The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Daniel Brugger, Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki, explains why precision feeding of trace elements is becoming essential for sustainable swine production. The discussion covers current mineral safety margins, environmental impacts, economic considerations, and why improving micronutrient management is the next step toward more sustainable pig nutrition. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Any overfeeding of trace elements leads to emissions into manure, which eventually returns to agricultural land and influences long-term environmental sustainability."

Meet the guest: Dr. Daniel Brugger is Associate Professor of Companion and Monogastric Production Animal Nutrition at the University of Helsinki, where he leads the Helsinki Monogastric Nutrition Lab. His research focuses on sustainable nutrition for pigs, including trace elements, nutritional physiology, feed ingredients, and environmental sustainability. Listen to The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast featuring Dr. Daniel Brugger on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:45) Introduction
(03:27) Trace element research
(04:48) Current feeding margins
(06:14) Sustainability impact
(07:23) Economic sustainability
(08:40) Future mineral supply
(09:41) Closing thoughts

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

* Fortiva
* Kemin

- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions
- Barentz
- Gilt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Samuel Berrio, a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota, discusses research on the timing of zinc supplementation during sow gestation. He explains how early- and late-gestation supplementation were compared for reproductive performance, piglet outcomes, and wean-to-finish survival, while balancing mineral excretion concerns. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Late-gestation zinc supplementation improved wean-to-finish survival while reducing the need for full-period supplementation."

Meet the guest: Dr. Samuel Berrio is a Graduate Research Assistant and master's student in Animal Sciences at the University of Minnesota, where he focuses on swine nutrition and sustainability. Originally from Colombia, he earned his veterinary degree from CES University and has experience in genetic nucleus farms and swine research. Learn more from Dr. Samuel Jaramillo on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(01:58) Introduction
(02:59) Zinc treatments
(04:16) Gestation timing
(05:34) Study results
(08:08) Zinc excretion
(10:43) Farm implementation
(12:32) Closing thoughts

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

* Fortiva
* Kemin
- Barentz
- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions

- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- Zentrix Insights
- ZentrixOS
- Gilt

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
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In this special rerun episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Natalie Diether, Assistant Professor of Gut Microbiome at Dalhousie University, discusses the complex shifts in the gut microbiome in pigs during weaning. She explains how stress, diet, and microbial function interact, and what producers should know when selecting feed additives. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Stress impairs gut barrier function, increasing permeability and inflammation, making pigs more vulnerable post-weaning."

Meet the guest: Dr. Natalie Diether is an Assistant Professor at Dalhousie University, specializing in gut microbiome research. She holds a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Animal Sciences from the University of Alberta, where she used multi-omics tools to study interactions among diet, gut microbes, and host metabolism. Her work focuses on nutritional strategies to improve pig health during vulnerable periods, such as weaning. Learn more from Dr. Natalie Diether on The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(02:12) Introduction
(03:19) Microbial shifts post-weaning
(05:58) Choosing functional additives
(06:51) Matching additive to function
(08:59) Understanding microbiome needs
(10:29) Microbial shifts explained
(11:31) Closing thoughts

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

* Kemin
* Fortiva
- Barentz
- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions

- Gilt
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- Zentrix Insights
- ZentrixOS

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests:
Dr. Anna Johnson is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.
Emma Coursey is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.

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What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(02:29) Introduction
(03:49) Study purpose
(05:29) Barn observations
(06:18) Tail biting
(07:59) Feeder adjustments
(10:49) Proactive monitoring
(13:29) Closing thoughts

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

* Kemin
* Fortiva
- Barentz
- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions

- Zentrix Insights
- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
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In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sarah Pearce, Research Animal Physiologist with USDA ARS, explains why stress can act as a nutrient thief in pigs. She discusses gastrointestinal health, barrier integrity, inflammation, feed efficiency, stress interactions, and emerging biomarkers that may help predict performance challenges before they occur. Listen now on all major platforms!

Click here to read the full research article!

"Stress can steal calories and nutrients because energy normally used for growth is redirected toward immune activation, gut repair, and other costly survival responses."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sarah Pearce earned her M.S. and Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Iowa State University and currently serves as a Research Animal Physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Her research focuses on gastrointestinal physiology, nutrition, stress biology, immune function, and productivity in pigs and poultry. Learn more from Dr. Sarah Pearce on the Swine Nutrition Black Belt Podcast, available on all major platforms.

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

What you will learn: 
(00:00) Highlight
(02:22) Introduction
(03:07) Stress redirects nutrients
(04:34) Multiple stressors
(06:24) Gut barrier
(07:28) Biomarker prediction
(08:38) Research tools
(09:22) Closing thoughts

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

* Fortiva
* Kemin

- DietForge
- Essential Ag Solutions
- Barentz
- The Owner's Box
- Elevate
- WiseVAs
- ZentrixOS
- Zentrix Insights

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.
Website: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
LinkedIn: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Instagram: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
Facebook: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast
TikTok: The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast