Profitable Pork Production

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What opportunities exist with loose sow housing?

What is “loose sow housing”?

Find out how genetics impact loose sow housing success...

Gentle disposition a must for loose sow housing...

Mobility and sow durability go hand in hand...

Contact us today - we'll help you plan for your future success no matter what your current facilities may be!

Closed herds offer greater profitability in loose sow housing.

What the heck can a closed herd offer to loose sow housing, anyway? Maybe more than you might think at first...

Closed herds offer greater profitability in loose sow housing.

Let’s review some of the common issues emerging as concerns for pork producers in the transition to loose sow housing.

First, there’s sow disposition. Loose sow housing demands social pigs. Knowing and controlling the genetics of your herd (as happens in a truly closed herd) means you can develop the personalities of the animals through culling “mean” animals and continuing the lines of more social pigs.

Second, there’s sow conformation and durability. When pigs weren’t developed for an environment that encouraged mobility, sound sow conformation (or the lack thereof) wasn't a priority. But in surroundings where mobility is encouraged, sturdy legs and feet matter. Closing a herd while including genetics sensitive to sow conformity is one way to smooth the transition to loose sow housing, and then to keep those genetic advances stable.

Finally, there’s the need to consider your production numbers. Can you profit with a closed herd, group sow housing production system? Absolutely. In fact, you'll likely experience an increase of pounds of meat to market when you close your herd with the right genetics and production system.

As a pork producer, your cash flow depends on a steady throughput of quality pigs to market. Closed herd systems can do one very important thing, and that is reducing variation in the grower/finisher. Sick animals and death loss are the highest-cost variation in finishing. You need animals with solid genetics in a biosecure environment to end up with a consistent cash flow and healthy herd. Your cash flow will improve as more quality animals, with more weight and sound pork quality, make it to market. And the Babcock system can consistently deliver over 6,000 pounds of pork sold per sow per year:

* A recent study of Babcock market hogs shows an average wean-to-finish daily gain (ADG) of over 1.7 pounds with an average finish weight of 266 pounds.

* A 2006 study of several Babcock customer herds indicate that at 21 days, Babcock weaned pigs averaged 15.5 pounds in weight—nearly 2.3 pounds over what is considered to be a desirable goal of 13.2 pounds.

The biosecurity of a closed herd protects your cash flow from the expenses associated with disease. Outbreaks can cost up to $250 per sow through declines in farrowing rates, decreased total born, increased stillborns, weaker born pigs and decreased growth rates. On the finishing side, loss can be up to $12 per pig from poorer feed conversion, more culls, higher mortality and increased health costs.

Many of our customers have reported a net savings of $7-$8 per pig vs. open systems. Those savings come in several ways. For example, the reduced disease risk that comes with closed herd production results in fewer vaccinations and the need for other veterinary interventions. Producers implementing Babcock’s Closed Herd System typically see health cost reductions of $3-4 per pig, with several herds reporting health costs of less than $1 per pig. Many of these farms are currently producing and selling antibiotic-free pork. Customers also report varied yet significant savings in feed, labor, and genetics vs. their previous open systems.

These numbers hold up in loose sow housing. We should know. We use loose sow housing for our own nucleus herds. For us, “closed herd loose sow housing” is a production strategy that works today, and is ready for the future. We're ready to serve you so you too can use closed herd, loose sow housing to bring you the cash flow you need not just to survive, but to thrive.

Contact Babcock Genetics today to become a least-cost producer of the highest quality pork!

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