Grow-finish swine production: Viable pieces of the business

The Grow-Finish Production – Viable Pieces of the Business educational program is set to take place in four locations across the state starting Jan. 19, 2015.

Michigan State University Extension is teaming up with Maximum Ag Technologies and Farmer Boy AG to offer pork producers and their employees the Grow-Finish Swine Production – Viable Pieces of the Business educational program. The program is intended for individual owners of grow finish facilities and for contract growers who raise pigs for other farms. The information provided will assist with maintaining a profitable enterprise.

This educational program is scheduled to take place in four locations across the state and will include: Allegan County MSU Extension office on Monday, Jan. 19; Cass County MSU Extension office on Tuesday, Jan. 20; Branch County MSU Extension office on Wednesday, Jan., 21; and the Regional Educational Services District office in Ithaca, Michigan on Thursday, Jan. 22. The program will begin at 1 p.m. and end by 4 p.m. at all locations.

Topics to be covered and speakers include:

  • Making your finishing site competitive, Jerry May, MSU Extension educator
  • Feeding heavy weight pigs: Will the trend continue? Ron Bates, state swine specialist, and Tom Guthrie, MSU Extension educator
  • Where’s the feed: Impacts of out-of-feed events on production, Dale Rozeboom, Extension specialist and Tom Guthrie, MSU Extension educator
  • Total finishing monitoring: Optimizing your ventilation system, Larry Reed, Maximum AG Technologies
  • Records and Audits: Fulfilling industry expectations, Tina Conklin, MSU Extension educator
  • Euthanasia tools, Madonna Benjamin, MSU Extension swine veterinarian

Registration for the Grow-Finish Swine Production – Viable Pieces of the Business program is $30 per person or $300 for unlimited number of participants per farm. Registration deadline for all program locations is Jan. 14.

For interested producers, starting at 10 a.m. Pork Quality Assurance certification sessions will take place before the Grow-Finish Production – Viable Pieces of the Business program at each location. Cost of Pork Quality Assurance Plus certification is $20.

For more information on the Grow-Finish Swine Production – Viable Pieces of the Business and to download a registration form, visit the MSU Extension Events page or contact Tom Guthrie at 517-788-4292 or guthri19@anr.msu.edu.

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