Pork
Prose
(Continued from Page C 4)
is that the the Fat-O-Meater takes
only two measurements, one for
fat depth and one for loin depth.
Predicting the percentage lean cuts
Harvest in half the time
A Gehl windrow merger on the front of your tractor
combines two windrows into one to cut haylage
harvesting field time in half. You get big fuel
savings improved uniformity of cut more crop
harvested at its nutritional peak plus less wear and
tear on your tractor and reduced soil compaction
Gehl forage harvester advantages
Compare these unique Gehl features to the com
petition You II see why Gehl forage harvesters are
leading the way.
■ Auto Max load sensing system lets you operate
your harvester at maximum capacity without fear
ol downtime due to overloading
■ One-side cutterbar adjustment is fast and
easy-without reversing the cylinder Plus Gehls
n head hydraulic knife sharpener sharpens the
entire knife bevel not |ust the tip
■ Overrunning clutch protects your tractor pto
when disengaging power to the forage harvester
WAIVER OF FINANCE UNTIL JULY 1, 1989
on hay and forage equipment
Stretch your Gehl equipment purchase dollars with Gehl Finance. Talk to your participating
Gehl dealer about our current programs
Waiver of finance until
July 1, 1989
on hay and forage equipment
Waiver of finance until
April 1, 1989
on all other equipment
* Certain restrictions may apply. See your participating Qehl dealer for complete details. Gehl Finance reserves the right to interpret, modify or cancel
Hess programs at any time without prior notice. Gehl Finance Is not available in all states or provinces
Available at your local participating Gehl dealer
ELDER SALES
& SERVICE, INC.
Stonaboro, PA
412-376-3740
EauSaiNC. GU™*^NC
- 8 5,te2 2 P22 717-789-4343
LINCOLN SUPPLY &
EQUIPMENT CO. FE | u Jxnj C STOUFFER BROS
Som«rs«t, PA 201-875*5449 INC*
814-443-1691 Chambarsburg, PA
McCoola, MD 717-263-8424
301-786-6800
D.W. OGG
EQUIPMENT CO.
Main Location
Frederick, MD
301-473-4250
301-293-2033
Taylorsvllls, Md.
(Bob's Wtldlng)
301-829-2042
with only two measurements isn’t
foolproof. However, after calculat
ing the computer formula from a
group of test hogs, we checked the
accuracy of the machine with two
other groups (105 hogs total). The
Fat-O-Meater predictions were
within 2 percent of actual percent
lean cuts 75 percent of the time. A
third test group is planned.
LOW APR*
12 month term
OR 24 month term
36 month term
48 month term
a&jL s
A Division of Gehl* Company
UMBERGER’S BENNETT
OF FONTANA MACHINE CO.
Lebanon, PA Milford, DE
717-867-5161 302-422-4837
PEOPLE’S
SALES & SERVICE
Oakland Mill*. PA GEO. W. KINSMAN,
717-463-2735 |NC.
Honasdala, PA
717-253-3440
A.L HERR & BRO
Quarryvilla, PA
717-786-3521
LEBANON VALLEY
ARNETT’S GARAGE IMPLEMENT CO., INC.
Hagaratown, MD Richland, PA
301-733-0515 717-866-7518
■ Metal Stop metal detector, totally Gehl
designed for improved performance Prevenfs
harvester damage and hardware disease in your
livestock
■ Choose from three high-capacity models
designed for todays wide range of tractor
horsepower
■ Plus Gehl’s forage boxes and blowers speed
crop delivery to save even more time at the silo
Convenient Gehl Finance can provide additional
savings Ask your Gehl dealer about the low interest
rates and payment options Gehl Company West
Bend Wisconsin 53095
GEHL
More for your machinery dollar
NICHOLS FARM
EQUIPMENT
Bloomsburg, PA
717-784-7731
PRICE ADJUSTMENTS FOR
GRADE
The carcass price is based on a
live price from the Interior Ohio
Market (from USDA). To the live
price, Hatfield adds $2.50/cwt as a
trucking allowance. The carcass
price is figured by dividing a stan
dard yield (not your yield) into the
live price. You’ll get all of the
' IHM n ( , ,
0%
7.5%
8.5%
9.5%
ECKROTH BROS.
FARM EQUIPMENT
Naw Ringgold, PA
717-943-2131
MILLER EQUIPMENT
CO.
Bachtalsvilla, PA
215-845-2911
BINKLEY & HURST
BROS.
