" To Save Or Not To Save: How Far Do We Go To Save Little Pigs?"
Published:March 1, 2014
By:Paul Walker Thompson
“ To Save Or Not To Save:
How Far Do We Go To Save Little Pigs?”
By: Paul Walker Thompson
Submitted on March 01, 2013 Written on May 25, 2013
I have looked at many articles on the growth and livability of small piglets. The research done on small piglets usually set a lower birth weight limit of 2.2 lbs. (1.0 kg.). The strange thing about some of this research is that they exclude many of the small piglets I tried to save, some of which were 1.0 lb. (0.45 kg.) or less. Were these little piglets worth saving in a modern pork farm? I’m not totally sure, but I think so!
I would tip notch these 1.0 lb. piglet on both of their ears, but put no week notch on them. I did have one elected as a breeding sow ( Which should have never happened!). She was about 300 lbs. when she entered in to the Farrowing Barn, as a gilt, to farrow.
I’m not sure how these piglets finished out, but I always thought that the big piglet that got laid on and crushed was replaced by a runt that was saved. (I did , however, try very hard to keep the sows comfortable , so they would not crush piglets!)
I believe that there needs to be research done on piglets that weigh 1.0 to 3.0 lbs. (0.45 to 1.36 kg.) on how they finish out (carcass traits), their feed efficiency (F/G), and their profit or loss per head.
I do think that we should try to raise every piglet in the Farrowing Barn, and in the Nursery. We need to have a philosophy of “Life” at these levels! By the time a pig is a grower or finisher pig, it needs to earn its way. Slow growing pigs should not alter our All-In/All-Out Programs! Either finish them at another location (i.e. an Overflow Farm, or an Overflow Outdoor Lot), or market them as light pigs.
My guess is that we will find out that the extra runt piglets actually add profit to our bottom-line, as they take no more work from the grower stage onward, but help keep our facilities at maximum capacity!
I look forward to hearing from you what you think about this topic!
Sincerely,
Paul Walker Thompson
References:
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Brown, Dari Phd. (2009) “Pig Body Weight Variation: A Hidden Nemesis”
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