Over the last decades, research has shown that selenium plays a critical role in the organism of pigs, especially when the animals are facing stressful events such as weaning, farrowing, and heat stress. However, there are still some misunderstandings about the benefits of selenium and its proper usage, since high levels of the substance in diets can lead to toxicity. In this episode, I have a great conversation with Dr. Darlene Bloxham, a specialist on the subject. She digs into the main questions that arise when it comes to selenium supplementation, including the main differences between selenium sources, the limitations levels, and the ways to supplement it in different production phases, among others.

"Selenium is more effective when supplemented before stress. When you supplement it during stress, it does not accumulate in tissues as rapidly as it could otherwise." - Dr. Darlene Bloxham

What you’ll learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:50) Introduction
• (03:56) The history of selenium in pig diets
• (09:20) Differences among sources of selenium
• (11:55) Mulberry heart disease and selenium deficiency
• (14:50) Limiting levels of selenium
• (19:38) Evaluating total selenium levels in the feed
• (22:32) Supplementing selenium in different phases
• (25:11) Key messages
• (26:01) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Darlene Bloxham

Experience:

• Current: Nutritionist at Adisseo

Background:

• Ph.D., Animal Nutrition (The University of Georgia)
• M.Sc, Animal Sciences (The University of Georgia)
• B.Sc., Animal Nutrition (Ohio State University)

Connect with the guest!

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

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You probably already know that we are facing a global banking crisis, as it has been widely reported all over the news. However, this is not a recent problem – as a matter of fact, the current situation began in 2008 and has been dragging on since then. The downturn of that period was never fully overcome and the effects of its temporary solutions have now become one of the primary reasons for the financial instability. As important as that may be, can you tell how exactly it affects pork producers and the swine industry? That is the central question I ask two specialists in this episode: Richard Brock and Dr. Glynn Tonsor. It's your time to stay up to date on the consequences of the crisis for our sector and learn tips to overcome these challenging times.

"We're now facing an environment which we hadn't seen since 2008 and seeing a lot of people make management decisions. So there's not a lot of history there to draw from as to how people will act and react to these types of adverse market conditions." - Richard Brock

What you’ll learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:48) Introduction
• (05:33) The US banking crisis
• (13:48) Comments on interest rates
• (19:39) Trends on interest rates and hog prices
• (24:58) Navigating through difficult times
• (29:58) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Glynn Tonsor

Experience:

• Current: Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Kansas State University (KSU)
• Past: Assistant Professor at Michigan State University

Background:

• Ph.D., Agricultural Economics (Kansas State University)
• B.Sc., Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations (Missouri State University)

Connect with the guest!

Meet the guest: Richard Brock

Experience:

• Current: Owner and President of Brock Associates

Background:

• M.Sc., Agriculture and Business (Cornell University)
• B.Sc., Agriculture (Purdue University)

Connect with the guest!

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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Research on the pig microbiome has been increasing over the years and providing exciting results that enable us to move forward as a global industry. As such a complex and multidisciplinary subject, the pig microbiome has been studied by nutritionists, veterinarians, microbiologists, among other professionals, each field adding new layers to that discussion. How about the geneticists? In today’s episode, I have a great talk with Dr. Francesco Tiezzi, an animal breeding and genetics specialist. Dr. Tiezzi shares his perspective on what the microbiome means as well as the relationships between the microbiome and genetics. He also shares his recent findings on using microbiome information in selection.

"We see that the genome of the microbiome – the whole of the microbes that inhabit the intestine of pigs – can somehow be considered an extension of the genome of pigs." - Dr. Francesco Tiezzi

What you’ll learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:43) Introduction
• (04:04) What the microbiome is
• (06:37) Microbiome and genetic population
• (11:18) How pigs react differently to feed additives
• (18:04) What traits can be most influenced by the microbiome
• (22:11) The microbiome of an individual pig
• (28:27) Key takeaways
• (30:18) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Francesco Tiezzi

Experience:

• Current: Senior Researcher in Animal Breeding and Genetics (equivalent to an Assistant Professor) in the Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry (DAGRI) of the University of Florence (Italy)
• Past: Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Animal Science (North-Carolina State University)

Background:

• Doctorate, Animal Science (University of Padua)
• First-level degree, Animal Husbandry (University of Florence)
• First-level degree, Agricultural Science and Technology (University of Florence)

Connect with the guest on Social Media!

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

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Give us a Rating & Review - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1460280128

Lately, streptococcus suis (S. suis) has become a critical topic for discussion among swine producers and veterinarians. That happens because S. suis is currently one of the most important bacterial swine pathogens that affects post-weaned piglets, mainly causing meningitis, arthritis, and sudden death. In this roundtable, Dr. Brooke Smith and Dr. Ryan Strobel share their vast experience and practical insights on how strep suis is emerging as a significant issue in our systems. Besides, they answer the most critical questions regarding that matter: what strategies can we use to minimize problems related to it, what are the best approaches to manage S. suis and E. Coli together, and why is nutrition such an essential factor that should be considered?

