A2o—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, February 12,1983
Performance Index
Sow
is new culling tool
BLAIR Long-term produc
tivity of a sow can be influenced by
her nutritional level as a baby pig,
says Penn State extension swine
specialist Matt Parsons.
But, good nutrition alone can’t
turn a sow with poor genetic
potential into a top litter producer
Parsons warned York swine
producers at their Monday
management meeting.
A sow herd should be culled by
one-fourth to one-third yearly,
weeding out the sows that farrow
and raise small litters with lower
weaning weights, he advised.
Proper culling only can be done
with careful record keeping, the
swine specialist emphasized.
Identification of every individual
through eartags or notching is a
must for tracking a sow’s per
formance.
One new culling tool for pork
producers is the Sow Performance
Index, or SPI. In SPI evaluation,
computerization figures an “in
dex” based (m the number of pigs
born alive, and the sow’s milking
ability, based on the overall litter
weight at 21 days.
Adjustments in the program can
be determined using factors that
take into consideration variables
such as the sow’s or gilt’s age, and
the weaning age of the litter. Hie
resulting index is a production
comparison "grade” that ranks a
sow against her herd mates. Low
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indexed sows show up with the
poorest index numbers, and
become prime candidates for good
management culling.
Other reasons for culling sows
include obvious physical problems,
bad disposition and poor
rebreeding performance which
Parsons cited as a highly
inheritable trait.
Replacements gilts should be
selected from the highest
producing families, from mothers
with proven milking abilities.
Their skeletal system should be
correct and sounds.
The mammary system is critical
to a sow’s success, and 12 well
spaced nipples are recommended
for a gilt to be moved into the
breeding herd. While some gilts
may show several more nipples,
Parsons warned that, while a sow
could raise larger litters on ad
ditional nipples, it is likely the
additional pigs would be runts.
Nipples should be checked for
inversions, or a turning in at the
end. Also undesirable are blind
nipples, more frequently seen on
gilts raised on cement, pin nipples
which are smaller than normal
size, and poorly spaced nipples,
which can result in uneven milk
production.
Nonnalness of the reproductive
system can be checked by ob
serving if the vulva area is fully
developed, Parsons noted.—J.B.
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SOW LIFETIME RECORD CARO
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No.
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weight:
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Boar
Date Preg. checked
Clip teeth
Ear notch
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# Grain proj
CAMP HILL An An
Farm Bureau Fedei
economist expects the I
acreage reduction aqd payi
kind programs, designed to
production of grains and ct
1963, to cut production
stantially but cause little di
prices for the 1963-64 mai
year.
Franklin I
plaq
the winner in the Frai
1982. Swailes used the
first-piace yield of 18
Chambersburg, left,
produced 177 bushels
XL6I. The awards we
County Corn Clinic whi
AT
09<
RU ARY 28th