TITLE:
Physical Conditions of Cull Sows Associated with On-Farm Production Records
AUTHORS:
Mark Knauer, Ken Stalder, Tom Baas, Colin Johnson, Locke Karriker
KEYWORDS:
Cull; Productivity; Sow
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.2 No.3,
September
28,
2012
ABSTRACT: Cull sow physical conditions were associated with on-farm production records. Sows (923) within one integrated U.S. production system were evaluated at two harvest facilities. Physical conditions evaluated at harvest were analyzed by parity, culling code and production measures. Farm culling codes were categorized into poor body condition (BC), old age (G), lameness (L), other (O), poor litter performance (P) and reproductive failure (R). Production measures included lifetime pigs born alive (LPBA), pigs born alive in the last litter (PBALL), pigs per sow per year (PSY) and weaning to culling interval. The L culling code had a greater (P