• Home
  • About the Project
  • Our Team
  • 2025 Conference
  • Podcast
  • Resource Library
  • Conference Recordings
  • Publications
  • Spanish Resources
  • Student Training
  • Contact Us
  • More
    • Home
    • About the Project
    • Our Team
    • 2025 Conference
    • Podcast
    • Resource Library
    • Conference Recordings
    • Publications
    • Spanish Resources
    • Student Training
    • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About the Project
  • Our Team
  • 2025 Conference
  • Podcast
  • Resource Library
  • Conference Recordings
  • Publications
  • Spanish Resources
  • Student Training
  • Contact Us

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PIG LIVABILITY

November 5th

PLENARY SESSION 

Grand Central Ballroom

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:30am        Welcome and Opening Comments

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:45am        Pig Livability Project Focus and Resources at piglivability.com

                      Dr. Joel DeRouchey, Professor, Kansas State University

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:00am        Trends of the Best and Lowest Mortality Farms in US. and Internationally

                      Rachel Johnson, MetaFarms

                      Dr. Derald Holtkamp, Iowa State University 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:30am        Maximize Livability and Economics – How to Reconcile?

                      Dr. Clayton Johnson, Carthage System 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:00am      Panel 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:15am       Break (Sponsors: ABVista, AcuFast, Alltech, DNA Genetics, Huvepharma, Kemin, Kent Nutrition Group)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:45am      The Elephant – Sow Farm Health on Whole Herd Livability 

                      Dr. Daniel Linhares, DVM, MBA, PhD, Roy A. Schultz Professor in Swine Medicine

                      Dr. Edison Magalhaes, Assistant Professor, Iowa State University

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:15am        Individual Sow Care: Renewed Emphasis for Immediate Impact

                      Alex Umbaugh, Sow Retention Specialist, Iowa Select Farms

                      Dr. Carlos Roudergue, Country View Family Farms

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:45am        Panel

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12:00pm       Lunch (Sponsors: Cargill, Elanco, Novus, Phibro & PIC)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

PLENARY SESSION 

Grand Central Ballroom

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1:15pm         Routine and Novel Strategies to Select for Piglet, Pig, and Sow Livability

                      Dr. Jack Dekkers, Distinguished Professor, Iowa State University

                      Dr. Tom Rathje, Chief Scientific Officer, DNA Genetics

                      Dr. Jenelle Dunkelberger, Geneticist, Topigs Norsvin

                      Dr. Lucina Galina, Technical Project Director, PIC 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:15pm         Panel

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:30pm        Livability From Birth to Market - A Comparison of Global Practices   

                      Dr. Anne de Lara and Dr. Matthew Turner 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3:10pm         Panel

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3:20pm        Break (Sponsors: ABVista, AcuFast, Alltech, DNA Genetics, Huvepharma, Kemin, & Kent Nutrition Group)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

3:45pm        Livability Success Stories 

                      Day 1 Pig Care - Labor Allocation– PJ Corns, JBS Live Pork 

                      Adoption of Technology to Optimize Labor Priorities – Fred Kuhr, Dykhuis Farms 

                      Sow Housing Facilities (Group Housing Conversion) – Hyatt Frobose 

                      The Importance of Improving Company Culture to Create Employees Who Care – Dianne Bettin, Bettin Consulting

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5:00pm       Panel 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5:15pm         What Did We Hear Today? 

                      Dr. Noel Williams, Senior Vice President Live Production, Seaboard Foods 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

5:30pm       Reception (Sponsored by Topigs Norsvin)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

November 6th

____________________________________________________________________________________________________6:45am        Breakfast (Sponsors: Iowa Pork Producers Association & United Animal Health)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________


CONCURRENT SESSION #1: Breeding Herd Mortality 

Blackstone Ballroom A

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:00am        Recent Sow Livability Research Results

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:30am        Beating the Odds of Sow Livability – a 300K Sow System Perspective 

                      Dr. Anne de Lara

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:00am        Open Discussion - Shared Experiences, Successes and Failures

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:30am        Priorities in Applied Research, Management, Facilities, etc. for Future Impact

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:00am      Break (Sponsors: ABVista, AcuFast, Alltech, DNA Genetics, Huvepharma, Kemin, & Kent Nutrition Group)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

CONCURRENT SESSION #2: Post-weaning Mortality - Nursery

Blackstone Ballroom B

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:00am        Recent Nursery Livability Research Results

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

8:30am        Nursery On-Farm Liability Successes for Measurable Impact

                      Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham, Pillen Family Farms

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:00am        Open Session - Shared Experiences, Successes and Failures

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

9:30am        Priorities in Applied Research, Management, Facilities, etc. for Future Impact

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:00am      Break (Sponsors: ABVista, AcuFast, Alltech, DNA Genetics, Huvepharma, Kemin, & Kent Nutrition Group)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________


CONCURRENT SESSION #3 Pre-weaning Piglet Mortality

Blackstone Ballroom A

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:30am       Recent Preweaning Livability Research Results

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:00am        Life in the Farrowing Crate: A Survival Guide for Piglets

                       Dr. Ashley DeDecker, Director of Production Research, Smithfield Foods

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:30am        Open Session - Shared Experiences, Successes and Failures 

                      Dr. Abigail Jenkins

                      Makayla Spinler

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:45am        Priorities in Applied Research, Management, Facilities, etc. for Future Impact

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12:00pm       Lunch (Sponsors: Cargill, Elanco, Novus & PIC)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________


CONCURRENT SESSION #4: Post-weaning Mortality - Finishing

Blackstone Ballroom B

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10:30am       Recent Finishing Livability Research Results

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:00am        On-farm Successes for Measurable Impact 

                       Dr. Chris Sievers, Swine Vet Center

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:30am        Open Session - Shared Experiences, Successes and Failures

                      Emma Coursey

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

11:45am        Priorities in Applied Research, Management, Facilities, etc. for Future Impact

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

12:00pm       Lunch (Sponsors: Cargill, Elanco, Novus, Phibro & PIC)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________


PLENARY SESSION

Grand Central Ballroom

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

1:15pm          PRRSv – Best Practices for Living With it to Maximize Livability

                      Dr. Pete Thomas, Director of Veterinary Services for Iowa Select Farms

                      Dr. Jeremy Pittman, Senior Director, US Veterinary Services for Smithfield Hog Production

                      Dr. Tyler Bauman, Herd Veterinarian, The Maschhoffs LLC

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:00pm       Panel

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:10pm        Conference Impressions:  Now, What Should We Do to Capture Value Academics and Industry

                      Dr. Noel Williams, Senior Vice President Live Production, Seaboard Foods 

                      Dr. Mike Tokach, Distinguished Professor, Kansas State University

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:30pm        Path Forward on Collaboration on Swine Livability 

                      Dr. Joel DeRouchey, Professor, Kansas State University

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

2:45pm        Adjourn

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Copyright © 2018 Improving Pig Survivability  - All Rights Reserved. 

Select photos courtesy of National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff. Des Moines, IA USA.


Powered by

This website uses cookies.

We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

Accept