Last week I had the opportunity to work with a pork production system in Chile. On Thursday at the feed mill we compared corn and soybean prices. US corn and soybean prices were very comparable to the prices the mill … Continue reading
While it may be hot outside, it’s not too early for reviewing winter heating and ventilation details. This past week I was at a sow unit where the original 500 sow facilities were constructed in 1991 and the site has … Continue reading
If you’ve had any interaction with either grain farmers or livestock producers in the past few weeks, one of the first topics of conversation has been the worsening drought for much of the US grain production area. With another round … Continue reading
This past week I drove from Mankato, MN to Kearney, NE and back. While much of the US corn and soybean production areas are suffering severe drought stress, the area I drove through is fairing relatively well. Some of the … Continue reading
In last week’s blog I wrote about the cooling needs of today’s genetics. I received quite a few calls and emails asking about a lower limit (either age or weight) for cooling strategies to be used. I’m not sure if … Continue reading
Summer weather is upon us, with all the misery that comes with it for many of our production facilities. I’ve been doing quite a few meetings and presentations these past weeks with industry supplier sales forces and producer groups regarding … Continue reading
At Pork Expo last week I sat in on the annual user group presentation on cost of production comparisons compiled for clients of Latta, Harris, Hanon & Penningroth, a CPA firm headquartered in Tipton, Ia. John McNutt did most of … Continue reading
At the World Pork Expo this week the hot topic of conversation (other than corn condition ratings and pig price expectations) was the ongoing gestation housing debate. While many producers were outraged at the decision process of McDonald’s, Kroger, Safeway, … Continue reading
Next week is the World Pork Expo in Des Moines. I expect to visit with many of you at this event. I plan on attending on Wednesday and Thursday and already have a number of meetings scheduled. You can’t help … Continue reading
Last week I wrote about our aging production facilities. This past week I was at a production site that had generally excellent maintenance. The slats were 16 years old and showed only moderate erosion at the edges of the feed … Continue reading