Analysis of commercial piggery farms: focusing on sow productivity.

Professorial Chair Lecture

San Miguel Corporation Professorial Chair Lecture

Date

7-2010

Abstract

The interest of the commercial piggery farm operation is to increase profit at all cost. Improving pig performance does not always result to financial gain. This review includes annual trend of all the data gathered (production and reproduction) from the commercial piggery farms, then analysis was narrowed down to sow's productivity performance.. The basis of this review is taken from the voluminous data of PCARRD and PSSIRDFI from 1992 to 2007. The data were used to analyze (1) the pig annual performance trend of growth, farm efficiency and sow productivity; (2) comparison of the sow productivity performance of small, medium and large farm sizes with seasonal variation; and (3) the comparison of farms practicing early, moderate and late weaning with limits of only three farms practicing early weaning (21-24d) but several farms practicing moderate (25-27d) and late weaning (28-31d). 1. Annual Performance Trend (1992-2007) Selection of superior individual based on records as future parents can lead to herd improvement. The project monitoring being implemented by the government and the swine foundation needs validation if improvement was accomplished in 16- years. Data analysis was conducted to provide information whether indeed there was an annual increase or decrease in the swine reproduction and production performance. The data from 1992 to 2007 were statistically analyzed for regression using Statistical Analysis System. The increase and decrease in slope represent annual variation. Surprisingly, the gestation period increase by 0.09d and can be explained by increase in birth weight of 6.9 grams/yr. The litter size at weaning increased by 0.01, while pigs born alive and percent mortality improved significantly by 0.10 and -0.08%, respectively. However, pigs' weaned/sow/year and pigs produced/sow/ year failed to show significant improvement. The birth weight, 30-day weight, weaning weight and average daily gain, improved significantly by 6.9, 91, 104 and 4.0 grams/yr, respectively. Clearly the data revealed that swine breeding farms for the past 16 years are selecting animals based on ADG and Feed Efficiency related parameters. The average unit price of feed cost, feed cost per kilogram of live animal sold (FCKLAS) and the average unit price of regular slaughter hogs sold (AUPRSHS), increased significantly by 0.62, 1.88 and 2.20 pesos/yr, respectively. The farm efficiency significantly improved having - 25 gram of feed/kg of animal sold/year. The difference between AUPRSHS and FCKLAS somehow shows that there is 40 cents/kg annual increase in the profit over feed cost of commercial piggery farms. Significant increase in the farm gate price of live weight of hogs by 6.50 (BAI) and 7.20 (BAS) pesos was observed for every peso increase in farm gate price of com. 2. Seasonal Variation in Sow Productivity As Experienced by Commercial Piggery Farms Twenty-four swine commercial farms participating regularly in the swine performance monitoring project were utilized to compare the reproductive performance of small (n = 5; x = 133) medium (n = 4; x = 331) and large ( n = 15 ; x = 1295 ) farms. The effects of farm sizes, quarternested within quarter and farm sizes by quarter interactions was analyzed using GLM. The parameters includes total pigs born, litter size born alive, average birth weight, litter size at weaning, percent born alive, farrowing rate, farrowing index, pigs weaned/sow/ year, percent mummified fetuses, percent stillbirths, weaning age, incidence of abortion, percent weaning mortality, nonproductive days, weaning to conception interval, and farrowing interval. The small farms obtained significantly higher total pigs born, but were offset by significantly higher percent mummified and stillbirth. The reproductive indices such as weaning to conception interval, farrowing index, farrowing interval and nonproductive days of large were significantly better than the small and medium size farms. The farrowing rate and farrowing index, nonproductive day and farrowing interval were worst in the months of August and September. The percent mummified fetuses, stillbirths, weaning mortality, farrowing interval, incidence of abortion and nonproductive days were significantly higher, while the litter size born alive, litter size at weaning, percent born alive, farrowing rate and pigs weaned/sow/year were significantly lower on the third quarter, hence the third sow productivity syndrome. This syndrome may be attributed to photoperiodic sensitivity; feed contaminated by afflatoxin, and environmental stress affecting feed intake and the reproductive functions. 3. Early vs Late Weaning Ages Improving sow productive efficiency may be accomplished by early weaning in swine to avoid excessive loss in body condition of sows. Twenty five swine commercial farms participating in the three year monitoring project were selected and grouped as early (n = 3; 23d) moderate (n = 12; 27d) and late weaning (n=9; 29d) to determine if early weaning improves sow productive efficiency and weight of pigs sold/sow/year. GLM was utilized to compare the various weaning ages of the reproduction; production; mortality; and prices of total feeds and kg animals sold. The results show that the percent suckling, weanling mortality, breeder and sacrificed pigs were lower in early than moderate and late weaning. The unit price of total feed cost was comparable between early and late weaning, but moderate was the least expensive. Compared to moderate and late, early weaning improved total pigs born, litter size born alive, litter size at weaning, farrowing rate, weaning to conception interval, farrowing index, pigs weaned/sow/year and pigs produced/sow/year. The pigs produced/sow/year of early, moderate and late weaning were 17.69, 15.73 and 16.23, respectively. The weaning weight, 180-day weight and ADG were higher for late compared to early weaning. Although early weaning improved pigs produced/sow/year by 1.46, this was offset by 0.05 kg lower ADG, resulting to only 30kg weight of pigs produced/sow/year advantage. Briefly, sow's performance can be improved by focusing on sustaining the good body condition score of the sow throughout their reproductive cyde, i.e. estrus, gestation, farrowing and weaning. This is accomplished by early weaning (21d) and or by providing creep or booster feed to nursing piglets such that their tendency is to prefer solid food instead of sow's milk as early as seven days old. Furthermore, providing nourishment to the sow at gestating, lactating and dry period should be highly considered for the sow's productivity.

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

College

College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS)

Language

English

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