James F. Schneider, PhD

The Genius of Genetics

DR. JIM SCHNEIDER joined Babcock Swine in 1979. He came to Babcock with a life long background in swine production and research.

JIM WAS RAISED on a diversified crop/animal family farm in northwest Iowa. Swine production was always a strong part of the Schneider family operation. Following graduation from Le Mars High School, Jim attended Iowa State University, where he majored in Farm Operations. While in college, Jim served as president of the Alpha Gamma Rho agriculture social fraternity, as well as an officer of the Farm Operations Club, the Alpha Zeta agriculture honor society and the Ag Student Council, and earned many other scholastic honors.

FOLLOWING graduation, Jim returned to the family farm as swine unit manager of Willow Valley Farms for three years. There he was active in his church, Pork Producers, Farm Bureau and the County Fair Board.

RETURNING to Iowa State University, Jim completed his Masters and Ph.D. in Animal Breeding, working with the late Dr. Lauren Christian. His thesis work entitled "Heterosis, combining abilities and maternal abilities estimated from single crosses among four breed of swine" and his dissertation entitled "Individual and Maternal Heterosis Estimated from Single Crosses and Backcrosses of Swine" have received worldwide attention. In addition to doing swine breeding research while a graduate student, he also assisted in teaching Swine Production laboratories and served as an academic advisor to students in Farm Operations.

AFTER EARNING his Ph.D., Dr. Schneider joined his alma mater as an assistant professor in Animal Science. Dr. Schneider taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in Animal Breeding. While at Iowa State, Dr. Schneider authored or co-authored seven scientific articles and abstracts in the area of swine breeding, an extension publication, article in National Hog Farmer and a textbook "Applied Animal Breeding Laboratory Manual".

IN 1979, Dr. Schneider accepted the position of Director of Swine Research at Babcock. During his career with Babcock, he has authored or co-authored three computer programs dealing with sow management, swine enterprise accounting and on-farm gilt performance testing. He also co-authored an extension publication dealing with replacement gilt selection, a confinement swine managers training manual and a booklet dealing with PSS and PSE.

BABCOCK has made great strides in the area of genetics under Dr. Schneider's direction. Babcock was the first breeding company to do whole herd real-time ultrasound testing in the nucleus herd, first to use BLUP animal selection, first to eliminate the halothane gene using the HAL-1843 DNA test, first to utilize a rotaterminal breeding program based on performance indexed gilt selection (P.I.G.S.), first to offer a completely closed breeding system using the P.I.G.S. program with AI, and the first to sell only RN-negative boars.

DR. SCHNEIDER has continued involvement in the swine industry with membership in the Pork Producers, the American Society of Animal Science and the National Swine Improvement Federation. He has served on numerous committees in these organizations as well as committees with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He has served several terms (ten years) as a board member of the National Swine Improvement Federation.

TODAY, Dr. Schneider is the senior geneticist for Babcock, and general manager of the Babcock Research Center, located near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Babcock's nucleus herd has been closed since 1969, and genetic improvement continues every year under his direction.