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Swine


Animal Health

Management Practices to Mitigate Livestock Heat Stress

Management Practices to Mitigate Livestock Heat Stress

Parasite Control in Youth Market Hog Projects

Parasite Control in Youth Market Hog Projects

Summer Management of Growing Finishing Swine-Including Show Pigs

Pigs often grow slower during the hot summer months than at other times of the year. This is especially true during July and August in the central part of Washington. As a result, pigs are delayed in reaching market weight which disrupts pig flow, feed efficiency and profitability in commercial units. Show pigs fail to…

Environmental Management of Young Pigs During Cool Weather

It is well known that market pigs and sows suffer from the heat during the summer by decreasing feed intake, growth and milk production, but we often fail to realize that younger pigs suffer equally or to a greater extent during the cooler times of the year. Harmful results of chilling include slower growth, poor…

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Confirmed in U.S.

Introduction Although present in European and Asian swine herds for more than 40 years, the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus was confirmed for the first time in the U.S. in May 2013. So far, cases have been con- firmed in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Minnesota. The disease is a concern because the American swine…

The Threat of Foreign Animal Diseases and The Need for Agriculture Biosecurity

Foreign animal diseases are not only a serious threat to American livestock and agriculture, but also to our nation’s economy and security. A wide variety of devastating plant and animal pathogens exist outside of the U.S. Many of these agents could be accidentally or intentionally transported inside the U.S borders. The transportation of livestock and…

Selenium: Essential for Livestock Health

Tragically, the first time some livestock producers hear the term “White Muscle Disease” is during the necropsy of one of their animals. What causes this serious disease and more importantly, how can it be prevented? Cause of White Muscle Disease White Muscle Disease (WMD) is caused by a deficiency of either of two important nutritional…

Preventing Navel Ill

Using iodine on the navel of any newborn farm animal is an important management practice for the prevention of navel ill.  The navel of the newborn is basically a hollow tube which leads directly into the abdominal cavity and liver of the animal.  It remains moist for several days after birth, making   it easy for…


 

Resource Links (Animal Health)

Carcass/Performance

Consumers: Want to Buy an Animal and Have it Butchered for Home Use?: Things Consumers Should Consider Prior to Purchasing An Animal.

Consumers: Want to Buy an Animal and Have it Butchered for Home Use?: Things Consumers Should Consider Prior to Purchasing An Animal.

WSU Livestock Carcass Grade & Cutability Calculator

Download Now Available on both Android and iOS WSU Livestock Carcass Grade & Cutability Calculator is a simple way to calculate carcass yield grade, dressing percentages, and cutability of beef, pork and lamb carcasses.  Individuals can estimate yield grade or cutability from live animal data from cattle, pigs and lambs, in addition to calculating the…


 

Resource Links (Carcass/Performance)

  • WSU Livestock Carcass Grade & Cutability Calculator (Android) (iOS)

Nutrition

Feed-ology: How to read a feed tag

Feed-ology: How to read a feed tag


 

Quality Assurance

On-Line Instructions for Youth PQA Plus Training and Certification

On-Line Instructions for Youth PQA Plus Training and Certification (PDF)


 

General

Consumers: Want to Buy an Animal and Have it Butchered for Home Use?: Things Consumers Should Consider Prior to Purchasing An Animal.

Consumers: Want to Buy an Animal and Have it Butchered for Home Use?: Things Consumers Should Consider Prior to Purchasing An Animal.

Practical Biosecurity Recommendations for Farm Tour Hosts

Practical Biosecurity Recommendations for Farm Tour Hosts

Feed-ology: How to read a feed tag

Feed-ology: How to read a feed tag

Do You Have Lousy Animals?

As we enter the colder, darker, damper time of year, we will be re-visited by a pest from the past: lice. An annual problem, lice can affect animal health and farm profitability. Here is a short primer on this parasite. Species Specificity Lice are generally quite species specific (Table 1). This means poultry lice won’t spread…


 

'In The Swine Barn' Webinars With SDSU and WSU Extension

“In the Swine Barn” Webinar Series

"In The Swine Barn," Webinar Series is a collaboration between WSU Extension and South Dakota State University Extension, Washington Pork Producers, and support from the National Pork Board. The webinar series is tailored to small…