Animal Well-being
Evaluation of transmammary-delivered firocoxib and a vapocoolant spray to alleviate pain in piglets after surgical castration and tail docking
January 20, 2023By Abbie V. Viscardi, PhD
This study aimed to assess a novel strategy for pain management of piglets after routine processing procedures. By providing the sow an analgesic drug that is able to cross the blood-milk barrier in the mammary gland, nursing piglets can be noninvasively provided pain relief transmammary prior to surgical castration and tail docking.
Swine Health - Foreign Animal Disease
Evaluation of Processing Fluids and Other Novel Sample Types for the Detection and Surveillance of Less-Virulent ASFV Strains
January 4, 2023By Aruna Ambagala
Based on the data from this study, we can suggest that PF is suitable to screen young swine herds for ASF.
Animal Science
Optimizing late finishing pig feed efficiency, carcass yield, and economic return
November 30, 2022By Joel DeRouchey
The multi-facetted project focused on optimizing late finishing pig feed efficiency, carcass traits, and economic return through feeding practices is essential for the sustainability of pork production.
Animal Science
Interactive effects of pelleting and particle size reduction of corn on net energy and amino acid digestibility in corn-soybean meal diets fed to group-housed pigs
November 28, 2022By Hans H. Stein
The objective of this research was to demonstrate interactive effects of pelleting and reducing particle size of corn on net energy and nutrient digestibility in feeds for growing pigs.
Swine Health
An African Swine Fever (ASF) positive cohort study: Validating various PCR tests and sample types for African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) detection in boars; and determining the possibility of transmission via artificial insemination
October 29, 2022By Dr. Darwin Reicks
The first study using experimentally ASFV inoculated adult, commercial boars to determine which sample types and PCR procedures were optimum in detecting ASFV in boars and gilts. Additionally, it proved that insemination of ASFV infected semen to naïve gilts resulted in transmission of the virus.
Swine Health
Practical strategies for improving swine oral fluid PCR performance
August 27, 2022By J Zimmerman
The goal of this current research was to identify practical methods to improve the detection of PRRSV, IAV-S, and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP) nucleic acids in swine oral fluids by evaluating sample treatments reported to achieve improved nucleic acid detection.
Swine Health
Evaluation of meat juice and muscle swabs using OIE-approved real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from swine with clinically compatible signs of ASF in Ugandan slaughterhouses
July 27, 2022By Karyn Havas
This research project assessed the African swine fever virus’s (ASFV) nucleic acid detection in slaughter expedient samples: diaphragm meat juice, diaphragm muscle swab, spleen, and spleen swab.
Animal Science
Evaluation of vitamin A and a novel beta-carotene product to improve mammary development and immune function in gilt development
July 11, 2022By Laura Greiner
The purpose of this study was to determine if supplementing the gilts with vitamin A or beta-carotene can improve antibody responses and improve mammary development prior to puberty.
Pork Quality
Increasing the Value of Heavy-Weight Pork Carcasses
June 1, 2022By Dr. Anna Dilger Ph.D.
Increasing the value of heavy weight pork carcasses by modifying current shoulder fabrication specifications.
