Feedstuffs in Focus

A billion-dollar-plus disease problem demands more than wishful thinking, so we went straight to the genetics that keep pigs alive and growing when pathogens hit. With Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger of Topigs Norsvin, we unpack the science and the on-farm relevance of breeding for disease resilience—how it’s measured, predicted, and proven in real barns. The conversation starts with new analysis on PRRS costs and moves quickly into what genomic selection can do for finding and scaling animals that sustain growth and cut losses under challenge.We trace the story from customer reports of hardier terminal lines to controlled, side-by-side trials that tracked mortality, growth, clinical scores, and treatments from wean to market. The results confirmed a resilience edge but also revealed a crucial insight: large differences among sires within the same line. That variation is the engine of progress. By estimating breeding values for resilience and validating them in challenge trials, the team saw predicted high-resilience progeny suffer about half the mortalities of the low-resilience group—a result that turns genomic predictions into tangible, barn-level outcomes.We also dig into heritability. Under standard conditions, mortality looks barely heritable. Under real challenge, heritability rises into the low-to-moderate range, accelerating genetic gain and giving producers a tool that compounds with each generation. With a reference population built since 2017 and continuously updated with current isolates and genetics, the roadmap points to resilience-forward offerings targeted for 2026. Most importantly, we clarify resilience versus resistance: not blocking every infection, but breeding pigs that cope, recover, and keep converting feed when the environment gets tough.If you care about pig livability, throughput, and the true cost of disease, this conversation translates complex genetics into practical decisions for sourcing and selection. Tune in, subscribe for more data-driven livestock insights, and leave a review to tell us what resilience questions you want answered next.

Some ideas feel too simple to matter—until the data proves they move the needle on survival. We sit down with Dr. Jordan Gebhardt from Kansas State University to unpack how feed form, small management choices, and genetics combine to cut nursery removals and mortality. From creep feed strategy to the surprising power of very large pellets, we explore why pigs eat more when feed doubles as a social stimulus and how that early intake protects against the post-weaning dip.We break down practical tools producers can apply right away: when and how to use mat feeding to accelerate feed discovery, what gruel feeding frequency actually changes, and how to prioritize labor for the moments that count. Jordan shares fresh research showing no advantage for four-times-daily gruel feeding over twice daily, freeing up time for better pen-walks and faster fallback identification. We also cover a head-turning genetic angle: divergently selected Duroc sire lines respond differently to weaning stress, with early-maturing lines eating sooner and losing less weight, while later-maturing lines make their gains in finishing. It’s a clear reminder to align genetic choices with system goals and health pressure.The biggest unlock may start upstream. Roughly two-thirds of wean-to-finish survivability variation traces back to the sow farm—colostrum, health status, and gilt development set the stage long before the nursery. When teams pair a better weaned pig with consistent basics—clean water, fresh feed, dry floors, and engaged caretakers—mortality drops. If you want a playbook that’s proven, practical, and ready for tomorrow’s chores, this conversation delivers. If you learn something useful, follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a quick review so more producers can find it.

Think water is the simplest input on a swine farm? We open the waterlines and find a living system that can quietly limit growth, blunt medications, and raise mortality if it goes unmanaged. With Dr. Gabi Doughan from Iowa State University, we connect barn-floor realities to lab-backed strategies that turn “clean enough” water into a performance advantage.We walk through a practical roadmap for testing what truly matters at the source and the drinker: pH and hardness that drive mineral scale, trace minerals that affect palatability and toxicity, and TDS, sulfates, and nitrates that can tip pigs into gut upsets. Just as important, we spotlight the biological side—coliforms, E. coli, and biofilms—that hides in hoses and nipples even when the well looks fine. Dr. Doughan explains how biofilms shelter microbes, carry resistance genes, and inactivate treatments, making water-administered medications unreliable if the system isn’t controlled.From there, we get tactical. You’ll hear how to build a testing plan across the line, choose compatible chemistries for descaling and biofilm penetration, and set a continuous disinfection regimen that holds gains between periodic shocks. We discuss measurable outcomes producers are seeing—improved average daily gain, stronger feed efficiency, and meaningful drops in mortality—and why verifying dose at the end-of-line is essential when delivering medications through water. The result is a clear, repeatable framework that aligns animal health, antimicrobial stewardship, and operational efficiency.If you care about better growth and fewer surprises, this conversation will help you turn water into a managed asset instead of a guess. Follow the show, share it with your team, and leave a review with one change you’ll make to your water program today.

