STAYING
COMPETITIVE
How will you stay in business
for the next year or the next
decade? What follows are few
facts and opinions.
Small Operations
(<lOO Sows)
Because no two operations axe
Pa.-Bred Bull Enters
PLAIN CITY, 0hi0—7H4749
Plushanski Thor ERIC-ET, a
young sire bred by Charles Plush
anski of Kutztown, Pa., has been
chosen to tenter Select Sires’ Pro
gram for Genetic Advancement
(PGA) sire sampling system.
Based on his outstanding pedi
gree, 7H4749 has been selected as
one of 200 Holstein bulls from
throughout the United States to
enter the program in 1994. In ad
YD RAiILICS
AN INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEE OF QUALITY
VANE PUMPS • • LOGIC VALVES
PISTON PUMPS • ELECTRO-HYDRAULIC
SOLENOID VALVES PROPORTIONAL
MODULAR VALVES VALVES
Deeming Award Recipient Since 1991
NACHI AMERICA INC
Pork Prose
by
Kenneth B. Kephart
Penn State Extension Swine Specialist
alike, every producer has a diffe
rent perspective.
Take the small operation. Often,
lajxjr is provided by the family
with no out-of-pocket cost Facili
ties are usually remodeled from
existing buildings, which helps to
reduce overhead.
Environmental problems are
uncommon since operations of this
size don’t generate much odor.
Proving Program
dition to being sampled through
PGA Cooperator herds, this young
sire has been selected as a super
sampler. With this designation, he
is available to all interested Hol
stein breeders.
7H4749 ERIC is a Thor son that
should sire tall, correct daughters
with great mammary systems. His
dam is a Very Good (87) Bell Rex
daughter with an “Excellent”
mammary system. She has out-
STOCKING DISTRIBUTOR
Better Hydraulics
252 N. Shirk Rd.
Now Holland, PA
1-717-354-6065
Diversification is the rule, with
several farm enterprises contribut
ing income.
Finally, because of the low ini
tial cost, most owners need not
make a long-term commitment
Those factors are all advan
tages. But because the operation is
small, total income is also limited,
often to the point .that it cannot sup
port a family. Pig flow is continu
ous, which presents more disease
problems than all-in/all-out And
with the small numbers to sell,
there is little market leverage.
Can such an operation compete
in today’s industry? Absolutely, if
the producer has a market. That’s
an important “if.” and one that
seems to be quickly changing,
especially for feeder pigs.
Moderate-Sized
Operations
(100-500 Sows)
As the operation grows in size.
standing PTA’s of +2,334M,
+IO3F and +B7P and produced
32.099 M. 1.422 F and 1.093 P as a
Junior two-year-old. The next
dam is Plushanski Neil Flute, who
is scored Very Good (87-GMD
DOM) and is well known as a
transmitter of high solids milk.
She has a top record of 35.145 M,
1.828 F and 1.193 P as a five-year
old and has produced 102.372 M
lifetime.
Box 56 RRI
Atglen, PA
1-21 5-593-2981
some nice things happen, hoduc
tion often follows a weekly sche
dule, making farrowing groups
and all-in/all-out practical at least
through die nursery stage.
More market options are avail
able simply because there are more
pigs. And often the operation will
support several families.
But now the labor extends bey
ond the owner or immediate fami
ly. Without question, finding and
keeping qualified people to work
on hog farms is a big issue.
The operation is big enough to
generate nuisance and environ
mental problems, even if manure is
handled in a sound manner. Build
ings are all of the sudden expen
sive.—much more so than remod
eled facilities, and on a per-sow
basis, even more expensive than
very large operations.
Many farmers in this category
often have a major crop operation,
adding to an already heavy respon
sibility with the hogs. And of
course, the big facility investment
translates to a long-term commit
ment to the hog business.
Large Operations
(> 500 Sows)
As hog facilities get bigger, the
cost per sow comes down. Labor is
more efficient. Now, instead of
one person caring for 100 sows,
that person can handle 200 or
more.
Pigs leave the bam by the truck
load, allowing for all of the market
flexibility permitted in a several
hundred-mile radius. AU-in/a]l-out
is standard from farrowing through
finishing. And the people on the
farm devote all of their time and
energy to raising pigs speciali
zation that pays dividends.
