The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Young Dal Jang from the University of Georgia explores the effects of high-dose probiotics on nursery pigs. Dr. Jang discusses his research on the optimal levels of Bacillus subtilis, emphasizing the balance between efficacy and cost in enhancing swine health and growth performance. Don’t miss the chance to revisit this co...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Regiane Santos from Schothorst Feed Research discusses the growing concern of mycotoxins in pig diets and their varying impact based on climate and pig growth phases. She explains how certain emerging mycotoxins are being overlooked and how they can impair gut health and development. Learn what to monitor, how to adapt your strategy, an...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. R. Dean Boyd continues to address soybean meal net energy values and their impact on swine nutrition. He breaks down why energy estimates often differ between university trials and commercial barns and highlights the concept of “productive energy” in pig production. Dr. Boyd also shares valuable resources for those seeking to explore th...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. R. Dean Boyd explores the principles behind soybean meal net energy in swine diets. He explains why traditional book values may underestimate their actual energy contribution and highlights how recent estimates can better reflect modern pig performance. This discussion breaks down the science behind energy systems and explains why updat...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Robert Goodband from Kansas State University and Dr. Omarh Mendoza of The Maschhoffs discuss the results and commercial implications of a collaborative study that focused on determining the minimum soybean meal inclusion with and without DDGS to optimize growth, performance, and carcass characteristics in both growing and finishing pig...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Andrew Yersin from Kemin Industries discusses the key differences between antibiotics and probiotics in swine health management. He explains the practical considerations for choosing between them, the importance of performance data, and how to evaluate product efficacy under field conditions. Learn how to optimize decisions based on far...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Marco de Mik, Senior Consultant in Swine Nutrition, shares insights on enhancing gastrointestinal health for a strong start in piglets. He explains why understanding particle size in feed is essential for supporting gut function, especially during the weaning phase. Learn how feed form and fiber type can make a difference in piglet perf...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Danyel Dalto, a research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, discusses the impact of different vitamin D supplementation strategies on weanling piglets. He explores how these strategies influence serum vitamin D concentrations and the mRNA expression of genes related to vitamin D metabolism and the immune system. Learn how op...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Jordyn Studer from Barentz explains the importance of choline in swine diets and its three core metabolic functions. She highlights common feed mixing and stability challenges with choline chloride and introduces a plant-based alternative offering functional and handling advantages. Learn how these innovations could improve pig performance....

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Benoit St-Pierre from South Dakota State University explores the crucial role of the gut microbiome in livestock production. He discusses how microbial communities influence animal health and productivity, highlighting the differences between species and the challenges of understanding microbial genomics. Listen for insights into mainta...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Josep Garcia Sirera from Agrimprove breaks down the key differences between mycotoxins and endotoxins, explaining their impact on swine health. He explores the challenges of diagnosing endotoxin exposure, the limitations of current detection methods, and the role of mycotoxin binders in mitigating endotoxin-related issues. Listen now on...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Regiane Santos, Researcher and Innovation Coordinator at Schothorst Feed Research, discusses the complexities of mycotoxin contamination in animal feed. She explains the challenges in preventing mycotoxins, highlights how climate change impacts their production, and outlines the advancements in diagnostic tools. Tune in now on all major...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Marco de Mik, Senior Consultant in Swine Nutrition, explores how to enhance gastrointestinal health in piglets for optimal growth. He shares his expertise on how feed formulation, stomach function, and gastrointestinal health directly impact the pig’s growth and development. Learn how to balance nutrient absorption, reduce diarrhea risk...

In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, we revisit our conversation with Dr. Paulo Cesar Pozza, from the State University of Maringá in Brazil, who explores the critical role of lifecycle assessments in pig nutrition. Dr. Pozza shares insights on optimizing environmental impacts and sustainability in swine production practices. He explains how regional factors influ...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Daniel Rosales from South Dakota State University shares insights into his research on swine water intake and the effects of dietary components like phytase and distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS). He discusses the sustainability implications of water usage in pig production and how optimizing diets can improve efficiency. Listen...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ashley Wagner, Director of US Business and Technical Sales at Probiotech International Inc., explores a new approach to managing stress in pigs. She breaks down the physiological and behavioral impacts of stress on sow performance and fertility. Discover how feed additives targeting the brain-gut axis can improve serotonin levels, reduc...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Stacie Crowder from Land O’Lakes, who currently leads the Fortiva innovation team, discusses the challenges and opportunities in late-finishing pig nutrition. She breaks down nutrition strategies to keep pigs on track, improve gut health, and get the most out of late-finishing diets. Learn about new research on feed additives and how nu...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Mark Knauer from North Carolina State University shares insights on strategies to shorten farrowing duration. He explores the impact of genetics, nutrition, and environmental factors on farrowing outcomes, highlighting research-backed techniques to improve piglet vitality and reduce stillbirths. Listen now on all major platforms! "O...

In this second part of our special episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating National Ag Day, Dr. Jean Noblet, a consultant in monogastric nutrition, continues to explore energy utilization in swine feeds. He breaks down the debate over the energy value of soybean meal relative to corn, the role of net energy systems, and the impact of caloric efficiency on feed formulation. Li...

In this special episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, celebrating National Ag Day, Dr. Jean Noblet,  a consultant in monogastric nutrition, shares insights on the critical role of energy in swine nutrition. He explains the importance of precise energy evaluation in feed, the development of net energy systems, and how ingredient variability impacts diet formulation. Tune in now on all m...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Luciana Rossi, Associate Professor at the University of Milan, discusses alternatives to antibiotics in swine nutrition. She explores antimicrobial resistance, the role of functional ingredients, and the potential of biochar in improving gut health and sustainability. Tune in now on all major platforms! "Biochar, a vegetable charcoa...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Taw Scaff, Assistant Professor and Extension Swine Specialist at North Dakota State University, breaks down the topic of boar nutrition. From its impact on sperm quality and fertility to its role in supporting advanced reproductive technologies, Dr. Scaff highlights why proper boar nutrition is essential for breeding success. He also ad...

In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, we revisit our conversation with Dr. Sarah Pearce, a Research Animal Physiologist at the USDA, who explores groundbreaking alternatives to antibiotics in swine production. From plant-derived phenolics to enhanced liquid aspirin, Dr. Pearce highlights strategies for maintaining gut health and optimizing pig performance. Tune in...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Johannes Madsen from the University of Copenhagen discusses innovative strategies for promoting compensatory growth in piglets. He shares valuable insights on optimizing lysine levels, improving protein profiles, and tackling post-weaning diarrhea to support piglet health and productivity. Dr. Madsen offers practical advice and fresh pe...

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ashley DeDecker from Smithfield talks about the essential care practices for piglets on their first day. She emphasizes how creating the right farrowing environment plays a key role in improving piglet survival rates. Dr. DeDecker also shares insights from research on drying methods, managing microenvironments, and the benefits of split...