Beneficial Effects of Organic Selenium on Performance of Sows and Offspring
The necessity of selenium in swine nutrition is an established fact. It is important for optimum reproductive and immune function, and it has an overlapping role with vitamin E to protect body cells against oxidative damage
 

Impact of Supplementing EASYZYME^TM on Feed Utilization and Pig Performance
Feed cost is always a major factor in determining profitability of animal production. When feed ingredient costs increase, it becomes even more important. Elevated prices of corn and soybean meal (SBM) drive more and more swine producers to feed alternative ingredients, such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), wheat midds, and corn germ meal.
 

Thermal Care^TM S Heat Stress Solution Technology for Swine
Thermal Care S is an innovative product developed by ADM researchers after five years of extensive swine research. Thermal Care S is specifically designed to help ameliorate the negative effects of heat stress, based on ADM researchers’ understanding of the underlying physiology of heat stress.
 

Patent-Pending ADM Energy BurstTM has Beneficial Impact on Nursery Performance....
 Energy Burst is an ADM patent-pending product containing several modified starches. Major individual components of Energy Burst have been shown to be readily available energy sources. Swine nursery studies conducted by ADM Alliance Nutrition have shown that Energy Burst improved growth performance and feed efficiency of nursery pigs.
 

Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease: Where we have been and where we are going! by Thomas G. Gillespie, DVM Diplomate, ABVP Rensselaer Swine Service, P.C., Rensselaer, IN ....In the past few years, a heightened awareness of this problem has swept across all major swine producing areas in the United States and Canada. The rapid appearance of severe clinical disease is only one interesting aspect of a very complex problem. The AASV task force was given the charge to gather information and address the concerns of the association’s membership.
 

Utilization of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) in Swine Diets
Ethanol production in the United States has grown dramatically during the past five years. In July 2005, the U.S. government passed the Energy Security Act, H.R. 6, which contains provisions that will double America’s use of clean burning, renewable fuels such as ethanol. Passage of the Energy Security Act is expected to further accelerate the growth of the cereal grain-based ethanol industry. The three main co-products derived from ethanol production include.........
 

Impact of Higher Corn Price on Swine Production and Nutritional Strategies for Alleviating the Impact ..............The livestock industry is experiencing revolutionary changes as typical feed ingredient prices have seemingly escalated daily. Higher corn price drives swine producers to look for alternative ingredients and feeding programs, which hopefully could maintain performance without increasing feed cost dramatically.
 

HIE and FROSTCOATS: A Winning Combination in the Fight Against Post-Weaning Diarrhea ....  The economic losses attributed to intestinal disease are staggering. E. coli poses one of the greatest threats to early-weaned pig health. Diarrhea accounts for a substantial percentage of post-weaning pig mortality
 

Patent-Pending ADM PremiDex™ Has Beneficial Impact on Swine Performance and Gut Microbial Population... PremiDex, a modified starch, is a proprietary feed ingredient manufactured by ADM. ADM swine research trials have shown nursery pigs fed PremiDex responded with an average daily gain improvement of 2.7% and feed efficiency improvement of 3.5% for pigs reared under conditions of low stress and minimal pathogen challenge.
 

Breeding/Gestation Evaluation check list
 

Farrowing Evaluation check list
 

Biosecurity: a Four-Part Action Plan for Swine Operations... Disease prevention and control must be an integral part of any swine production unit. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, protozoa, and molds can build-up with continuous use of a facility. A crucial part of the first line of defense against negative effects of disease-producing organisms is a sound biosecurity program........
 

Phytase in Swine Diets... Phosphorus contributes the greatest single mineral ingredient cost to swine diets. Pigs require phosphorus for.......
 

Quality Considerations in On-Farm Feed Processing... On-farm feed processing can be an economical practice to capture more value from home-grown or purchased grains. For operations that are continually growing and/or changing, owners/managers may need to occasionally evaluate whether feed processing and mixing procedures are adequately meeting their needs in terms of labor, costs, and time efficiency........
 

Which to Use: Traditional Nursery and Grow-Finish System or Wean-to-Finish? .... Wean-to-finish production has proven itself as a sound economical system for finishing hogs. Producers’ decisions regarding continuation with a wean-to-finish system is dependent upon individual circumstances.......
 

Management Guidelines for Grow/Finish....  Factors Influencing Grower/Finisher Success
 

Grow-Finish Walk-Through Evaluation Form
 

Understanding Nutrient Utilization in Swine.....To understand the science of swine nutrition, it is first necessary to understand how major nutritional components are utilized by swine to meet their nutrient needs. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water comprise the major nutritional components required by swine to meet maintenance, growth, and reproduction needs.
 

