In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Rienske Mortier, swine veterinarian at Prairie Livestock Veterinarians in Canada, shares how critical thinking and data analysis improve herd health decisions. She explains how to use farm data, avoid common analysis mistakes, and measure intervention results effectively. Dr. Mortier highlights the value of structured thinking in modern swine production. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Swine production generates a lot of useful data, which creates a real opportunity to understand what is happening in the herd and make better decisions over time."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Rienske Mortier earned a PhD in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases from the University of Calgary and a veterinary degree with honors from Ghent University. She works as a swine veterinarian and clinical instructor in Canada, focusing on herd health, epidemiology, and data-driven decision-making.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:56) Introduction
• (02:29) Listening approach
• (05:08) PhD impact
• (06:15) Farm data value
• (07:32) On farm trials
• (08:07) Data resources
• (10:22) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Guillermo Vidal, Full Professor at the University of Murcia, explains the lung gut axis and its role in swine health. He highlights how immune communication between systems influences disease outcomes, including respiratory and intestinal interactions. Dr. Vidal shows how probiotics and early-life interventions can affect health. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Probiotic administration through feed demonstrated measurable immune changes in lung tissue, including increased IgA cells and modulation of immune response against pathogens.”

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Guillermo Vidal earned a DVM and PhD and is a Full Professor at the University of Murcia, focusing on porcine digestive pathology, intestinal integrity, and health interactions across systems. With extensive industry and academic experience, his research explores biomarkers and systemic disease dynamics in swine production.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:53) Introduction
• (01:44) Axis basics
• (02:40) System connections
• (04:33) Research progress
• (05:03) Probiotic effects
• (06:57) Pathogen location
• (11:46) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus

In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Taylor Engle, veterinarian at Minton Veterinary Services, shares practical strategies to improve nursery pig start-ups. He explains how minimizing stressors, optimizing barn environments, and encouraging early feed intake can strengthen pig health and performance. Get key insights, including sanitation, preparation, and management practices that prevent disease challenges. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Minimizing stress during weaning, transportation, and placement creates a stronger foundation for pig health, reducing disease pressure and supporting consistent performance across the entire nursery phase."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Taylor Engle is a veterinarian at Minton Veterinary Services with experience supporting swine producers across the United States. He earned his DVM from Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine and holds a Master of Science in Animal Sciences from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His work focuses on improving swine health through practical management strategies.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:01) Introduction
• (01:39) Reduce stress
• (02:55) Barn environment
• (03:16) Feed intake
• (06:01) Mechanical focus
• (07:03) Stress stacking
• (11:25) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus

In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Ana Paula Silva, epidemiologist and research scientist at Iowa State University, explains how manure pumping and land application influence PRRS outbreak risk in grow finish systems. She shares findings on timing, proximity, and management strategies that affect disease spread. Learn how adjusting operational decisions can support better biosecurity outcomes. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Manure pumping events across grow finish systems showed a measurable increase in PRRS outbreak probability within five weeks, highlighting operational practices as critical disease drivers in commercial production environments."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Ana Paula Silva is an epidemiologist and research scientist at Iowa State University, specializing in swine health, disease surveillance, and molecular epidemiology of bacterial pathogens. Her work focuses on PRRS dynamics, gilt acclimation, and biosecurity strategies in production systems. Her research supports practical decision making for disease prevention.

Click here to read the full research article!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:54) Introduction
• (01:48) Study overview
• (03:38) Farm selection
• (04:56) PRRS focus
• (06:13) Risk findings
• (07:07) Seasonality control
• (10:16) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

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In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Brian Richert from Purdue University and Dr. Russell Fent, Swine Technical Director at Ralco Nutrition, discuss research on phytonutrient feed additives in sow diets. They explore impacts on litter performance, birth weight distribution, gut health, and sow productivity. Results from a commercial sow farm study highlight improvements in piglet viability and sow reproductive efficiency. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Building knowledge around phytonutrients required years of research because limited scientific information existed initially, requiring systematic development of data before identifying effective livestock applications.” - Dr. Russell Fent

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁s:

Dr. Brian Richert is an Associate Professor of Animal Sciences at Purdue University, specializing in swine nutrition and management. His research focuses on improving sow productivity, litter performance, and nutrient utilization in commercial swine systems through applied nutrition and production management strategies.

Dr. Russell Fent is Swine Technical Director at Ralco Nutrition, where he leads research and technical support for nutrition technologies in swine production. His work focuses on phytonutrients, feed solutions, and practical strategies that support health, performance, and efficiency in commercial herds.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:05) Introduction
• (02:08) Phytonutrient research focus
• (05:51) Commercial sow study
• (06:36) Microbiome and samples
• (07:31) Birth weight shift
• (08:25) Gut health insights
• (12:20) Closing thoughts

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

- Ralco

* Boehringer Ingelheim

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

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In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Mark Estienne, Professor and swine research physiologist at Virginia Tech, explains how a novel nitrogen management system improves barn air quality by reducing ammonia emissions. Lower ammonia levels enhanced nursery pig growth, feed intake, and early post-weaning performance, while supporting respiratory health and worker conditions. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Rooms using the treated system averaged about two parts per million ammonia compared with approximately six parts per million in control conditions."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Mark Estienne earned his degrees in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from the University of Georgia. He is currently Professor and swine research physiologist at Virginia Tech’s Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center. His research focuses on management and nutrition strategies to improve sow reproduction and nursery pig performance.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:11) Introduction
• (02:08) Nitrogen system overview
• (05:01) Ammonia reduction results
• (06:26) Growth performance data
• (07:27) Post-weaning impact
• (08:30) Respiratory indicators
• (11:49) Final Questions

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

Pancopia™

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

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In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Emma Helm, Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech, explains how Lawsonia intracellularis infection alters the swine gut microbiota and microbial metabolism. She shares findings on microbial shifts, nucleotide synthesis, amino acid biosynthesis, and impacts on feed efficiency. Learn practical insights on biomarkers, nutrition strategies, and vaccination programs. Listen now on all major platforms!

"If a pig does not have any resident microbiota, classic colitis induced by Lawsonia intracellularis cannot develop, showing a required interaction with the resident microbiota."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Emma Helm is a Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech. She earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Iowa State University, focusing on swine intestinal integrity, function, and skeletal muscle metabolism during pathogenic challenges. Her research explores biological mechanisms that define swine physiology, especially intestinal development and stress responses.

Click here to read the full research article!

Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love!

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:50) Introduction
• (01:55) Lawsonia overview
• (02:51) Microbiota interaction
• (04:43) Challenge model results
• (07:49) Metabolic shifts
• (10:07) Farm application
• (11:36) Final Questions

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus

In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Brent Pepin from the National Pork Board explains how New World screwworm awareness fits into broader foreign animal disease preparedness. He outlines key clinical signs, response expectations, and the value of strong traceability systems. Learn practical steps producers can take to strengthen readiness across swine operations. Listen now on all major platforms.

"New World screwworm pressure highlights the need for continuous attention to threats that can influence livestock movement and overall agricultural stability."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Brent Pepin is a swine health veterinarian and researcher serving as Director of Swine Health at the National Pork Board, where he leads national traceability efforts and secure pork supply initiatives. His background spans commercial practice, research, and swine disease mitigation.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:09) Introduction
• (02:26) New World Screwworm
• (03:59) Action plan
• (06:59) Detection challenges
• (07:49) Traceability role
• (09:39) Cattle proximity
• (15:02) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Ralco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus