Reading Time: 4 minutes A relatively small deviation in several parameters may easily add up to a reduction in income of $4-5 per hog. On 500 pigs per week, that’s up to $130,000 in lost margin each year. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. (First of two […] Read more
Throughput Key To Minimizing Production Cost
High Litter Size Requires New Approach To Piglet Rearing
Reading Time: 3 minutes Over the last 10 to 15 years, genetic selection for litter size has boosted the total number of pigs born per litter. There are now commercial herds that consistently achieve 14 or more, which brings with it the challenge of rearing pigs that are surplus to the sows’ rearing capacity. I recently had the opportunity […] Read more
Long-Term Battle Is To Win Consumer Trust
Reading Time: 4 minutes The industry must look beyond the current crisis to assure its future Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. The Canadian pork industry’s battle for survival is well documented within the pages of the agricultural press and increasingly in the mainstream media. Having endured […] Read more
Condition Scoring A Useful Guide
Reading Time: 3 minutes Sows should ideally be in a minimum score of 3 at farrowing, with an optimum of 3.5 and a maximum of 4. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. Condition scoring provides a quick and simple method of assessing sow body condition, which can […] Read more
Beleaguered Brit Pork Producers Fight Back
Reading Time: 4 minutes As our industry looks at how to respond to the decline in its competitive position, it might be worth studying what happened in the UK. Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. The British pig industry has had a tough time over the last […] Read more
When Is The Best Time To Breed Sows?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. A correctly timed breeding is the cornerstone of productivity in the swine herd. The timing of natural service or insemination has a significant effect on farrowing rate and litter size. Service timing regimes are determined by a […] Read more
U.S. Gets On Board Pork Quality Programs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Bernie Peet is president of Pork Chain Consulting Ltd. of Lacombe, Alberta, and editor of Western Hog Journal. The Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA Plus) program is being rapidly adopted by pork producers in the U.S., according to a series of recent news releases and statements by industry organizations and leading production companies. The National […] Read more
Practical Control Of Sow Feed Costs
Reading Time: 4 minutes Many aspects of gilt and sow management affect feed use efficiency and getting these right can help to control sow feed costs, says Andrew Jackson, with swine breeding company PIC. At each stage of production there are opportunities to use feed more effectively, which provide the possibility of reducing feed cost per piglet weaned significantly, […] Read more
Getting Value From Quality Assurance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Quality assurance programs for agricultural products are rapidly becoming a fact of life for farmers, yet many view the cost of such schemes purely as an expense, with no tangible benefits. But Martin Barker, managing director of UK-based Genesis QA, says it is possible for producers to extract value from QA programs because they generate […] Read more
Dealing With Sick Or Injured Pigs
Reading Time: 3 minutes In my last article, I wrote about the importance of recognizing health problems in pigs as soon as possible in order to minimize the economic losses caused by disease or injury and avoid compromising the pigs’ welfare. Just as important is how to approach the treatment of such pigs and make decisions about if and […] Read more
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