Saturday, September 20
Sunday, September 21
Monday, September 22
University of Alberta and the University of Minnesota Reproduction Workshop: Setting up the Breeding Herd
September 20, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 CE, $140
(lunch included), sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health
The failure to achieve top performance in most breeding herds is due to inadequate management and a failure to apply a number of basic, but well-proven principles to breeding herd management. Improving the efficiency of gilt pool management and achieving a consistent flow of eligible and “select” gilts for entry to the breeding herd is considered to the essential driver of good breeding herd performance.
Continuing the series of collaborative Reproduction Workshops, George Foxcroft (Leader of the Swine Reproduction-Development Program, University of Alberta) will again facilitate a Workshop directed at consultant veterinarians, breeding stock suppliers, and breeding herd managers that will set the benchmarks for improved replacement gilt management as the essential driver of good breeding herd performance.
The 2008 Reproduction Workshop includes information on alternative implementation strategies for gilt development systems, presented by leading practitioners from the US swine industry. The link between implementation of good gilt development systems, refinement of weaned sow management, and sow longevity is a particular focus of this year’s workshop.
Introduction
8:30 a.m.
Introduction & Opening Remark – Dr. George Foxcroft
Gilt Management in Principle
8:40
Biology Behind Gilt Development Systems - Dr. George Foxcroft
9:20
Growth and Reproductive Maturity of Gilts - Dr. Rafael Kummer
10:00 Discussion
10:15 Refreshment break
Gilt Management in Practice
10:40
Overall Implementation of Gilt Selection Programs - Dr. Jim Lowe
11:20
Use of PG600 in Replacement Gilt Management. - Dr. Jeremy Pittman
12:00 General discussion
12:30 Lunch
Sow Management
1:30
Management of Weaned First Parity Sows - Dr. George Foxcroft
2:10
Batch Farrowing Systems – Dr. Jim Lowe
2:50
Measures of Lifetime Performance – Dr. Matt Culbertson
3:30 Refreshment break
4:00
Putting a GDU/P1 sow management program into practice – Interactive workshop activity.
4:40
General Discussion and final wrap-up
Analyzing Production/Financial Data with Al Theede
Attendees of this workshop will practice using spreadsheet tools to analyze production and financial data and apply these spreadsheets to actual farm cases. Scenarios will include sow herd depopulation, analysis, and Proforma financial statements for a start-up sow production unit, detailed calculations of herd costs of production, impact of sow age and parity on the financial success of a sow farm, and weekly cash-flow requirements in a grow/finish unit. Participants will be able to learn and work with some of the Excel spreadsheet's advanced features such as goal seek, data tables, and macro editing.
Registrants are encouraged to bring their own questions, problems, and production/financial data to the workshop. Participants receive working models of all relevant spreadsheets. These models can be used for your own cases and analytic challenges at the workshop and with future clients. Imperial and metric measurement versions will be distributed.
You must bring your own laptop with Excel and a CD drive.
Practical Diagnostic Skills
September 20, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 CE, $95
(lunch included), U of M Veterinary Diagnostic Lab
Clinic and field technicians are invited to a training session at the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Faculty from the Diagnostic Laboratory along with technicians from regional veterinary practices will present information and lead discussions regarding:
Presenters will demonstrate necropsy and tissue sampling techniques in the morning and give a tour of the Diagnostic Laboratory facilities.
Spanish for the Pig Barn
September 20, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 3.5 CE, $95
Limited to 25, RiverCentre
Led by Laura Batista
There are more than 400 million Spanish speakers in the world, making Spanish the fourth most commonly spoken language. Many Spanish speakers are employed in swine production units in North America, but cultural and language differences make communication difficult — sometimes preventing the achievement of optimal production results. Yet Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn. This workshop presents important Latino cultural information, as well as Spanish for the pig barn.
Loose Sow Housing
September 21, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 3.5 CE, $95
Prairie Swine Centre in cooperation with VIDO (Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization) and the University of Minnesota have developed a practical workshop on the design and management of various alternative gestating sow management systems. The workshop utilizes a broad cross-section of experience and research including operation owners/managers, agricultural engineering, a welfare research perspective, and an economic review. Attendees will participate in evaluating the pros and cons of various housing systems from multiple perspectives.