Weaned Pig Performance: Benchmarking Performance Meeting nutritional, environmental, and management needs associated with newly weaned pigs are essential in maximizing profitable nursery and subsequent grow/finish performance....
 

Transition from Highly Complex Diets to Simple Diets The objective of a nursery feeding program is to transition pigs from highly complex nursery diets to simple grain-soy based grower diets while optimizing pig performance and cost per pound of gain.....
 

Facility Management Impacts Performance Providing the appropriate environment for early-weaned pigs is essential in maximizing the pig’s genetic potential in the nursery and subsequently in the grow/finish period of production.....
 

Nursery Management Checklist Providing the appropriate environment for early-weaned pigs is essential in maximizing the pig’s genetic potential in the nursery and subsequently in the grow/finish period of production. Ensuring the environment is suitable for the young pig involves daily walkthroughs.....
 

Nursery Walk-Through Evaluation Conducting daily walk-throughs can help producers better manage pigs and the environment.
 

Feed Budgets Help Optimize Performance and Manage Costs Feed budgets define how the feeding program is to be used for the specific age and weight of pigs in a given environment under certain management conditions. Simply stated, our goal is to meet the nutritional requirements, based on the physiological capabilities of the young pig in the given environment, to optimize performance and cost per pound of gain........
 

Elevated Pantothenic Acid Levels Increase Carcass Lean of Swine  Pantothenic acid (vitamin B₅) plays an important role in facilitating energy metabolism. Recent research has demonstrated elevated pantothenic acid levels can increase carcass lean and decrease carcass backfat by directing energy away from body fat deposition toward protein deposition....
 

Patented Coating Process Out Performs Conventional Pelleting Process
An innovative, patented process for applying milk-based coating to the outside of pelleted feed is the key to giving early-weaned pigs the momentum for fast starts. The patented coating process yields improvements over conventional pellet manufacturing........
 

Influence of Starter Pig Performance on Subsequent Grow-Finish Performance Starting pig research conclusively shows it is not advisable to cut corners during the nursery phase and rely on “compensatory growth” during the grow-finish period.......
 

Nutritional Advances for Enhancing Young Pig Performance Prestarter products, designed specifically for the young pig, need to encourage early acceptance and feed intake. Feed intake, particularly the first week post-weaning, is highly correlated with subsequent nursery and grow/finish performance........
 

Natural Vitamin E Sources Show Better Efficacy and Biopotency than Synthetic Sources  Vitamin E provides the first line of defense in protecting the integrity of body organs, tissues, and cell membranes from damage caused by biological oxidation........
 

Crystalline Amino Acids Maintain Performance at Comparable Ration Cost Environmental Benefit is an Added Perk Proper amino acid nutrition has a dramatic effect on improving swine performance and carcass traits and is environmentally beneficial due to reduced excretion of nitrogen........
 

Strategies for Minimizing the Impact of Mycotoxins Mycotoxins are compounds produced by molds. At certain levels, ingestion of mycotoxins can cause decreased feed intake, growth, and reproductive performance.......
 

GILT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Isolation and Acclimation Protocols  Another key component of gilt management is developing protocols that address herd health. Protocols need to address the proper isolation and acclimation of all incoming breeding stock.
 

Direct Fed Microbial: Application and Usage Direct-fed microbials (DFM) were originally called probiotics until 1989 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers to use the term “direct-fed microbials.”  The FDA defines DFMs as “a source of live (viable), naturally occurring microorganisms........
 

Establishing Lean Gain Benchmarks for Grow-Finish Performance  Many producers have changed or shifted their current operations from farrow-to-finish to purchasing pigs from sow units. This has allowed them to optimize their labor efficiency and take advantage of sow-units to provide..........
 

Basic Concepts of Sow Nutrition (Feeding the Breeding Herd Series)... The average number of pigs weaned per litter across all swine farms in the United States continues to improve. Many producers today routinely achieve 9-10 pigs weaned and 22-24 pigs/sow/year. This production level has been achieved by changes in many important factors — genetics, management, health, record-keeping, and nutritional advances.....
 

Gestation: Feed Management & Nutrient Requirements (Feeding the Breeding Herd Series)   The pregnant sow requires feed energy to maintain body tissues, for body growth (i.e., maturation of gilts, mammary tissues, uterine tissues), and for fetal development. .......
 

Lactation: Feed Management and Nutrient Requirements  (Feeding the Breeding Herd Series) Lactation is a very intense period for the sow, and proper nutrient intake is a key to sow productivity and longevity. Adequate nutrition is essential for meeting nutrient needs for maintenance and milk production.......
 

Lactation Feed Intake: Management Factors to Boost Sow Intake (Feeding the Breeding Herd Series) Lactation is a very intense period for the sow, and proper nutrient intake is a key to sow productivity and longevity........