Big Bug Day Provides Relevant and Important Information on Swine Health

Dec 18, 2023

ELORA - Nearly 150 representatives from across the pork industry took part in the annual Big Bug Day hosted by Swine Health Ontario.

This gathering of industry experts addresses topics and issues that impact the pork sector including biosecurity, research outcomes, disease surveillance along with other important updates.

New this year was a presentation from Tyler Jutzi of Brussels Transport and the Canadian Livestock Transporters Alliance who shared suggestions for enhancing working relationships between producers and livestock transporters and practical recommendations for improving biosecurity on the farm and processing facilities.

Dr. Ed Metzger of Southwest Vets presented several well researched health strategies to navigate today’s challenging economy. His presentation focused on practical economic considerations for herd health, and several key areas producers can focus on to maximize the return on investment.

Other health and disease topics included an update on sow mortality in Ontario herds, the latest information on influenza surveillance and emerging strains to watch for in Ontario, and an update on Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

Source : Ontario Pork

Video: Season 6, Episode 7: Takeaways from the Second International Conference on Pig Livability

This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University. They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business.