addressing the Banff Pork Seminar earlier this year.

Meat Tenderness and Muscle Development
Several studies have shown that some events in muscle development and postnatal growth are related to meat quality traits, according to Niels Oksbjerg, M. Therkildsen and P.M. Nissenn from the University of Aarhus in Denmark, in a paper presented to the...

Competing in the International Pork Market
Jeff Kucharski of the Alberta Livestock & Meat Agency (ALMA) explained the background and functions of the Agency to participants at the Banff Pork Seminar 2009.

Application of Air Filtration Systems in Swine Operations
Darwin L. Reicks from the Swine Vet Center in St Peter, Minnesota, explains how air filtration systems can help control porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). He was speaking at the Banff Pork Seminar 2009.