K-State Research and Extension

Registration now open for SowBridge educational series


Online sessions target key topics for swine producers

At a glance: Registration is now open for SowBridge, an online educational series offered by 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine-producing states.

More information: Joel DeRouchey, jderouch@ksu.edu

Related: SowBridge Educational Series

Jan. 8, 2025

K-State Research and Extension news service

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Registration is now open for an educational series offered by 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine-producing states.

Officials at Kansas State University are encouraging swine producers to sign up for SowBridge, which begins its next program year in February. The distance educational series is for those who work with sows, boars, and piglets.

The series is provided online through Zoom and each session is recorded for later viewing.

“SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts, and to contact those experts following the individual sessions,” said Joel DeRouchey, a swine specialist with K-State Research and Extension.

Sessions generally are hosted on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. Central time. DeRouchey notes one exception this year is that the fifth session is moved up one week to May 28 to avoid conflicts with World Pork Expo.

During each session, participants can ask questions of the industry expert presenter from the comfort of their home, office or swine unit. Each registration provides access to one Zoom connection per session and all program materials provided by presenters.

The cost is $200 for the first registration, and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Registration is due Jan. 20 to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 5. Full program information and the registration form is available at KSUSwine.org.

The 2025-2026 program session dates and topics are as follows.

  • Feb. 5 -- H5N1 as it Relates to Pigs.
  • Mar. 5 -- Feeding Frequency Pre-Farrow: Impact on Farrowing Duration.
  • April 2 -- Your Farm Broke with PRSS/PED: Now what?
  • May 7 -- Overcoming Barriers and Understanding the Psychological Impact of Pig Euthanasia.
  • May 28 -- Iron Status of Sows: Impacts on Farrowing Duration.
  • July 2 -- How to Manage Gilts not Cycling.
  • Aug. 6 -- Diagnostic Testing.
  • Sept. 3 -- Depopulation Preparedness.
  • Oct. 1 -- Where’s the draft coming from?
  • Nov. 5 -- Farrowing Stall Environment Management.
  • Dec. 3 -- Heat Synchronization Protocols.
  • Jan. 7, 2026 -- Treating Sows According to Farm SOP.

 

For more information on registration, contact DeRouchey at jderouch@ksu.edu or Sheri Hoyer, Iowa State University, at 515-294-4496 or shoyer@iastate.edu.

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K‑State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well‑being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county extension offices, experiment fields, area extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K‑State campus in Manhattan. For more information, visit www.ksre.ksu.edu. K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity provider and employer.