Bernie Peet

Reading Time: 3 minutes The swine research team at Kansas State University, under the leadership of Dr. Mike Tokach, has an enviable reputation for carrying out practical and relevant research. The proceedings from its annual swine day provide a valuable reference – I have selected a handful of topics from 2009 event and encourage you to visit the KSU […] Read more

Reading Time: 3 minutes Herd parity profile influences both the physical and economic performance of sow herds and yet many herds fail to achieve a sufficiently high average herd age, says Dr. Juan Carlos Pinilla with PIC North America. Speaking at the recent Manitoba Swine Seminar, he said that attention to the factors that influence parity structure is essential […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Reproductive problems in pigs are complex and requi re a sys temat i c approach to solving them, based on a thorough understanding of the physiology involved, says Dr. Billy Flowers, from North Carolina State University. Speaking at the recent Banff Pork Seminar, he noted that knowing what should normally occur in sows and gilts […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes While DE and ME values for DDGS are fairly close to those of the parent grain, the high fibre and protein content make that energy less available to the pig. Competition from the biofuels industry for traditional feed ingredients means that producers must now consider a range of alternative feed ingredients such as co-products from […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes New DNA analysis techniques, which have developed rapidly in recent years, are starting to revolutionize livestock breeding, geneticist Dr. Patrick Charagu, with Hypor Inc, told delegates at the recent Saskatchewan Swine Symposium. These new technologies will speed up genetic progress dramatically and deliver huge benefits to producers, he says. Over the last 20 years, the […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. With around 80 per cent of the feed required to produce a market hog being used during the growing and finishing stage, any changes in efficiency can have a huge effect on margins. In a video presentation […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes “Every stage of the cycle affects the next and so it’s important to get it right all the time.” – Bernie Peet Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. Managing feed intake in order to optimize sow condition can extend the productive life of […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Sometimes where litter size is very large it is necessary to foster piglets soon after birth. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. Fostering of piglets from one sow to another soon after birth is a technique that has been used for many years, […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Trials with four million pigs failed to find any evidence of boar taint in 200,000 pigs using chemical or sensory tests. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. About this time last year, I wrote about the pressure that the procedure of castration is […] Read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes Breeding targets can only be achieved when there is a ready supply of gilts available to replace sows that are culled or which die. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. In my last article, I looked at some of the factors that influence […] Read more