EAST LANSING — Research from Michigan State University is helping shape the future and success of Michigan’s pork industry, starting with how pigs are housed.

Recent adaptations made to Michigan law require farms to house pregnant sows (female pigs) in ways that allow free movement and avoid confinement, favoring group housing systems.

However, because pigs can be territorial, leaders in the industry have raised questions on how this can be enacted effectively.

MSU AgBioResearch scientists, including Dr. Catherine Ernst in the Department of Animal Science, are using funding from the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture (M-AAA) to study this impact.

M-AAA, a partnership among MSU, Michigan’s animal ag and allied industries and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) focused on the advancement of Michigan’s animal ag economy, has helped Michigan pork adapt, evolve and stay dynamic during this time, said Mary Kelpinski, CEO of the Michigan Pork Producers Association (MPPA).

“We had a law that passed and became active in 2020 that required us to house our sows differently — we had to house them in more group settings,” Kelpinski said. “That raises a lot of concerns. You hear the phrase ‘boss hog,’ and pigs really are territorial. When you put them in a group together, they’ll fight. So, some of the research MSU has done at the swine farm and through M-AAA dollars has helped us look at how we can house our sows to follow the law we have in Michigan.

“All the states have different laws, so we needed something that was specific to Michigan. This research has really helped us remain competitive in the pork industry nationally.”

The need for information on how pigs are housed exemplifies why M-AAA is not only unique in how it functions as a program, Kelpinski said, but is also integral for the success of animal ag industries like Michigan pork, which produces roughly 2.5 million hogs per year and contributes approximately $500 million annually to the state’s economy, according to MPPA.

M-AAA gives representatives from Michigan’s animal ag and allied industries opportunities to connect with MSU researchers, share what the needs or concerns are for their industries and review and fund research proposals that address the relevant topics that will help advance key sectors of Michigan’s $125.8 billion agriculture industry.

“That’s the driving force,” Kelpinski said. “We’re the ones setting those priorities and research initiatives and then we’re passing them out to MSU researchers to find out what research ideas they have that could help solve some of these problems we’re experiencing.

“It’s been really great to have that relationship.”

Kelpinski said other instances of MSU research helping move Michigan pork forward include leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to address labor shortages when managing and caring for animals, as well as studying different antibiotic-free nutritional additives fed to pigs that cultivate healthy pork products and don’t contribute to human antibiotic resistance.

In addition to research, Kelpinski said outreach done through MSU Extension is an invaluable resource for Michigan pork producers and their operations.

MSU Extension co-administers M-AAA alongside MSU AgBioResearch, with a portion of funding dollars each year going toward outreach projects led by MSU Extension educators and specialists.

Elizabeth Ferry, an MSU Extension swine educator, has helped lead one of those projects by bringing together representatives from MDARD, MPPA, the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to create Michigan’s Secure Pork Supply (SPS) Taskforce.

The taskforce mapped out how an outbreak of an animal disease such as African Swine Fever (ASF) in Michigan could disrupt operations and supply chains, while identifying ways to limit that disruption through testing and other measures. It also developed guidelines and criteria that producers would need to meet to continue operating during an outbreak and prepared farms by providing the education and resources needed to create and submit enhanced biosecurity plans.

Now, 75% of pigs in Michigan are covered by an SPS on-farm biosecurity plan, strengthening the responses farmers will have to an animal disease outbreak and bolstering supply chains to ensure they can continue moving during difficult times.

While ASF has not yet been detected in the U.S., the thought of it occurring among Michigan swine is daunting for Kelpinski, but she knows her industry is well-positioned in the event of it happening with M-AAA support.

“That’s the one thing that keeps me awake at night,” Kelpinski said. “We keep talking about not if, but when a disease comes to this country and being prepared as possible. Our producers are all busy, making it hard for them to take time to step outside of the box.

“Through some of the work we’ve done with MSU and MDARD, we’ve been able to get packages together so that producers don’t have to put a lot of time into developing a plan. We have some plans that they can work from as a starting point. We really appreciate the ability to work with MSU and do that.”