Genetic research and new technologies continue to influence the future of swine health and production efficiency. In this episode, we explore how research and technology are being used to support stronger, more resilient pigs, while also improving overall production outcomes. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger, geneticist with Topigs Norsvin, to discuss both routine and emerging strategies for improving piglet, pig, and sow livability. She outlines two primary approaches to enhancing resiliency: gene editing and traditional selective breeding. Continuing the resiliency conversation, we also hear from Dr. Lucina Galina, director of technical research projects at the Pig Improvement Company. She shares insights into ongoing gene-editing work focused on PRRS, detailing the pathway to success, regulatory and practical considerations, and the questions that still remain as the technology evolves. Together, these conversations provide a closer look at how research, genetics and innovation are shaping the future of swine health and livability.
This episode dives into swine mortality trends, sharing both U.S. and international data to understand the scope of pig survivability challenges. Rachel Johnson, technical account and production support lead at MetaFarms and Dr. Derald Holtkamp, professor at Iowa State University, join the podcast highlighting factors influencing mortality, including market pig prices, feed, productivity, and disease pressures. Over the past 40 years, pig-raising practices have evolved, and the episode discusses what these changes mean for productivity and opportunities for industry growth.
Pork producers say herd health is essential to the long-term success of the industry, and that message is driving the National Swine Health Strategy, a comprehensive plan set to be finalized this spring. Dr. Meredith Behr Petersen, director of swine health at the National Pork Board, outlines the timeline leading up to the plan’s final approval set for this spring and the steps involved in identifying producer priorities. She also explains how producers and the broader industry can align around the strategy to strengthen herd health and profitability.
Learn more about the National Swine Health Strategy and its timeline: https://www.porkcheckoff.org/pork-production-management/national-swine-health-strategy/.
This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University.
They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business. They also highlight areas of focus for future research.
Explore additional research and stay connected through the Pig Livability Resource Library: piglivability.org/resource-library.
Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.
How do pressure barn systems work, and is negative or positive pressure the right choice? In this episode, Dr. Brett Ramirez, associate professor at Iowa State University, breaks down the essentials of barn filtration and its role in biosecurity. He shares how the industry has evolved, practical ways barns can be modified to improve filtration without sacrificing efficiency and tips for troubleshooting common challenges. Dr. Ramirez also emphasizes the importance of building the right team when approaching filtration projects.
You can also watch his full presentation from this year’s Iowa Swine Day: https://youtu.be/v8q1so_4jTA?s....
New equipment alone won’t solve every challenge in swine production. The real value comes when technologies and systems work together to improve efficiency. In this episode, three guests share their perspectives on how to make technology work smarter, not harder, and what producers should consider when making future decisions.First, Erin Brenneman and Jeremy Robertson of Brenneman Pork discuss the complexities of integrating different technologies, opportunities for overlapping data, and how success ultimately comes down to three essentials: air, water, and feed. You can also watch their full presentation from this year’s Iowa Swine Day: https://youtu.be/cQ99YHHB88w?feature=shared.Then, Dr. Suzanne Leonard from North Carolina State University emphasizes the importance of keeping technology adoption simple. She explains what value really means, considerations for budgeting and implementation, and how to avoid overcomplicating the process. Learn more from her presentation: https://youtu.be/gvDZnPE2VhE?feature=shared.
Biosecurity is vital to any swine operation, and manure handling can pose serious potential risks. Research from Ana Paula Serafini Poeta Silva, a research scientist from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, studied the association between manure management practices and disease outbreaks, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV). On today’s episode, she highlights the analysis on improving pumping procedures and which disease showed a stronger association in wean-to-market pigs.
Learn more about the research: https://fieldepi.org/team/
Abigail Jenkins noticed a challenge in the swine industry and researched it — more piglets are being born than there are functional teats to support them. As a graduate research assistant at Kansas State University, she studied how litter size, relative to functional teat count, impacts lactating sows and litter performance. In this July episode of the PigX Podcast, Abigail Jenkins is joined by Dr. Joel DeRouchey to discuss the importance of this research and what insights it offers for the swine industry.
We are kicking off a new season of the PigX Podcast discussing the history of the Pig Livability Project, the current efforts and resources used to share information with the swine industry and how the project is continuing in the months ahead. Joining us on this episode are Dr. David Rosero, assistant professor at Iowa State University, and Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and state extension leader at Kansas State University. They will also highlight the upcoming Second International Conference on Pig Livability, taking place on November 5–6 in Omaha, Nebraska.
For more details about the conference, visit https://piglivability.org/2025-conference. For project updates and additional resources, visit www.piglivability.org.
