Benchmark Magazine Article Archive

While producers rely on reports for sow records, task management, and performance summaries, many overlook a critical opportunity: harnessing advanced analytics to maximize reproductive efficiency, profitability, and sow longevity.

Osteochondrosis is a disease that is a major cause of lameness in pigs. Currently, osteochondrosis is scored by trained technicians based on visual observation of CT images.

A high stomach pH is concerning because it can lead to a myriad of issues, ranging from poor nutrient digestibility to increased pathogen proliferation, diarrhea, and mortality. Considering all the other stressors involved during the weaning period, it’s the last thing a piglet needs.

Natural choline sources occur at meaningful levels in most feed ingredients; which is the main reason why choline is not considered to be a vitamin in the classic sense.

From disease prevention to meeting compliance with animal confinement regulations, the latest set of challenges certainly continues the tradition of having serious repercussions on the industry.

Total number of farms = 174

To reach peak performance productivity, animals need a constant supply of feed. But when that flow of feed is interrupted, it can lead to growth delays, increased mortality, and other health issues - all of which impact feed conversion ratios (FCR).

High replacement rates for gilts and young sows have skewed current parity distributions on many farms towards younger females that haven’t reached their peak productivity.

Within the pork industry, heat stress poses a significant threat to overall pig production, impairing health, productivity, and well-being at all life stages.

Today’s pork producers know that biosecurity is essential in every aspect of pig production.

We’ve been using data to analyze past, current, and future hog producer productivity and profitability for some time.

Total number of farms = 167

Total number of farms = 18

Gilts are the foundation of the herd, which allows it to have the best farrowing rates and to have a total of 14–15 pigs in their first litter.

Achieving 30+ pigs per sow per year was once a lofty goal, but today it is a fairly common achievement thanks to genetic improvements in litter size.