Swine Webinar Focuses on Disease and Antibiotic Use

Jun 01, 2026
By Farms.com

Experts to share disease prevention strategies in swine production

Swine Innovation Porc (SIP) will host a national webinar on June 17 at 1:00 p.m. ET to discuss disease prevention and management in swine production In Canada. The session will focus on reducing antimicrobial use while improving herd health and sustainability.

The webinar, titled Disease Risk and Antimicrobial Use in Swine: From Post-Weaning Diarrhea to System-Level Prevention, will feature experts from leading institutions. Dr. Vahab Farzan from the University of Guelph and Dr. Gustavo Silva from Iowa State University will present different but connected perspectives on swine health and disease management.

Dr. Farzan will share research findings on post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), a common issue affecting young pigs. His presentation will include results from a nationwide epidemiological study. This research looks at bacterial strains, key risk factors, and the challenges farmers face in managing PWD in nursery pigs.

Dr. Silva will take a broader approach, discussing how diseases such as Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) spread within swine production systems. He will explain how improved biosecurity, regular monitoring, and effective risk assessment can help control disease spread and reduce pressure on animal health.

“Disease prevention and antimicrobial stewardship remain major priorities for producers across Canada,” said Daniel Ramage, General Manager of Swine Innovation Porc. “This webinar will provide practical insights into the factors driving disease risk and the strategies that can help producers improve herd health while reducing reliance on antimicrobials.”

“Improving our understanding of disease risk is essential to supporting better on-farm management decisions,” said Mark Ferguson, Chair of Swine Innovation Porc. “Research like this helps provide producers with practical tools and knowledge to strengthen productivity, sustainability, and animal health.”

The webinar will include expert presentations, followed by a moderate discussion and a live question-and-answer session. French translation will also be available, making the session accessible to a wider audience. To register for the webinar, click on the link.

Photo Credit: SIP-logo

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

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