Use your KPIs pig producers advised
Not making use of IT through computerised recording systems is costing pig producers thousands of pounds a year.
Such systems highlight Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and evaluate their effects on individual herds. Farmers can then identify those that would have the most direct economic benefit by improving them, Ed Sutcliffe told over 100 producers attending a conference organised by pig-breeding company ACMC at their Beeford, East Yorkshire, headquarters. The event was followed by an informal hog roast.
As an example, Mr Sutcliffe, the company's technical director, compared two KPIs in a feeding herd: P2 backfat thickness and growth rate.
Improving P2 from 10.5 mm to 10.0 mm resulted in an extra 8 per cent of pigs reaching top grade, worth an average of £0.33 per pig. But improving growth rate by 10g per day was worth £1.08 per pig. He pointed out that these figures would vary according to individual herd parameters, which was why such recording systems were important.
The use of different sire-line boars had increased in recent years, particularly in response to demands from the supply chain, but Mr Sutcliffe questioned whether producers had recorded the effects of their use on their KPIs. Pietrain and Pietrain- derivatives had become popular because of the extra depth of eye-muscle they imparted. Yet their progeny was relatively slow-growing compared with that from a Large White and this difference could amount to £6.50 per pig through 'lost' deadweight, if the pigs were slaughtered at the same age.
"The Pietrain-sired pigs could suffer up to 7.5 per cent lower mortality and the Large White sires would still retain a financial advantage," he said.
A recent survey covering 100,000 sows showed that while 95 per cent of farmers had at least one computer only 80 per cent use herd recording software. If this trend is representative of the national herd then 88,000 sows remain unrecorded by computer within the UK.
"Without a computer you have little chance, but with proper software KPIs can be used to great advantage. Paper records, however good, are hard to analyse. But with today's software there's no excuse now. Producers recording on computer who can't analyse their data should ask their advisers to assist them," he declared.
