AMES, Iowa — SowBridge, the distance educational series for those who work with sows, boars and piglets, and with genetic and reproductive issues, begins its next program year in early February, and registration is now underway. The series will be provided online through Zoom, although participants will be able to use a call-in option instead if they prefer.

Sherry Hoyer, communication specialist with Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University, said suggestions from participants guide the selection of future topics and speakers, and the live interaction with session speakers will not change.

“SowBridge provides all participants with the opportunity to hear directly from experts, and to contact those experts following the individual sessions,” she said.

Sessions generally are held on the first Wednesday of the month and run from 11:15 a.m. to about 12:15 p.m. Central time. Two exceptions this year: the fifth session is moved up one week to May 29 to avoid conflicts with World Pork Expo, and the final session is on Jan. 8, 2025, which is the second Tuesday.

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 $200 ($U.S.) for the first registration, and half that amount for each subsequent registration from the same entity.

Registration is due Jan. 20, 2024, to ensure participants have access to materials for the first session on Feb. 7. A flyer with information and a registration form is available on the IPIC website.

The 2023-2024 program session dates and topics are as follows.

• Feb. 7.  Best and worst of audits: Preparing for success.
• March 6.  Managing sows in pens for alternative housing from weaning to breeding.
• April 3.  Barn equipment and ventilation fan maintenance.
• May 1.  Issues with successfully breeding gilts and sows.
• May 29.  Herd veterinarians: What do they want to know?
• July 3.  Implementing precision feeding in the sow herd.
• Aug. 7.  Sow foot care.
• Sept. 4.  Feed biosecurity in the sow herd.
• Oct. 2.  Replacement gilt management and selection for group vs. stall gestation.
• Nov. 6.  P1 Sow development.
• Dec. 4.  Managing nurse sows.
• Jan. 8, 2025.  Sow shoulder wounds - causes and treatments.

For more information on the sessions or registration, contact Hoyer by phone at 515-294-4496 or email shoyer@iastate.edu.

SowBridge is provided through a cooperative effort of 15 colleges and universities from the nation’s major swine producing states.

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IPIC was established in 1994 as a coordinated effort of the colleges of Agriculture (now Agriculture and Life Sciences) and Veterinary Medicine at ISU. Its mission is to promote efficient pork production technologies in Iowa, maintain Iowa's pork industry leadership and strengthen rural development efforts. IPIC focuses its efforts on programs that are integral and complementary to ISU Extension and Outreach. Through IPIC, Iowa producers receive accurate and timely information to make their operations more efficient and profitable.