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Deen: We’re underestimating the cost of sow mortality
Jan 14, 2022Susan Spiegel
When a sow doesn’t reach her full potential, the cost to the farm and the income stream of the sow herd is often “grossly underestimated,” said John Deen, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota.
Reduce sow mortality with documentation and intervention
Oct 20, 2021Susan Spiegel
The cause of high sow-mortality rates may be tough to determine, but producers can take steps to address the problems and lower rates, according to Randy Jones, DVM, Four Star Veterinary Service.
Research continues to dig for POP answers
Sep 20, 2021Susan Spiegel
Searching for strategies to alter the course of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in sows has been a long, slow climb with progress coming little by little. At the heart of the effort is the Sow...
Sow mortality records need an overhaul
Sep 10, 2021Susan Spiegel
The upward trendline of sow mortality needs to be addressed. But until farms have a clearer understanding of why a gilt or sow leaves the breeding herd, progress will be limited.
Measuring the direct and indirect costs of sow mortality
Sep 04, 2021Susan Spiegel
When breeding animals die, are culled prematurely, or need to be humanely euthanized, there are direct costs involved with the outcome, but the indirect costs are less obvious.
Gilt selection: Too often overlooked in the sow mortality equation
Aug 25, 2021Susan Spiegel
One way to advance sow productivity and longevity is to select the right replacement-gilt candidates and prepare them properly for the job ahead.
Caregivers play a leading role in individual sow care and longevity
Aug 10, 2021Susan Spiegel
Caregiver management and training are top priorities on swine farms as productivity hinges on the outcome. Yet few things are more challenging.
Sow mortality trends: Experts dissect the current state of affairs
Aug 05, 2021Susan Spiegel
Keeping sow mortality rates in check is critical to a farm’s productivity and cost structure. Yet in recent years, the US pork industry has seen sow mortality rise.
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From veterinarian to forensic detective: Solving a mysterious swine disease
Nov 20, 2020Susan Spiegel
In fall 2019, a client called Four Star Veterinary Service clinic in Mexico, IN, and reported the loss of a lot of sows. Daniel Gascho, DVM, had several ideas of what could cause the sow mortalities....
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Addressing ‘unknown factors’ in sow mortality
Aug 01, 2020Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality has been on the rise in the US pork industry, reaching upwards of 15% in many sow-production systems, said Ashley Johnson, DVM, technical services veterinarian with Zoetis.
Deadly swine-disease outbreak at buying station triggers search for mystery pathogen
Mar 25, 2020Susan Spiegel
When a call came in last September reporting very high, unexplained sow mortalities, Daniel Gascho, DVM, didn’t expect it to be anything unusual, but he found quite the opposite.
Grow-finish mortalities require fast action followed by prevention plan
Mar 16, 2020Susan Spiegel
Nothing grabs the attention of a grow-finish unit and its veterinarian faster than an uptick in mortalities.
Special Report: What’s behind the surge in sow mortality?
Jan 20, 2020Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Strategies to move more pigs from birth to harvest
Jan 10, 2020Susan Spiegel
Litter sizes on US hog farms have steadily increased, but that’s a good-news/bad-news development as those large litters often come at a price, which is more low-birthweight piglets.
Strategies to move more pigs: Low weight piglets have trouble surviving
Jan 10, 2020Susan Spiegel
Watch Part 1 of the interview on moving pigs from birth to harvest.
Strategies to move more pigs: Importance of nutrition
Jan 10, 2020Susan Spiegel
Watch Part 2 of the interview on moving pigs from birth to harvest.
Part 1: Sow mortality: It wasn’t always this way
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 2: Sow mortality drivers
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 3: Reducing sow mortality begins with animal selection
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 4: Inflammation: A chronic problem for sows
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 5: Insights from a 5,000-sow, 62-farm survey on sow mortality
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 6: The importance of sow nutrition
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
Part 7: Being proactive and focusing on individual sow care
Nov 19, 2019Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality rates in the US have increased dramatically in recent years and now average about 15%. Pig Health Today talked with six experts about the alarming trend and, most important, what...
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Researchers tackle survivability issues head-on
Nov 14, 2019Susan Spiegel
One in three pigs born on US farms fail to reach market, according to Jason Ross, PhD, a professor of animal physiology at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center.
Perineal scoring first clue to pelvic-organ prolapse in sow-mortality project
Apr 26, 2019Susan Spiegel
A large research project involving 104 US sow farms and 400,000 sows is expected to identify factors related to the recent increase in sow mortalities caused by pelvic-organ prolapses.
Why did sow-mortality rates jump to 15%?
Apr 04, 2019Susan Spiegel
The spike in sow-mortality rates over the past decade has prompted the US pork industry to hunt for answers.
Why sows leave the herd: Biological priorities and productivity
Feb 27, 2019Susan Spiegel
When it comes to sow productivity, culling and mortality issues, “the simple answer is there’s no simple answer,” John Deen, DVM, University of Minnesota swine epidemiologist, told Pig Health...
Yeske: Multiple factors contributing to rising sow-mortality rates
Jan 14, 2019Susan Spiegel
The spike in sow-mortality rates in recent years has everyone in the US pork industry searching for answers. Don’t expect any simple solutions, however.
What’s driving the surge in sow mortality?
Apr 13, 2018Susan Spiegel
Sow mortality in US herds has trended upward in recent years, and identifying the reasons has frustrated producers and veterinarians alike.
IPIC targeting losses from sow mortality
Apr 11, 2018Susan Spiegel
Healthy and productive sows help ensure profitable and efficient herds. So, when the sow mortality rate due to pelvic organ prolapse started to increase throughout the industry for no apparent...
