Articles

At the recent Pipestone Summit, we had an interesting exchange on pig farm biosecurity and the contrast between biosecurity measures employed at the sow farm and those effectively implemented in the wean to finish (W-F) farms.

“Climate change” and “climate crisis”  are topics that have gained the attention of policymakers and businesses across the globe. The Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report released in 2021 noted, “Unless there are immediate, rapid, and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emission, limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C will be beyond reach.

We recognize the growing global concern over Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), its impact for human medicine, veterinary medicine, public and animal health, as well as society and the shared concern of antibiotic use’s influence on AMR. Pipestone’s commitment to Responsible Antibiotic Use and reduced AMR serves as the framework for our Pipestone Antibiotic Use Standards (PORK).

We live in the so-called “Information Age”. Data is being collected all around us. Today, the power of computing and digital technology have made collecting, analyzing and transferring data easier than ever. As a result, we have more information than ever at our fingertips.

The process of using data to make strategic production decisions is not new for PIPESTONE. It’s a process that usually starts with a concept, sometimes born of intuition, but more often born of necessity. It also requires a collaborative effort by PIPESTONE business units to bring the concept full circle.

There are several ways to evaluate feed cost and feed performance in wean-to-market pigs. Each method can provide a very different answer for the producer on what is the “BEST” way to feed a pig. In a perfect world we find the ideal marriage between biological performance and feed cost.

As swine producers, you all pay a health tax at the end of the year, whether you know it or not. This tax is paid on every pig and reflects the cost of less-than-perfect health in an operation.

The #1 key to preventing African Swine Fever virus (ASF) breaks is improving biosecurity. Be flexible. Use the sites and infrastructure around you to optimize health and production in ways you may not have attempted thus far. Use feed mitigants. Depopulating continuous flow sites with viral health challenges is key to recovering performance.

Personal Background: I come from a very humble family that had to immigrate from Zacatecas to Jalisco in search of opportunities. I am the fourth of seven siblings. I have always been involved in agriculture.

20 years ago, PIPESTONE started consulting in China. Consultation then turned into management, and later, ownership. Today, PIPESTONE is a minority owner in Riverstone, the operations group in Shandong Province. PIPESTONE oversees day-to-day operation for Riverstone, and Dr. Luke Minion serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board.

Pork is the most consumed meat in the world. As a result, pig farming is a global pursuit. While the USA exports a significant portion of the pork we raise (nearly 30%), most pork is consumed within the country where the pigs were raised.

There are many items to remember as winter ventilation is upon us of how we want barns to operate. Here are a few to think of as you are braving the cold. Set Points: This is what you are telling the barn to maintain temperature at.