Genetics Can Boost Swine Herd Health

Jun 13, 2022

Herd health is a constant worry for pork producers, especially with increasing restrictions on the use of antibiotics and other preventative treatments. Recent improvements in biosecurity practices can help, of course, but breeding for disease resilience offers a vital, complementary approach.

“Genetic improvement can be an important component in a comprehensive strategy to combat the impacts of disease,” says Jack C. M. Dekkers, Ph.D., a C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. “How pigs respond to disease has a substantial genetic component and can, thus, be selected for. While resistance to some diseases is determined by a single gene, resistance to most diseases is controlled by many genes and is not complete.”

Measuring Resilience

In his upcoming talk at United Pork Americas in Orlando, Fla. (Sept. 7-9, 2022), Dekkers will discuss how and why genetics can play a critical role in lessening the impact of disease on pork production. “An understanding of the genetic basis of resistance and resilience of disease will help producers determine the best sources of genetics for their operations,” Dekkers says.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.