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Mild winter had little impact on swine disease pressure

A northeast Iowa pork producer suggests the abnormally warm winter did not have much impact on swine disease pressure.

Bob Hemesath and his brother own a wean-to-finish hog operation near Calmar.

“When you get the mild weather it does seem to foster some maybe more opportunities for disease, (but) overall we’ve been pretty good.”

He tells Brownfield the hog industry continues to struggle with Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

“The one sow unit we get pigs from has dealt with it, but they’re getting better. So overall it’s been better, but there’s a lot of challenges there yet.”

Hemesath describes this past winter as “spring like” with very few cold snaps.