Beef Producers Could Have More Precise Way to Manager Herds in the Future

Feb 12, 2021

Beef producers in the future could have a more precise way to determine the productivity of their cattle, thanks to a collaboration between Mizzou Engineering and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). The project aims to provide a better understanding of how a herd’s environment and management impact productivity, Decker said. Researchers will predict factors such as a cow’s size—surface area to volume ratio—skeletal structure, fat resources and hair coat using 3-D image data. Further, they will create DNA predictions of these traits. This is important for successful beef production, which relies on continual reproduction.

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Video: Do Stress-Resilient Sows Raise Better Piglets? - Dr. Andrea Luttman?

In this special rerun episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Andrea Luttman from Michigan State University explores how gestational social stress affects sow resilience and piglet development. She explains physiological indicators like cortisol patterns, behavioral differences, and their implications for long-term performance. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Resilience to stress means animals are either minimally affected or can recover quickly after experiencing a stressor.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Andrea Luttman / andrea-luttman-47ab74171 is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University specializing in swine production systems management. She earned her Ph.D. in Genetics and Genome Sciences and focuses her research on swine physiology and stress resilience. Her work examines social stress in gestating sows, offspring development, breeding herd longevity, and gene-environment interactions to improve production efficiency and sustainability. Hear Dr. Luttman on The Swine it Canada Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.