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The Swine report

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Capturing relative phenotypes to help us understand boar fertility

Amanda Minton, Associate Director of Reproductive Technology at Acuity Swine and Karl Kerns, Assistant Professor at Iowa State University, discuss capturing relative phenotypes to help us understand and ultimately improve boar fertility.

 

R&D: Understanding index distribution and accountability in competitive comparison

Justin Fix, Director of Business Development and Genetic Improvement with Acuity and Caleb Shull, Director of Research at The Maschhoffs discuss how genetic evaluation varies from nucleus to commercial production and how that variation creates a bias in data analysis.


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Why Accurate Energy Values of Swine Feed Ingredients Are So Important

How does reducing dietary net energy impact growth performance and carcass characteristics of grow-finish pigs? “The effect of increasing dietary energy content on performance has been extensively studied,” Rafe Royall, a PhD student in swine nutrition at Kansas State University, explained at KSU Swine Day. “However, as we think about dramatic reductions on net energy, there’s relatively little published data. Elevated ingredient costs have led the industry to shift toward using more high-fiber, low energy diets.” Kansas State University conducted a study to evaluate the effect of dietary net energy (NE) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and removal and mortality rates of grow-finish pigs and compare different net energy (NE) systems by using caloric efficiency. How Did the Study Work? A total of 1,927 pigs (initially 51.5 ± 0.52 lb) were used in a 125-day study. Pens of pigs were blocked by body weight and randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments of decreasRead More

Study Shows Iowa Pork Industry is Vital to State’s Economy

Iowa’s hard working pig farmers are a vital component of the state’s economy, as shown by a new study released by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The data verifies Iowa’s status as the number one pork producing state in the nation, providing 33% of the U.S. hog inventory, and creating more than 120,000 jobs. Providing Jobs, Economic Activity Iowa’s 5,172 pig farms help create more than 64,000 jobs in the state from hog production, more than 39,000 from hog slaughter, and more than 16,000 from hog processing, totaling 120,231. The pork industry contributed $15.4 billion in value added to Iowa’s economy in 2024. Iowa Pork Industry Economic Contribution By the Numbers: $15.4 billion in value added to the state’s economy. More than 120,000 jobs supported statewide. $8.0 billion in household income. $40.5 billion in total sales. More than $2.7 billion in taxes paid. Breakdown of $15.4 billion in value added: $9.9 billion from hog production. $3.9 billion from hog slaughter. $1.5 bRead More

AI Revolutionizes Pork Quality: CAAIN Supports MatrixSpec’s Marbling Meter”

The Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN) has unveiled its sixth success story from the 2023 funding cycle, highlighting MatrixSpec’s innovative Marbling Meter. This cutting-edge AI-driven technology aims to transform pork quality assessment by eliminating the need for invasive, manual inspections that damage meat and reduce profitability.Read More

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