John Gal's Page

Preparing Producers for Canada’s Updated Pig Code of Practice Among Prairie Swine Centre’s Research Priorities

The Prairie Swine Center’s recently appointed Research Scientist Ethology says her priorities moving forward will be to advance work by Drs. Yolande Seddon, Jenifer Brown and Harold Gonyou with a focus on preparing farmers for upcoming changes to Canada’s Pig Code of Practice. The mandate of the Prairie Swine Center, operated by the University of Saskatchewan, is to produce and distribute knowledge derived through original research, scientific review and economic analysis on behalf of the pork sector. Dr. Jen-Yun Chou, who moved into the position of Research Scientist Ethology with the center in March, says consumers and the general public are increasingly concerned with food safety, the general health and welfare of animals and how food production relates to sustainability and the environmental footprint. Quote-Dr. Jen-Yun Chou-Prairie Swine Center: Our primary priorities and focus for now is definitely to enhance the rearing environment to actually improve the general animal welfare

Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium Offers Pork Producers, Industry Leaders, Government Representatives, Suppliers Networking Opportunities

The Communications and Marketing Coordinator with Sask Pork says the 47th edition of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium will provide an opportunity for pork producers to learn the latest in research and technology development, to interact with government officials and industry leaders and to network. The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board’s Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2024 is scheduled for Saskatoon Tuesday and Wednesday. Sask Pork Communications and Marketing Coordinator Steve Seto says the symposium focusses on fostering an environment that supports sustainability, efficiency and profitability. Quote-Steve Seto-Saskatchewan Pork Development Board: The symposium is our annual event where many of our producers come to Saskatoon for two days. It does give our producers a great opportunity to talk with industry leaders. Water quality is probably going to be a big one, just making sure that the water quality up to par. The changes to the Code of practice with the Canadian por

Seek and you shall find; The value of postmortem, in pigs?

Why should we do post-mortem examinations in pigs? That’s the question Jeff Bergermann, Veterinary Services Manager at Zoetis Canada, posed at the start of his presentation to participants of the 2024 PSC Producer Meetings. Jeff, who owns a small herd of cattle, showed pictures of a dead calf that looked  completely normal on the outside. However, once he had cut open the calf, it turned out that its heart had been developing outside its chest, instead being in the neck area. This is a perfect example of the value of post-mortem examinations; it can give you an answer as to what happened to the animal, why  other problems occurring in the herd.  It’s a good idea to do post-mortem examinations when you see changes in production, such as increased mortality or morbidity, or decreased productivity. If you sell isoweans, feeders or replacement gilts, or run a boar stud, there can be a lot of downstream effects when health issues occur. It’s a good idea to get a clear picture of what is ha

Weekly Hog Market Update: Ontario Prices Rise, U.S. Slaughter Sees Stability

Introduction: The latest hog market data, compiled by Jaydee Smith from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), provides insights into pricing trends, slaughter statistics, and regional variations in the swine industry for the week ending November 1, 2024. Ontario Market Overview: Ontario’s hog market continues to show strength with the 100% base formula price reaching $219.71 per ckg, up from $212.73 the previous week. This price is significantly higher than last year’s $191.79 for the same period, reflecting increased demand and higher production costs. The average dressed weight for hogs rose slightly to 106.34 kg, with total market hogs sold at 119,611, representing 101% of last year’s volume. Canadian Market Trends: In Canada, the Quebec Pool Price rose to $223.05 per ckg, and the Manitoba calculated hog value increased to $226.17 per ckg, indicating robust pricing across provinces. Hog slaughter rates were steady, with 423,339 hogs processed, a sli

Updated SHIC Fact Sheets for Pseudorabies, Japanese Encephalitis, Ebola, and Reston Viruses Available

As one of the Swine Health Information Center’s most accessed resources, swine disease fact sheets provide specific information on emerging or re-emerging pathogens. Recently updated, these facts sheets for pseudorabies virus, Japanese encephalitis virus as well as Ebola and Reston virus are now published. Newly included information encompasses disease outbreak demographics and impacts, virology and surveillance strategies, and incorporates peer-reviewed research results addressing multiple components for disease management. A key component of SHIC’s mission is to generate and communicate information for prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response efforts for emerging swine disease threats. Providing current and up-to-date information through the curation of the swine disease fact sheets supports this mission. The fact sheet informational framework is supported by an in-depth literature review for each respective pathogen. Each section presents pathogen-specific information suc