Dr. DeDecker received her Ph.D. in swine well-being at the University of Illinois in 2011 and then started her career with Smithfield Foods.

Currently Senior Director of Research and Extension for Smithfield Hog Production, Dr. DeDecker oversees applied research in all disciplines of swine production with the goal to identify cost effective solutions that can be implemented at the farm level using Extension services and outreach.

• Why split suckling is complex, time-sensitive to colostrum (~12 hours), and hard to execute consistently.
• What the evidence actually shows: across 12 studies (1985–2023) most found no difference in survival/gain; Smithfield ran 3 more trials with no benefit—and one protocol doubled mortality in the biggest pigs.
• Why today’s sows change the equation (higher total born and heavier birth weights, more functional teats) making old assumptions less relevant.
• Where to focus Day-1 labor: primary care for all (feed, water, environment) first, then individual/secondary care (drying, assisting, oxytocin) only as needed.
• Ashley’s “golden nugget.”