Pork Insight Articles

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Author(s): M. Tokach, B. Goodband, J. DeRouchey, S. Dritz, and J. Nelssen
Publication Date: April 3, 2007
Reference: London Swine Conference, 2007
Country: Canada

Summary:

Variation in market weights can lead to decreased profit, and should be managed if possible. The amount of allowable variation in market weights depends on what range the packer is willing to accept. Seasonal variation results in lower market weights in late winter and spring, but the market prices tend to be higher at this time as well. Variation is hard to reduce in system after the system has been established, so steps to manage should be taken instead. One of the ways to manage variation is to sort the pigs at market. Visual sorting and sorting by days after placement are not very effective, so to accurately sort pigs they should be weighed. This can be time consuming, but auto-sort barns can help reduce the time and labour needed. Increasing the growth rate of the entire group does not reduce variation, but does increase the growth of the slowest growing pigs. Increasing the growth rate can be done through various methods including genetics, dietary formulation, and weaning management. Finally, increasing the packer sort window can manage variation, as a narrow window is costly to producers. Redesigning the production system to reduce variation can utilize some of the tools available. Segregated parity flow, high-health status, split-sex housing, increased and constant weaning age, opportunity barns to separately raise small pigs, increasing the weight gain of the smallest pigs, using sires with similar indexes, feeding multiple diets to a group, providing adequate water, and using Paylean are all technologies that can be used in designing a system to reduce variation. Large litter sizes have also resulted in decreased and variable birth weights. Birth weights can be increased through genetics or by specific dietary nutrients to the sow’s feed.

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