Female lifetime productivity in a swine integration system using segregated gilt development units

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Reproductive Biology
• Swine Production Systems

Background:

• Understanding female lifetime productivity is crucial for optimizing swine herd management.
• Brazilian swine integration systems utilize segregated gilt development units (4S) and sow farms (SF).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate female lifetime productivity within a Brazilian swine integration system.
• To identify the primary reasons for culling females at different stages of production.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of records from 5,013 culled females across 3 fourth sites (4S) and 10 sow farms (SF).
• Evaluation of culling reasons, days in herd, parity at culling, and lifetime pig production metrics.

Main Results:

• Locomotor problems were the most frequent culling reason in 4S, while litter performance was dominant in SF.
• Females culled for reproductive failures had the lowest lifetime pigs born (33.5 ± 1.1).
• Sows culled for litter performance showed the lowest pigs born per year (22.8 ± 0.3).

Conclusions:

• Culling reasons and their impact on lifetime productivity differ between gilt development units and sow farms.
• Reproductive failures and litter performance significantly reduce lifetime female productivity in swine operations.
• Optimizing gilt development and sow farm management is essential for enhancing overall herd productivity.