Chasing Fostering Excellence | Mike Ellis

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About the Guest

Mike Ellis was born and brought up in a coal mining village in the north of England.  He obtained B.S. (in Agriculture) and Ph.D. (in Applied Swine Genetics) degrees from the Department of Agriculture at the University Newcastle-Upon-Tyne where from 1978 he held the position of Lecturer in Pig Production.  He moved to the University of Illinois in 1992 where his current position is Professor of Swine Production Management.  Dr. Ellis’ research interests span a range of areas related to applied swine production with a particular focus on managing the growth of pigs in wean-to-finish facilities, animal handling and transportation, pre-weaning mortality, and pork quality.   He has advised over 60 students for MS and/or Ph.D. degrees and has published over 180 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 300 abstracts, and in excess of 300 occasional publications and reports, and has given presentations at over 250 scientific and producer meetings worldwide.  

What can you learn from this episode of Popular Pig?

  • How Dr. Mike Ellis became involved with the Swine Industry
  • The complexities of fostering
  • Past and ongoing research to better understand fostering
  • The best practices around fostering
  • Common attributes of highly successful teams in the farrowing house
  • Dr. Mike Ellis’s “Golden Nugget