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Chris HostetlerDirector of Animal Science
National Pork Board
Improving Sow Lifetime Productivity
Definition
• The total number of quality pigs a female weans from the time she becomes breeding eligible until she leaves the herd.
Factors Affecting Sow Lifetime Productivity
• Gilt development methods• Gilt selection and utilization rates• Sow retention• Number of pigs weaned per litter• Farrowing rate• Sow livability• Seasonal variation• Litter of Origin
Litter of origin data• Tissue for genotyping• Male:Female• Blood samples for immunocrit• Number fully formed piglets born• Number born alive• Dam ID• Parity of dam• Day 1 weight of each piglet• Number weaned• Weaning weight of each piglet
Challenges with Sow Lifetime Productivity
• Not routinely assessed or monitored• Not commonly available on most sow record
systems• Policy of culling based on parity• Fallout of early parity sows
Sow Lifetime Productivity DistributionFe
mal
es (%
)
Number of Pigs
42% of females selected for breeding have 19 or fewer pigs
Adapted from Pollman – Leman Conference 2012
How big is the opportunity?
Research Goal
• Conduct research that will improve sow lifetime productivity by 30% by 2017– Increase from 34 pigs/sow lifetime to 44 pigs/sow
lifetime
Major Research Areas
• Gilt development and retention– Optimizing gilt growth and social interactions– Gilt competency
• Selection criteria, immune status/markers
– Sow retention• Strategies to minimize depletion body reserves
9
Major Research Areas
• Increased number of pigs weaned and piglet weaning weight– Sow lactation and gestation feed efficiency– Milk quality and quantity– Increased farrowing rate– Strategies to minimize pregnancy loss– Mitigation of the impact of seasonal infertility
10
Research Challenges
• Requires large scale projects in order to get meaningful results
• Multi-year projects to track females from day of birth through 3rd parity
• SLP is multifactorial trait so requires a concerted effort
• Expense – no other funding agencies are working in this area
Research Consortium• Industry Partners
Murphy Brown LLCHolden Family FarmsCarthage Veterinary Clinic
• USMARCDr. Clay LentsDr. Lea RempelDr. Jeremy MilesDr. Gary RohrerDr. Dan NonnemanDr. Brad FrekingDr. Bob Cushman
• InvestigatorsDr. Rob KnoxDr. Billy FlowersDr. Nathalie TrottierDr. Janeen Salak-JohnsonDr. Ken StalderDr. George Foxcroft
• UniversitiesIowa StateNC StateUniversity of IllinoisUniversity Of AlbertaMichigan State University
Research ProjectsNPB ID Title11-103 Evaluation of a Physiological Test for Sow Longevity11-111 Development of Strategies to Improve Sow Productive Lifetime11-118 Reproductive performance and longevity in replacement gilts allowed
different amounts of floor space during the nursery phase of rearing11-146 Effects of Preweaning Factors on Sow Lifetime Productivity12-111 The impact of the timing of relocation of replacement gilts from pens to
stalls on gilt fertility and sow longevity12-209 Optimal dietary energy and protein for the development of gilts12-210 Dietary effects on sow productivity to three parities13-022 Impact of in utero heat stress on subsequent growth, composition and
reproduction13-129 Understanding the biology of seasonal infertility to develop mitigation
strategies for swine14-133 Impact of in utero heat stress on subsequent lactational performance and
performance of offspring14-149 Capturing genetic potential for greater sow lifetime productivity 14-235 Optimal dietary protein for the development of gilts
Effect of Neonatal Litter Size on SLP
