Grow-finish swine Production: Viable Pieces Of The Business

Dec 15, 2014

The Grow-Finish Production – Viable Pieces of the Business educational program is set to take place in four locations across the state starting Jan. 19, 2015.

Michigan State University Extension is teaming up with Maximum Ag Technologies and Farmer Boy AG to offer pork producers and their employees the Grow-Finish Swine Production – Viable Pieces of the Business educational program. The program is intended for individual owners of grow finish facilities and for contract growers who raise pigs for other farms. The information provided will assist with maintaining a profitable enterprise.

This educational program is scheduled to take place in four locations across the state and will include: Allegan County MSU Extension office on Monday, Jan. 19; Cass County MSU Extension office on Tuesday, Jan. 20; Branch County MSU Extension office on Wednesday, Jan., 21; and the Regional Educational Services District office in Ithaca, Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 22. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and end by 4 p.m. at all locations.

Topics to be covered and speakers include:

Making your finishing site competitive, Jerry May, MSU Extension educator
Feeding heavy weight pigs: Will the trend continue? Ron Bates, state swine specialist, and Tom Guthrie, MSU Extension educator
Where’s the feed: Impacts of out-of-feed events on production, Dale Rozeboom, Extension specialist and Tom Guthrie, MSU Extension educator
Total finishing monitoring: Optimizing your ventilation system, Larry Reed, Maximum AG Technologies
Records and Audits: Fulfilling industry expectations, Tina Conklin, MSU Extension educator
Euthanasia tools, Madonna Benjamin, MSU Extension swine veterinarian

Registration for the Grow-Finish Swine Production – Viable Pieces of the Business program is $30 per person or $300 for unlimited number of participants per farm. Registration deadline for all program locations is Jan. 14.

For interested producers, starting at 10 a.m. Pork Quality Assurance certification sessions will take place before the Grow-Finish Production – Viable Pieces of the Business program at each location. Cost of Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification is $20.

Source:msu.edu

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.