8:30 am An introduction to the various management systems from Europe and
North America: Pros and cons, Lee Whittington
9:00 am Considering the needs of the sow when selecting a system,
Yuzhi Li
9:25 am The impact of gestation housing on sow performance, Sam Baidoo
9:50 Break
10:15 am Electronic sow feeders, gilt training and how we are achieving 27 pigs
per sow from large units, Tony Nicol
10:45 am Retrofitting for floor feeding, dealing with aggression and limited space,
Franklin Kains and Murray Elliot
11:30 am Discussion on renovation of existing barns
Noon Adjourn for lunch
Economics Workshop
September 21, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m, 3.5 CE, $95
RiverCentre
Chaired by Bob Morrison and Peter Davies, with Barb Straw and Paul Ruen
Learn how to take production data and apply concepts of opportunity cost, marginal analysis, partial budgets, and decision analysis in this introductory workshop. Work through examples of economic decision making for the sow herd, growing pigs and optimum slaughter weight. Spreadsheets will be distributed, but laptops are required.
Carlos Pijoan International Symposium: New Solutions to Old Problems
9:00 a.m.
Keynote: Solving problems through global collaboration, Satoshi Otake
9:35
An overview of the OSHAB collaborative model, Ernest Sanford
10:00
Introducing the emerging disease investigation unit at the University of Minnesota, Albert Rovira
10:25
New information on epidemiology and control of M. hyopneumoniae, Maria Pieters
10:50 Break
11:20
M hyo sequencing: A new tool to solve an old problem, Montse Torremorell
11:45
New approaches for solving App problems, Simone Olivera
12:10
APP eradication: Challenges and future directions, Amy Woods
12:30 Lunch
1:30
A suis: reduction or eradication?, Sarah Probst-Miller
1:55
New approaches to PRRS diagnostics: sequence interpretation and sampling, Dale Polson
2:20
PRRS herd classification: Can we speak the same language?, Derald Holtkamp
2:45
Air filtration of sow herds, Jeff Feder
3:10
An engineer’s perspective on sow and finishing filtration, Steve Pohl
3:35
New approaches to aerosol biosecurity, Scott Dee
4:00
Panel discussion
4:30 Adjourn
Classical Swine Fever 3-D Video
September 21, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., No Charge, River Centre
The 25-minute video, Classical Swine Fever, the Differential We Can’t Afford to Forget, made its debut at the 2007 annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV). To date, it has been viewed by more than 600 veterinarians, veterinary students and swine producers. The video is part of a collaborative effort of AASV, Iowa State University, and the National Pork Board to develop and distribute educational materials to veterinarians and veterinary students informing them about Classical Swine Fever (CSF) and USDA’s on-going surveillance program. Funded by USDA, this 3-D video immerses the viewer in a real-life scenario involving the introduction of CSF into a typical swine herd and the subsequent implications.
KSU/U of MN Nutrition Session: Focus on Feed Efficiency
September 21, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 4 CE, $95, River Centre
1:00
Introduction: Setting the stage for improving food efficiency - Steve Dritz
Once feed efficiency has been identified as a focus area, using a decision-tree format can provide a systematic way to investigate factors to change and help prioritize resources for these factors.
1: 15
Effective strategies for diet formulation and using feed additives to maximize nutritional efficiency, Aaron Gaines
Learn practical approaches to valuing dietary energy levels and see how dietary energy levels that result in optimum feed efficiency may not always result in the most economical or safest feeding program.
2:00
Feed processing factors that impact feed efficiency, Leland McKinney*
Learn how different feed processing techniques, such as particle size reduction, pelleting, and expanding or extruding, affect nutrient utilization of feed stuffs and pig performance and the different types of equipment for each process. Hear about the advantages and disadvantages of roller mills versus hammer mills for particle size reduction.
2:45
Demonstration of a quick-and-easy method to monitor grain particle size in the feed mill, Bob Goodband and Steve Dritz
At today’s U.S. grain prices, a reduction in average grain particle size by 100 microns is estimated to reduce feed costs by nearly $1.00 per pig. This session presents a simplified method and spreadsheet for on-site analysis of grain particle size.
3:00 Break
3:15
Feeding and feeder management influences on feed efficiency, Dr. Bob Goodband
Dr. Goodband will review factors that affect feed efficiency at the barn level such as phase feeding, feed budgeting, feeder selection and management. This session includes case-based practical examples for improving feed efficiency at the farm and barn level including examples of how to adjust close out feed efficiency for differences in market weight, feed processing factors, and dietary energy density to more easily identify barn level changes.
4:00
Efficiency of sow herd feeding, Lee Johnston
This session will include practical examples of gilt development feeding programs to optimize breeding herd feed efficiency. Learn how nutrition and caloric intake affect longevity. Identify practical targets for monitoring sow herd caloric intake.
4:45
What have we learned today?, Sam Baidoo and Steve Dritz
Sow Lameness and Claw Lesions
September 21, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., 4 CE, $95, River Centre
The focus of this session, led by John Deen and Sukumaran Anil, will look at the problem of sow retention in five areas of sow lameness:
A Breakfast Conversation with Randy Stoecker
September 23, 6:30 a.m., 1.5 CE, $35, River Centre
Hosted by Bill Christianson