Duane E. Reese University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Publish Date: November 10, 2011

The master control switch of a pork production enterprise is weaning day. Pork production managers have little or no control concerning when a weaned female will cycle or how long she will be in estrus after weaning. When females are pen -mated, the producer needs to use management procedures to: ( 1) prevent an excessive number of estrous fem ales from expressing the standing response at the same time in the same pen, ( 2) ensure estrous females are bred at the proper time, ( 3) maintain an adequate level of fertility in boars, ( 4) evaluate boars for semen quality, (5) evaluate boars for level' of sexual behavior and mating dexterity before and during the mating period, and ( 6) heat-check gestating females. Regardless of the boar-to-female ratio used or the management procedures implemented, there is no guarantee that all penmated females will be satisfactorily serviced during their first estrus after weaning. This publication discusses in detail the cause of problems that occur when penmating female pigs and provides possible solutions to the problems.

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

Preparing high quality swine diets is a complex process that involves several important components. Those components include ingredient procurement, diet formulation, feed manufacturing and delivery of the final diet. Careful attention must be given to the quality of the ingredients used to manufacture swine diets. The quality of the final diet also needs to be checked to ensure it is consistent with that of the original formula specifications or product description. Otherwise, optimal pig performance and economic outcomes may not be achieved. To ensure this consistency, a quality assurance program that involves product specification sheets, proper feed and ingredient sampling, analytical procedures and interpretation of laboratory results should be implemented.

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

In any given year, late plantings, cool growing seasons, early frost, and/or drought conditions occur in parts of the US, and this typically results in lower quality grains and soybeans. Weather-stressed grains and soybeans often have a lighter bushel weight than normal crops, and they can also contain mycotoxins or molds that produce mycotoxins. While these factors decrease the feeding value of thee crops to pigs, depending on the price discount or dock at the elevator, weather-stressed crops at a low enough price to make them viable alternative feedstuff for swine. The purpose of this factsheet is to help determine if, when, and how weather-stressed feedstuffs should be used in swine diets.

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

Proper diet formulation involves having accurate knowledge of the nutrient requirements of the pig and information about the energy and nutrient composition of available feed ingredients. In addition, it is important to realize that some feed ingredients possess inherent factors that will decrease pig growth and reproductive performance and/or impact carcass composition and quality if fed in excess.

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

An essential part of designing a sound feeding strategy involves making decisions on how to best provide the energy and nutrients (amino acids, vitamins and minerals) that pigs need in their diet. Pork producers have many options to provide nutrients to their pigs, with varying levels of cost, labor and feasibility involved with each method.

Publish Date: July 31, 2007

Strategic planning is a process that managers must do to keep a business going long term. Why is strategic planning important for farming businesses? Strategic planning looks outward and inward at the business, considers all available resources, and evaluates past performances. It focuses on managing interactions with competitors, neighbors, government agencies, suppliers, customers, special interest groups, and others. The primary purpose of strategic planning is to keep the business in step with a changing environment. It anticipates the future and considers the future but does not attempt to predict it.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

It is reasonable to assume that any strategy for survival in the future will have considerable focus on breeding herd efficiency as an essential component. The data in Table 1 shows that there is considerable opportunity for improvement of reproductive efficiency within the US swine industry.