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16
Better Pork
December 2016
“productive lifetime” has become an
important breeding value.
University of Vienna scientists
have helped point genetic
development in this direction.
They’ve discovered that heritability
for longer production life is about the
same as that for the factor “born alive
piglets per farrowing.” It can therefore
be easily applied in breeding programs.
Naturally, the genes sought are primar-
ily those for robust health, above aver-
age fertility and sound legs and feet.
Before going any further, though,
we cannot forget that a reasonable
flow of replacement gilts must be
maintained so that genetic improve-
ments can be steadily introduced into
commercial herds. German advisers
reckon that genetic improvement
within a standard hybrid breeding
program for slaughter hogs brings an
average increase of 0.3 weaned per
litter in each new generation. When
everything is taken into account
including gilt-rearing costs, slaughter
price for the sow and returns for total
produced hogs, then sows can earn
their keep right through to at least
litter 10.
Where improvement potential is
even higher, such as with the herd
spotlighted in our table, an argument
exists for replacing sows a little ear-
lier. But even in elite breeding pro-
grams where performance improve-
ment is as high as 0.6 extra weaners
per litter in each new generation,
sows can still be profitable right up to
litter eight.
Swine production advisers know
there’s an awful lot of management
involved, too, in improving sow
longevity and productive lifetime.
The North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW)
Chamber of Agriculture, which sup-
ports hog farmers in one of Europe’s
most densely stocked production
areas (with 60 per cent of the
republic’s 26,000 hog farms), recently
named failures by stockpersons in
spotting sows in heat and getting
them successfully served as a major
management reason for the early de-
parture of sows from the herd. Other
factors are farrowing and nursing
problems, which cause around 20
per cent of culling in NRW breeding
herds. A proportion of lameness can
also be attributed to management,
and this means an early departure for
another 20 per cent of sows on aver-
age, according to the NRW Chamber
of Agriculture.
Stefan Proebsting is a swine hus-
bandry adviser with this chamber.
In a recent advisory article, he gave
this tip: the manager should care-
fully note all reasons that sows go to
www.hypor.com NEW!OPTIMIZING
SOW
OUTPUT
Sows with 10 litters – still productive and profitable
(Starting year 2008; the records are ongoing)
Litter
Total litters
Proportion of sow herd (per cent)
Averaged weaned/litter
1
416
100
12.9
2
381
92
13.1
3
328
79
13.4
4
279
67
13.6
5
236
57
13.6
6
187
45
13.1
7
153
37
13.2
8
107
26
12.9
9
62
15
12.1
>10
52
13
12.3
An example from one of the German state’s top 25 swine-production units.
Source: Schleswig-Holstein swine group.