Summer growth suppression in finishing pigs is one of the most persistent and costly seasonal challenges in the pork industry. In this episode, Dr. Steve Kitt discusses how misters in finishers can help producers recover approximately 7 pounds of live bodyweight and 5 pounds of carcass weight during summer marketing periods.

Dr. Jamie Madigan joins us to talk about the role of temperature monitoring in pig health and share insights from a Pillen Family Farms study evaluating new temperature-reading technologies—their benefits, limitations, and what they mean for the future of herd management.

Moving and mixing pigs in the nursery is a common practice on commercial farms. Producers often pull smaller or compromised pigs into recovery pens to give them extra care and help manage variation in body weight. While this can improve welfare, mixing pigs also changes their social groups and may increase exposure to disease. In this episode, Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham reviews a recent trial that looked at how different nursery movement strategies affect pig growth, health, and survival in real-world nursery barns.

In this episode, Dr. Tom Rathje dives into why maternal lines matter and how they influence grow-finish performance from start to finish.

In this episode, Paul Faris shares practical strategies and proven insights for successfully managing group-housed sows in a pen-based production system. From daily management routines to key welfare and performance considerations, Paul delivers actionable tips to help sow farm teams drive efficiency, consistency, and success.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Kitt joins us to reveal the age-specific amino acid strategies every pig producer needs to know. From young pigs that thrive on low-protein, synthetic-boosted diets to finishers that falter when crude protein dips too far, this episode breaks down how to feed smarter at every stage.

In this episode, Dr. Steve Kitt breaks down what leads to feed outages, the impact they have on pig performance and profitability, and the practical steps producers can take to prevent them. Tune in to learn how to maintain consistent feed delivery and keep your operation running smoothly and efficiently.

In this episode, Dr. Iara Solar Diaz explores how the environment shapes genetic selection programs. She explains how geneticists account for environmental factors and identify animals with the resilience needed to thrive under a variety of conditions. Part 2 focuses on how these environmental influences affect the post-wean portion of the selection program.