Dr. Brian Richert & Dr. Russell Fent: Phytonutrients in Sow Diets | Ep. 203

In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Brian Richert from Purdue University and Dr. Russell Fent, Swine Technical Director at Ralco Nutrition, discuss research on phytonutrient feed additives in sow diets. They explore impacts on litter performance, birth weight distribution, gut health, and sow productivity. Results from a commercial sow farm study highlight improvements in piglet viability and sow reproductive efficiency. Listen now on all major platforms! “Building knowledge around phytonutrients required years of research because limited scientific information existed initially, requiring systematic development of data before identifying effective livestock applications.” - Dr. Russell Fent Meet the guests: Dr. Brian Richert is an Associate Professor of Animal Sciences at Purdue University, specializing in swine nutrition and management. His research focuses on improving sow productivity, litter performance, and nutrient utilization in commercial swine systems through applied nutrition and production management strategies. Dr. Russell Fent https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-fent-737ba4a9/ is Swine Technical Director at Ralco Nutrition, where he leads research and technical support for nutrition technologies in swine production. His work focuses on phytonutrients, feed solutions, and practical strategies that support health, performance, and efficiency in commercial herds. Liked this one? Don’t stop now — Here’s what we think you’ll love! https://www.wisenetix.com/blog?tag=the+swine+health+blackbelt What you will learn: (00:00) Highlight (00:52) Introduction (01:55) Phytonutrient research focus (05:38) Commercial sow study (06:23) Microbiome and samples (07:18) Birth weight shift (08:12) Gut health insights (12:07) Closing thoughts The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like: - Ralco (https://www.ralcoagriculture.com/) * Boehringer Ingelheim (https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/) 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺. Website: https://swinehealthblackbelt.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swinecampus/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/80692493