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Feeding:
The largest cost factor in producing hogs is the cost of feed. The fattening section is the area of highest feed input in the unit. The dietary requirements per lb. of ration are reducing as
intake and weight increase, which means that the cost of diet is continually capable of being reduced as the animal grows. More Info. There are a number of computerised feeding systems, both wet and dry,
capable of altering ingredient mixes to suit the particular animal being fed. Some of the systems incorporate home milling and mixing facilities.
The actual management of feed presentation is important in both optimising intake and minimising feed costs. Whether feeding a dry feed and supplying a separate liquid source or supplying the feed
in wet form a few basic principles apply:
Do not tolerate wastage in the ingredient storage, mixing and delivery systems.
Continuously assess troughs and feeders for wastage. Do necessary repairs immediately.
Ensure storage bins, mixing and delivery systems are maintained properly and kept clean.
Supply the hogs' requirements when they want it not when it suits the staff.
Ensure adequate feeding and drinking space.
Supply the hogs' requirements when they want it not when it suits the staff:
In hot weather conditions why put feed into the pig environment when the animals are only interested in drinking and lying down. This feed could sit for hours before conditions cool down enough
for the hogs to eat, and by that time it is anything but fresh. Intake is thus affected and reductions of up to 25% can occur because feed is introduced at the normal daily feeding times rather than
in the coolest period of the day (normally early morning 6am).
With the modern hog genotypes we see an animal that is getting more and more muscular and as a result care should be taken in assessing space requirement at feeder and trough. The big shouldered
meaty hog has to be allowed enough room to gain easy access to the feed. Hogs should not be forced to turn sideways in order to eat out of a feeder or trough.
In the modern hog pen there is little to attract the interest of the animal. If surplus feed is supplied whether wet in a trough or dry in a feeder then this will give some hogs hours of fun
cleaning out the feeder or trough. Wet feed troughs should be totally cleaned in about 30 minutes after feeding. Feed that is left in the trough after the hogs are finished feeding will be cleaned
out by bored animals and not eaten. Ad lib dry feeders should not be maintained full at all times. They should be allowed to run empty every day, this prevents the build up of stale feed. In hot
weather conditions leave the filling of the feeders to a time when the animals will eat. Automated computerised feeding systems allow for regulation of quantity, ingredient mix, delivery time, number
of feeds etc. They are a very useful tool but need management.
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Segregation:
The segregation of hogs into the different sexes is essential to optimise performance. Whether males are castrated or entire they have a different feed requirement to the female. If entire males
are produced they will grow faster, convert better, produce more lean meat, but must be sold at lighter live weights to avoid the problem of boar taint than either females or castrates. If castrated
males are produced then at the later stages of fattening their feed intake may need to be restricted as they tend to produce higher levels of carcase fat than females or males.
If possible accommodate females and males in different houses, if not keep to opposite ends of the house.
To facilitate the different management requirements it is advisable to segregate the sexes at an early stage and run the intact pens through the system without mixing. At time of sale it is best
to sell entire pen rather than split selling to a tight weight range - Processors please take note.
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Environment:
Intake is dependent on the effective environmental temperature. For optimum performance and intake hog should be reared in their thermoneutral zone. However the external climatic
conditions will determine if this is possible without using cooling techniques. In hot climatic conditions there are some techniques that are useful in reducing the effective environmental
temperature for the animal.
Air speed or wind chill affect. More Info.
Cool cells.
Misting or spraying. More Info.
Minimise disturbance in the heat of the day
If external temperatures reduce dramatically at night and during the winter conditions these buildings must be capable of adjusting to low ventilation rates. Too often the systems are designed to
cope with the extreme heat and the cool weather ventilation requirements are forgotten.
In the fattening period the pigs live weight is trebled or quadrupled and his environmental requirements from point of entry to the accommodation to those at the final fattening period are very
different. This in conjunction with the vagaries of external weather conditions means that the ventilation system must be designed to be flexible and offer total control. The introduction of
computerised control equipment at reasonable cost levels will facilitate much better systems. The controller is only as good as the information programme installed and this should be constantly
monitored and adjusted to suit individual batch requirements. More Info.
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Mortality:
The death of an animal is regrettable but the death of a fattening hog is disastrous. The cost to produce a hog to fattening stage is expensive and to see high numbers of deaths at this stage is
paramount to throwing your profit away. Every animal that dies in the fattening house especially sudden deaths should be investigated to assess the cause. Deaths in transit to the slaughter plant
should also be investigated. Do you need to change your transit Company?
All herds should use their processors' facilities as a monitor of changes in herd health. Your veterinarian can examine large numbers of carcasses quickly and you are paid for the carcasses. If
you wait for an outbreak of disease then your veterinarian takes much longer to post mortem the hogs and you receive no payment. Know your health status and keep monitoring it. Prevention is better
than cure but in the unfortunate situation of an increase in infectious activity on your farm then the sooner you take remedial action the lower the subsequent total cost will be.
The stress gene or halothane gene has resulted in substantial mortality in modern farms. Normally it is one of the best hogs which drops dead after some slight stress. A good indicator of the
involvement of this gene in the death of an animal is that the animal will go rigid very quickly after death, a carcass will be warm but showing all the signs of rigour mortise. This gene is
identifiable and therefore can be eliminated from the breeding herd. Some Breeding Companies guarantee their breeding stock to be "halothane gene negative". Beware this is not the same as declaring
the stock to be "stress negative".
