rSwine Management "j
i News I
I Dr. Richard Barczewski I
S Extension Agent H
I U. Of Delaware Jj
limit selection
TRAITS FOR
FASTEST RESULTS
Whether to keep or cull an ani
mal should be based on objective,
well thought-out criteria. Too
often, though, culling decisions are
made in haste and without regard
to the long-tom goals of a lives
tock enterprise.
Producers need to determine
these goals first For example, if
you are in the business of produc
ing feeder pigs, you may want to
consider placing emphasis on
selection for litter size. Or if you
produce market hogs under an
incentive program, you may want
to select for carcass traits that will
profit you most
The key to successful selection
and culling decisions is to limit the
number of traits for which you
select. Other factors to be consid
ered include the potential for a
given trait to be passed on to an
animal’s offspring (heritability),
the variation that is naturally
occurring in your herd, and the
amount of money you are willing
to invest in improving your herd.
The number of traits you select
for makes a difference in ease and
speed of genetic improvement. If
you are interested in encouraging
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more than one trait progress will
be much slower since parent stock
who excel in several different traits
are harder to find than individual
animals who excel in only one.
Genetic improvement is faster if
you select for only one trait at a
time.'
The rate at which improvements
can be expected for a particular
trait must be considered as well.
Heritability (percent variation in
performance as the result of gene
tic effects) varies, depending on
the trait for which you are
selecting.
You can expect to make less
progress with reproductive traits
then performance traits. Similarly,
performance traits are not as herit
able as carcass traits. Simply put,
reproductive traits (such as litter
size and number of pigs weaned)
are influenced less by selection
than performance traits (such as
growth rate or feed efficiency) or
carcass traits (such as backfat and
loin-eye area).
Another factor that affects herd
improvement potential is the gene
tic variation that occurs within the
herd. For example, if all animals in
your herd have a backfat measure
ment of 1.0 inch at the last rib at
230 pounds, then you cannot
expect to make improvements in
backfat at the last rib by selecting
individuals from this hod. On the
other hand, if a wide variation
exists for backfat within your herd
(let’s say 0.7 S inch to 1.5 inches at
230 pounds), then improvements
can be made by selecting the leaner
animals in your breeding program.
You need variations to make gene
tic improvements.
If you have a herd with little var
iation, you may have to select
breeding stock from other herds to
make improvements. This is where
financial commitment enters into
genetic improvement. And select
ing animals who excel in a particu
lar trait can be expensive. Boars
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Allen
Deiter, president of Pennsylvania
Farmers Union (PFU), was among
the 24 members of the National
Farmers Union who told U.S.
Agriculture Secretary Edward
Madigan that the Bush Admi
nistration needs to begin focusing
attention on the immediate needs
of American farmers in addition to
activities in the international
arena.
The Fanners Union delegation,
headed by NFU President Leland
Swenson, told Madigan that “sen
sible. reasonable, and significant
changes” in U.S. farm policies are
necessary for the survival of fami
ly farm producers.
“I agree with Senator Robot
Dole (R-KS) when he calls the
farm economy a ‘house of cards,”’
Swenson said in reference to a let
ter Dole sent to the White House
last week.
President Allen Deiter, in
Washington lobbying as part of a
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with exceptional growth rates,
feed efficiencies, backfat measure
ments. or loin-eye areas are usual
ly worth more since these traits are
sought after by many producers.
Oftenthe decision to purchase a
particular boar to use in your
replacement female breeding
program will be dictated by the
cost Many producers can’t or
won’t spend a lot of money to sec
ure an outstanding boar to use in
their breeding program. The deci
sion on how much to spend on a
boar should be based on the poten
tial return that boar can make to
your operation.
NFU legislative fly-in, told Madi
gan that immediate action is
needed to reform federal dairy pol
icy and to provide disaster assis
tance to farmers whose crops were
hurt by weather disasters this year.
“We have dairy and livestock
farmers in Pennsylvania that must
purchase hay by December or
January to replace the roughage
lost on their farm because of
drought Com and soybean losses
vary from minor to 100 percent,”
said Allen Deiter.
The fanners union members
articulated the hardships they are
facing because of low prices for
milk, grain, and livestock. They
believe policies that would provide
incentives for production manage
ment are the key to their survival
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MIDDLE ATLANTIC MILK MARKETING ASSOCIATION, INC
USED TIRES
AS OF OCT. 14, 1991
FIRST COME FIRST SERVE
PRICES ARE CASH AND CARRY
MOUNTING IS ADDITIONAL
Slm M>ke 3/32
Quantity
Price
$lO9
$436
$155
$176
$259
$292
Price
143.00
NEW TIRE CLEARANCE
FIRST COME FIRST SERVE
;46.00
$BO.OO
i 58.00
184.00
$97.00
Lancaster Farming Saturday, October 19 1991-OS
These figures can be calculated
based on several factors: the spe
cific trait for which you arc select
ing, the heritability of that trait, the
economic return for a specific
improvement, and the number of
females you intend to breed to this
boar.
Genetic betterment in any herd
is attainable if producers are will
ing to make improvement an
objective of their selection, breed
ing, and pulling decisions.
For more information, consult
the Pork Industry Handbook Fact
Sheet #lO6 on “Genetic Principles
and their Applications for Swine
Producers.”
Secretary
on the farm.
A proposed two-tier dairy prog
ram, under which fanners would
be discouraged from overproduc
ing as a way to stabilize market
forces, is an example of the kind of
program the farmers say they
want. Although a version of the
two-tier proposal did not make it
through Congress before the
August recess is still pending,
NFU is pushing to have it consid
ered again before lawmakers
adjourn for the year.
But, the farmers said Madigan
was intransigent about the dairy
bill.
“He expressed no willingness
whatsoever to negotiate or com
promise at all on a supply manage
ment program for dairy,” said
Swenson.
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MOUNTING ADDITIONAL
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