Purdue News

August 14, 1998 Research, workshops to be part of Purdue Swine Day WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Swine producers have been the focus lately of concerns about odor, waste management and the growth of large swine farms. Many producers are left wondering what they can do to survive -- and prosper -- in the swine industry. Although there are no easy answers, producers can get the latest information on production techniques and environmental regulations by attending the Purdue Swine Day on Sept. 3. The free event will be held at the Purdue Animal Sciences Research and Education Center near Montmorenci, about 10 miles from Purdue's West Lafayette campus. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m. with research reports and workshops getting underway at 9 a.m. "Swine Day is designed to bring producers up to speed on some of the latest research information and provide timely, topical information that can make an immediate impact on their profitability," said Brian Richert of Purdue University's Department of Animal Sciences, chairman of Swine Day. "The program is designed for producers, managers, laborers and educators to collect information that will be of benefit to all operations." One highlight of the program will be a producers' panel on selecting one, two or three site production facilities that best fit specific producers' needs. Jeff Armstrong, head of the animal sciences department, also will give a presentation on updating Purdue's swine research and education facilities for the next millennium. Morning research reports will include a variety of topics, including composting swine mortality and the effect of immune challenge on different genotypes. Other reports will include an outlook on the 1998 pork market, fat growth and its effect on pork quality, and the effect of weaning age on disease prevalence in the growth-finish stages of production. Workshops also will be conducted on new waste management regulations and what they mean to individual producers; an odor research update; and the status on odor-sensing equipment and precision manure application with global positioning satellites. There also will be continuous activities, such as commercial exhibits on swine housing, equipment, genetics, nutrition and animal health products. The Swine Research Update book, which is about 200 pages long, can be purchased during the day for $3. An additional 20 swine projects completed in the past year will be included in the research book as well. Swine Day is free and open to the public, with no pre-registration required. Tickets may be purchased for $5 on site for a lunch to be served by the Purdue Block and Bridle Club. Door prize drawings also will be held at the conclusion of the event. CONTACT: Richert, (765) 494-4837; e-mail, brichert@www.ansc.purdue.edu Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page