November, 1996 . Volume 19, Number 10
November, 1996 . Volume 19, Number 10
The Pork Profitability Summit is a conference designed for progressive pork producers who want to become more profitable. This is a two-day educational meeting addressing the latest technologies in pork production. Progressive pork producers will gain access to the latest technologies and information and future challenges facing the pork industry will be discussed. This conference is presented by the National Pork Producers Council in association with the National Pork Board and the Cooperative Extension Service. For a conference brochure contact your County Cooperative Extension office or Extension Swine Husbandry at (919) 515-2566.
Topics to be covered include:
Special features of the conference are:
When:
Where:
How to Register:
Advance registration for the conference is $95.00 and includes printed proceedings and handouts, lunch, reception and refreshments. To register call the National Pork Producers Council at 1-800-667-1436.
Program:
Tuesday, December 10
7:00 Registration
9:00 Welcome
9:10 Key Issues Affecting the Pork Industry
10:30 Break
11:00 Marketing and Pork Quality
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Cost Management
3:00 Break
3:30 Concurrent Sessions
Employee Management
Health and Disease Management
5:30 Reception
Wednesday, December 11
8:00 Environmental Concerns
10:30 Break
11:00 Political Action
What is the Pork industry's future?
Invited speakers:
12:45 Wrap-up and Adjourn
Todd See
Nutrient requirements for pigs are now usually based on the pig's capacity for lean growth. Therefore, to select the most efficient feeding program you must first know the rate of lean growth. Lean growth in this instance is expressed as lean gain per day. Consequently, measures of lean in the carcass at slaughter need to be combined with some measure of growth rate, such as daily gain, to provide true lean growth capacity.
These lean growth estimates are best made on pigs starting at approximately 40 pounds and slaughtered at approximately 245 pounds. Also, estimates should be recalculated periodically especially if a progressive breeding program is in place that is improving, hence changing, the lean growth rate. The pigs used for the estimations should also be raised under what constitutes standard conditions for the farm.
There are several procedures for making these lean growth rate estimates. The example calculations shown below are those outlined in the latest edition of "Life Cycle Swine Nutrition" published by Iowa State University.
Example calculations of lean growth.
A. Example data.
| Initial live wt. | 43 lb. |
| Initial lean, assume | 40% |
| 43 lb. to market | 110 days |
| Market weight | 243 lb. |
| Hot carcass wt. (HCW) | 180 lb. |
| Loin muscle area (LMA) | 5.5 sq.in.a |
| Backfat, 10th rib | 1 in.a |
| Fat free lean index (FFLI) | 48.5% |
| Yield | 74% |
aIf Loin Muscle Area (LMA) is not known, use 5.5 sq.in. To convert packer last rib midline fat to 10th rib off-midline fat, subtract 0.15 from last rib midline measurement.
B. Calculation of lean growth (with 10% fat).
Estimating pounds of carcass lean and percent lean (with 10% fat) if not provided on kill sheet.
Lb. lean = 2 + (0.45 x HCW) + (5 x LMA) - (11 x BF, 10th)
Lb. lean = 2 + (0.45 x 180) + (5 x 5.5) - (11 x 1.0) = 99.5
lb.
Percent lean (10% fat) = (lb. lean ¸ hot carcass
wt.) x 100
Percent lean (10% fat) = (99.5 ¸ 180) x 100
= 55.3%
Percent lean x HCW = lb. lean in carcass
C. Calculation of fat free lean (FFLI), lb./day
Lean growth, lb./day = ADG x % yield x % FFLI
D. Quick lean growth estimate.a
Avg. daily 10th rib fat thickness, in.
gain, lb. 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 1.1
Daily lean growth (with 10% fat), lb.
1.4 0.60 0.59 0.58 0.58 0.57
1.6 0.68 0.68 0.67 0.66 0.65
1.8 0.77 0.76 0.75 0.74 0.73
2.0 0.86 0.84 0.83 0.82 0.81
2.2 0.94 0.93 0.92 0.90 0.89
aAssumes 74% dressing percentage.
Charles Stanislaw
A Swine Health Summit, co-sponsored by the National Pork Producers Council and the National Pork Board, will be held December 3-4, 1996 at the University Park Holiday Inn, West Des Moines, Iowa. Key pork industry health challenges will be covered along with special sessions on PRRS, SEW, the Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex, Biosecurity and Futuristic Health Strategies. I am sure you will want to consider attending because maintaining the health of your herd is critical. For a copy of the complete program call 515-223-2600. If you wish to register, call 1-800-667-1436. There is a significant savings for advance registration and the deadline for advance registration is November 27.
Charles Stanislaw
As cooler weather sets in, a lot of extra mice and rats will move in out of the fields to take up house keeping in your swine facilities. This means that you may need to step up your rodent control program. Fortunately, baits tend to be more effective after cold weather arrives because insects and other forms of life, upon which mice and rats may feed in the summer, are not as available.
Proper bait selection and placement will greatly improve the results of a baiting control program. The following comments on using rodent baits properly, taken from PIH107, "Controlling Rats and Mice in Swine Facilities," are important to keep in mind as you carry out your own control program.
Rodent baits are available in several forms. Grain baits in a loose meal or pelleted form are available in small plastic, cellophane, or paper packets. These sealed "place packs" keep bait fresh and permit easy placement of the baits into burrows, walls, or other locations. Rodents gnaw into the packet to feed on the bait.
Anticoagulant baits formulated into paraffin blocks are useful in damp locations where loose grain baits would spoil quickly. Take care to avoid placing them in locations where they could be reached and fed on by pigs.
A particularly good bait material for house mice is canarygrass seed. In many situations, mice prefer such bait to hog feed or other cereal grains. Where ample feed is available to rodents, control can be improved by using baits prepared of highlypreferred foods. Likewise, those anticoagulant baits, which are lethal in a single feeding, are more effective in these situations.
Where water is scarce or absent, water or food items of high water content are often preferred to dry baits. Some anticoagulant rodenticide concentrates are available to be dissolved in water to make a liquid bait. Even though mice require little water to survive, they will quickly accept available water baits. When the water sources of rats can be reduced or eliminated, liquid baits will provide excellent control. Liquid baits can also supplement cereal baits, resulting in better control.
Important! Proper placement of baits and the distance between placements is important for successful control. Baits or traps must be located where rodents are living. Place baits or traps as close to their shelter as the rodent's alternative food resources. For house mice, space bait placements no farther than 10 ft. apart (preferably 68 ft.) in areas where mice are present. Since rats will travel farther to feed, baits can be spaced 2550 ft. apart. But whenever possible, place rat baits directly into, or very close to, rat burrows.
Bait boxes or stations provide a secluded feeding area, holding ample multipledose, anticoagulant bait for the rodents in that area. Bait boxes protect the bait from weather and exclude pets and other nontarget animals. Bait stations should be large enough to accommodate several rodents at one time and should have at least two rodentsize openings (1 1/2 in. for mice; 2 1/2in. for rats). Place bait boxes next to walls (with the openings close to the wall), or near burrows and in other places where rodent are active. Clearly label all bait boxes with "Rodent Bait Do Not touch" or other appropriate warnings as a safety precaution. To prevent bait boxes from being tipped over, fasten them to the floor or wall. Where young children, pets, or livestock may be present, secure the lids to prevent unwanted access to the bait. Some of the newer, "tamperproof" bait stations available from pest control supply distributors are more durable and will hold up inside swine structures better than light plastic or cardboard stations.
Charles Stanislaw