International Conference on Pig Survivability set for October 28-29
Join us in bringing the swine industry together to discuss solutions and motivate change toward improving pig survivability.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The International Conference on Pig Survivability is planned for October 28 and 29 in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Hilton Omaha. The conference's objective is to facilitate the discussion and dissemination of the most current information relative to sow, litter, weaned pig and grow-finish mortality.
"By featuring presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders and scientific experts, we want to bring the industry together to motivate change," says Joel DeRouchey, K-State swine extension specialist. "We want attendees to walk away with a sense of urgency toward the issue of mortality and some practical ideas of what to do about it."
Jason Ross, Iowa Pork Center director, explains, "The conference will feature speakers from an array of swine-related businesses and organizations that will discuss relevant, take-home messages to impact swine survivability."
Confirmed speakers and topics to be addressed include:
• Dr. Lee Schulz, Iowa State University; economics of swine mortality
• Ron Ketchem, Swine Management Services, a division of MetaFarms; trends of U.S. swine survivability
• Dr. Bill Christianson, COO of Genus PIC; trends of international swine survivability
• Cassie Edgar, McKee, Voorhees, and Sease, PLC; advancing technology — regulatory, advocating, and future
• Gustavo Pizarro, DVM, Pipestone Veterinary Services; industry successes and failures in pre-weaning survivability
• Chris Rademacher, DVM, Iowa State University; industry successes and failures in post-weaning survivability
• Valerie Duttlinger, Chief Analytics Officer at Summit Smart Farms; finding the right people for the right jobs
• Sara Probst Miller, DVM, Ag Create Solutions president and creative director; effective training: what works and what does not
• Larry Coleman, DVM; keeping the urgency with employees
• Dr. Justin Ransom, senior director, Sustainable Food Strategy at Tyson Foods; social responsibility of pig survivability
• Dr. Fernando Bortolozzo, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; breeding herd mortality: opportunities for measurable impact
• Dr. Kara Stewart, Purdue University; pre-weaning mortality: opportunities for measurable impact
• Deb Murray, DVM, New Fashion Pork; nursery mortality: opportunities for measurable impact
• Jim Pillen, DVM, Pillen Family Farms; finishing mortality: opportunities for measurable impact
• Bill Even, CEO National Pork Board; call to action
• Dr. Noel Williams, COO Iowa Select Farms, and Mike Tokach, Kansas State University; conference impressions: now, what should we do to capture value in academics and industry
• Numerous industry panels for interactive discussions
To learn more about the conference, visit https://www.regcytes.extension.iastate.edu/survivability/. Registration for the conference will open in May. To be notified when registration is open and to receive other updates from the Improving Pig Survivability project, subscribe to project updates at www.piglivability.org.
The International Conference on Pig Survivability is part of the Improving Pig Survivability project. This five-year, interdisciplinary, multi-university project is funded by the National Pork Board and Foundation for Food and Agriculture, aimed at reducing mortality in the U.S. swine industry by 1% or more per year of the project. The project is being organized as a collaborative effort by Iowa State University, Kansas State University and Purdue University.
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The Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry department serves students, livestock producers and the animal and food industries through teaching, research and education. The K-State ASI department prepares students for careers in the animal and food industries. The curriculum includes the study of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, behavior, meat science, food science with production, management, and agribusiness skills. For more about the K-State's ASI department visit asi.ksu.edu.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.