Pork Production Phases and Scheduling

1
Pork Production Phases and Scheduling

• AnS 225 Lab
• 9-2-09

2
Pork Production Phases

• Breeding
• Farrowing
• Nursery
• Finishing

3
Modern Swine ProductionBiological and Management
Phases

• Breeding
• Gestation
• Farrowing
• Nursery
• Finishing

4
Goals of Production Scheduling

• Even animal flow uniform group size
• Same size group in all phases
• Minimize range in age in each group
• Maximize use of facilities without overcrowding
• Intensive use to improve economics
• Produce large groups of homogeneous pigs
• Large finishers are more economical
• Facilitate all-in/all-out for high health and to
  break disease cycles
• Utilize labor efficiently

5
Biosecurity/Segregation Principles

• Best case -- no more
• than 7 day age variation
• Site
• Building
• Room
• All-in, all-out is key to success
• Many variations are possible and have proven to
  be successful

6
Breeding/Gestation/Farrowing

• Sow Herd
• Function
• Site of mating, housing, farrowing
• Resources
• Technology intensive
• Labor intensive
• Fundamental to economic viability
• Pigs born and raised is most economically
  important part of pork production

7
Breeding Production Phase

• Types of mating systems
• Hand mating
• Pen mating
• Artificial insemination
• Facilities
• Environmentally controlled - individual stalls
• Environmentally controlled - pens
• Open lots in groups
• Hoop structures -- group housing

8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
Nursery Facilities

• Specialized care for the weaned pig
• Sanitary
• Environmental control
• Critical for early weaned pigs
• Warm, draft-free environment needed
• Intense management
• Frequent observation
• Frequent feeding

11
(No Transcript)
12
Finishing Facilities

• Wide variation in type
• Group size is larger
• 25 to 500 pigs/group
• Mechanical/natural ventilation
• Labor intense/labor minimal
• Variation in feeder type
• Wean-finish has become new option for many systems

13
(No Transcript)
14
Hoop Building for Finishing
15
Scheduling Basics

• Schedules vary by farm and system
• Farrowing weaning age determines time in phase
• Nursery specific no. of days or weeks
• Finishing time or weight?
• Marketing procedures will affect
• Top off barn? Sell as one group?
• Specific number of days or weeks
• May be feed-based pigs marketed after
  pre-determined amount of feed is fed

16
Principles of Production Scheduling

• Gestation period 113 to 116 days (114)
• Breeding period
• First estrus occurs 4-7 days after weaning (ave.
  5)
• Estrous cycle is 21 days
• Length of breeding period determines age range of
  pigs in group farrowed
• Weaning age most weaned at 18-21 days
• Conception rates seasonal effects
• Breed more females during periods of lower
  conception rate to maintain group size
• Growth rate affects number of days in finisher

17
Weekly System

• Farrow XX sows per week to produce XX pigs per
  week
• Pigs needed per week and litter size determine
  number of sows to farrow
• Must have 4 farrowing rooms to make work
• Breeding period is continuous
• Maximizes production and use of facilities
• Minimizes non-productive sows days
• Several variations and options are used in the
  industry

18
Group System

• Contrast to weekly system
• Use for farms with 1-2 farrowing rooms
• Allows strategic scheduling throughout the year
• Schedule around other farm activities planting,
  harvest, etc.
• Usually requires longer breeding period for the
  group
• May require an increase in weaning age
• Goal should be multiple of 7 or 21 days between
  group activities if possible
• Allows females that do not conceive to fit a
  later group

19
Variables in MCS3 Scheduling Program

• Age at weaning
• Days in breeding period
• Days to first service
• May skip first heat period in group system or for
  extremely thin females at weaning
• days in farrowing room before due date
• Days for clean-up between groups

20
Gilt Pool

• Gilts (already cycling) waiting to be bred and
  added to system
• Needed to replace females that are culled to
  maintain constant group size
• Approximately 3X number needed per week
• Size of pool is farm-specific
• Size may need to be increased in summer months

21
Litters/Female/Year

• Goal is to maximize for most farms
• 114-day gestation period
• 18-21 day lactation period
• 5-7 days to return to estrus
• Minimum of 137 days
• 365 / 137 2.66 litters/female/year (Maximum)

22
Production Systems Pig Flow

• Technology and economies of scale have driven the
  size of operations
• Minimum age spread in groups is harder to achieve
  in small herds
• Danger in violating principles of all-in/all-out
• Large finishers 1,000 head) are more cost
  effective to build
• Larger groups of sows are needed to produce large
  groups of pigs with minimum age spread