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Nation's Third Largest Egg Producer Transitioning To Cage-Free

Rembrandt Foods, the nation's third-largest egg producer, said Tuesday it is moving toward raising its birds in a cage-free environment. 
 
The Spirit Lake, IA, company did not outline how long it would take to make the change, but said cage-free egg production "will become the company's standard." 
 
Dave Rettig, president of Rembrandt Foods, said during the past five years the company has "invested almost exclusively" in cage-free egg production houses as more food companies announce they are switching to birds raised under conditions that allow them more room to move around. 
 
"The cage-free future is the new model for producing premier quality products in the egg industry," Rettig said. Fewer than 10 percent of the nation's egg-laying hens are cage-free, according to government and industry figures
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Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Video: Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.