On Nov.12, nearly 120 individuals from across the swine industry gathered in the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for South Dakota State University’s annual swine day.
The day started with an animal science update from Dr. John Jaeger, SDSU’s Head of Animal Science. He discussed the posters made by undergraduate and graduate students on display, the enrollment in animal science and the recognition of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.
At this event, three undergraduate and nine graduate students made 16 posters. These students come from California, Iowa, Honduras, Brazil, Nigeria and North Dakota and have completed their swine research on campus. The posters were created to help provide direct implications for swine producers. They were judged by industry professionals in the morning, and awards were presented in the afternoon.
“I visited with several graduate students about their posters, and I appreciated their knowledge regarding their poster[s], and although some findings were not statistically significant, they may have biological implications that could result in improved pig health or performance,” said Jaeger.
Jaeger presented an update on undergraduate enrollment within the Animal Science Department. He reported that undergraduate enrollment has remained nearly the same from last year, with 427 students, and that graduate student enrollment has increased in the past five years, with 45 students enrolled in the Fall 2024 semester. He also noticed a shift from nearly all students pursuing a Master of Science degree to about a third of SDSU graduate students seeking a Ph.D.
Lastly, the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council was recognized for their $1.2 million gift to add two more weans to finish rooms at the campus teaching and research Swine Unit.
“This will double our wean to finish teaching and research capabilities, providing more opportunities for our undergraduate and graduate students. It will also allow our Animal Science Department to utilize all of the pigs produced on campus in our own teaching and research facilities,” said Jaeger.
Professionals within the swine industry also came to speak at this event. These included a presentation on managing risk and opportunity in volatile times presented by Pat Von Tersch at Professional Ag Marketing and SDSU swine research presented by Dr. Crystal Levesque, Dr. Eric Weaver and Dr. Ryan Samuel with the Department of Animal Science at SDSU in the morning.
Keynote speaker Dr. Gerald Shurson from the University of Minnesota presenting designing environmentally sustainable swine feeding programs, production trends, and data integrity presented by Brad Eckberg at Metafarms, a student perspective, an industry update from a banker’s perspective presented by Derek Little at Farm Credit Services as well as Dusty Compart at Compeer Financial, a panel discussion, and a reception and SDSU Swine Advisory Council Meeting helped conclude this one-day event.
