The Comparative Efficiency of Bred and Open Sows When Fattened and Slaughtered

Abstract

The comparative efficiency of bred and open sows when fattened and slaughtered was studied. The sows were full fed for an average feeding period of 57.5 days. Eighty-five percent of the individuals in the bred lot were carrying pigs when slaughtered. The average age of these litters was 55.8 days. The data showed that the lots of sows bred at the beginning of the trials (1) consumed 5.9 percent more feed daily, (2) gained 13.4 percent more weight daily and (3) required 6.4 percent less fed per pound of gain than open sows similarly fed and managed. The open sows, however, outsold the others by $0.34 per 100 pounds. Because of this differential, the bred sows returned 3.9 percent, $0.23 per head, less profit than the open sows. A comparison of the carcass data of actually bred and actually open sows showed that the open sows excelled in (1) dressing percentage, 2.1 percent;(2,) firmness of carcass, approximately ⅓ of a grade; and (3) grade of belly, approximately 1⅓ grades. The two groups of carcasses were similar in (1) thickness of fatback, and (2) yield of belly. Considering the dockage in both groups, the dressing percentages of the bred and open sows were 80.2 percent and 80.1 percent, respectively. Breeding of sows during the fattening period appears, therefore, to be an undesirable production procedure for both producer and packer. Copyright © . .