Implementing technology and maximizing sow productivity - Dr. Ken Stalder

As research continues to develop new ways to improve the swine industry, our farms have to find ways to feasibly implement these new developments. Some new technologies look good on paper, but are not feasible due to the cost of the extra labor. In today’s talk, Dr. Ken Stalder discusses different ways of defining sow productivity, the necessary training required to implement new technologies, and how to identify which technologies will be the most beneficial to implement on the farm:

What you will learn:

1. Defining sow productivity

2. How to size multiplication correctly

3. Tips about the economics

4. Gilt selection

5. Following offspring

6. Balance between technology and labor

7. What’s important and what’s not

8. Balancing technology skills and husbandry skills

9. Training people

10. Key points

Dr. Ken Stalder is a swine genetics professor at Iowa State University. He earned his B.S from Iowa State University before attending Western Kentucky University to acquire his M.S. He then returned to Iowa State University in 1995 to earn his Ph.D. in animal breeding and genetics. Immediately after receiving his Ph.D., Ken started as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee until 2003 when he accepted a position as a professor at his alma mater, specializing in swine genetics and extension. Ken’s work has led to an increased focus on sow longevity within the swine industry. With the help of his colleagues, Dr. Stalder developed spreadsheets to determine how long a sow has to remain in the breeding herd to “pay for herself” and he developed posters highlighting ideal traits for replacement gilts. These tools are widely used across the globe today. Dr. Stalder has published over 500 articles (including over 145 journal articles). Ken has mentored 18 graduate students (13 M.S., 5 Ph.D.) and served on the committee for 45 others (34 M.S., 11 Ph.D.).