Latest News From HOGS

Household units and mini fridges are often unsuitable for maintaining veterinary products, according to a recent study by Emmanuel Rollin, DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia.

Imagine your favorite cured meat like beef jerky, pepperoni or bacon without any added sodium nitrite from any source currently necessary for color and shelf life. Wes Osburn, Ph.D., is doing exactly that.

Beginning June 11, 2023, over-the-counter livestock antibiotics will require a veterinary prescription. Producers are encouraged to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship now.

EPA is proposing changes to rodenticides that would result in canceling products and uses, adding more requirements to labels, and reclassifying some products to restricted use pesticides. Here's what you need to know.

Instead of writing down these big audacious goals, Jon Acuff, an entrepreneur, speaker and best-selling author, has better advice: Set micro goals. 

A coalition of public health advocacy groups and online activists have filed a lawsuit against the FDA and its Center for Veterinary Medicine, challenging the decision to keep important antibiotics in animal ag.

Combining data from 142 countries and over 28,000 feed mills, Alltech recently shared its 2023 Alltech Agri-Food Outlook with global feed production survey data.

Providing purpose both on and off the farm, farm and ranch dogs earn top honors, selected from over 100 contestants across the nation, in the annual Farm Bureau contest.

Although the likelihood of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) being found in the U.S. is low, here's why USDA is taking this virus seriously.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $40 million in funding to help complete Phase 2 of Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Here's why it matters to all of animal agriculture.

The U.S. Senate confirmed Jose Emilio Esteban, a veterinarian, as undersecretary for food safety with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in December.

The International Consortium for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Agriculture (ICASA) has awarded nine grants to develop management strategies that improve judicious antibiotic use in beef cattle and swine.

In 2012, Jerry Lageson flipped the switch and transformed an oak tree into a landmark for thousands of passersby. South of Faribault, Minn., Lageson annually adorns this tree with 50,000 white lights.

Domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals decreased by less than 1% between 2020-21. Compared to 2015 (peak year), 2021 sales decreased 38%.

Beef packers saw per head losses nearly double last week as wholesale beef prices tumbled $7 per cwt. lower. Pork processors are also found negative margins and producer margins remain short of breakeven.

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has awarded nineteen scholarships to students enrolled in AAVMC member institutions, totaling close to $100,000.

The Family Farmer and Rancher Tax Fairness Act would remove the tax liability for distressed farmers for the assistance provided in Sections 22006 and 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Here’s three key claims and takeaways from this year’s animal rights extremist conferences and how they plan to turn consumers away from meat, poultry and dairy products.

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on Tuesday announced proposed legislation aimed at ending line-speed increases and “meatpacker self-inspection programs.”

Antimicrobials are some of the most critical tools for treating infections and saving people and animals. That's why APHIS is making up to $3 million in funding available to create antimicrobial resistance dashboards.

PRRS continues to be the most economically significant disease affecting the U.S. swine industry. Boehringer Ingelheim is launching a PRRS Knowledge Manual, chronicling years of research and best practices for control. 

Veterinarians are on alert as supply interruptions unfold for liquid amoxicillin, a first-line antibiotic commonly prescribed to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals.  

After two recent articles from New York Times and Unearthed criticize Dr. Frank Mitloehner and his team at UC Davis, the "GHGGuru" joins Agritalk to share the facts and his perspective on the media's antics.

The pendulum continues to swing in cattlemen's favor as cash prices rally $3 per cwt. Pork producers see improved profit margins with a $7 per cwt. rally.

The first 10 days were hell, says Kyle Baade, a Nebraska pork producer. After that, if a visitor showed up, he says they would have no idea the farm had any issues. Here's his PRRS story and how it changed his life.

How can we create a sustainable future for animal agriculture? By building it together, says AAA. The 2023 Stakeholders Summit theme has been set, and speaker proposals and applications are open.

The leader of one of America’s largest food and agriculture companies said the country’s farmers should be celebrated for their crucial role in providing food security, even if their work is sometimes overlooked.

The White House announced several steps to increase access of fruits and vegetables as a food source, but some say animal protein is also an answer to the need for healthy and nutritious food for all Americans.  

The North American Meat Institute and America’s leading meat companies are advancing industry-wide best practices and increasing access to nutrient-dense meat for families in need.

Voters in Switzerland will decide on a referendum that would ban "factory farming" and tighten its already strict animal welfare regulations.

An Executive Order recently called for "advancing biotechnology and biomanufacturing" to create a more "sustainable" bioeconomy. What is this, you may ask? A decoy.

What do the pork, beef and poultry industries have in common? Taking a look at the impacts of a disease outbreak might lead to striking similarities.

Purdue University, Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame have joined the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases. One of the labs will target Culex mosquitoes, carriers of West Nile virus.

The average cost of feeding a steer to finish weight was 25% higher for cattle marketed last week and is projected to be 31% higher for cattle placed on feed last week at roughly $600 per head.

While plant-based meat alternatives seem to have lost their hype, scientists work to develop another protein alternative—mealworms.

A book about why eating a plants-only diet won't improve your health or save the planet is turning heads. A British-based investigative journalist digs into the concept that plant-based food is better for your health.

Grocery stores have become a battleground for extremists pressuring retailers to remove meat, milk, poultry and eggs from shelves. Recent trends have shown an uptick in store protests, demonstrations and food tampering.

United Animal Health, Johnsonville Ventures and the Iowa Corn Growers Association commit support to Genvax Technologies, a startup dedicated to advancing self-amplifying mRNA vaccine production in animal health.

Australian authorities said this week they have detected "viral fragments" of foot and mouth disease on a small number of products entering the country from Indonesia and China.

Canines serve as a valuable asset in protecting the U.S. agriculture industry, helping detect foreign animal diseases and other invasive species and pests from entering the border.

British officials on Friday ruled out a suspected case of foot and mouth disease in the rural eastern English county of Norfolk.

One big emerging threat is alpha-gal which is short for galactose-alpha – a carbohydrate deposited by the tick that triggers a severe allergic reaction in the digestive system after eating red meat.

If we, who believe animal-derived proteins are good for people, do not share animal agriculture’s story, those who wish to diminish or eliminate animal agriculture from the food system will lead the conversation.

Memorial Day weekend is known as the unofficial kickoff to grilling season. Even with the push to more plant-based proteins, meat is still in high demand. Millennials are one of the largest groups of meat eaters.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced an investment of more than $5 million to mitigate antimicrobial resistance across the food chain.

As outdoor temperatures increase, so does the possibility of heat stress or even heat stroke. But there are ways to avoid getting “overheated” this summer, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.

Consumers are interested in how animal agriculture affects health and wellness, environmental stewardship, animal welfare and worker safety. Now is the time for a more robust and meaningful conversation.

Dr. Joan Arnoldi, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's first female female Deputy Administrator and Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States, passed away on May 10.

Programs to help U.S. farmers build markets overseas boosted agricultural exports by an average of $9.6 billion annually from 1977 to 2019, representing 13.7 percent of total agricultural export value, says a new study.

See how rising costs impact you and your family.