Sow card: Accurate record keeping is essential to improve production performance
We are sharing an example of a sow card used to record basic breeding sow data, which is essential on all farms regardless of their size.
articles about performance in Articles
Why are the first days post-weaning so important?
A good start in post-weaning feed intake and including creep feed and palatable diets is crucial to optimize piglet health and performance.
Lactation feeding management greatly determines the success of the following cycle (I). Factors related to water consumption and the prefarrowing period
This article demonstrates the effects of drinking water temperature and feeding management in sows to optimize performance in farrowing and lactation.
Reducing ambient temperatures in finishing reduces gas emissions
How do ambient temperatures below thermoneutrality affect pig performance and environmental efficiency?
The current situation and trends of the swine industry in China
The trends of the swine industry in China should be explained in two parts: pork consumption and pig production.
Interest in incorporating insect meal in piglet feed
All livestock sectors are seeking to reduce imports of raw protein materials. Insect meals belong to the category of concentrated protein sources, but their nutritional characteristics are poorly documented and attempts to incorporate them into swine feed have been the subject of few publications.
Effect of postweaning feed intake on performance, intestinal morphology, and the probability of diarrhea in piglets
From their respective academic and on-farm perspectives, Josep Gasa and Josep Casanovas comment on a recent study about the effect of postweaning feed intake.
Non-productive days or inefficient days?
We propose a more direct indicator to look at and analyze reproductive problems on the farm.
Multi-site Pig Production: evaluating its impact after 25 years of implementation
The evolution of multi-site pig production over the last 25 years has not held true to its original intent.
Subpopulations (I of III): How to find the profitability gap
Where would you begin to develop new and valuable information about your farm’s profitability (or lack thereof) that you are not monitoring now? Certainly, one of the most important ones is to visualize your data in a new way.
Heat stress affects the sows' reproductive cycle
From their respective academic and on-farm perspectives, Josep Gasa and Josep Casanovas comment on a recent study regarding the effect of heat stress on sows: Which weeks does it affect the farrowing rate the most? What about the weaning-to-first-service interval? Are there differences depending on parity?
Are gilts valued enough? Gilt development is key to success
To have good gilt performance, producers and vets must value those gilts and invest accordingly. Dr. Clayton Johnson from Carthage Veterinary Services shares some tips about gilt productive development.
I didn’t change anything. Why did my productivity go down?
When productivity decreases, but productive efficiency is maintained...
Monitoring the growth period (II)
In order to follow the evolution of the pigs at weaning and fattening, having a growth curve is very practical.
Dietary protein in piglet diets
In order to apply the most suitable feeding regime to newly weaned pigs it is important to balance the trade off between the detrimental effect on performance of feeding levels of protein that are too low to allow maximal growth and those which increase the risk of post weaning diarrhoea.
Phosphorus requirements of growing-finishing pigs reared in a commercial environment
A challenge in animal production today is to raise livestock within new environmental rules and regulations. Although most states in the United States regulate swine waste application based on N concentration, more are changing to P-based regulations.