Litter size up
Litter size up
AT last we hope our litter size really is improving; we achieved 11.15 born alive a litter in the three months to February compared with the March figure of 11.5.
Not only are the new gilts still producing more than 11.5 born alive, but the sows have picked up as well. That may not only be due to the sows now being in a significantly leaner condition, but also the use of the Pig Improvement Company flat-pack AI system.
These figures, when taken in conjunction with a farrowing index of 2.4, means we are contemplating reducing the number of productive sows to ease the problem of finding space for loose housing the dry sows after the stall conversion. We may also be able to increase weaning age and weights as a result.
Growth performance of the rearing and finishing herds has dropped in the past three months to 485g a day and 739g a day, respectively, with a marked increase in coughing, particularly in the flat-deck and Straw-Flow housing. We attribute that to the return of Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia.
We have decided to use Pulmotil in the creep and first stage flat-deck rations to see if this will give a lasting benefit in the coming months. The housing situation is not helped this Easter both by the abattoir reducing contract numbers by 20% for two weeks, and slaughter pigs from the stall sows not being taken till Wednesday.
Easton Lodge pig results
SIGNET SIGNET
Current Year Previous Year Top Third Average
Period ended Yr ended Period ended Yr ended Compound Compound
28.02.98 28.02.98 28.02.98 28.02.97 28.02.97 28.02.97 Yrended Yr ended
(3 months) (6 months) (3 months) (6 months) 31.12.97 31.12.97
BREEDING HERD
Herd Structure
Av no. sows and gilts 393 397 389 389 394 396 301 226
Av no. unserved gilts 33 36 30 29 32 32 20 16
Av no. productive sows 360 361 359 360 362 364 281 210
Sow performance factors
% breeding sow replacements 12.2 18.1 41.6 4.6 19.8 42.4 42.7 42.1
% Breeding sow deaths 1.0 2.8 6.2 1.8 2.8 4.8 3.8 4.9
Recorded Services: Farrowings (% – 81.9* 84.6* – 84.1* 81.5* 86.0 84.7
Non-productive days 6 17* 19* 16 30* 30* 22 34
Av no. litters/sow & gilt a year 2.49 2.40* 2.40* 2.41 2.31* 2.31* 2.38 2.30
Av no. pigs reared/sow & gilt a year 24.2 23.0* 22.7* 22.6 21.7* 21.5* 24.2 22.7
Qty sow & boar feed/sow & gilt a year (£) 1.139 1.045 1.065 1.097 1.117 1.116 1.263 1.238
Cost/t sow and boar feed (£) 118.92 119.39 127.59 155.75 154.46 158.29 135.19 138.88
Litter performance factors
Av no. pigs born a litter: ALIVE 11.13 10.90 10.83 10.64 10.59 10.58 11.41 11.13
DEAD 0.92 0.89 0.83 0.82 0.79 0.82 0.86 0.86
MUMM 0.21 0.20 0.21 0.25 0.23 0.25 0.16 0.14
TOTAL 12.25 11.98 11.87 11.71 11.61 11.65 12.43 12.13
Av pigs reared a litter 9.71 9.57 9.46 9.36 9.40 9.32 10.18 9.86
Pig performance factors
% mortality pigs born alive 12.7 12.2 12.7 12.0 11.2 11.9 10.8 11.4
Total feed cost/pig reared (£) 6.21 6.13 6.64 8.30 8.52 8.96 7.68 8.34
Av weight pigs weaned (kg) 6.0 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.9 6.5 6.5
Av weaning age (days) 23 24 23 24 24 24 23 23
REARING HERD
No of pigs in herd 1509 1469 1474 1500 1518 1482 3085 1680
Av weight pigs leaving herd (kg) 40.4 41.8 41.6 44.4 43.2 44.6 41.3 42.1
Av daily liveweight gain (g) 485 515 506 549 534 539 518 493
No. of days in herd 70 69 70 68 68 70 67 72
Mortality (%) 2.5 2.1 1.9 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.7 2.4
Av feed/pig a day (kg) 0.81 0.79 0.86 0.95 0.91 0.93 0.89 0.89
Feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg lwg 1.66 1.54 1.69 1.73 1.70 1.72 1.73 1.80
Feed cost/kg lwg (p) 38.47 34.04 37.68 40.81 39.91 40.95 35.68 38.24
Overall cost/t feed (£) 231.74 221.26 222.38 236.09 234.10 237.79 206.55 212.56
FEEDING HERD
Av No.pigs in herd 1518 1492 1536 1603 1573 1317 749 764
No. pigs sold 1839 3841 7550 2078 3915 7093
Av weight pigs leaving herd (kg) 99.1 98.9 96.2 96.0 97.9 89.6 89.9 91.7
Av daily liveweight gain (g) 739 801 707 683 764 700 775 725
No. days in herd 79 71 77 75 71 64 77 76
Mortality (%) 2.2 2.0 3.3 2.2 1.7 1.7 2.0 2.2
Av feed/pig a day (kg 2.25 2.19 1.97 1.95 2.02 1.92 2.02 2.05
Feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg lwg) 3.04 2.73 2.78 2.85 2.65 2.74 2.60 2.82
Feed cost/kg lwg (p) 42.73 38.58 41.62 47.76 44.12 46.52 39.17 43.67
Overall cost/t of feed (£) 140.52 141.18 149.83 167.67 166.64 169.86 150.40 154.65
Av carcass weight (kg) 75.3 75.2 73.1 72.9 74.4 68.3 69.6 69.6
Av sale value (£) (live & dead sales) 69.27 73.95 79.80 78.87 88.87 87.29 73.48 76.62
Av price/kg deadweight (p) 91.5 98.36 109.15 108.13 119.39 127.84 107.57 108.32
REARING & FEEDING HERDS COMBINED Top 33.3% Top 10%
Av weight pigs entering herd (kg) 6.0 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.9 8.3 7.0
Av weight pigs leaving herd (kg) 99.1 98.9 96.2 96.0 97.9 89.6 91.0 91.3
Av daily liveweight gain (g) 612 659 609 619 651 615 606 596
No.of days in herd 150 140 147 143 140 134 136 141
Mortality (%) 4.7 4.1 5.1 3.6 2.9 2.9 4.6 5.5
Av feed/pig a day (kg) 1.53 1.50 1.42 1.46 1.48 1.39 1.41 1.33
Feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg lwg) 2.50 2.27 2.34 2.37 2.27 2.27 2.34 2.23
Feed cost/kg lwg (p) 41.05 36.82 40.02 44.78 42.43 43.93 40.08 38.93
Overall cost/t feed (£) 164.49 162.23 171.24 189.11 187.06 193.81 171.63 174.73