Litilz, PA
717-626-4705
PETERMAN FARM
EQUIPMENT, INC.
Carllsla, PA
717-249-5338
HINES EQUIPMENT
Crasson, PA
814-886-4183
Ballwood
814-742-8171
trucking allowance if you deliver
the hogs to the plant. Hogs picked
up at the farm or at a buying station
would receive a trucldng allow
ance of about $1.65.
Producers selling hogs contain
ing 56 percent lean cuts will
receive the base carcass price. A
typical hog that would fit into that
category would have about 1 inch
of lOth-rib fat and a 4.5 square inch
loin eye. If the lean cut percentage
is higher, the producer gets a
bonus. If the percentage is lower,
the price is discounted. On the high
side, producers are roughly paid
for the actual increase in value
(based on wholesale prices of the
lean cuts). But on the low side, the
discounts are doubled.
Let’s take an example with three
carcasses, each weighing 170
pounds (about 232 pounds live).
All have 4.5 square inches of loin
eye area. One has 1.0 inches of fat
depth, one has .8 and the other has
1.2. We’ll assume a $42 live price,
plus $2.50/cwt trucking allowance
and a lean cut value of $.84/cwt.
Here’s how the payments shake
out:
Table 1: Effect of fat depth on payment
Fat Hog Avg Hog Lean Hog
1.2 1.0 .8
1.8 1.8 1.8
4.5 4.5 4.5
53.83 55.60 57.37
$97.84 $103.56 $104.99
Fat depth (in)
Loin Depth (in)
Loin Area (sq in)
Percent Lean Cuts
Payment
The spread between the best and
worst hog is $7.15. And most of
that is between the fat hog and the
average hog.
Changes in muscling will also
make a difference but the changes
in percentage lean cuts, and the
payments are less dramatic:
Table 2: Effect of muscling on payment
Thin Hog Avg Hog Thick Hog
1.0 1.0 1.0
1.6 1.8 2.2
3.2 4.5 5.8
54.55 55.60 56.65
$100.69 $103.56 $104.99
Fat depth (in)
Loin Depth (in)
Loin Area (sq in)
Percent Lean Cuts
Payment
The bottom line to quality is that
it will pay to keep the muscle on
and the fat off, but the fat depth is
far more important.
What would it take to get to the
top of the scale? A pig with .7 inch
fat and a 6.25 inch loin eye would
do it. And under our example, the
carcass would be worth $ 109.29. A
pig with 1.5 inches of fat and a 4.0
inch loin eye would reach the bot
tom of the chart, and would be
worth $89.23.
PRICE ADJUSTMENTS
FOR WEIGHT
Hogs must weigh between 210
and 260 pounds (153 to 192
pounds carcass weight). Hogs out
of the range are docked anywhere
from $1 to $23/cwt, with die dis
counts heavier for lighter hogs. For
example a hog 30 pounds under the
range would be docked $4/cwt,
while a hog 30 pounds over the
Lancaster Firming, Saturday, November?#, 19M-C5
range would be docked only
$3/cwt But that’s still a loss of
$8.70 per hog—a loss that can be
avoided with a set of scales.
IMPROVING YOUR CAR
CASS
The technology for improving
carcass quality; regardless of the
grading program, is nothing new.
If your hogs arc too fat, buy a boar
that’s leaner than the boars you’re
using now.
Let’s say your hogs are averag
ing 1.2 inches of fat, as shown in
Table 2 above. If you select boars
that are .4 inches leaner (than your
present boars) and gilts that are .2
inches leaner (than your present
sows) then backfat would be
reduced by .15 inches in one gen
eration. With our market prices,
that change would be worth almost
$3.00 per hog.
How will you know what the
backfat and loin depth arc for your
hogs? Unfortunately, it won’t be
practical to list these measure
ments on the grading sheet for each
hog. However, I’m hoping the
averages could be listed for the
entire load. I’ve talked to person
nel at Hatfield about doing this,
and I’m optimistic it will be part of
the grading sheet.
Hatfield’s new grading program
is a lot different than the one
they’ve had in the past. The signif
icant features of the new program
arc:
•Measurements taken on every
hog arc totally objective.
•Bigger spread in payments
between high and low quality
hogs. Heavy discounts on hogs not
meeting grading standards.
•Bigger discounts on hogs out of
the 210 to 260 pound weight range.
•A lot of emphasis on fat depth.
A hog that meets the base grade
would have about 1 inch of fat and
a 4.5-inch loin eye.
SUMMARY