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A herd can achieve excellent farrowing and mortality rates yet still be under-performing financially if the farm is not selling the required total kg of pigmeat annually, points out Paul Thompson, veterinary adviser to pig-breeding company ACMC.
One cause can be if insufficient sows and gilts are served each week. Even if farrowing rates are high, there will still be a shortfall in pigs weaned. Since fixed costs remain unchanged, profits drop or losses grow.
Maintaining herd size and ensuring gilts are available to replace older parity sows is vital to overall financial performance.
At the other end of the production chain, selling pigs at sub-optimal weights also reduces overall farm output.
May 2, 2013 - ACMC
