K-State’s Swine Day to emphasize pig disease prevention, management

Kansas State University's annual Swine Day will focus on ways to improve net returns for swine producers, with a special emphasis on pig disease prevention and management with two prominent Kansas veterinarians discussing porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). PEDV was first discovered in the United States in the spring of 2013.
The event, scheduled for November 21 at the K-State Alumni Center in Manhattan, includes a technology trade show, which starts at 8 a.m., with the program starting at 9:45 a.m. K-State faculty members will provide updates on current swine production research occurring at the university. A poster session also will be held that allows attendees to talk one-on-one with graduate students who conducted some of the research.
Presentations include: "Recent Disease Challenge to our Industry - Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea" by Steve Henry, veterinarian at Abilene Animal Hospital and Dick Hesse, professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State; and "Recent On-Farm and Commercial Feed Mill Innovations to Improve Whole Herd Feed Efficiency" by Charles Stark, K-State associate professor of Grain Science and Industry.
The day ends with a tour of the O.H. Kruse Feed Technology Innovation Center Feed Mill and a reception featuring K-State ice cream.
The fee to attend is $25 if paid by Nov. 9 and $35 after that date. The fee includes swine day presentation materials, lunch and the closing reception. More information is available online or by calling 785-532-1267. 

US broiler eggs set in a trend of weekly decline

The number of broiler eggs set in commercial hatcheries in the United States declined for the fourth consecutive week, according to the UDSA's September 25 Broiler Hatchery report. Despite the recent decline in broiler eggs set, the number of eggs set is still up 1 percent when compared to the corresponding week of 2012.
About 191 million broiler eggs were set during the week ending September 21, nearly a 2 percent drop when compared to the week ending September 14, and a 6 percent decline from the 202 million broiler eggs set during the week ending August 24. The number of broiler eggs set has declined each week since August 24, with the biggest drop taking place during the week ending September 7, when the egg numbers went from 200 million to 195 million.
The report showed more stability for the number of broiler chicks placed. An estimated 165 million chicks were placed during the week ending September 21, down 1 million from the week ending September 14 but up nearly 1 million from the week ending August 21. Chicks placed during the most recent reporting period were up 3 million from the comparable week of 2012.

USDA details keeping pigs healthy in video blog

USDA researchers are working to find pig vaccines to help them resist deadly and costly diseases according to its latest video blog. Even though modern pork producers are trying to raise pigs in a bio-secure environment viruses and bacteria still find a way to infect healthy herds, according to Dr. Joan Lunney, Research Scientist, USDA ARS.
"Viruses and bacteria can come in on trucks, on your shoes and they can come in with a new shipment of pigs that come from a growing out facility," comments Dr. Lunney. "And so we always have to worry about when that virus comes in; what do we do about it.
The USDA is looking to make pigs immune to diseases leading to healthier animals that can get to market sooner.
"To be able to design more effective vaccines, to identify pigs that are healthier, that respond to stress appropriately, that have a better well-being," says Dr. Lunney. "To able to know what their immune response is, and to ask whether genetically some of them may be better responders to vaccines, we call them vaccine-ready pigs.
"For pig breeders and producers, they well know that once you have a disease, many times you have production losses, and with PRRS we know there's a $642 million production loss per year in the United States alone," she says. 

USPOULTRY research program celebrates 50 years of achievement

U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is celebrating 50 years of achievement in research for the poultry and egg industry.  USPOULTRY's research program was implemented 50 years ago in response to the need of the poultry industry for research directed toward solving the most important problems facing the industry.
During the early years of the development and organization of the U.S. poultry industry, one of the most limiting factors to success was the widespread incidence of disease in broiler, breeder, layer, and turkey flocks. As farms grew larger and production intensified, new diseases appeared for which control measures did not exist. The poultry industry desperately needed research to be conducted, which could find solutions to some of these disease problems. Over these past five decades, USPOULTRY's research program has advanced in size, scope, and organization to become an indispensable asset of the U.S. poultry industry and has helped the industry overcome many of the hurdles which initially impaired the industry's development and success.
"As a researcher and professor, the funds provided by the USPOULTRY research program have been invaluable to my work on infectious proventriculitis of broilers. Without the program's funding, the research I have conducted would not have been made possible," said Dr. James Guy, professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. Dr. Guy is the first recipient of the Dr. Charles Beard Research Excellence Award, a USPOULTRY award named for Dr. Charles Beard, former director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory and former vice president of research at USPOULTRY.
"The impact of the USPOULTRY research program has been very significant. Many of the great advances in disease control, nutrition, poultry production, genetics, animal welfare, food safety, and environmental management in the poultry industry have come about as a direct result of research funded by USPOULTRY," commented Dr. John Glisson, director of research programs at USPOULTRY.

