Pork Production Phases
and Scheduling
AnS 225 Lab
9-2-15
Pork Production Phases
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Breeding
Farrowing
Nursery
Finishing
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Swine Production
Biological and Management Phases
3-Site Production
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Breeding
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Gestation
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Farrowing
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Nursery
2-Site Production
Breeding/Gest./Farr.
Wean-to-Finish
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Finishing
Goals of Production Scheduling
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Even animal flow – uniform group size
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Same size group in all phases
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Minimize range in age in each group
Maximize use of facilities without overcrowding
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Intensive use to improve economics
Produce large groups of homogeneous pigs
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Large finishers are more economical to build
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Facilitate all-in/all-out for high health and to break
disease cycles
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Utilize labor efficiently
Biosecurity/Segregation Principles
Best case -- no more
than 7-day age variation
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Site
Building
Room
All-in, all-out is key to success
Many variations are possible and have
proven to be successful
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Breeding/Gestation/Farrowing
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“Sow Herd”
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Function
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Resources
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Site of mating, housing, farrowing
Technology intensive
Labor intensive
Fundamental to economic viability
Pigs born and raised is most economically
important part of pork production
Breeding Production
Phase
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Types of mating systems
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Artificial insemination
Hand mating
Pen mating
Facilities
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Environmentally controlled - individual stalls
Environmentally controlled - pens
Open lots in groups
Hoop structures -- group housing
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Nursery Facilities
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Specialized care for the weaned pig
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Sanitary
Environmental control
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Critical for early weaned pigs
Warm, draft-free environment needed
Intense management
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Frequent observation
Frequent feeding
Finishing Facilities
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Wide variation in type
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Group size is larger
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25 to 500+ pigs/pen
Mechanical/natural ventilation
Labor intense/labor minimal
Variation in feeder type
Wean-finish has become new option for
many systems
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Pigs go direct to finishing barn at weaning –
eliminate nursery phase
Hoop Building for Finishing
Scheduling Basics
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Schedules vary by farm and system
Farrowing – weaning age determines time
in phase
Nursery – specific no. of days or weeks
Finishing – time or weight?
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Marketing procedures will affect
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Top off barn? Sell as one group?
Specific number of days or weeks
May be feed-based – pigs marketed after predetermined amount of feed is fed
Principles of Production Scheduling
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Gestation period – 113 to 116 days (114)
Breeding period
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Weaning age – most weaned at approximately 21
days
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Weaning ages are gradually increasing
Conception rates – seasonal effects
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First estrus occurs 4-7 days after weaning (ave. 5)
Estrous cycle is 21 days
Length of breeding period determines age range of pigs in
group farrowed
Breed more females during periods of lower conception
rate to maintain group size
Growth rate – affects number of days in finisher
Weekly System
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Farrow “XX” sows per week to produce “XX” pigs
per week
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Pigs needed per week and litter size determine number
of sows to farrow
Must have 4+ farrowing rooms to make work
Breeding period is continuous
Maximizes production and use of facilities
Minimizes non-productive sows days
Several variations and options are used in the
industry
Group System
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System works best for small/mid-size farms
Use for farms with 1-2 farrowing rooms
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Allows strategic scheduling throughout the year
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Schedule around other farm activities – planting,
harvest, etc.
Usually requires longer breeding period for the
group
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Farrow every 28 days, every 35 days, etc.
May require an increase in weaning age
Goal should be multiple of 7 or 21 days between
group activities if possible
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Allows females that do not conceive to “fit” a later group
Variables in Scheduling Programs
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Age at weaning
Days in breeding period
Days to first service
# days in farrowing room before due date
Days for clean-up between groups
Gilt Pool
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Gilts (already cycling) waiting to be bred
and added to system
Needed to replace females that are culled
to maintain constant group size
Approximately 3X number needed per
week
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Size of pool is farm-specific
Size may need to be increased in summer
months
Litters/Female/Year
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Goal is to maximize for most farms
114-day gestation period
18-21 day lactation period
5-7 days to return to estrus
Minimum of 137 days
365 / 137 = 2.66 litters/female/year
(Maximum)
Production Systems – Pig Flow
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Technology and economies of scale have
driven the size of operations
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Minimum age spread in groups is harder to
achieve in small herds
Large finishers (1,000+ head) are more cost
effective to build – 2450 is new standard
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Larger groups of sows are needed to produce
large groups of pigs with minimum age spread
2450 pigs/week = 245 sows weaning 10
pigs/litter
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