The NSR office will be closed December 24th through January 1st. Regular office hours will resume Thursday, January 2nd.
It’s that time of year again. Attending the county and/or state fair is a daily occurrence, sows are farrowing fall litters, and before long, grain harvest will consume almost every waking moment. Simply put, there isn’t always enough time to make it around to every boar stud and strategically plan your mating decisions for the winter and spring litters. Fortunately, I have been able to make it to a large number of boar studs in the Midwest as well as Texas and Oklahoma. So, for the next few blog posts, my aim is to share my perspective on what boars caught my attention, and hopefully, give helpful insight when it comes time to making those mating decisions.
Laird’s Premium Blend Genetics
My boar stud tour started in Arlington, Indiana, with Laird’s Premium Blend Genetics. Wow, to say I was impressed with this set would be a drastic understatement! One, I can’t argue the [ … ]
As the dust settles on another successful Summer Type Conference (STC), everyone’s focus seems to be shifting toward state fair season here in the Midwest. Definitely an exciting time, as those projects we have fed since spring are starting to come around and continue to get better every time you walk in the barn. However, before too long, it is going to be time to start thinking critically about what to breed those key sows to and start the process all over again.
With an absolutely incredible purebred show at Louisville, this year, I wanted to blog about some of the boars I was fortunate enough to see prior to STC, many of which went on to be exhibited at Louisville. I want to offer my opinion on where these studs may be used best. Also, if you would like some insight on STC boars I do not mention, please feel free [ … ]
This week entailed some of the most exciting stops thus far. It further exemplified the foundation of any successful breeding program starts with the sow base. I began the week meeting with Brett Beyers at the family farm in Illinois. With all this firm’s success at the majors down south in Texas and most recently at World Pork Expo, I knew I had to go see what the buzz was all about. The visit was highlighted by going through the sow herd. After seeing some of these impressive females, I am a firm believer that this farm’s success is no accident. As far as boars, Milestone and Different Deal were both fun to see as mature sires. They are extra heavy structured and still really correct. Finally, the day was concluded with looking at some exciting young boars. The most notable was a really interesting Lifetime son whose extra power and shape makes him [ … ]
Just like that – World Pork Expo (WPX) is already a week past! We hope everyone was able to catch-up on some sleep and get some rest after a very successful week. As some of the interns were first-time attendees of WPX they had quite the exciting experience diving in head first. Find out what they thought about WPX and their internship experiences so far!
Romoser’s notes from the road – Matt Romoser, NSR Fieldstaff Intern
Wow – what an internship it has been so far! My time at the National Swine Registry (NSR) has mostly been spent with the Northwest Field Representative, Michael Lackey, and the Eastern Field Representative, Blaine Evans. I have been very fortunate to visit some really great firms and see some great hogs. Herd visits, thus far, have primarily consisted of looking at what everyone was planning to bring to WPX, many of which competed very well. One that sticks [ … ]
