#154 - Dr. Mark Knauer: Which sow selection criteria need the most attention?

Some pig traits can be easily improved with nutrition, but other things are better left to geneticists, and genetics can have quite a large impact on the performance of the sow and her offspring. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Mark Knauer about different sow selection parameters and which parameters the industry is focusing on for the next couple of years.

What you will learn:

1. Piglet survivability

2. Maintaining ideal temperatures

3. Piglet nutrient access

4. Functional teats on a sow

5. Defining a functional teat

6. Milk and colostrum yield

7. Piglet birth weight

Meet the guest: Dr. Mark Knauer was born and raised on a pure-line pig and cattle operation in southern Wisconsin. He received his B.S. in Agriculture Education and M.S. in Animal Breeding at Iowa State University. Following his time at ISU, Dr. Knauer completed his Ph.D. in Animal Breeding and Genetics at North Carolina State University. After graduating, he completed a short Postdoc at the Institute for Pig Genetics in the Netherlands before accepting a position with the National Pork Board as the Director of Animal Science. Dr. Knauer is currently a Swine Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University where he focuses on genetics and production management.