An upcoming virtual Iowa Swine Day will explore the topics of wild pigs in Canada, and stress management and treatment to help boost productivity.
Part two of the 2020 Iowa Swine Day webinar series will be held this Thursday from noon-to-2:30 p.m. Dr. Jason Ross with Iowa State University says the first part of the lecture will discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of stress on people and teams. Athena Diesch-Chham, clinical veterinary social worker at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul will lead the discussion.
?She will talk about the prevention and treatment of stress for people, and just how to help maintain and control levels of stress to maintain productivity,? Ross said. ?She will discuss the different aspects of how stress happens in people and those strategies for managing stress for ourselves, employees, and peers.?
Ross says the second speaker will present a decade of research on wild pigs in Canada, with a focus on risks along the Canada-US border. Invasive wild pigs have become an increasing problem globally and throughout much of North American in recent years. They cause damage to crops, can harbor diseases of significant production concern, and cause extensive environmental damage, including contaminating water.
?The next talk is from Dr. Ryan Brook, associate professor in animal and poultry science at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon,? Ross said. ?He will be talking about all of his research with the wild pig population in Canada and what the implications are for the United States.?
Ross adds this year?s five-part webinar series of select speakers from the planned 2020 conference program replaces the live conference.
?As many things were disrupted by COVID-19, so was the Iowa Swine Day,? Ross said. ?We just recognized that it wasn?t feasible to offer the program the same way we always do it. We tried to find a way that we could still bring value to producers. Many of the talks that we?re having on the virtual series are talks that are still very relevant to issues that the swine industry is facing right now.?
Registration for this week?s Iowa Swine Day can be found here. Dr. Jason Ross’s full interview can be found below.