Want to see how tiny viruses could reshape dairy nutrition? We sit down with Dr. Hugo Monteiro of the University of California-Davis to explore the unseen forces inside the rumen and how they tie directly to feed efficiency, milk production, and methane reduction. His work connects residual feed intake (RFI), microbial ecology, and host genetics into a framework that makes efficiency measurable and actionable.We start by clarifying why RFI outperforms traditional metrics: it isolates true biological efficiency independent of milk yield and body condition. From there, we dive into the rumen as a dynamic battlefield where bacteriophages constantly prune and empower bacterial populations. That “phage pressure” appears stronger in efficient cows, selecting microbes that better harvest energy, recycle nitrogen, and produce bioactive molecules. Some of those molecules may stimulate growth hormone and other anabolic pathways, hinting at a physiological bridge between microbial signals and performance at the udder.Dr. Monteiro explains how lower gut microbiomes act as a proxy for undigested substrates, providing a window into what the rumen missed. He also shares evidence that efficient cows absorb more key precursors even when rumen concentrations look similar, underscoring a genetics-by-microbiome interaction. On the practical side, we cover deep sequencing to profile microbial protein amino acids, rethinking RUP screening, and precision strategies for rumen-protected amino acids. We map near-term gains producers can use today and look ahead to phage-based tools and microbiome editing that could arrive within five to ten years, including prospects for targeting methanogens to cut emissions.Dr. Monteiro was a speaker at the recent 2025 Kemin Intestinal Health. Visit kemin.com/symposium to learn more and to view Dr. Monteiro’s presentation and more in on-demand. 

Weather rarely cooperates, cows never take a day off, and forage quality used to hinge on a calendar. We sit down with Phil Bollman, National Sales and Marketing Director at Forage Genetics International, to unpack how lower‑lignin alfalfa flips the script on the old quality‑versus‑tonnage compromise and gives dairy producers real control over digestibility, timing, and ROI.Phil draws on decades as a dairy nutritionist to explain why alfalfa remains the backbone of high‑performing rations: digestible fiber, protein, palatability, and natural buffering that pair cleanly with corn silage. Then we get specific about the HarvXtra trait—what happens when you dial down lignin in the plant, how NDF digestibility climbs without agronomic penalty, and why that shift lets you either keep your cutting schedule and harvest higher quality or push harvest seven to ten days to grab more tons at comparable quality. The payoff shows up in the bunk: more homegrown forage in the diet, better rumen health, and the option to drive milk or components while controlling feed cost.We also zoom out to the field. Longer intervals can help stands store root reserves, improve persistence, and reduce stress from aggressive cutting cycles. Stacking the trait with herbicide tolerance supports cleaner establishment and consistent feed across cuttings. Phil shares a look at the breeding pipeline focused on yield, quality, and disease resistance, and the micro‑selected approaches shaping next‑generation varieties. The through‑line is flexibility: better forage alignment with your labor, weather windows, and herd goals, whether you’re chasing peak performance or maximizing margin per acre.If you care about forage quality, ration economics, and resilient dairy production, this conversation delivers clear, practical takeaways you can use at the next harvest decision. For more information, visit www.HarvXtra.com

