Selecting Swine

3121

Adam Nash

The Incredible Pig

Did you know?Fat from the pig was used to make nitroglycerine for War explosives

After war, consumers were diet conscience and quit eating pig

See the difference? Selection has changed

over timeIn the past, short fat lard types.

Now: an extremely thick-muscled, long bodied, stress prone type

Why? 

http://www.boarsemen.com/boarpen/ppigs.htm

Selection of breeding animals: Overview

Look for an animal who is: Structurally sound, Healthy, Big volume, Thick muscled and Efficient

Be able to explain in your words. 

I. Visual appraisal II. Production testing III. Pedigree evaluation

 

Selection based on:

I. Visual Appraisal

1. Look at confirmation2. Structural soundness of feet and

legs- NPPC scoring system3. Size and scale- weigh 200 at

6months,4. Health and vigor

I. Visual Appraisal NPPC scoring system

1. Unsound- Obvious restriction of movement

2. Intermediate- Structural condition is not serious enough to create risk in movement

3. Sound- free of major or minor structural weakness

II. Swine Performance data

Based on:• Sow productivity, • growth rate, • feed efficiency and • carcass merit

Heriability: % rate that a trait/characteristic will be

passed on to offspring

Low heritability means it is unlikely that trait will be passed on

High Heritability means that trait is easily passed on to each generation

Why do we care?

Heritability  Fertility # weaned Wt. At weaning Rate of gain Efficiency of gain Fat over loin Loin-eye area % of lean cuts

0-15% 10-15% 15-20% 25-30% 30-35% 45-50% 45-50% 30-40%

A sow is productive if?

Prolific- min 8/9 offspring2.5 to 4 lb birth wt.21 day litter wt= milking abilitySow index- how good she is

compared to her peers 

Lets do the math

L= # piglets born alivel= avg. # piglets born alive for comparable groupW= 21 day weight for individualw= 21 day weight for comparable group

Sow index:= 100+6.5(L-l)+1.0(W-w)

Lets do the mathSow index:= 100+6.5(L-l)+1.0(W-w)

Betsy had 9 piglets Her comparable groups had an avg. of 7

Betsy’s piglets avg. 105 lbs. Her comparable group avg.

110 lbs. What do we know?

Performance data: Sow index 

Index can be used for a number of traits You just have to find out the

coefficient

B. Growth weight

Number of days required to reach a specific weight

Usually 230 pounds

C. Feed efficiency

Amount of weight gained per amount of food eaten

More math:

Pig is fed 6 pounds of food per day.Pig is gaining 2 pounds per day.What is this pigs feed conversion?

Takes 3 pounds of feed to gain 1 pound3:1

Try this

Pig needs to weigh 245 in 2 weeksToday he weighs 200 poundsHe currently gets 6 lbs of food a dayHis feed conversion is 2:1How much does he gain a day?Will he make weight?

 Math Problem Gain: 3 pounds a day

In 14 days he will weigh 242What to do?

d. Carcass merit

• What are the types of Hogs?Primary Lean Cuts = hams, loins, picnics, Boston ButtsMeat Type Hog: more than half the weight of a Number 1 animal is Primary Lean Cuts(PLC)

• Bacon Type Hog: less than 1/2 is PLC–      large litter size–      little value in U.S. except to increase litter size

d. Carcass merit

USDA grades 1,2,3,4, UtilityBased on yield of lean cuts:

Backfat over last ribMuscling

1 is good and Utility is undesirable

What it comes down to: Hog Selection Feed Conversion Rate: pounds of feed needed to

make a pound of hog – no more than 4 lbs of feed per 1 lb of hog Minimum Litter Size = 9 First Litter should have a combined pig wt at 21 days

of 95 lbs or more –      110 lbs for a mature sow