Research Examining Stress Hormone Levels in Hair Expected to Interest Breeding Companies

Apr 10, 2023

An international research effort which is looking at the potential of measuring hormone levels in the hair of pigs to identify genetic lines that will be less affected by stress is expected to be of particular interest to breeding companies.
Researchers with Iowa State University, the Universities of Saskatchewan and Alberta and CDPQ are collaborating on a project under which the levels of three stress hormones in the hair of pigs are being measured to evaluate the effect of stress on performance and on disease resilience.
Dr. Jack Dekkers, a distinguished professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University and the Principal Investigator, says, by correlating the levels of stress hormones in the hair to growth performance and disease resilience, it should be possible to identify genetic lines of pigs that will be more or less affected by stress.

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Video: What Drives Profitability in Farrowing? - Dr. Daniel Gascho

In this special episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, marking World Veterinary Day, we welcome Dr. Daniel Gascho, swine production veterinarian and partner at Four Star Veterinary Service. He discusses how farrowing decisions must align with each farm's business model, why labor execution defines protocol outcomes, and how PRRS strategies should be tailored to each operation's health status and market position. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Protocols are only as strong as the labor that executes them, and that final step is what separates a plan on paper from results in the barn."

Meet the guest: Dr. Daniel Gascho / daniel-gascho-4a1bbb242 is a swine production medicine veterinarian and partner at Four Star Veterinary Service, based in Indiana. He focuses on individualized health strategies, vaccination planning, biosecurity, and practical protocol implementation across farrowing, nursery, and grow-finish systems.