In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Taw Scaff from North Dakota State University discusses the importance of boar nutrition and its direct link to sperm quality and fertility. He explains how energy balance affects libido, semen volume, and motility, and why updating decades-old research is vital to match today’s genetics and technologies. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Boars make up roughly 50% of the next generation, so if they’re not performing optimally, the herd’s reproduction suffers."

Meet the guest: Dr. Taw Scaff earned his Ph.D. in Swine Nutrition and Reproduction from Purdue University, an M.S. in Animal Science, and a B.S. in Animal Science from Oklahoma State University. Now an Assistant Professor and Extension Swine Specialist at North Dakota State University, his work focuses on optimizing swine nutrition, reproduction, and management strategies.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:50) Introduction
• (01:37) Importance of boar nutrition
• (02:19) Sperm viability and nutrition
• (03:53) Energy levels and sperm health
• (05:12) Artificial insemination
• (06:30) Research gaps in boar studies
• (08:35) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Kemin

- Keys Manufacturing

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ashley DeDecker from Smithfield Foods discusses the economic and health importance of vaccine compliance in swine production. She explains how proper vaccine storage, administration, and handling can impact herd performance and profitability. Learn practical strategies to improve vaccine compliance and animal health on your farm. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We sometimes start to forget about what it’s costing us, not just the cost of the vaccine, but the cost to care for that vaccine."

Meet the guest: Dr. Ashley DeDecker earned her Ph.D. in swine behavior and stress physiology from the University of Illinois in 2011. She currently serves as Senior Director of Research and Extension at Smithfield Hog Production, overseeing applied research across all areas of swine production. Her work focuses on identifying cost-effective, science-based solutions that improve pig health and performance on farms.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:58) Introduction
• (01:58) Vaccine compliance
• (04:28) Industry challenges
• (06:23) Economic outcomes
• (08:28) Farm improvement steps
• (09:42) Handling techniques
• (12:06) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Lee Johnston from the University of Minnesota, discusses how nutrition during gestation influences fetal programming and lifetime pig performance. He explains the link between birth weight, survival, and productivity, and highlights research on zinc supplementation in sows. Learn how early nutrition decisions can impact herd efficiency and sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"If gilts are less than one kilo at birth, they're going to have compromised lifetime reproductive performance."

Meet the guest: Dr. Lee Johnston is a Professor of Animal Science at the University of Minnesota, where he has led swine nutrition research for over 35 years. His work has focused on understanding how nutrition during gestation affects pig performance, survival, and sow longevity. His studies on zinc supplementation offer practical strategies for improving herd outcomes.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:09) Introduction
• (01:59) Fetal programming defined
• (04:42) Birth weight effects
• (06:49) Reproductive impact
• (08:25) Role of zinc
• (11:45) Environmental concerns
• (14:16) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Kemin

- Keys Manufacturing

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ygor de Paula from the University of Saskatchewan explores precision feeding for immunocastrated pigs. He explains how nutrient adjustments can reduce inflammation, improve gut health, and optimize immune function. Discover how individualized feeding technologies influence the microbiome and energy balance in swine production. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We found that individual precision feeding could reduce unnecessary energy loss to immune response and improve the microbiome."

Meet the guest: Dr. Ygor de Paula is a veterinarian with a Master’s and Ph.D. in Animal Science from the Federal University of Lavras, Brazil, and is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Saskatchewan. His research investigates how nutrition and enteric pathogens affect swine intestinal health, with a focus on immune response and microbiome modulation.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:10) Introduction
• (02:57) Precision feeding concept
• (05:13) Study hypothesis
• (05:46) Immunocastrated pigs focus
• (06:46) Main findings
• (10:11) Practical applications
• (11:35) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Anne Huting, a swine researcher at Schothorst Feed Research in the Netherlands, discusses the challenges and opportunities of raising pigs with intact tails. She explains how nutrition, management, and environment interact in tail-biting prevention, and highlights differences between European and U.S. practices. Learn practical strategies to identify risk factors and implement solutions on the farm. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Tail biting is influenced by nutrition, management, and environment, making prevention a complex challenge that requires multifactorial solutions."

