feedstuffs

In the US swine industry, the thinking has long been that the feeding of high zinc levels offers health and productivity benefits to pigs. In fact, research has confirmed the positive effect of elevated dietary zinc. However, zinc can have negative effects for the environment and public health.

Today, we talk with Dr. Jerry Shurson, professor of swine nutrition at the University of Minnesota, to find out more. Dr. Shurson, along with Dr. Yuan-Tai Hung, swine research manager with Devenish, have taken a deep dive into zinc levels in diets and believe the time is now to rethink zinc use.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Congress intervened this week in an effort to avert an economy-crippling rail strike. What does the labor conflict mean for agriculture, and the feed industry in general? And what does the situation tell us about vulnerabilities to the U.S. logistics infrastructure system?

Late Thursday, the Senate approved a resolution to implement a tentative agreement brokered by the Biden administration with rail labor unions and management. The House approved the measure on Nov. 30, and it now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature.

A few hours prior to the Senate’s vote, Feedstuffs spoke with Max Fisher, chief economist at the National Grain and Feed Association, about what the possibility of a strike meant for the feed industry and the broader agriculture industry. He explained the situation, how the parties arrived at a place requiring the federal government to get involved, and the long-term prospectus for labor relations in the rail space.

More broadly, Fisher discussed the current state of the commodity logistics chain, from challenges facing our inland waterways, a lingering lack of truck drivers, and now the vulnerabilities facing the rail system.

A few hours after our conversation with Fisher, the Senate approved a measure to implement a tentative agreement to avert the strike, which NFGA, the American Feed Industry Association, the Soy Transportation Coalition, and other relevant industry groups hailed as an important step in averting a national crisis. 

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Mark Hulsebus, Swine Commercial Director at Cargill, offers some animal feed and hog market perspective. Despite the headwinds of an inflationary environment the U.S. hasn't seen in more than 40 years, the opportunity to lock in profits in the pork sector looks relatively strong over the coming 12 months. 

Although consumers are struggling with  higher costs in generally every sector, they did not appear to turn away from meat purchases this summer, and that continued strong demand is a key part of the story. Exports also continue to outpace expectations.

Finally, Hulsebus provides an update on the outlook for swine production profitability given continued volatility in the markets, in the weather, and in the geopolitical realm. Surprisingly, the opportunity to lock in profit in some traditionally lean months is now on the table.

These are uncertain times, and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s episode or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK MARK at mark_hulsebus@cargill.com.

Also, click HERE to subscribe to the Cargill Pig Flash weekly eNewsletter.

Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and  www.NationalHogFarmer.com.

In this first Feedstuffs Precision Pork episode of the new year, we turn to Mark Hulsebus, commercial director, and Matt Ritter, nutrition and technical services director, with Cargill Animal Nutrition, to get their insights on what’s likely ahead for the hog industry in 2022. 

What might the omnicron virus, continued shipping issues, feed costs and this week’s return of winter to the Midwest mean for pork producers when it comes to profitability. As we hear, now may not be the time to buckle down but rather a time to take a hard look at the opportunities that lie ahead. 

Plan today for tomorrow’s success. These are uncertain times, and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. Hog nutrition experts at Cargill are available to assist you with your questions.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com  and  www.NationalHogFarmer.com

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Dave Bauer, senior market analyst for Provimi, offers some hog market perspective and market highlights for the week as well as provides things to think about in the week ahead.

These are uncertain times, and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com

Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Dave Bauer, senior market analyst for Provimi, offers some hog market perspective and market highlights for the week as well as provides things to think about in the week ahead.

These are uncertain times, and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com

Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com

Producing more than 1.4 million tons of dry commercial feed every year is no small feat… doing it in a state beset by wildfires is another matter entirely. Western Milling’s facility in Goshen, Calif., is one of the largest and most diverse animal food production operations in the U.S., and currently handles more than 1,200 active and unique formulations. What does it take to not only operate at that scale, but to be recognized as one of the top commercial feed mills in the nation?

