Better pork August 2016 29 according to the inventor. Price for the magnetic door kit and timer in Denmark this summer is the equiva- lent of C $305. A conservative estimate suggested by Niels Veng puts death rate of otherwise fit litter members through not getting enough colostrum at one to two per cent. “On top of this, the Split Suckling Unit helps avoid the scrummage of youngsters around the sow in the first day, a tussle which often results in at least a few piglets being crushed.” Swine production: european performance Pork production earnings in the EU still fail to break even and cover costs this summer. The good news is that feed prices have also been decreas- ing, with feed wheat down to the equivalent of C $168 per tonne and imported soybeans fetching some- times less than $440/t. The latest complete figures for physical perfor- mance cover only 2014, although partial 2015 results paint a similar picture. For 2014, InterPIG, the EU swine statistics service, reports an average 26.53 piglets weaned per sow (11.52 per litter). Piglet mortality to weaning (a mean 27 days) aver- ages 12.9 per cent. Growers up to 30 kg liveweight return a mean daily gain of 419 g. The averages for feed- ing barn performance through to slaughter include a daily liveweight gain of 793 g and feed conversion ratio of 2.85. Slaughter hogs per sow presents the widest range in physi- cal results from country to country. In rounded-off figures, leaders here are Denmark and the Netherlands, both with 28 per year. Next come Belgium and Germany (26), then Ireland and Spain (25 and 24). According to InterPIG, the high- est costs of pork production are in Italy at the equivalent of $2.88 per kg deadweight. The main reason for this is the higher slaughter weights. In Italy, hogs for specialty ham and sausage production are fed until they tip the scales at 160 kg and over. Swedish hog farmers face the next-highest costs of $2.73/kg dead- weight, mainly through higher wel- fare requirements than most of the EU (e.g. more barn space per hog) and dearer hired labour. The EU average cost of production in 2014 was $2.45 per kg of meat produced. FEATURE As an authorized PIC Gene Transfer Affiliate, Kaslo Bay continues to align and invest in the resources needed to optimize your breeding program success. Regardless of herd size, marketing goals, or breeding program objectives, Kaslo Bay has the semen products to provide you with a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. Kaslo Bay is dedicated to investing resources to lower your cost of production and increasing your profitability with: •Exclusive PIC Genetic offering – Delivering only world-class PIC genetics •Aggressive sire-line index management – Creating more value per pig •Professional staffing and management – Proficient, dedicated processing, delivery and service •Rigorous quality control and cutting-edge technologies – 3rd party certified with consistent reliable performance •Proactive health management – Stringent protocols and management 10 YEARS NEVER STOP IMPROVING ©PIC 2016 All Rights Reserved. ®PIC is a registered trademark. 35682 Scotch Line Port Stanley, Ontario N5L 1J2 www.kaslobay.ca @KaslobayAb 1-866-285-9405 INVESTING IN YOUR SUCCESS eU hog farming costs Inputs C$ per kg deadweight Feed 1.59 Fixed costs C$ per kg deadweight Labour 0.23 Building, finance and misc. 0.56 Based on InterPIG average figures for Europe in 2014.