Disadvantages include the fact
that labor is almost all hired.
Somehow, someway, the owner
must challenge that hired labor to
be as conscientious is he would.
Also, large operations frequently
generate odor complaints.
With these sizes of enterprises
in perspective, staying competitive
and staying in business, it seems to
me, comes down to three factors:
image, marketing, and the day-to
day routines.
Image
Manure is the major image
issue. Nutrient management is
now for real. We’re all beginning
to appreciate it But we’re also rea
lizing it’s easier on paper than it is
in practice.
Odor generates lots of problems
with few solutions. We need
objective ways to measure odor,
and we desperately need methods
of control.
Until we’ve learned how to con
trol odor, remember that perceived
odor problems are always worse
when farm appearance and opera
tor cooperation falls short
A final comment that may sound
a bit sobering is that Pennsylvania
is not a particularly good place to
raise hogs. In addition to paying a
lot for com, and not having the
marketing advantage we had 20
years ago, we also have a lot of
people encroaching on our farms
in the southeast part of the state.
Marketing
First, are you providing the
market with what it wants the
right weight range and desirable
amounts of fat and muscling? If
not, remember that the market not
only determines how much you
make on each hog. The market also
determines if you mkke anything
on each hog.
Once we get past the fat and
muscle measurements, there is
more to worry about.
Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE)
LancMtw miming, Saturday, April 9,1994-03
pak is a bubbling issue ready to
boil. Most packers will tell you
that PSE is already a big-time
problem. Now, we’re poised to use
(manage?) the stress gene to
improve carcass measurements,
perhaps at the expense of carcass
quality since the stress gene is
clearly related to PSE.
Drug residues should not be a
problem but they are at least
enough that consumers think they
are. Well, the National Pork Pro
ducers Council has a Pork Quality
Assurance program, in which pro
ducers have no excuses for not par
ticipating. Producers must under
stand their herd health program,
the use of drugs, and have a good
relationship with their veterinarian
or a professional familiar with the
operation.
With that accomplished, the
producer can qualify for the high
est level of certification (Level
m). In Pennsylvania, out of sever
al thousand producers, we have
only about 100 on Level m.
The viability of your market is
perhaps something to lose sleep
over. Where would you be, for
example, if you lost the local buy
ing station, the local sale bam, or
your major buyer? If you happen to
be in an area where there are sever
al marketing alternatives, consider
yourself lucky.
• Sow productivity. Unlike feed
costs or market hog prices, sow
productivity is the one thing over
which you have some control that
also exerts a huge impact on profit
In a 250-sow operation, increasing
production by 1 pig per sow per
year will add at least $lO,OOO in
profit.
• All-in/all-out. It’s important
for pigs from birth to market
weight Less disease, less feed, and
less time to market
• Artificial insemination. A
piece of technology that’s been
around for at least 20 years and is
finally getting a grip on our indus
try. It provides an opportunity to
use quality, proven breeding stock,
and can do wonders for
uniformity.
• Multiple site production. This
is all-in/aU-out and then some. Far
rowing at one location. Weaning
(at an early age before diseases are
transmitted from sow to pig) into a
nursery at another location. And
finishing at yet a third location.
The improvement in performance,
especially in a herd with respirat
ory problems, is impressive.
• Keeping the place full. Using
our 250-sow farrow-to-finish herd
as an example, farrowing nine lit
ters per week, instead of 10 litters
per week, will reduce profit at least
$6,000/year. So operating even at
90 percent of capacity is bad news.
• Don’t waste time. Have a sys
tem and keep things on a schedule.
Try to finish on job before you start
another. Don’t create work for
yourself in the most common tasks
that often waste time moving
hogs, pressure washing, farming
several farms, and hauling manure.
• Feed waste. We all know it’s
expensive. It has much to do with
feeder adjustment and a lot to do
with feeder design.
• Mange/parasites. Not much
excuse any more for putting up
with either of these problems.
Even Ivomec is now available in
feed-grade form for growing pigs.
• Keeping pigs comfortable.
Cold pigs are expensive pigs.
• Don’t wean too early. Many
times the solution to post-weaning
(Turn to Pag* C 4)
Day-To-Day
The Big Items
Day-To-Day
The Small Items