Meet the guest: Anne Huting is a swine researcher at Schothorst Feed Research in the Netherlands. She earned her Master’s degree in Animal Nutrition from Wageningen University and focuses on feedstuff evaluation, piglet nutrition, and strategies to prevent damaging behaviors.

Click here to read the full research article!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:08) Introduction
• (02:38) Tail biting insights
• (06:21) European swine practices
• (09:48) Management and environmental factors
• (11:21) Enrichment strategies
• (13:12) Protocols on farms
• (15:52) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of the Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, a PhD student at Iowa State University, shares research findings on high soybean meal inclusion in grow-finish pig diets. He discusses performance impacts, energy efficiency, and nitrogen excretion changes at varying inclusion levels. Learn how pigs adapt to higher soybean meal diets and the management considerations for producers. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The pig needs to adapt to the diet. There will be a transition phase with lower feed intake, leaner pigs, and less back fat. Once adapted, they can handle higher soybean meal inclusion."

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima is a PhD student in Animal Science at Iowa State University with over 15 years of swine production experience across Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. His research focuses on soybean meal inclusion, nutrient utilization, and ingredient characterization in grow-finish pigs.

Click here to read the full research article!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:34) Introduction
• (02:39) Soybean meal inclusion
• (03:49) Research hypothesis
• (06:32) Energy efficiency
• (08:41) Nitrogen excretion
• (09:34) Practical advice
• (10:56) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Nelson Arias from the University of Illinois shares recent research on the nutritional consistency of extruded full-fat soybeans across different US regions. He explains how minimal variation in amino acids, energy, and phosphorus digestibility can simplify diet formulation. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We found that the differences in nutritional value and nutrient content of full-fat soybeans from various U.S. regions were minimal."

Meet the guest: Nelson Camilo Ruiz Arias is a research academic at the University of Illinois, holding a master’s degree in nutritional science. His recent studies evaluated the nutritional value of extruded full-fat soybeans from various US regions, analyzing amino acids, energy, and phosphorus digestibility.

Click here to read the full research articles:

There are only minor differences among soybeans grown in different areas of the United States in nutrient composition and digestibility of amino acids by growing pigs

The growing area within the United States has only minor impact on digestible and metabolizable energy, and standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus in full-fat soybeans fed to growing pigs

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:28) Introduction
• (02:55) Nutrient variation in soybeans
• (03:58) Practical formulation impact
• (04:40) Energy content comparison
• (05:51) Phosphorus availability
• (07:01) Recommendations for nutritionists
• (07:38) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

- Essential Ag Solutions

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

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In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ashley DeDecker, Senior Director of Research and Extension at Smithfield Hog Production, explores the critical role of day one pig care in improving survival and performance. She shares insights on environmental management, drying strategies, and split suckling practices. Discover what truly matters for piglet success and where to focus your time and labor. Listen now on all major platforms!

"When farrowing crates are optimal, drying piglets is considered an advanced care option."

Meet the guest: Dr. Ashley DeDecker, Senior Director of Research and Extension at Smithfield, brings over 13 years of expertise in swine production research. She holds a Ph.D. in Swine Behavior and Stress Physiology from the University of Illinois and a B.S. in Animal Science from Southern Illinois University. Her work focuses on improving swine behavior, welfare, and production practices at Smithfield.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:09) Introduction
• (02:23) Day one pig care
• (03:48) Drying techniques
• (04:42) Farrowing crate
• (07:19) Split suckling
• (10:09) Sow colostrum production
• (14:27) Closing thoughts

The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Fortiva

- Essential Ag Solutions

- Keys Manufacturing

- Kemin

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

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LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast