By
Richard Barczewski
University of Delaware
NEWARK, Del. - Selling feeder
pigs can be frustrating, especially
to people new to the hog business,
or those unloading a few pigs their
own operation can’t handle. A 3 a
grader at a local feeder pig sale, I
though that now might be a good
time to review what graders and
buyers look for in a feeder pig. r
Graded feeder pigs need to be
identified (by ear tag) prior to
delivery to the sale site. Upon
arrival, pigs are grouped ac
cording to weight and graded.
Grades are based on muscling and
general health of the feeder pig.
Most pigs fall into the U.S. 1 or 2
grades; however, piglets showing
little muscling and a lot of fat
cover may be graded U.S. 3 or 4.
The last two grades-U.S. utility
and U.S. cull-are reserved for
extremely thin, narrow piglets
with a minimal amount of
muscling. Difference between
these two grades are in health.
Graders are also responsible for
removing any undesirable piglets
with defects that make them a poor
investment or risk to other herd
animals. These defects include
hernias, atrophic rhinitis, ab
scesses, intact (uncastrated)
males, severe parasite in
festations, lameness and any other
potential swine health problem.
The ultimate goal is to provide
buyers with pigs that have the
potential to develop a desirable
carcass. Any defect that would
hinder this goal could result in the
pig being ungraded. If you’re at a
graded feeder pig sale and see one
or more of your pigs ungraded, ask
why. What you leam can be useful
in correcting the situation. If
atrophic rhinitis is the problem,
vaccinating may be helpful. Ex-
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Feeder pigs: uniform lots mean higher profits
temal parasites can be controlled
by spraying with an approved
insecticide, while hernias may
require some genetic changes
since they can be inherited. Don’t
be afraid to ask, since they’re your
pigs.
Why do we have graded pig
sales? The answer is simple.
Graded pigs are more valuable to
buyers than straight run pigs.
Ideally, the feeder pig buyer likes
to buy pigs in groups that will
finish together at the same weight,
in order to sell them for a premium
price as fat hogs. Buying a large
group of feeder pigs at a similar
weight and grade increases the
chance of producing a uniform lot
of finished hogs.
Packers like to see uniform lots
of hogs, since a uniform product is
more valuable to them. It’s
amazing how often loads of pigs
are brought to market with wide
weight ranges. I’ve sometimes
seen small groups at a graded
scale-10 to 15 animals-that ranged
in weight from 20 to 80 pounds.
I realize some small producers
aren’t able to produce uniform
lots, but if you plan to sell at a
graded sale, uniformity is to your
advantage. Otherwise you’ll be
stuck with small lots of animals
(one to four per lot) that bring
lower prices because the buyer will
have to mix several lots to fill a pen
on his finishing floor. Mixing is less
desirable because it results in
greater stress and reduced piglet
performance on the finishing floor.
Under ideal grading systems, a
U.S. 1 feeder pigs will grow into a
U.S. 1 market hog. The same trend
follows for the other grades. Since
there’s a fine line between a low
U.S. 1 and a high U.S. 2, graders
usually group piglets as U.S. 1-2 or
U.S. 2-3, and so on. Pigs from the
same farm are usually similar in
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their conformation and will fall
into one of the above grades,
provided the genetic makeup of the
herd is similar.
How do you produce uniform lots
of feeder pigs? This is a difficult
question with no easy answer. The
best way is to start with a uniform
sow herd. It’s also important to
breed your animals in groups. This
will result in large numbers of
similarly aged piglets which, if the
sow herd is uniform, will be alike
in size and conformation. Such
WEST CHESTER - Chester
County Crops Day will be held on
Tuesday March 18,1986 at the East
Brandywine Fire Hall in
Guthriesville beginning at 9:15
a.m. The discussion wiU focus on
two important crops to Southeast
farmers-alfalfa and corn. Topics
to be covered include how to pick
top com varieties, com insect
control, com cost of production
control, alfalfa insect control, and
the effect of weeds on alfalfa yield
and quality.
Farmers attending the day’s
activities will be able to recertify
their private pesticide license,
visit the exhibitors displaying crop
production supplies, and visit the
mobile manure and soil testing
van. Also, the Chester County Soil
Conservation District will award
its annual “District Cooperator of
the Year” Award.
Featured speakers include Dr.
Sidney Bosworth, and Dr. Joseph
McGahon, both Extension
agronomy specialists, and Dr.
Dennis Calvin, Extension
specialist in entomology.
m
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TILLER
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FURROWING TOOL
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BATTERY OCR*
04 70807
Chester Co. Crops Day scheduled
Salted-in-the-shetl Peanuts
While You Shop
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MtW 5 H.F. TILLER
WITH REVERSE
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HUSKEE
18 H.R. 42' CUT
OAROEH TRACTOR
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Lancaster Farming Saturday, March 15,1986-05
piglets can be managed as a group.
For example, they can be
treated for external parasites,
vaccinated for atrophic rhinitis
and castrated under a normal
schedule. When sows don’t farrow
in groups, it’s harder to schedule
routine management practices. In
addition, group farrowing allows
for all-in/all-out management,
with proper disinfecting between
farrowing groups. This helps
reduce piglet losses and disease
which can also affect piglet
East Brandywine Fire Hall is
located in Guthriesville along Rt.
322 in Chester County. Hamilton
Bank is a co-sponsor of the day’s
New Arps backhoe developed
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*****
The new Arps Model 105 Backhoe will fit standard tractor
three point hitches with Cat. Ml size. Digging depth is ten foot
with a two foot flat bottom. The reach from the center line of
the swing pivot is thirteen feet. The Model 105 Backhoe joins
Arps family of backholes available for tractors from 18 horse
power to 100 horsepower. For more information, contact
Hamilton Equipment, Inc., 567 South Reading Road,
Ephrata, PA 17522.
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NOW THRU MARCH 29th
FREEZE:
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69"
ISO Stores Also Located In;
PENNSYLVANIA CARLISLE 1188 Spring Rd tormerty
Arnold Motors 717 245 2334 Mon ThursB 6Fn 8 9 Sat 8 5
LEBANON 720 Quentin Road 717 2742106 Mon Thurs 86 Fn 89
Sat 8 5
YORK 2400 West Market St 717 792 3676 Mon Thurs 86 Fn 89
Sat 8 5
POTTSTOWN 335 West High St 215 327 4465 Mon Thurs 86 Fn 88
Sat 8 5
MARYLAND WESTMINSTER 119 Railroad Ave 27 East Manchester Road
301 848 2060 Mon Thurs 8 6 Fn 8 8 Sat 8 5
uniformity at weaning.
Raising feeder pigs is a high
management enterprise that
requires a lot of time and effort on
the part of the manager for op
timum production. To enhance
marketability, try to produce
uniform groups of feeder pigs.
Graded feeder pig sales offer an
opportunity to realize higher
market values for your pigs.
However, to optimize profits, you
must be able to offer larger (15 and
up) groups of uniform piglets.
activities. Please make reser
vations for lunch by contacting the
Chester County Extension Service
at 696-3500.
r9H
Lancaster Store:
Rt. 896 So. of Rt. 30E
(717)687-7642
Mon.-Thurs. 8-6;
Fri. 8-9; Sat. 8-5
4 H.R. 2S* CUT
TOUR Jk 99
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