Home > Iowa State University Digital Repository > Extension and Experiment Station > Research Reports > Animal Industry Reports > Vol. 654 (2008)
Animal Industry Report
Article Title
Extension Number
ASL R2362
Topic
Swine
Summary and Implications
Production of niche pork has been expanding in response to increased demand. Little information is known about production efficiency of niche pork. This report provides information on production efficiency from 41 niche pork producers.
The average female breeding herd size was 91 females. The average feed efficiency was 4.31 pounds of feed per pound of pork produced. The average feed efficiency for the top 15 herds was 3.74 and it was 4.25 for the bottom 15 herds. Average labor use was .87 hours per hundred pounds of pork produced. About one of every four pigs born alive died before weaning. Another eight percent died from weaning to market. Breeding herd death loss was in the 4 to 6 percent range.
The information summarized here shows striking production differences in many areas between the top 15 and bottom 15 producers. The areas with the largest differences are places with the most potential to help producers improve. Educational programming that targets these areas is being developed to help these producers make changes to improve their operations, which in turn will improve the position of this sector of the industry.
Copyright Holder
Iowa State University
Copyright Date
2008
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-811
Language
en
Recommended Citation
Stender, David; Kliebenstein, James B.; Huber, Gary; Mabry, John W.; and Honeyman, Mark S.
(2008)
"Efficiency of Niche Pork Production in 2006,"
Animal Industry Report:
AS 654, ASL R2362.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-811
Available at:
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ans_air/vol654/iss1/111