SHOW / EPISODE

Dr. William Flowers: Free-Choice Gestation Housing and Sow Performance | Ep. 184

Season 2 | Episode 184

30m | Sep 24, 2026

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. William Flowers from North Carolina State University explains sow reproductive performance and behaviors in free-choice gestation barns. He discusses social hierarchy, stress responses, feeding behavior, and the influence of housing design on fertility outcomes. Understand how sow interactions can affect production results and management decisions. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Overall, sows, even the dominant sows, choose to spend about 70% of their time in the stall portion.”

Meet the guest: Dr. William Flowers is the William Neal Reynolds and Alumni Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at North Carolina State University. His teaching covers swine production and reproductive management, while his research focuses on improving fertility in swine. Dr. Flowers holds a B.S. in Animal Science from Virginia Tech and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri. Listen to The Swine it Podcast Show Canada with Dr. William Flowers on all major platforms.

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