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Pen culls or drop outs:
In all farms some hogs fail to cope with the production system, either through disease, injury or other reason. Immaterial of the cause, no animal that has to be removed from a pen should ever be
introduced to younger hogs. If the animal is removed then it should be reared in a totally separate system to sale. Animals that have to be removed are a major source of infection to younger stock.
If possible these animals should be individually penned, in a fresh environment treated for their ailment and when recovered allowed to fatten on in these pens.
The early identification and removal of disadvantaged hogs from the fattening pens as they begin to fall behind is essential to prevent permanent damage. If the animal is removed and treated at an
early stage then its recovery can be very quick.
If an animal is being removed from a pen he should not be left in the passageway while the rest of the house is checked or other jobs are completed. If his condition requires removal then he
should be treated and transferred to a warm suitable environment straight away, not left to freeze in the passageway on his own.
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Selling:
Why sell a hog with a full stomach of feed? The internal organs are removed prior to weighing of the carcass and therefore the feed in the stomach becomes a major disposal problem and cost for the
processor. In removing the internal organs it is less likely that an empty stomach will be breached than a full one. I am assuming that the animal survived the stresses of loading, transit, unloading
and slaughterhouse lairage, the likelihood is that a certain proportion will not. They will succumb to a heart attack long before they reach the kill line. More Info.
Hogs should be fasted from feed for approximately 20 hours before slaughter. They are easier to move and there is less stress if their stomachs are not full. In hot weather move stock very early
in the morning or during the night when conditions are cooler. If dark, good lighting should be provided as hog will not go where they cannot see. Facilities for loading should be properly designed
for both animal and staff. Goaders or prodders should not be used, electrical torture is cruel. Loading small numbers of pigs together can alleviate a lot of the stress. Selling pen lots and keeping
them together on the trailer will reduce fighting and carcass damage. In hot conditions running the stock through a shower spray will increase their comfort. Reducing the stocking density on the
trailer is also of benefit. Hogs in transit should never be overloaded. Divisions should be used within the trailer to ensure that small numbers are penned together and in the case of emergency
braking that the 100 hogs are not thrown into a ball at the front or end of the trailer. More Info.
Stock trucks that are fully loaded should not stop for unnecessary periods until they reach their destination i.e. driver stopping for breakfast. When in motion the animals will quickly settle
down and the driver should make the journey as smooth as possible, slowing down carefully not standing on the air brakes. The feeding of a sugar and water solution on the trailer may be of benefit
especially if the journey is long. More Info.
The Transport Company should notify the farm if there is delays with unloading. Processors should have their facilities organised so that trailers are offloaded on arrival. The stock should be
given access to sugar and water drink after offloading and spraying with water helps to reduce fighting and make them more comfortable. The stock should be allowed to recover from their journey
before slaughter. The management of the hog prior to slaughter can have a major affect on the quality of the carcass meat produced.
The returns from the factory should be analysed to ensure that your production methods are giving the slaughter house the quality of carcass that they require and that you are not losing money due
to deductions or bad selling. Hog prices are never so high that a farm can afford to be penalised for poor selling practice. If the sale weight range is too limiting then look for alternate outlets
that require the heavier or lighter hogs as the case may be. More Info.
All carcasses are inspected by a veterinarian and passed suitable for human consumption or rejected and condemned. It may be possible to organise with the Processor that any changes in the status
of lungs, liver, heart etc would be notified to the farm of origin. This may result in overcoming a problem before it creates a major impact on farm performance and carcass quality. More Info.
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Assessment of performance:
Average daily gain (ADG)
Average growth per day. Example of calculation.
Food conversion efficiency (FCE)
Details on Feed Efficiency Page
Mortality %
The number of pig deaths (A) expressed as a percentage of purchases (B).
(A X 100)/ B = % Mortality
Cost per lb. gain.
Total cost to produce the pig divided by the total sales weight (less purchase weight if bought in).
Production lbs per sq. ft.
Total sales weight divided by the total square footage of the hog buildings on the farm.
Days to sale
Estimate of the average number of days that the animal is on the farm or in a particular building. Example of calculation.
Killing Out % (KO%)
The total dead weight (C) expressed as a percentage of the total live weight (D) supplied. If paid on a dead weight basis it is important to monitor the K.O.% on ever load.
(C X 100) / D
View Potential or Target Growth Curve.
Example of a Commercial Farm Growth Curve.
Elanco Swine Profit Calculator
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Useful links:
Research Articles on Management:
Management Index
Research Articles on Behaviour:
Behaviour Index
Research Articles on Nutrition:
Nutrition Index
Research Articles on Disease:
Disease Index
Research Articles on Health:
Health Index
Research Articles on Marketing:
Marketing Index
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General Research Articles:
Feeding for Profit in the Finisher Barn
University of Manitoba
Starting Feeder Pigs
Iowa State University
Grower Nutritional Recommendations
Kansas State University PDF
Feeding Growers to Maximise Lean Growth
University of Kentucky PDF
Agriculture's Role in Managing Antimicrobial Resistance
Ontario Agriculture
Nutrition of the Feeder Hog
University of Nebraska
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