Genetics and traits

Influenza A virus in swine (IAV-S) is one of the primary respiratory pathogens challenging swine production systems in the US and around the world, said Phil Gauger, DVM, PhD, an associate professor at Iowa State Univers…

Genomic selection for disease resilience using measures of antibody (ab) response.

The success of pig genetic improvement programs depends heavily on the continued generation, collection, and analysis of industry-wide data from both the nucleus and commercial settings.

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) says that the recent Nobel Prize in chemistry shows that the United States is falling behind the curve when it comes to gene edited livestock.

Listen to the podcast hereWhat you will learn What are the 3 pivotal studies from the last 5 years; Sequencing of the swine genome; Sow lifetime productivity; Pig survivability. Meet the guest: Dr Chris Hostetler receive…

There are many items to observe this week:

A new federal grant will support an Iowa State University-led effort to spur development of a “genome to phenome” infrastructure for scientific collaboration across crops and livestock.

In part 1 of this topic, the levels of daily feed intakes typically achieved by Genesus nursery and finishing animals were covered along with a comparison to feed intake figures expected from other genotypes. Total daily…

The first critically-endangered Large Black piglets bred from frozen, imported semen were born in the United States this summer.

Researchers at Iowa State University win grant to explore the genetic factors that influence pig growth.

When you are an optimist you look for the positive. Last week, Thursday to Thursday US National Base 53-54 percent lean hogs went up from 48.79 to 53.27. Still a miserable price but going in the right direction.

This guide from the FAO provides small scale or backyard farmers information on how best to breed your pigs.

China Live Pig and Pork Price Trends China’s live slaughter pig and wholesale pork prices are once again on the rise after a steady decline following a drop off after Spring Festival. The downward trend in prices occurre…

In the pig industry, efficient lean gain is closely associated with profitability of pork production.

Pathogens are a global threat to the swine industry. They arise from bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic sources. Numerous and often prone to mutation, with a tendency to become immune to treatment efforts over time.…

Running a nucleus farm cannot be that difficult, can it?

PIC delivers genetic improvement with continued expansion

Energy is the most expensive component of a pig's diets, comprising about 50 percent of the final diet cost. It is one of the main nutrients required for lean tissue, fat, and bone growth; it supports the daily maintenan…

Maternal effects can be defined as all conditions that relate to how a dam’s genetics and life history influences how her progenies perform.

Pigs are polytochous animals, which means they produce multiple piglets in one farrowing. This evolutionary strategy is called “parental optimism” and it allows the dam to produce more offspring than what is required for…