Data obtained from 68 farrow-to-finish swine farms were used to evaluate the reproductive performance of pigs and to determine factors important for improving this performance. The number of pigs weaned per mated female per year (PWMFY), pigs weaned per litter (PWL), and pigs born alive per litter (PBA) increased during the period between 2010 and 2012, among farms with high reproductive performance (HP farms) in 2012. No change was detected in these parameters on farms with normal and low reproductive performance (NP and LP farms, respectively) in 2012. A significant correlation between PBA and pre-weaning mortality risk (PRWM) was observed in all farm groups classified on the basis of their reproductive performance in 2012, indicating that a high number of piglets born in these farms were being lost during the suckling stage. As litters per mated female per year (LMFY) cannot be considerably increased on HP farms, an increase in PWMFY will require an increase in PWL, which in turn can be achieved by increasing PBA and decreasing PRWM in HP farms. On LP farms, in contrast, an increase in PWMFY can be obtained by improving both PWL and LMFY.
(Viral Disease and Epidemiology Research Division)
References:
Yamane I. et al (2014) J. Jpn. Vet. Med. Assoc. 67:177-182