"A lot of the conversations we are having today with producers who are raising nursery pigs is about how streptococcus suis is becoming a primary issue." - Dr. Brooke Smith

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(01:08) Introduction

(03:20) Streptococcus suis and its impact on the nursery

(06:36) Strategies to minimize strep suis related issues

(11:40) Mortality related to streptococcus suis

(13:16) Recommendations of management approaches 

(16:58) Strep suis and E. Coli: nutritional strategies

(29:58) Final thoughts

Meet the guest: Dr. Brooke Smith

Experience:

• Current: Veterinary Nutrition Lead at Cargill Animal Nutrition & Health

Background:

• Ph.D. (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
• D.V.M. (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) 
• B.Sc., Animal Science (Michigan State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

Meet the guest: Dr. Ryan Strobel

Experience:

• Current: Veterinarian at Swine Vet Center

Background:

• D.V.M. (University of Minnesota)

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Give us a Rating & Review - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1460280128

Making a career choice can be challenging, especially when we are still young and inexperienced. When we bring that discussion into the swine industry in particular, we realize that not many students know all the possibilities on the table beyond becoming veterinarians. Besides, not all of them come from an ag background. With that in mind, we must do our best to introduce them to our reality – and that’s what we talk about in this episode with Dr. Cassie Jones. At K-State, Dr. Jones coordinates the Department’s undergraduate teaching program, which has more than 900 students and generates more than 30,000 academic credits annually. So she explains the differences between graduate degrees and the reason why mentorship is important in our field. She also gives some great insights for all those asking themselves: do I have what it takes to get a swine nutrition graduate degree?

"Many students have never met a professional animal scientist. So unless they do, it is unlikely that they would ever consider a career as an animal scientist beyond being a vet." - Dr. Cassie Jones

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(02:10) Introduction

(04:46) Roles as a professor at Kansas State University

(08:00) When should you consider getting a Graduate Degree?

(11:33) Students coming to the swine nutrition

(16:10) Getting into a graduate program

(25:22) What are you going to do for the rest of your life?

(33:51) Mentors: why are they so important?

(31:29) Key takeaways

(43:38) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Cassie Jones

Experience:

• Current: Professor and Teaching Coordinator at Kansas State University

Background:

• Ph.D., Nutritional Sciences (Iowa State University)
• M.Sc., Animal Science (Kansas State University) 
• B.Sc., Animal Science (Kansas State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

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- Genesus

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Give us a Rating & Review - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1460280128

Despite the many advances throughout the years, influenza still cannot be fully controlled and represents a major economic threat to the swine industry. Therefore, we can never discuss it enough and it's never too late to tackle this challenge. Regarding the topic, I have a great conversation in this episode with Dr. Jeremy Pittman and Dr. Marie Culhane, who have excellent commercial and research experience with controlling influenza in pig production systems. In this roundtable, we discuss the latest updates about influenza, diagnostics and surveillance, and key strategies to manage those.

"We finally have enough data to achieve a much better understanding of how much influenza can change. We can use that information to feed both our research and the farm applications." - Dr. Marie Culhane

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(01:55) Introduction

(04:39) Influenza: what are we seeing on the field?

(12:42) Passive and active surveillance

(15:10) Controlling influenza in our systems

(18:55) What vaccines should we use in controlling programs?

(24:34) Tips and suggestions for managing influenza

(29:28) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Marie Culhane

Experience:

• Current: Associate Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

Background:

• Ph.D., Veterinary Infectious Diseases (University of Minnesota)
• D.V.M. (University of Minnesota)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

Meet the guest: Dr. Jeremy Pittman

Experience:

• Current: Veterinarian at Smithfield Hog Production

Background:

• M.Sc., Veterinary Preventive Medicine (Iowa State University)
• D.V.M. (North Carolina State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

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A lot has been going on in the US soy market nowadays: a major expansion in the soybean crushing industry, which is mainly driven by the current and potential demand for renewable diesel. That scenario implies some uncertainties for the soybean market in the upcoming years, as we see a critical shift in the industry from "crushing for meal" to "crushing for oil." Thus, what should swine producers and nutritionists know about the soybean crushing industry? To answer that question (and many others), I have a great conversation with Mac Marshall and Dr. Keenan McRoberts in today’s episode, both from the United Soybean Board. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of the topic and the way it can impact the animal market.

"Overall, we're still in a strong demand environment for the soy complex – I see some exciting challenges over the next couple years, particularly on the meal fraction." - Mac Marshall

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(01:45) Introduction

(08:19) Soybean crush spread

(16:15) What can we expect from the future?

