Improving pig survivability with Dr. Katherine Vande Pol

Piglet survivability is a very important factor for pig producers and those first few days can heavily influence your farm’s performance. Farrowing is also an extremely hectic period with a lot to do in a very short time frame. That is why we need to make sure we are using the best methods available to keep our piglets healthy and to maximize growth. In today’s episode with Dr. Katherine Vande Pol, she discusses some research findings that help to validate some of the most effective methods for cross fostering, decreasing piglet mortality, piglet drying, and other potential methods for improving piglet survivability.

What you will learn:

1. Piglet survivability

2. Piglet temperature

3. Piglet drying methods

4. Blood samples at farrowing

5. Reasons for mortality

6. Cross-fostering

7. Functional teats

8. Lower mortality in cross fostered pigs

9. Mixing gilt and sow litters

10. Gestation housing

11. Key points

Meet the guest: Katherine Vande Pol grew up in central California, where she earned her Associate's Degree in 2012 from De Anza Junior College. From there, she went on to complete her Bachelor's in animal science at Utah State University in 2014. She then attended the University of Illinois to receive her M.S. in 2016 and her PhD in 2020 in applied pork production under Dr. Michael Ellis focusing on piglet pre-weaning mortality. Since graduating in 2020, she has been working towards earning an M.S. in Statistics at the University of Illinois.