Our year-long BPEX field trial on
recording and making better sense of data will soon be complete and we will be
discussing the results with other producers at local pig club meetings.
Danish pig consultant and ex production
manager, Sanne Baden, of Pig Improvements Ltd, has been visiting six different
pig units on a quarterly basis to help make sure pig performance data is
entered into recording systems accurately and interpret the management reports
to help figure out whether and where change is needed.
Pigs weaned per sow per year on producer
Tim Blanchard's unit have increased from 24.7 to 27.9 due to a number of factors,
including a 10% increase in conception rate, improved parity profile and a 2.2%
reduction in pre-weaning mortality.
When data highlighted pre-weaning
mortality as an area to improve, Tim’s farrowing house staff started recording
some additional information on cause and age of piglet death. They found that
many were happening in the first 24 hours and it was often because piglets were
cold, therefore going under the sow and being laid on.
Tim now synchronizes farrowing and has
employed an extra full-time person to help manage the extra attention needed by
farrowing larger numbers born and has reduced the pre-weaning mortality down to
6%. From looking at ages of piglet death, Tim was able to identify what likely
impact staff would have in the farrowing house.
Feel free to contact me or your regional knowledge
transfer manager for help with data interpretation.
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