Michael Brumm University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Publish Date: April 9, 2010

This report is a summary of a larger project that analyzes the economic tradeoff between economic based pig space allocations and those based on growth performance. The most efficient economic allocation of space [1,2] is about six square feet of floor space per pig. Gonyou et al. [3] reported that the minimum space allotment that…

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

Water is the nutrient that is required in the largest quantity by swine. Compared to the other nutrients supplied by feed, it is the most frequently misunderstood and mismanaged nutrient. While various sources recommend that water be available free choice, most fail to offer specific recommendations as to number of drinking spaces, drinker type, delivery rates of drinkers, or to specify quality parameters. In contemporary production facilities, decisions must be made concerning all of the above. In addition, the costs of water acquisition, and the storage and disposition of wasted water has led to an increased desire to better understand the water availability needs of pigs.

Publish Date: February 15, 2007

Data from cooperators participating in the Nebraska Swine Enterprise Records and Analysis Program were summarized for the period January to June 1995 and July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995. Results continue to show significant variability in production and financial parameters among individual swine enterprises. The results indicate that efficient, well managed swine enterprises can be profitable and competitive in a dynamic industry.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Pork producers in the United States who are looking for lower cost structures for raising pigs have shown a great deal of interest in hoop structures or hooped shelters as facilities for housing market or finishing pigs. Producers need to be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of this type of housing. A number of manufacturers offer these units for sale, but little objective data are available to help producers decide if a hoop structure is a good investment. The information in this publication is intended to help producers and designers resolve some of the issues involved in using a hoop structure. The fact sheet discusses some of the management techniques that hoop structures require, and it presents economic factors that can be used to analyze the alternatives.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Investment in nursery and grow-finish facilities represents the most capital-intensive portion of modern pork production systems. It also is the investment most likely to have the lowest asset turnover ratio as a measure of financial return to investment. Thus, the decision on how many pigs to stock a facility with has major economic impacts. Not only must a decision be made regarding the number of pigs to put into a facility each time it is stocked, during the construction of the facility decisions must be made regarding the number of pens per facility and hence, the number of pigs per pen.

Publish Date: April 4, 2012

The structure of the pork industry changed dramatically during the 1990s and promises to continue to change in the years ahead. By structural change, we refer to the number and size of operations, who owns them, and how they relate to other firms in the pork chain. Change provides both challenges and opportunities to those individuals who make their living from the industry. Trying to cope with rapid change can quickly become a test of survival. Most of the data for this fact sheet come from USDA publications and industry surveys conducted by the University of Missouri and Iowa State University.

Publish Date: March 25, 2010

Feeding systems for swine involve feed type and form, as well as how it is supplied to the pigs. The main type of feed for swine in the United States is in dry form, where the cereal grain has been ground and mixed with other dry ingredients to form a complete feed. Delivering feed via a liquid feed application system is not common in the United States, but is far more popular in other areas of the world, particularly in Europe. Other producers utilize a blend of both types, where a liquid feedstuff, such as whey, is provided along with a complete dry feed. All of these systems have their merits and challenges, which will be discussed in this paper. Complete feed is typically delivered via feed auger line to individual pens or sows from a storage bin. However, new technology, such a computerized feeding systems, have been developed to allow for continual changes in delivered diet composition to the pigs to better match their growth curves and changing nutrient requirements. For the vast majority of producers utilizing dry complete feeds, there are a variety of feeder design options. Producers can utilize traditional dry feeders, wet-dry feeders, round feeders, or tube feeders in all phases of production. Each feeder type must be managed differently, and has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Choice of appropriate group size is an important consideration when designing facilities, particularly for growing pigs (from weaning to slaughter) and for sows that are group housed during gestation. Commercially, pigs are housed in group sizes ranging from individual animals (e.g., sow gestation crates) to, in certain cases, groups of several thousand animals. Small group sizes (around 10 pigs per pen) are used on some operations for growing pigs, particularly those that use litter segregation (keeping whole litters together in discreet groups from weaning to slaughter), although this practice is not widespread. Typical group sizes for commercial production are generally within the range 20 to 30 pigs per group. Recently, there has been increased interest in the use of larger groups for growing pigs. Initially this interest focused on the potential to reduce costs and improve management in larger groups, however, more recently, the development of automatic sorting systems which are based on groups of between 500 and 1000 pigs has added a new dimension to the debate on optimum group sizes.