The goal of this project is to address unique health challenges that arise from effort to anticipate and meet welfare challenges emerging from public concern. This research generates a well-defined protocol for the controlled exposure of a loose-housed sow herd to an enteric pathogen such as PEDv. Such diseases are often curtailed by rapidly developing herd immunity through a controlled exposure of the sows to the pathogen. Quality control on these programs is hard to obtain in loose-housed sows. Efforts aim to examine the number of sows and the duration that each sow contacts surrogate feedback material to ensure uniform exposure, and to determine the impact of sow exposure to define an optimal protocol for feedback in loose-housed sows.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, extension agents, livestock farmers, swine industry