Swine Production Efficiency Programme
The Production Effiency Programme supports animals to achieve the highest possible level of performance and feed efficiency, while maintaining the appropriate health status.
Achieving optimum performance
Optimal production is achieved when the animal reaches a high level of performance and feed efficiency, while maintaining good overall health. Ensuring nutrients are effectively processed and tailored to the pig's needs, while promoting growth and limiting nutrient loss is therefore an important factor in achieving optimal performance.
Enhancing production and feed efficiency
Feed costs are a major contributor to the total cost of production to market weight. For that reason, it is important for grower-finisher pigs to effectively use feed nutrients and invest them into performance rather than defence mechanisms. Optimising gut health is key to profitability because during health challenges, nutrients are redirected from growth and development toward other metabolic requirements. It is important that management will focus on supporting grower-finisher pigs to achieve the highest possible levels of production and feed efficiency, while maintaining the animal’s appropriate health status.
Promoting uniform growth
The percentage of carcasses within a desired weight range is a very important measure for the processing plant. To avoid difficulties with barn emptying and penalties, pig producers need to ensure their herd’s uniformity. We recommend implementing dietary measures to stimulate the growth of low-weight animals and ultimately achieve improved uniformity of the herd.
Swine carcass and meat quality
Modern pig genetics are selected for lean meat growth because, in many markets, lean and high-protein meat is highly valued. This lean meat growth (protein deposition) can only be achieved when the pig’s diet is formulated with sufficient amino acids and energy. Several other factors also impact carcass and meat quality traits, including visual appearance, pH, water holding capacity, and weight of individual cuts.
When animal health is compromised, a substantial part of consumed energy is used for coping, not maintenance, and effective digestion of protein decreases, according to the most recent research.
