The Power of knowledge

Benchmark Magazine Article Archive

Benchmark Magazine is published each spring to highlight the annual results of PigCHAMP's Benchmarking program, and to feature news, commentary and articles of interest written by pork industry experts.

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2026

20 Years of Benchmarking

For more than 20 years, PigCHAMP benchmarking has provided producers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and industry partners with a trusted, consistent look at sow farm performance across North America.

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2026

Novel Essential Oil Blend for Nursery and Grow-Finish Pigs

These compounds have been widely studied for antibacterial activity and antioxidant effects, in part through membrane disruption and free radical scavenging.

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2026

Revisiting Farrowing Management

Because colostrum intake has a large impact on the lifetime survival of pigs, management practices are being utilized to ensure adequate colostrum intake.

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2026

When Feed Fails

While most producers recognize the importance of avoiding completely empty feeders, the true cost of feed delivery failures extends far beyond any of the obvious “out-of-feed” events.

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2026

Fiber and Stimbiotics Boost Farrowing Performance in Modern Sows

A recent study was conducted at a commercial farm to determine the impact of fiber and stimbiotic supplementation from late gestation through lactation in the farrowing performance, litter outcomes, and pig viability.

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2026

A Novel Way to Measure Modern Sow Efficiency

The modern sow is capable of raising larger, heavier litters than ever before, placing greater demands on lactation performance.

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2026

Next Step in Precision Sow Management

By collecting data throughout the day, PLF systems can detect subtle changes in behavior, body shape, and physiological indicators that are difficult to observe during routine barn checks.

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2026

How a Simple Idea Reshaped Modern Hog Feeding

What began as a practical solution to a local feeding challenge has become one of the most influential feeder designs in modern hog production worldwide today.

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2026

USA and Canada 2025 Year Summary

Total number of farms = 149

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2026

Sow Prolapse Connected to Pre-Farrow Nutrition

Sow prolapses have continued to plague pig farmers for 10-plus years. Yet few management techniques have been reported to mitigate their occurrence with consistency.

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2025

Factors Associated with Sow Efficiency

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.

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2025

Choline - An Essential Nutrient With New Perspectives

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.

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2025

USA and Canada 2024 Year Summary

Total number of farms = 174

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2025

Uncovering the Connection

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).

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2025

How Many Pigs Should a Sow Nurse?

Today’s modern hyper-prolific sow will often give birth to more piglets than the number of functional teats she possesses. For the farm business, it means that the producers are faced with the decision of having to either allow the sow to try and nurse the additional piglets above functional teat count or create more nurse sows.

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2025

Delivering Practical Improvements in Sow Robustness

Over the past decade, the modern sow has changed significantly. Increased productivity necessitates advancements in management strategies to support performance and longevity. Management improvements can also have a quicker impact than relying on genetics alone.

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2024

A Benchmark Welcome

A Benchmark Welcome

These are turbulent times for pork producers. Because of that, in addition to benchmarking data, this year our theme for Benchmark magazine is “Building Blocks for the Long Haul, Bringing Longevity to the Farm.”


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2024

Potential “Benchmarks” For Sow Longevity

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.


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