A skilled, year-round workforce, volatile trade winds, and a surprising turn in nutrition policy: that’s the terrain U.S. dairy is navigating right now. We sit down with Gregg Doud, CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation and former U.S. ag negotiator, to map the levers that actually move the needle—from immigration reform that reflects 365‑day operations to trade strategies that depend on credible, USTR-sealed agreements.Doud breaks down why H‑2A misses the mark for dairy, how House Ag Chair G.T. Thompson is uniquely positioned to shepherd bipartisan labor solutions, and what it really takes to keep parlors staffed and safe. We also dig into China: why geopolitical tension and agricultural necessity must coexist, what Phase One fixed, and why exporters should ignore rumors until the deal is official. When headlines like U.S. support for Argentina shake markets, he explains how to separate noise from risk—so co-ops, processors, and producers can plan with confidence.Nutrition and consumer trust take center stage as the dairy industry explores MAHA and a potential rethink of saturated fats, with momentum building to bring whole milk back to schools. Doud shares where the votes stand, why this change matters for kids and dairy demand, and how updated guidance can align with real behavior and better outcomes. We round out with the farm bill’s current outlook, noting how recent tax wins eased pressure while leaving room for targeted updates to federal milk marketing orders.If you care about the future of U.S. dairy—from hiring and retention to export access and school nutrition—you’ll find clear takeaways and practical context here. Enjoy the conversation, share it with a friend in agriculture, and subscribe for more policy-grounded insights. Then tell us: which policy should move first?

One sneeze at the barn door can ripple through an entire system. We sit down with Dr. Emily McDowell of Pipestone Veterinary Services to dig into one of the most fixable pathway in swine respiratory disease: human influenza spilling over into pigs. Rather than chasing every virus already circulating in herds, we focus on the front door—how people, air, and tools move—and show why simple, consistent controls can slash introductions and keep productivity steady.We break down the practical moves that work under real barn pressure. Think sick-day policies that don’t punish crews, quick symptom checks during community spikes, and on-site flu shots that reduce shedding. We talk air and surfaces too: balanced ventilation where possible, portable HEPA in entry spaces and wipe-down routines for high-touch tools and screens. Dr. McDowell explains how to match vaccination strategy to diagnostics, when to step up PPE, and how to use surveillance data to guide short-term actions like cohorting or limiting cross-room movement. Throughout, we spotlight “low-hanging fruit” that pay off quickly—extra handwash sinks placed before animal contact, clear clean/dirty zoning, labeled tools, and visitor protocols that are easy to follow and hard to ignore.What ties it all together is culture. When supervisors model the rules, signage sits where decisions happen, and crews have comfortable gear at arm’s reach, good biosecurity becomes the path of least resistance. The result is fewer human-origin introductions, less clinical flu in pigs, and a tighter handle on costs tied to treatment, performance dips, and downtime.If you found this helpful, follow Feedstuffs in Focus, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more producers and veterinarians can find it. 

One sneeze at the barn door can ripple through an entire system. We sit down with Dr. Emily McDowell of Pipestone Veterinary Services to dig into one of the most fixable pathway in swine respiratory disease: human influenza spilling over into pigs. Rather than chasing every virus already circulating in herds, we focus on the front door—how people, air, and tools move—and show why simple, consistent controls can slash introductions and keep productivity steady.We break down the practical moves that work under real barn pressure. Think sick-day policies that don’t punish crews, quick symptom checks during community spikes, and on-site flu shots that reduce shedding. We talk air and surfaces too: balanced ventilation where possible, portable HEPA in entry spaces and wipe-down routines for high-touch tools and screens. Dr. McDowell explains how to match vaccination strategy to diagnostics, when to step up PPE, and how to use surveillance data to guide short-term actions like cohorting or limiting cross-room movement. Throughout, we spotlight “low-hanging fruit” that pay off quickly—extra handwash sinks placed before animal contact, clear clean/dirty zoning, labeled tools, and visitor protocols that are easy to follow and hard to ignore.What ties it all together is culture. When supervisors model the rules, signage sits where decisions happen, and crews have comfortable gear at arm’s reach, good biosecurity becomes the path of least resistance. The result is fewer human-origin introductions, less clinical flu in pigs, and a tighter handle on costs tied to treatment, performance dips, and downtime.If you found this helpful, follow Feedstuffs in Focus, share it with a colleague, and leave a quick review so more producers and veterinarians can find it. 

