THE MetaFarms Production Index for the third quarter of 2016 elucidates the effect summer weather had on pig performance in finishing and wean-to-finish barns. The index is based on closeout performance data for nursery, finishing and wean-to-finish groups and shows how those compare with the same year-ago period.

Data are sourced from pork producers using the MetaFarms Enterprise Agriculture Management software solution and represent more than 500 pork production companies in the U.S. and Canada. Data include more than 1,000 nursery closeouts, more than 1,800 finishing closeouts and more than 350 wean-to-finish single stocked closeouts. The data have been scrubbed and made anonymous to protect confidentiality.

Nursery groups closed in the third quarter started on feed in May, June and July; finishing groups started on feed in February, March, April and May, and wean-to-finish groups started on feed in January, February and March.

Nursery mortality increased 0.14% from the third quarter of 2015 (Table), which is the third consecutive quarter-over-quarter increase. When comparing mortality from the first quarter of 2016 (3.64%), there was a substantial decrease of 0.76% (a 20.88% change) by the third quarter of 2016 (2.88%).

Average days on feed rose a full day from the second quarter of 2016, which affected the increase in the average out-weight (1.3 lb.) and feed per head (2.0 lb.) but had little to no effect on average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio.

Finishing ADG dropped to 1.83 lb. per day due to the warm weather of the summer months, while ADG in the previous three quarters was between 1.90 lb. and 1.93 lb. per day. The next area to look at is how weights were affected. When comparing the second quarter to the third quarter of 2016, the average out-weight was down 4.4 lb. (-1.6% change), even though average days on feed were up 1.6 days (116.6 to 118.2 days) and days to first market sale rose 1.9 days (100.2 to 102.1 days).

Mortality improved from the same period last year and has stayed in the range of 4.04-4.37% over the last six quarters.

Wean-to-finish mortality increased 1.51% since the 4.75% reported in the first quarter of 2016 (24.12% change). The third-quarter 2016 mortality, at 6.26%, was up 0.94% from the second quarter (5.32%) — a 15.02% change.

Wean-to-finish performance saw the impact from the summer months: ADG dipped 0.04 lb. per day (-2.4% change), average out-weight decreased 3.0 lb. (-1.1% change), average days on feed increased 2.3 days (1.4% change) and days to first market sale increased 2.7 days (1.8% change).

Volume:88 Issue:12