Articles

 The 2021 supply chain issues are well known. Various news publications speak to the challenge of logistics via air, ocean, road and rail, as well as the lack of labor and materials.

African Swine Fever (ASF) is an inevitable topic as we talk about the global swine industry, especially after August 2018 when ASF was reported for the first time in China, the world’s largest pig producer and consumer.

African swine fever (ASF) was diagnosed on Hispaniola in the Caribbean this summer, the Dominican Republic in July 2021, and in Haiti in September 2021. This is the first time since the 1980s that the virus has been found in the Western Hemisphere. It has never been diagnosed in the United States.

I’m an optimistic person by nature, but I’ve had to become more of a realist. This is truer than ever when preparing our business, and our clients, for the potential of a foreign animal disease entrance into the U.S.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.