Feedstuffs has partnered with the American Feed Industry Association since 1985 to recognize the most outstanding animal food manufacturing operations in the industry through the Feed Facility of the Year program. Western Milling’s Goshen plant is the most-recent winner in the commercial dry feed category. In a recent edition of Feedstuffs 365, our Sarah Muirhead and AFIA’s Gary Huddleston talked with Dan Rice and Buster Freeman of Western Milling about what makes an exceptional commercial feed mill.

Rice and Freeman also discuss some of the unique challenges of operating in California, from the vast diversity of customers they serve to the several challenges they’ve faced in recent years from persistent drought to wildfires and related supply chain disruptions.

This episode is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

Stocking density and available bunk space play a significant role in determining rate of gain and feed efficiency in growing dairy heifers. While the research on heifer feeding isn’t as plentiful as it is in other areas of dairy nutrition, there are still some important findings for dairy producers and heifer developers.

In this episode of Feedstuffs In Focus we talk with Feedstuffs columnist and longtime dairy nutritionist Dr. Al Kertz about what the literature says regarding limit-feeding heifers and the importance of bunk space. Dr. Kerz explains that studies find yearling bred Holstein heifers with free or restricted diet access gained about 9% more with about 1.6% greater intake when not limited in access to the feed bunk. 

You can watch Dr. Kertz’s full presentation via Feedstuffs 365, our virtual community and education platform. It’s available via Feedstuffs.com as part of your Feedstuffs subscription.

This episode is sponsored by Arm & Hammer Animal and Food Production and their #ScienceHearted podcast, “Food Chain Chats.” Check out their recent episodes to hear former USDA Undersecretary, Dr. Mindy Brashears, give insights and projections for advancing food safety from the farm to the table. Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

Welcome to this episode of Feedstuffs Swine Healthline, brought to you by Pharmgate Animal Health and focused on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

M. hyo doesn’t have to be a part of pig production anymore. As we hear in this episode, elimination programs can be a cost-effective solution versus controlling this troublesome pathogen. 

Our guest is Dr. Amy Maschhoff, DVM, associate director of health for The Maschhoffs, LLC. Dr. Maschhoff earned her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and began her career as herd veterinarian for The Maschhoffs. Now she serves in a more central role for The Maschhoff system, as well as supports the health assurance program for Acuity Genetics. Dr. Maschhoff also served on the National Pork Producers Council Swine Veterinarian Public Policy Advocacy Program. She is actively enrolled in the University of Illinois Swine Executive Veterinary Program. 

Dr. Maschhoff shares practical, on-farm experiences with eliminating M. hyo., the benefits of developing an elimination program, as well as the factors veterinarians should take into consideration when moving from M. hyo. control to elimination. She shares the lessons she has learned and will use in the future to improve elimination programs, as well as gilt monitoring programs. 

Thank you for listening to the podcast series, made possible by Pharmgate Animal Health. 

The only constant is change in the pork industry. From feed costs to shifts in global and domestic demand, the profitability picture has been a bit unclear so far in 2021. Will that improve going into the summer months? What does the opportunity look like for those pigs headed to market soon, and those marketed for the summer? In this special report of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, we talk to the team at Provimi for more insights. As they put it, now is the time to ensure you’re not tripping over dollars to chase pennies per head. 

Joining us from Provimi are Dave Bauer, market analyst and swine nutritionists Dr. Chris Parks and Dr. Qingyun “Q” Li.

Take a listen. As they tell us, don’t overlook smaller opportunities because you’re looking long-term. Being nimble, it can add up.

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Dave Bauer, senior market analyst for Provimi, offers some hog market perspective and market highlights for the week as well as provides things to think about as we enter the new year.

The strong improvement in profitability, both in the nearby and into Q4, deserves an open mind and eye to opportunity, says Bauer. Of course, he warns of risk, but play your cards right, during this time of stabilized grain markets and hog and product value rallies, and new opportunities are certainly a possibility. 

What's on the horizon for pork exports? What's happening in global trade and demand? Take a listen.

These are uncertain times and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com. Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Dave Bauer, senior market analyst for Provimi, offers some hog market perspective and market highlights for the week as well as provides things to think about as we enter the new year.

Spring is ahead and we are so ready. Planting is on the horizon here in the Midwest and already underway in some area of the country. The weather forecast is even looking positive for farmers this spring.