Reproductive Performance and Neonatal Litter SizeF
arro
win
g ra
te (%
) 90
80
70
60
2
100
0
3 4 5 61
Sow ParityN
umbe
r Bor
n A
live
11
10
9
2
12
0
3 4 5 61
Sow Parity
> 10 piglets (10.5 + 0.2)
< 7 piglets (11.0 + 0.1)
> 10 piglets (83.3%)
< 7 piglets (88.7%)
Adapted from Flowers 05-082
Fe
ma
les
rem
ain
ing
in p
rod
uctio
n (
%)
E = EntryB = Breeding - gilts F = FarrowingR = Rebreeding
Effect of Neonatal Lactation Litter Size on Sow Longevity
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
F1
100
0
R1 F2 R2 F3 R3 F4 R4 F5 R5 F6E B
Production phase
< 7 piglets
> 10 piglets
Adapted from Flowers 05-082
Effect of Birth Weight on Longevity
E = EntryB = Breeding - gilts F = FarrowingR = Rebreeding
Effect of Replacement Gilt Birth Weight on Sow LongevityF
em
ale
s re
mai
nin
g in
pro
duc
tion
(%
)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
F1
100
0
R1 F2 R2 F3 R3 F4 R4 F5 R5 F6E B
Production phase
2.6 - 3.5 lbs
< 2.5 lbs
> 3.6 lbs
Adapted from Flowers 05-082
Effect of Colostrum Intake on Puberty Failure
Adapted from Vallet 12-209
Effect of Nursery Floor Space on Productivity
Item
Floor space allowance, ft2/pig Gilt Birth Size
1.6 2.0 2.9 SE P S M L SE P
Initial BW, lb 12.6 12.5 12.2 0.07 0.12 4.43a 5.60b 6.92c 0.07 <0.01
Final BW, lb 56.1a 57.4a 59.2b 0.3 <0.01 23.1a 26.1b 29.4c 0.3 <0.01
ADG, lb
0.94a
0.99a
1.01b 0.01 <0.01
0.40a
0.45b
0.49c
0.01 <0.01
Impact of Birth Weight and Floor Space on Growth Rate
Adapted from Estienne 11-118
Item:
Nursery space allowance, ft2/gilt1.83 2.69 3.55
Number of gilts1 585 448 361Parity 1
Total born 12.94 12.93 12.92Born alive 12.24 12.17 12.20Born dead 0.71 0.78 0.74
Parity 2 Total born 13.08a 13.62b 13.05a,b
Born alive 12.47a 13.00b 12.49a,b
Born dead 0.64 0.66 0.60Parity 3
Total born 14.11 14.14 13.84Born alive 13.34 13.36 13.11Born dead 0.76 0.76 0.71
Parities 1 to 32 Total born 33.05 32.85 32.56Born alive 31.35 31.10 30.94
Impact of Nursery Floor Space on Sow Productivity
Development of a Physiological Test For Sow Longevity
Sow Retention for Reduced Neonatal Litter Size (< 7 pigs)
Adapted from Flowers 11-103
Sow Retention for Normal Neonatal Litter Size (< 10 pigs)
Adapted from Flowers 11-103
Relocation of Gilts Post-breeding
RELwk1 RELwk2 RELwk3 P-value
n 194 186 183
Inter estrus interval, d 20.7 ± 0.3x22.1 ±
0.3y23.0 ± 0.4y < .001
Normal inter-estrus interval of 18 to 24 d, % 83.9 ± 3.2 85.9 ± 3.3 78.3 ± 3.3 0.24
Shorter inter-estrus interval of < 18 d, % 9.8 ± 1.9x 3.2 ± 1.9y 2.3 ± 1.9y < .001
Longer inter-estrus interval of > 24 d, % 6.4 ± 2.5x11.3 ±
2.6x19.4 ± 2.6y < .001
No. of services 1.9 ± 0.03 1.9 ± 0.03 1.8 ± 0.03 0.59
4 wk conception rate, % 89.6 ± 2.5 90.0 ± 2.5 88.0 ± 2.6 0.81
Farrowing rate, % 84.2 ± 2.9 86.9 ± 3.0 84.6 ± 3.0 0.69
Total born/litter 13.4 ± 0.3 13.8 ± 0.3 13.3 ± 0.3 0.28
Pigs born alive/litter 12.5 ± 0.3 12.9 ± 0.3 12.5 ± 0.3 0.53
Gilts rebred within 7 d, % 95.4 ± 2.0 92.8 ± 2.0 95.1 ± 2.0 0.54
Timing of Relocation of Gilts on Performance
Key Take Aways
• Improvement in sow lifetime productivity will substantially impact profitability of all phases of production
• Litter of origin has a significant affect on sow lifetime productivity
• Gilt selection, development and management is one key to improving sow lifetime productivity
SLP-Related Resources
Stock No. Title
04764 Replacement Gilt Evaluation Pocket Guide
04822 Heat Detection Poster
04969 Scoring Sow Body Condition Poster
07002 Seeing What You Feel Poster
04842 Selection Guide Poster Set
This message funded by America’s Pork Producers and the Pork Checkoff
www.pork.org/research
