Prevention/Control of Disease Understanding the Process Disease prevention and control is crucial in animal agriculture. Lack of a sound health program can bring economic devastation. Sanitation and the advent of vaccines have greatly diminished the intensity and widespread disease threat. To further control spread of disease and resulting economic losses, producers have employed numerous management techniques such as production of specific pathogen-free pigs, segregated early-weaned pigs, closed-farm policy, and serological profiling of herds.

The Show Pig Success Equation.... Total commitment to a show pig project is essential to become a feeder and exhibitor of champion show pigs. Genetics, management, nutrition, and showmanship are critical components in the equation for success..........

Getting Started, Selection, Facilities, & Feeding.....Raising and showing a champion involves hard work and a little luck. Selecting the “ideal pig,” the right facilities, a sound feeding and health program, proper fitting and showmanship, and paying attention to details each and every day are all important. Overlooking any one of these details can prevent you and your pig from making it to the first pen.......

How Much Hard Work Does It Take to Be Successful? ....Preparing your animal for the various shows and state fairs is crucial to your success. It takes many long hours of practice and preparation before the show to be successful. This article contains information that will help you to prepare for show day.

Preparing Before the Show Ring.... As you prepare for your next showmanship class, there is something to keep in mind that is often overlooked. You see, it is very easy to get really focused on your performance in the show ring and forget about the time before you enter the ring.........

The Basics of Swine Showmanship....There are certain basics in showing swine that even the youngest showman can work to achieve. While these ideas may seem to be very detailed, they are the keys to making the showmanship experience as positive as it can be.

Advanced Swine Showmanship Techniques... My goal with this article is to move into a few more of the intricacies of showing hogs at major junior shows. The senior classes at major state fairs or the National Junior Spectacular are some of the toughest and most exciting showmanship competitions that you could ever want to see. Let’s discuss what separates the kids that make it into the top placings at this high level of competition.

Keeping Show Pigs Healthy...... Show pigs can bring many disease organisms into a farm and spread them to other swine. However, you can take several steps to help prevent your show pigs from contracting and spreading diseases. The precautions include..........

Common Management Practices........... Health, Appearance, Nutrition, Medication......

Preventing Heat Stress in Show Pigs.... Understanding how heat stress can affect the health and growth rate of your pigs and implementing some simple management practices can go a long way towards a more productive and comfortable summer for your animals........

Swine Pneumonia.....Pneumonia is an important disease of the lower respiratory tract that impairs animal health and lowers individual and herd performance in swine. “Pneumonia” means inflammation of the lungs. It may be minor, subsiding quickly, or develop into advanced pneumonia.

Youth Show Issues.....Several issues have arisen during the last few years that deserve attention as they impact the credibility of youth shows. Some of which are addressed within this article.

Use of Preventative and Therapeutic Drugs in Show Market Animals......Various preventive and therapeutic medicines may be used for disease management in show market livestock and poultry....

Changes in Carcass Lean of Show Pigs.....  Often carcass changes occur in exhibition events at a faster rate than within the industry. This is primarily due to pre-selection by exhibitors for traits currently emphasized for industry change.................

Lean Growth and Nutrient Utilization.... To understand the science of swine nutrition, it is first necessary to understand how major nutritional components are used to meet swine nutrient needs. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water comprise the major nutritional components required in swine diets. The following discussion focuses on protein, carbohydrate, and fat utilization within the pig (a monogastric)..............

Low-Stress Loadouts...... Poor loading techniques can result in greater death loss during transport, increased carcass trim due to bruising, and poor quality meat. Stress is the underlying cause of most deaths during marketing and is a contributing factor in pork quality problems.

Transporting of High-Muscled Hogs..... The following provides more specific information on handling and transporting hogs. It also needs to be pointed out that the risk for severe losses during the marketing process can increase as the animals become more heavily muscled through genetic selection.................

Diarrheal Disease in Show Swine... Diarrhea is one of the most important problems in show pigs. It can occur at any time, from first obtaining a show pig through the last day of exhibition. It can become a chronic condition that persists for weeks. Diarrhea can be caused by nutrition, infectious diseases, internal parasites, or a combination of these..........