Animal Science - Sow Lifetime Productivity
Association of genetic markers with structural soundness and its relationship to gilt development and sow longevity
February 25, 2010By Max Rothschild
Sow longevity or sow productive life (SPL) is an important complex trait for total profitability of pig production. Proper gilt development and selection are important means to reduce the culling and...
Animal Science - Breeding & Genetics
Large scale SNP association analyses of feed efficiency and longevity
February 25, 2010By Max Rothschild
Many traits financially important to hog producers are either expensive or time-consuming to measure or difficult to successfully select animals for based on low heritability of the targeted traits....
Swine Health - General Disease
Prevalence of slaughter house condemnation due to Erysipelothrix sp. and further characterization of isolates associated with these cases
February 10, 2010By Tanja Opriessnig
The objective of this study was to confirm the presence and investigate the identity of Erysipelothrix spp. in condemned tissues obtained from a regional abattoir. Tissue specimens from 70 carcasses...
Pork Safety - Pre-Harvest
Identifying genes associated with Salmonella shedding to increase pork safety through improved genetic resistance
February 8, 2010By Christopher Tuggle
The long-term goals of this project are to use genomics tools to identify genetic variants that are associated with decreased Salmonella shedding on farms; and to use these variants to select for...
Swine Health - PRRS
Optimization of the PRRSV antibody ELISA for use in oral fluid-based surveillance
February 4, 2010By Jeffrey Zimmerman
PRRSV, M. hyopneumoniae, influenza, PCV2, and other endemic pathogens continue to cause significant economic losses to U.S. swine producers. In part, the disease status quo is maintained by the...
Environment - Manure Storage / Application
Deep Pit Swine Facility Flash Fires and Explosions: Sources, Occurrences, Factors, and Management
December 21, 2009By Robert Burns
Incidences of explosions and flash fires related to manure storage in deep pits were noted as early as 1969. Gases resulting from anaerobic decomposition of animal manure are the likely source of...
Public Health - Antibiotics & Resistance
Effects of Subtherapeutic Antibiotics on Antibiotic Resistance and Virulence Gene Transfer in Swine Intestinal Bacteria
December 21, 2009By Steven Carlson
Subtherapeutic antibiotics have been used for decades as growth promotants and prophylactic agents. The following antibiotics are approved for use a feed additives in swine: tetracyclines,...
Environment - Air
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the ISU Community Assessment Model in the Siting of Swine Production Units
December 14, 2009By Dr. Jay Harmon
It’s neither fun nor wise for rural communities to experience ongoing conflict related to odors from farming. The example of hog farming in Iowa provides a look at a conflict resolution tool...
Animal Science - Swine Nutrition
Identification of biological factors responsible for differences in feed efficiency between selection lines for residual feed intake- NPB 07-161, Selection lines to enhance genetic selection for feed efficiency – NPB 07-139
September 18, 2009By Jack C.M. Dekkers
Feed for the growing phase is the largest variable cost in pork production and these costs are on the rise. Thus, research that reduces feed required for pork production can result in substantial...
Swine Health - PRRS
Estimating the infectious dose for transmission of PRRSV by aerosol exposure
August 11, 2009By Jeffrey Zimmerman
The objective of this research was to quantify the likelihood of PRRSV transmission via aerosols as a function of exposure dose. This information is important because it reveals the process by which...