Likewise, China has returned to the pork market as African swine fever continues to drive slaughter there. What’s ahead and what does it all mean for U.S. pork producers? Take a listen to find out.

These are uncertain times and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com. Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com

Initial research in the U.S. on African swine fever started in the 1970s when the viral disease was spreading through Spain and Portugal. In the 1990s, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service started looking for a vaccine.

After years of work, sometimes was a bit sporadic due to funding, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that it has a new vaccine for African swine fever that is headed toward commercialization. 

What potential might it have for the hog industry? Feedstuffs' Krissa Welshans catch up with USDA researchers Dr. Douglas Gladue and Dr. Manuel Borca to find out more. Dr Gladue and Dr. Borca are the agency’s experts and head researchers for the  vaccine. They work out of the Plum Island Animal Disease Center.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs  online.
Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.

When it comes to imported feed ingredients, it is important for feed manufacturers and livestock producers to have as much information as possible related to that ingredient and its origin. At stake is the health of our nation’s herds as unapproved ingredients can introduce significant disease risks. 

Unlike in Canada and now in Australia, the U.S. lacks any requirement that a supplier or trader confirm each imported biological ingredient is approved for animal feed use. 

Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead recently caught up with Dr. Scott Dee of Pipestone Veterinary Services to talk about how some countries are taking biosecurity to the next level and what needs to be done here in the U.S. to put in place those same safeguards.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs  online.
Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.

In this episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Dave Bauer, senior market analyst for Provimi, offers some hog market perspective and market highlights for the week as well as provides things to think about as we prepare for next week. 

Hog slaughter over the past five weeks has averaged 2.645 million head, down approximately 1.5% over the past couple of weeks, likely due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Since the Sept. 1st survey of the hogs and pigs estimates, slaughter has run below the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate, down about 0.05% from last year’s slaughter pace. Now over the next eight weeks and represented by the 50 to 119 lb. estimate from the report, slaughter will likely average 3.5% below last year, or an average of 2.5 million head per week. Taking out the Christmas and New Year holiday weeks, that average moves up to about 2.625 million head. Either way, Bauer said, we are also watching weights increase quickly over the past couple of weeks and we'll have plenty of hogs. The concern will now be can we continue to processing and clear that pork. New pork sales were up 66% last week to 31,300 metric tons, which is up 6% versus the four-week average. Mexico led with 13,000 metric tons of that, or 41%, with China following with 24%, or 7,400 metric tons. 2021 sales of 4,200 metric tons were led by China with 1,400 metric tons or 33% of that total. What’s ahead for future shipments? Bauer explains. 

What too is ahead for profitability? Bauer explains.

These are uncertain times and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com. Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com

The “Wienermobile” is that hot-dog-on-a-bun-shaped vehicle long used by the Oscar Mayer company to promote and advertise its products in the U.S. The first Wienermobile was created by Oscar Mayer’s nephew Carl G. Mayer in 1936. Today, there are six such giant hot dog vehicles that travel the nation promoting the brand and creating miles of smile.

The Wienermobile concept has evolved over the years, so much so that in June 2017, the company added several new hot-dog-themed vehicles to its line, including the WienerCycle, WienerRover and WienerDrone.

Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead caught up with a couple of “Hotdoggers” while they were in the Chicagoland area recently to find out more about this long-standing marketing initiative by Oscar Mayer and to learn more about the Wienermobile and what it takes to be a hotdogger. In this segment, she is joined by Zach Chatman, professionally known as Zach n Cheese, and Maggie Thomas, otherwise known as Mustard Maggie.

Of course, the question of Ketchup or Mustard had to be asked. Grab a hot dog and take a listen! 

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus is sponsored by United Animal Health, a leader in animal health and nutrition. You can learn more about United Animal Health and how they are working to advance animal science worldwide by visiting their website UnitedANH.com.

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs  online.
Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.

 

A combination of hot temperatures, dry conditions and poor forest management practices have resulted in another year of devastating losses for farmers and ranchers in the West. Wildfires have already burned through millions of acres and continue to rage, with rains not expected for weeks. Smoke alone has caused substantial crop and soil damage as well as respiratory issues for livestock. 

