2024-25 SowBridge Educational Series Registration Open for Swine Producers
MANHATTAN, Kan. –Registration is now underway for SowBridge, a 15 college and university cooperative distance educational series for those who work with sows, boars, piglets, and with genetic and reproductive issues. Programming begins in early February and will be provided online through Zoom or via call-in option.
Dr. Joel DeRouchey, Kansas State University extension swine specialist, shares that participants guide the selection of future topics and speakers, and attendees have the opportunity for the live interaction with each session speakers.
“SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from industry leading experts, and to contact those experts following the individual sessions,” he explained.
Sessions generally are hosted on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. central time.
During each session, participants can ask questions of the industry expert presenter from the comfort of their home, office or swine unit. Each registration provides access to one Zoom connection per session and all program materials provided by presenters.
The cost is $200 for the first registration, and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.
Registration is due Jan. 20, 2024, to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 7. Additional information and a registration form is available on the Iowa Pork Industry Center at https://www.ipic.iastate.edu/sowbridge.html or at KSUSwine.org.
The 2024-25 program session dates and topics are as follows.
• Feb. 7 — Best and worst of audits: Preparing for success
• March 6 — Managing sows in pens for alternative housing from weaning to breeding
• April 3 — Barn equipment and ventilation fan maintenance
• May 1 — Issues with successfully breeding gilts and sows
• May 29 — Herd veterinarians: What do they want to know?
• July 3 — Implementing precision feeding in the sow herd
• Aug. 7 — Sow foot care
• Sept. 4 — Feed biosecurity in the sow herd
• Oct. 2 — Replacement gilt management and selection for group vs. stall gestation
• Nov. 6 — P1 Sow development
• Dec. 4 — Managing nurse sows
• Jan. 8. 2025 — Sow shoulder wounds - causes and treatments
For more information on registration, contact Joel DeRouchey at jderouch@ksu.edu or Sheri Hoyer, Iowa State University, at 515-294-4496 or shoyer@iastate.edu.
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The Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry department serves students, livestock producers and the animal and food industries through teaching, research and education. The K-State ASI department prepares students for careers in the animal and food industries. The curriculum includes the study of nutrition, reproduction, genetics, behavior, meat science, food science with production, management, and agribusiness skills. For more about the K-State's ASI department visit asi.ksu.edu.
K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.