Swine Production

Operation Types 

    Farrow-to-Finish Breeding
        Farrowing, Nursery, Finisher
        Efficiency points
            Reproduction (NBA, time to rebreed, LOW NIP)
            Mortality (<10% - pre-wean, 3-5% nurs/finisher)
            Disease prevention (particulary reproductive diseases)
                PRRS – Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome
                    Costs ~$560 million/year in losses
                    AKA Persistent Reduction in Revenue & Spirit
                Leptospirosis
                Transmissible Gastro-Enteritis (TGE)
        Daily gain, Feed efficiency

    Feeder pig/weaner production
        Feeder pig = 30-70 lbs
        Weaner pig = just weaned 18-28 days of age
        Breeding and nursery (if a feeder producer)
        Efficiency points
            Reproduction
            Disease prevention
            “turns”
                Sometime “cowboy” sows
            20 farrowing crates and assumed 80% farrowing rate
                20/.8 = 25 sows bred, BUT if F.R. turns out to be 85
                25 * .81 = 21 sows to farrow in 20 crates

    Feeder pig or wean-to-finish
        Only Finishing Phase
        Pigs transported to facility and transported out
        Efficiency points
            Gains (on a time-line)
            Pig movements are scheduled
            Moratality and Morbidity
            Feed conversion

Production Phases

    Gestation (80% of the herd)
        Gestation length 114 days
        Pen versus crates
            Smithfield Foods will be crate free by 2010*
            Number 1 pig company in the world
        ~4 lbs/d intake (limited)
        5 to 7 days before due date, move to farrowing

    Farrowing
        Sow Management
            Wash sow
            8.8 pigs/litter national average
           Reduce farrowing trouble
                MMA (mastitis, metritis, agalactia)
            Feed intake management
                Want to maximize without a crash
        Piglet management
            Wean (age varies)
                Optimize immunity
                Enzymatic change
                    Milk Products
                    Palatability
                    SDPP, whey (lactose), fat, limit SBM
            Temperature (until 2wks old)
                TNZ = ~90° for piglets ~70° for sow
            Colostrum intake
            “Process”
                Needle teeth (8 total)
                Ear notch (where applicable)
                Castrate (look for hernia
                Iron injection (have ~ 48 mg of Fe total in pig, requires ~ 6 mg/d)

    Finishing operations
        Goal : Feed for MEAT PRODUCTION
        Amino acid concentration of diet is KEY
            Follow “Ideal Protein”
            Ratio of amino acids to lysine to maximize lean accretion
            Lysine, threonine, tryptophan, methionine
            Requirements depend upon lean gain/day

IL hog operation changes