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The production of more fast–growing heavy pigs every year

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

M.A. Varley
M.A. Varley*
Affiliation:
Provimi Ltd., SCA Mill, Dalton, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 3HE, UK
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Extract

The pursuit of enhanced prolificacy and fertility has been a major goal for the British pig industry for some years and throughout the 1960s to the 1990s advances were made that were generally due to better nutrition and management but genetics also played a significant role. Health status also influences reproduction and the production of faster growing pigs to slaughter. In recent years as farms have become larger and more intensive, our national health status may have been in decline to the detriment of female and male reproduction. Figures 13.1, 13.2 and 13.3 illustrate the changes we have seen in 3 important reproduction characteristics, using data from MLC yearbooks, 1970 to 2003. Farrowing index improved rapidly in the 1970s due, in part, to early weaning reducing the average farrowing interval, but also increased producer awareness of mating management and heat detection procedures helped to push this upwards.

Type
Section 3: A return to competitiveness
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 31: The Appliance of Pig Science , 2004 , pp. 85 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 2014

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References

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