Year: 2021

Do you think you can impact the health of your piglets in the nursery by what the sow is eating at the sow farm? We had the very same question, and set out to conduct a research trial to test the idea. If we could improve the health and performance of the pigs in the…

  Grocery shopping is a balancing act of buying the “best” for your family while also staying within your budget. With the large variety of food labels out there, it can be hard to know what you’re buying.     When it comes to understanding food labels there are a couple points to remember. All…

What are the greatest factors that influence pig health? Most will say the health of the sow farm, pig density and area disease pressure. While these are all true, a common item gets overlooked: the overall design of the operation. This topic can even be broken down into the macro and micro features of the…

The goal for most swine producers is to make money raising hogs. With current ingredient prices, we have been getting many questions about how to reduce feed cost, which is a great question. However, many producers focus on feed cost per ton and immediately focus on the nursery diets. The most expensive feed cost per…

I am old enough now to have seen a significant arc of attitude regarding antibiotic use. Our attitude. Public attitude. Government attitude. At one time, antibiotic use would have been a very quick decision for me or my clients. Problem?… Solution! But the landscape is different today, and for several valid reasons. If we are…

In partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Pipestone Research has provided a rapid response to bring science-based answers to managing the emergence of PRRSV 144 L1C. Based on field observations from practitioners and producers, stating that, “This is the worst strain of PRRSV ever,” “Vaccines don’t work anymore,” and “Biosecurity protocols are ineffective,”…

The Pipestone Antibiotic Resistance Tracker (PART) celebrates its fifth birthday this month. Like most things, a lot has changed in that time and we wanted to share a bit about the background, learning and forward vision of this important tool. In the summer of 2016, we welcomed a national fast-food chain to PIPESTONE to showcase…

  In 1980, Michael Porter, distinguished professor at Harvard Business School, wrote that competitive strategy is “how a firm can actually create and sustain a competitive advantage in its industry.” In his book Competitive Strategy, he outlines that the two basic types of competitive advantage are cost leadership and differentiation. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a…

  Facilities play a large role in the health of your pigs and profitability of your pig business. As assets age, it’s important to evaluate your best facility strategy moving forward: retain, replace or remodel.     Below are some considerations to take into account when making your decision. If your answer was “no” for…

  While this is not an exhaustive list for employers, it is a sampling of the most common mis-steps well-intentioned employers make as they work through their day-to-day responsibilities of running a business and employing a team.       1. Unrealistic Expectations Employers often set their expectations of employees high to encourage workplace efficiency…

Money. The driving factor at the end of the day to make sure bills are paid and food is on the table. Everything comes at a cost, especially change within your family farm operation. Suggested changes are often quickly dismissed because capital outlay is high. Utilizing Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in your operation can help…

We all know that nutrition is a key component to successful pig performance. So, what takes nutrition from good to better to best? A combination of formulation, ingredient procurement, and nutrition partnerships will set your farm up for a successful nutrition program.  1. Formulation to perform Formulation is an art form and takes an innate…

It is that time of year again; the sun is shining, the days are longer, and the snow has melted away. Before we know it, the summer heat will also be here too but unfortunately, when it comes to raising pigs, the summer warmth means added heat stress and reduced growth performance when pigs are…

PRRS, the 4-letter abbreviation that should make any hog producer shutter. The extensive disease pressure this year has likely caused this feeling more than once. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a viral disease resulting in complications with reproduction and respiratory disease in pigs of any age. Since last fall, there has been an…

In the summer, many of us look forward to county fairs, state fairs and many other livestock exhibitions.  For many of us, this is a time to get off the farm and meet neighbors, friends and family.  It is important to remember that the livestock we leave at home are actually the ones that pay…

  As the epidemic of African Swine Fever (ASF) spreads throughout China, it raises animal welfare and economic issues for the swine industry in China and the United States.   Classified as a foreign animal disease, ASF in the United States would immediately stop the export of pork products, costing the United States economy $16.5…

This year we have implemented several production efficiencies to focus our efforts on sustainable farming. Three production efficiencies to remain sustainable on farm include water usage, energy consumption, and reducing waste. As an outcome of COVID-19, we re-evaluated many of our production Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) and determined ways to reduce cost at the sow…

When evaluating the carbon footprints at the sow farms managed by Pipestone Management, we found that manure accounts for roughly 30% of emissions.  So, if your goal is to reduce your overall carbon footprint, how do you do that with manure?  One method to gain traction in the industry is methane digesters.  Recently completing a…

PIPESTONE provides veterinary services to pig farmers all over the world. We recognize the growing global concern over Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and its impact on human and animal health. We share society’s concern of the potential impact of antibiotic use on AMR. With the health and production tools available today, we can raise pigs with…

Through good times and bad in agriculture, farmers generally cherish the idea of passing their family farm on to the next generation. The farm community’s practice is to celebrate and even commemorate the moment the family farm reaches the century mark. However, according to the PWC 2016 US Family Business Survey, only slightly over half…

The pork industry is a buzz with carbon reduction goals and even carbon neutrality. Two questions often asked are what is a carbon neutral pig and what can farmers do? A carbon neutral pig has net zero carbon dioxide emission equivalents (CO2e) into the atmosphere during its lifetime. CO2e is a term used to express…

There are three drivers influencing cost of production today; facilities, weaned pigs and feed, with feed cost accounting for over 60% of the total cost of production. In the last 90 days, we have seen feed cost per pig increase >$20/pig. Now more than ever, producers should be focused on improving feed efficiency as a…

Training | Tools | Tracking PIPESTONE and the families we work with are committed to producing safe food, protecting our environment, and providing the best care for our animals. Whether I am working with an individual family farmer or the team at PIPESTONE, when it comes to animal welfare we talk about incorporating the three…

The tech service team works to challenge current production protocols, evaluate new ideas and technology, and provide real data to make decisions. Utilizing actual sow farms, we can conduct large scale field research trials in actual production conditions. This helps to gain valuable information to implement in sow farms managed by Pipestone Management. New products…

During periods of high commodity prices and profitability, farm business owners should be diligent to financially prepare for the next period of low prices. The following are strategies that could help you build working capital to be ready for the next cycle of low prices. Improve operational efficiency Aggressively managing operational efficiency is the most…

Innovation in nutrition comes in many forms at PIPESTONE. From new technology, to better feed management, to improving the feed quality across our 40+ feed mills that feed sows managed by Pipestone Management, we are continually investigating ways to bring value. What does the body condition of an “ideal” sow look like in your mind?…

Everyone likes a deal! Who doesn’t? If there is an opportunity to buy something at a “good” price most people jump at the opportunity. But sometimes the deal isn’t as good as what we thought and is not figured out until after the fact.The same thing can happen with nutrition or formulation. One of the…

In 1942, Drs. E.A. Scheweim and P.A. Pinkert founded the Pipestone Veterinary Clinic. Since then, the company has continued to innovate while serving our mission of Helping Farmers Today Create the Farms of Tomorrow. In 1988, the Pipestone Management was founded and in 1990 Hiawatha Gilts, LTD was built and became the first Pipestone Management…

This year marks 30 years that the sow farm Hiawatha Gilts was constructed in Pipestone county, Minnesota birthing what would become the Pipestone Management and change modern swine production. Most intriguing is what Hiawatha represents as we think about innovation and the progression of health management. Hiawatha started as a multi farmer-owned farrow to finish…