Productivity characteristics of high-performing commercial swine breeding farms

Objective-To determine productivity characteristics of high-performing swin e breeding herds in the United States and to determine associations among n umber of litters per mated female per year (LMFY), number of pigs weaned pe r sow (PWS), and lactation duration. Design-Cohort study. Sample Population-1997 productivity records for 685 herds, Procedure-Herds were ranked on the basis of number of pigs weaned per mated female per year, and herds in the upper 10th percentile of this ranking we re designated as high-performing herds. Productivity measurements for these herds were compared with values for the remaining herds. Results-High-performing herds had shorter lactation durations and higher me an breeding female inventories than did the remaining herds. High-per formi ng herds also had better reproductive efficiency and used farrowing facilit ies more efficiently than did the remaining herds. For the high-performing herds, lactation duration was significantly associated with PWS but was not significantly associated with LMFY. In contrast, for the remaining herds, lactation duration was not significantly associated wi ih PWS but was signi ficantly associated with LMFY. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Results suggest that high-performing com mercial swine farms could increase PWS by improving preweaning mortality ra te and number of pigs born alive, but that LMFY was already maximal. For ot her herds, however, shortening lactation duration would likely decrease far rowing interval and improve efficiency of the reproductive cycle without re ducing tilter size.