Friday, December 11, 2015
Kirk Swanson has raised hogs since age 7. After nearly 50 years in the business, he is now known for his super-star sow power and for raising an industry-changing sire, Hillbilly Bone.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Each year decisions must be made on which sows to keep in the herd. Breeders may feel a tug at their heart strings at the very thought of culling a sound, easy-keeping, docile sow, but when elite genetics, efficiency and consistency are the name of the game, tough decisions have to be made.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Business Management Practices Selling Tips
It’s sale time and anxious buyers are scanning the web looking for the right pig at the right age. As a breeder you’ve made the decision to video a few of each litter, and put them in an online sale. With a camera in hand you head to the barn, anxious to get some video and send it to your website sale manager.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Breeding Stock Health & Nutrition
Worming your show pig should be common sense. But when a study shows 70% of pig livers from slaughter houses in the U.S. are being discarded due to worms it’s time for the swine industry to take better care of their beloved projects.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
The invoices, the registration papers, the delivery schedule, and you can’t forget the pigs. The only way to stay sane is to get organized. When pigs fly, you say? Remember, the goal of organizing is to make your business functional. Being organized doesn’t have to be difficult, just keep it simple.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Your sale is complete, pigs have been delivered, and now you can relax for a few days, close the book on this sale and focus on your next set. Well…not exactly. Continuing a relationship with your buyers beyond the sale gives you the opportunity to develop strong relationships that can create customers coming back year after year.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Business Management Practices Selling Tips
If you aren’t talking on your phone, it is ringing. All while it continually dings and bings from text messages and emails. This can only mean one thing - it is sale season. Seasoned breeder, Rory Duelm, owner of Duelms Prevailing Genetics, has managing communication in the bag. Here are a few of his tips.
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Photographing picture-perfect pigs is about as easy as trying to say photographing picture-perfect pigs ten times fast; not very. Wrangling baby pigs to photograph is often the hardest part of the business. Here are some of the secrets from the experts in the business to help you get the perfect shot.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Business Management Practices Selling Tips
Sale day can be a stressful and intense time as a seller. This stress can be compounded if you feel like every other seller is holding their sale the same day as your sale. Rather than fretting, choose to stand out from the sea of sellers with these tips.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
By, Jackie Lackey, Encore Visions CEO and Creative Director
1.) Start Early
Just because Facebook offers immediate and timely communication to your audience doesn’t mean you should take time for granted. Planning your social marketing campaign is a must to achieve effective results. Multiple posts or paid campaigns, spread out over a 1-2 week period is ideal per sale. Use a calendar to jot down when those posts need to take place and what the focus of each post will be.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Listed in no particular order are some ways to increase photo quality when using your smartphone to picture pigs:
Thursday, August 27, 2015
We think it is important for you to have the information and tools that will help make your online sale a success. To help ensure that you have a master list of everything you need to do for your online sale in one place, we have created this handy, printable online sale checklist.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Fall litters are starting to hit the ground and you have decided to sell your pigs online. Booking your sale early will ensure that you maximize your marketing efforts (see more about this here) but picking the right date is just as important. Here are three factors to keep in mind when picking a sale date.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Business Management Practices Selling Tips
State Fairs are underway, farrowing is in full swing – you’re busy, no doubt. But one thing you don’t want to push to the back burner is booking your fall pig sale dates. Rather than waiting until you know when others are selling or waiting until you think they are ‘ready’ to sell, we recommend booking early and allowing those dates to drive your marketing efforts.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Business General Care Show Pig Health and Nutrition
While online sales offer endless options from breeders all over the nation, hauling baby pigs to their final destination can be a challenge. Transporting your pig can be one of the most stressful steps of the online buying process – not just for you, but more so for your pig. Long-time hauler Trent Lahr out of Indiana shared his top five tips for hauling baby pigs to reduce stress and ensure they unload to a great start.