On-Farm Demonstrations Quench Thirst for Water Knowledge
In an on-farm demonstration, nipple drinkers were replaced with water bowls in the nursery to see how water disappearance was affected. Water disappearance was reduced by 33% when the bowls were used and no negative effects on pig growth performance...
Gut Health Issues not a Pretty Picture
Gut issues in pigs cost producers money, time and lost production. There are many common diseases that cause gut issues including Colibacillosis, Rotavirus, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea/Transmissible Gastroenteritis, Clostridium, Coccidiosis, Post-weaning Diarrhea, other grow-finish diarrheas, Spirochaetal Colitis, porcine intestinal adenomatosis, enteric...
Gut Check: Why the Microbiome Matters
While a small portion of microbes are harmful, the majority may be beneficial to humans and animals. Antibiotic use alters the gut microbiome so that its population is decreased. If taken during pregnancy, antibiotic use can lead to the offspring...
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....
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...