In this episode of Feedstuffs in Focus, Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead talks with Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, about the losses for agriculture to date, mandatory evacuation from his family’s olive and citrus operation and what’s being pushed at state and federal levels to reduce wildfire risk and support those hard hit. As Johansson explains it will not be an easy fix but rather one that will take a near total mindset shift and generations of change.

This episode of Feedstuffs In Focus  is sponsored by Hog Slat and Georgia Poultry. New for 2020, the Classic Pullet feed pan. Built to handle the most aggressive birds, the Classic Pullet features an anti-rotation clip, feed shut-off slide, and a shallow divided pan. Learn more at HogSlat.com.

For more information on this and other stories, visit  Feedstuffs online.

Follow Feedstuffs on Twitter @Feedstuffs, or join the conversation via Facebook.   

Hitting the side of the bin with a mallet to see how full it is? There just may be a better way.

In this special episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Feedstuffs editor Sarah Muirhead talks with Joel Dekkers of Cargill Animal Nutrition’s digital business and George Slater of Belstra Milling Company in DeMotte, Ind., about bin monitoring technology. For pork producers and feed manufacturers, it is technology that can mean a savings in labor, increased animal performance and an improved bottom line. Take a listen and to find out how best to evaluate if bin monitoring technology is right for you operation and how to go about evaluating the various options.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com.

 

These days there is an election being held every day on the trading floor, says senior market analyst David Bauer of Provimi. In this week’s episode of Feedstuffs Precision Pork, Bauer uses the recent post office situation as the perfect example of what he means by this. Many have been sowing the seeds that the U.S. postal service slowdowns were actual actions taken that have created dire problems. Others have said it was constructed election year propaganda aimed at selling a message in hopes of gaining emotional support for an agenda. 

It is the same thing going on each day in our ag futures markets, says Bauer. In the grains industry, depending on whether you're a livestock feeder or a grain farmer and depending on the radio station or TV show that you listen to, the messages being sent by media outlets can easily play on the emotions of the audience. Knowing this, media looks to create the message that plays on that emotion. This is nothing new. But in times like these, Bauer cautions that such messages can easily get in the way of reality. The point to be made, he says is to is understand where information is coming from in these times of making risk management decisions. Realize that an election can be considered risk management. 

When making production sales decisions and input purchase decisions, make sure you step back from the emotion, look at the entire picture and not get caught up in the contrived emotion of weather scares and crop conditions. Take the emotion out of it. It is late August and crops biologically die at this time of year. Has weather impacted crop condition, crop progress and yields? Absolutely. Are massive sales to China good? Absolutely. But remember it is China and we've been through these emotional runs before and they don't always end well, notes Bauer. 

Situations like COVID, the hurricanes and others disaster in the past couple of weeks are doubling down the political pressures of bailouts and finger pointing. Bauer says he has heard it said that geopolitical risks can be more damaging than wars and embargoes. So, when making risk management decisions always step back and understand why you're making the decision in the first place and always ask yourself if your decision is based on emotion or is it in the best interest of your business? Are you being reactive or are you working to be proactive? Or put another way, are you being margin focused or market focused? 

These are uncertain times and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com. Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com

In this episode, Dave Bauer, market analyst with Provimi, takes a deep dive into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s recent WASDE report that showed total new crop ending stocks at 3.3 billion bushels.

In terms of pork supply, USDA has added 1.2% to pork production and increased per capita pork consumption by 1.4% for the year. USDA also released export sales, putting total pork sales at 17,200 metric tons, down 100 metric tons from last week and up 60% versus the average of the past four weeks. 

Bauer also talks about who is doing what buying and notes how there’s been a lot of rhetoric about China reducing U.S. commodity purchases, but yet their actions aren’t really proving that to be the case. Recovery from the impacts of COVID-19 seem to be happening quicker than expected, and that’s a good thing for the hog sector, says Bauer.

What’s head for the market? Take a listen to find out. 

These are uncertain times and it will pay dividends to be well-prepared. If you have questions on this week’s recap or want to discuss something not covered, feel free to ASK DAVE at David_Bauer@cargill.com. Plan today for tomorrow’s success.

Follow Feedstuffs Precision Pork on your favorite podcast platform or find it on www.Feedstuffs.com and www.NationalHogFarmer.com