AS-439
Animal Sciences Swine
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE PURDUE UNIVERSITY, WEST LAFAYETTE, INDIANA 47907
Economics of Swine Selection Programs that Improve Efficiency of Commercial Swine Production
Allan Schinckel, Swine Breeding and Genetics,
Department of Animal Sciences
If the swine industry is to prosper in the United States, disciplined, well-planned efforts must be taken to improve production efficiency. Poultry, which is pork’s major competitor in the market place, has made rapid genetic improvement resulting in more efficient production. Genetic selection has more than doubled eight-week weight of broilers (Table 1) and improved feed efficiency so that most broilers produce one pound of live weight gain for every 2.0 to 2.15 pounds of feed.
Because of genetic selection for growth rate, feed conversion, and dressing percent, broilers require only one-third as much feed per pound of retail product as pork (Table 2). More efficient poultry production has resulted in relatively low poultry prices which has shifted consumer demand. From 1963 to 1983, per capita consumption of poultry (chicken and turkey) increased by 70 percent (37.5 to 63.4 lb.) while pork consumption declined 11.5 percent (63.3 to 56.0 lb.).
The most alarming statistic is the sizable decrease in the number of swine producers in the U.S. In 1979 there were 700,000 swine producers and in 1984 there were only 450,000 producers. This is equal to a loss of 9.2 percent or about one out of every eleven producers each year. Pork production's slower rate of improved efficiency as compared to poultry production is primarily responsible for this decline.
To compete with poultry and other alternative sources of protein, the swine industry must become more efficient as measured by the cost of producing a pound of quality retail product. Improvements in efficiency must occur in all areas of swine production: nutrition, management, health, and genetics.
Improved Efficiency Through Genetics
Genetic selection is responsible for most of the improvement in both growth rate and feed efficiency of poultry (Table 1). The swine industry has not had the leadership for, nor commitment to, performance testing and selection necessary for any consistent genetic change to occur. The swine industry has been filled with many ideas about how genetic progress can be made, but comprehensive genetic improvement programs have not been widely implemented. Comprehensive genetic improvement programs must include three features: 1. accurate, complete performance records including accurate animal identification, consistent measurement of all available observations (not on-again, off-again, or single boar performance testing), and precise definition of contemporary groups (animals of the same breed and sex which have had an equal opportunity to express their genetic potential);