Tyson Foods, World Vision partner to fight hunger in Tanzania

Tyson Foods andWorld Vision have formed a partnership to bring vital assistance to small family farmers in northern Tanzania through a new initiative called the Tyson Foods Fellows program. The collaboration will integrate Tyson Foods' technical knowledge about
chicken production with World Vision's Secure the Future Tanzania initiative to help small-holder farmers build more resilient livelihoods.
As part of their participation in the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, Tyson Foods and World Vision outlined their plans to educate thousands of farmers in the Babati region of the country about best agricultural practices. According to the latest World Food Programme research, more than 40 percent of the Tanzanian population, including many children, lives with chronic food deficits.
"I've been to Tanzania and know it's a beautiful country with hard-working people, but I've also seen the devastating hunger there and need for agricultural improvements," said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. "Our initiative isn't about just giving the people of Tanzania money or food, it's about sharing our knowledge and helping them create for themselves a sustainable source of food so they can lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty. We believe it's the best way to help give them a hunger-free world and to provide well for their children."
Tyson Foods will send selected employees to Tanzania to teach local farmers how to raise chickens sustainably for food and income. Teachings will include such basics as best breed selection, keeping water clean, best feed choices, housing and disease management, as well as processing, transportation and marketing. World Vision estimates that the project will help educate 2,700 farmers about sustainable chicken production and directly benefit the lives of more than 10,000 Tanzanians. By continuing to share best practices with other Secure the Future participants, World Vision will extend this education to 6,000 additional households, indirectly impacting more than 24,000 individuals.
"Nearly 40 percent of the people in Tanzania don't have enough to eat and face food shortages and malnutrition. Yet, the country is full of hard-working small-holder farmers who simply need information and expertise to turn their fields into a rich harvest," said Richard Stearns, president of World Vision US. "That's why we are excited to partner with Tyson. By sharing the knowledge of one of the great food producers in the world, farmers in Tanzania will be able to build the foundation for a sustainable source of food. That's what makes the Secure the Future initiative more than a handout. It is about developing the capacity of local farmers to feed their country and grow their economy."
This is not Tyson Foods' first relief project in Africa. More than four years ago, the company provided technical support to people in northern Rwanda to build and operate an egg farm. The farm began operations in 2010 and is producing eggs for local markets as well as providing a protein source for school children.
"This new project with World Vision will expand our hunger-relief efforts in Africa and empower people living with limited resources, as well as engaging Tyson Team Members to give back in this very meaningful way," said Dave Juenger of Tyson Foods' subsidiary,
Cobb-Vantress, Inc., and adviser for the Tyson Foods Fellows initiative. "And that's what it's all about--making a real difference around the world."

BASF acquires biotech company Verenium

Verenium Corporation, an industrial biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of high-performance enzymes, has entered into a definitive merger agreement with BASF Corporation, a chemicals company, under which BASF will commence a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of Verenium's common stock. The agreement has been unanimously approved by both Verenium's and BASF's boards of directors.
Under the terms of the merger agreement, holders of outstanding shares of Verenium's common stock will receive $4.00 per share, representing a 56 percent premium to the volume weighted average closing price of Verenium's common stock in the six months prior to announcement of the transaction. Each of the directors and officers of Verenium has entered into tender and support agreements pursuant to which they have agreed to tender all of their shares.
 The offer is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange to halt delivery of cattle given feed additive Zilmax

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) will no longer accept delivery of cattle fed the growth additive Zilmax, beginning with October deliveries on October 7, to conform with exchange guidelines for deliveries against CME live cattle futures, according to reports.
"We are letting the market know these Zilmax cattle no longer are merchantable in our view from a contract specification perspective because they will not be accepted by a majority of our approved slaughterhouses," said CME Managing Director of Commodity Research and Product Development David Lehman. The exchange based its decision after two major packers, Tyson Foods Inc. and Cargill Inc., discontinued purchases of Zilmax-fed cattle, with the possibility that others may follow suit.
Terms of the CME's live cattle futures require that cattle received during the delivery process be "merchantable" (healthy and not crippled or sick) and readily salable into normal commercial marketing channels. "This notice clarifies that cattle which have been fed additives which prohibit them from being purchased for slaughter under current commercial practices imposed by major cattle slaughter facilities are unmerchantable and are to be excluded from the delivery unit," said the exchange in a statement.