The age-old compromise between quality and yield in alfalfa production has frustrated dairy farmers for generations. Harvest too early and you sacrifice yield; harvest too late, and quality suffers, requiring expensive supplements for high-producing dairy cows. This dilemma has pushed farmers toward increasingly frequent cutting schedules just to maintain quality – until now.Dave Witte and Parker Heise from Forage Genetics International reveal how the revolutionary HarvXtra Alfalfa trait is fundamentally changing alfalfa management on dairy farms. This innovative technology reduces lignin content in the plant, dramatically increasing digestibility and creating unprecedented flexibility for producers. Farmers can now choose between harvesting at traditional 28-day intervals for 15-20% higher quality or extending harvest to 35-36 days to gain 15-25% more yield while maintaining conventional-level quality. A wider harvest window offers valuable operational flexibility around weather events, labor shortages, and equipment breakdowns, while improving plant persistence and natural weed control.HarvXtra Alfalfa provides dairy nutritionists with a powerful alternative for increasing digestible fiber in dairy rations. Whether you're seeking higher quality to boost milk components or looking to maximize yield while maintaining quality, HarvXtra Alfalfa delivers transformative results that are changing the economics of dairy farming. Ready to revolutionize your alfalfa management? Visit HarvXtra.com to learn more about this game-changing innovation.This episode is sponsored by HarvXtra® Alfalfa. Every operation has different goals and priorities. There’s no silver bullet that works for everyone. But with the HarvXtra Alfalfa trait, you have options. It’s the first trait of its kind to provide the flexibility to produce higher-quality forage or extend harvest to maximize yield potential, which opens up new ways to optimize the way you grow alfalfa. Visit HarvXtra.com to learn more. 

Trust lies at the heart of agricultural innovation's greatest challenge. While technology has transformed countless industries, many promising agricultural technologies hit a wall at the farm gate. Why? Because farmers and ranchers need more than just promises – they need evidence, support, and validation from trusted sources.Land O'Lakes has launched an ambitious solution to this persistent problem. Their new coalition, AgRogue Growth Partners brings together Radical Growth, six major retail partners, and Winfield United to create a powerful innovation platform. As Jason Trusley, Senior VP and Chief Strategy Officer at Land O'Lakes explains, this platform addresses a critical gap in the agricultural innovation ecosystem – the transition from early development to widespread adoption.The initiative targets companies at that crucial growth stage where many agricultural technologies falter. With investments ranging from $5-10 million, AgRogue Growth Partners offers more than just capital. They provide market access through their vast network of retailers, validation through extensive testing capabilities, and management expertise from experienced entrepreneurs who understand both agriculture and technology scaling challenges.What problems are they focused on solving? Driving farm efficiency and income, navigating retail transformation, sustaining soil health, and optimizing the agricultural supply chain. Their approach is technology-agnostic but laser-focused on addressing these fundamental challenges facing today's agricultural operations.For innovators, this represents a unique opportunity to overcome the trust barriers that have prevented agriculture from seeing its first billion-dollar technology startup. For farmers, it means access to technologies that have been properly vetted and supported by trusted advisors. And for the agricultural industry as a whole, it offers a promising pathway to the productivity and sustainability improvements necessary for future success.Curious about agricultural innovation or how to bring your technology to market? This conversation provides invaluable insights into what's needed to transform promising ideas into adopted solutions. Subscribe to hear more discussions about the big issues affecting agriculture and how industry leaders are working to address them.