(19:15) Soybean oil vs. meal

(23:53) Soy use in the animal market

(27:26) Key takeaways

(34:05) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Keenan McRoberts

Experience:

• Current: Vice President, Science and Program Strategy at United Soybean Board

Background:

• Ph.D., Animal Science (Cornell University)
• M.Sc., International Agriculture and Rural Development (Cornell University)
• B.S., Biochemistry (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

Meet the guest: Mac Marshall

Experience:

• Current: Vice President, Market Intelligence at United Soybean Board

Background:

• M.A., Applied Economics (The Johns Hopkins University)
• B.A., Economics (Vassar College)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

- Adisseo

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Give us a Rating & Review - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1460280128

To honor the International Women's Day, we have prepared a very special episode for you! This week, I had a great conversation with Dr. Karine Talbot, who is currently the Director of Animal Health at HyLife Ltd., Canada. From the basics of biosecurity to strategies for making it work as effectively as possible, she shares with us her vast practical experience with biosecurity protocols on pig farms in this episode. Additionally, Dr. Talbot brings her excellent perspective on the secret behind a good biosecurity program: people coming together and knowing what they are doing. Quite interesting, isn’t it?

"Too often we keep asking who is responsible for biosecurity on pig farms. My answer is "everyone": you can't have great biosecurity without everyone's compliance". - Dr. Karine Talbot

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(02:03) Introduction

(03:37) The basics of biosecurity

(06:20) What is biocontainment? 

(09:13) Encouraging accountability on pig farms

(15:14) Providing additional layers to biosecurity protocols

(19:16) The process of disease eradication

(22:15) Biosecurity audits

(28:56) Key takeaways

(29:54) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Karine Talbot

Experience:

• Current: Director of Animal Health at HyLife Ltd.
• Past: Veterinarian at HyLife Ltd.

Background:

• D.V.M. (University of Montreal)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

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Everyone in the swine industry is ethically responsible for protecting our animals as well as promoting their welfare, safeguarding natural resources, and producing safe food. Once we do that, we keep building and improving our customer relationships, because we receive their trust. That's why internal and third-party audits and certification programs are so essential – and to answer many of the questions on pork producers' and managers' minds when it comes to the matter, I talk with Emily Erickson. Ms. Erickson has vast knowledge and experience in that area and in this episode, she explains what the different types of audits are, what an animal welfare audit looks like, and how auditors are trained.

"Do your best with the audits, try to become more familiar with the process, and understand why they are important – it's not someone coming into your farm just to make your day terrible." - Emily Erickson

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(02:15) Introduction

(04:19) Animal welfare audit

(08:35) What a packer audit is

(12:40) Third-party auditors: who are they?

(20:20) Differences between assessments and auditions

(23:41) How often should we do an internal audit? 

(30:40) Key takeaways

(32:40) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Emily Erickson

Experience:

• Current: Environmental Specialist at Nobles County Minnesota
• Past: Head Of Human Resources at Wakefield Pork; Animal Well Being and Quality Assurance Manager at New Fashion Pork

Background:

• B.Sc., Animal Science (South Dakota State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

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As swine producers, nutritionists, and veterinarians, we all know that sow mortality is a complex challenge, since many factors influence it. Indeed, high mortality rates and poor sow performance greatly impact farm profitability, including feed costs. So how can we improve sow retention and longevity in our production systems? Are there nutritional strategies that can be employed to optimize sow retention? To answer these – and many more – questions, I talk with Dr. Kyle Coble, one of the brightest swine nutritionists in our industry. In this episode, Dr. Coble shares his vast experience with nutritional strategies and research on improving sow mortality, critical aspects of gilt development, and current challenges on sow farms.

"Sow mortality is a very complex and multifaceted issue that certainly will not be fixed with one silver bullet." - Dr. Kyle Coble

What you’ll learn:

(00:00) Highlight

(01:40) Introduction

(07:10) Research on improving sow longevity

(15:20) Sow and gilt nutrition

(18:18) Sows' parity and mortality

(27:03) Prolapses and sow retention

(30:40) Key points

(31:35) Three final questions

Meet the guest: Dr. Kyle Coble

Experience:

• Current: Director of Nutrition Services at JBS Live Pork
• Past: International Nutrition Consultant, Senior Manager of Production Strategies and Nutritionist for New Fashion Pork

Background:

• Ph.D., Swine Nutrition (Kansas State University)
• M.Sc., Animal Science (Oklahoma State University) 
• B.S., Animal Science (Oklahoma State University)

Connect with the guest on Social Media: LinkedIn

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

The Swine it Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

- AB Vista

- Adisseo

- Genesus

- Evonik

- Cloudfarms

- Bioverse

- Eastman

- MS Gold

Give us a Rating & Review - http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1460280128