October 2024 OMAFA Welcomes New Swine Specialist - Stratford Maggie Henry grew up on her family’s dairy farm in Eastern Ontario and was introduced to the swine industry while completing her graduate studies at the University of Guelph. During her PhD, Maggie’s research focused on investigating abnormal behaviours in growing pigs and potential control measures. After the completion of Maggie’s PhD in 2021, she became a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Population Medicine at the University of Guelph. Her research centered on the construction of a dynamic simulation model of the Ontario swine industry to investigate mitigation measures in the event of processing delays and disruptions due to possible disease incursions. Maggie is excited for her new role as Swine Specialist with OMAFA. She joined the Stratford office on August 19th. Leading Swine Research for Future Generations Investing in research and innovation remains a critical element for the future progress of the pork industry. “I can’t emphasize enough how important research is,” says Lee-Anne Huber, an Animal Sciences Professor at the University of Guelph. Lee-Anne’s passion for animals and pigs started at a young age as she grew up on a pig farm - today she is regarded as one of the leading researchers in swine nutrition. She takes great pride in knowing the work being done at the Ontario Swine Research Centre is leading to improved outcomes for pork producers. “When conducting research, we have to consider that the livelihood of producers is at stake,” says Lee-Anne. “We really want to feed pigs as efficiently and as inexpensively as possible, because we know the profit margins are so narrow.” Among the projects that Lee-Anne is working on with research students, is a project she leads examining how much nitrogen, amino acids and protein are in feed. They then will determine how many of those building blocks are present in sow milk. This important data being collected will have crucial impacts for future feed rations. “Farmers might not see it, but data that we generate at the University is then integrated into feeding programs on farms and is leading to improved growth.” Lee-Anne says the investment from Ontario Pork through research dollars to the University and into building the new Swine Research Centre is something that will have a lasting impact on the pork industry for future generations. “That market hog research fee, we can match it with federal and provincial funds and get two, three, four times the dollar value of what Ontario Pork is contributing, so that seed money from OP makes a massive difference in our research outcomes.” Money well spent according to Lee-Anne. Research that will help shape the future for generations of pork farmers in an ever-changing industry. Ontario Pork Working Together Part 1: The Practical Benefit For many producers, collaboration plays a significant role in regular operations. Whether this is sharing knowledge or resources, working together can make a positive difference, especially in challenging times. During a Disease Outbreak Unlike other challenges that may arise, disease outbreaks can conflict with these relationships in a unique way. Stricter biosecurity protocols and a higher workload managing the health of your animals can create a sense of isolation. Further to this, attitudes towards disease Lee-Anne Huber, an Animal Sciences Professor at the University of Guelph 29 Pork News & Views Better Pork | October 2024
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