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Commercial Connection
One Leg At A Time
by Rick Pfortmiller, Director of Commercial Services
As we look across our world, our nation and our cultures, we no doubt see differences that exist between us. But, when it comes down to it, we are a lot alike. You have most likely heard the old adage that everyone starts their day the same; we all put our pants on one leg at a time.
The same can be said about the swine genetics business. No matter who is producing the genetics, from the local breeder to the multinational breeding companies, the genetic base all started from the same source – purebreds. Now, before you think that since we all put our pants on the same and we all started from a pureline base, and therefore no differences exist between swine seedstock sources; I must draw a distinctive line in the sand. There truly are separate philosophies in how we select and breed our product lines. I would like to illustrate some of these differences.
Genetic Consistency and Heterosis
Have you noticed the product lines coming out of many of today’s swine breeding companies and how they are listing what their lines are derived from and also how many are starting to offer “pure lines”? What has brought about this revolution? Well, two things happened that have changed the philosophy of the genetics companies.
1) Their product lines could not accomplish the cookie cutter goals established in the late 80’s and 90’s. Their hybridized lines that purportedly offered more growth, productivity and profitability actually yielded more inconsistency for the commercial producer. True, heterosis (that phenomenon that occurs when distinct breeds or lines are crossed) did occur, but it was occurring on their multiplication farms and not at the commercial level. I have been in countless farrowing houses and finishing barns and witnessed first hand this variability and likely you have to.
2) The packing and processing industry is moving towards more specification driven markets. The same hog does not work for commodity pork production driven at retail sales as the hog for food service and restaurant trade. The export market has also demanded some consumer-driven attributes that the cookie cutter hog could not provide.
The National Swine Registry and its commercial oriented breeders are not only rooted in the purebred base, but they have continued to build upon it using pedigreed ancestry and performance testing for economic traits through STAGES. You directly benefit when purchasing this documented seedstock when you know the genetic makeup of the individual lines and breed combinations and thus will capture the heterosis advantage on your farm. Unlike our competitors who would rather keep you in the dark with what is in their lines or how they performed in relation to their contemporary group or within the breed, our data is publicly available. Your market demands that you meet specifications in order to sell your product. You have every right to expect the same commitment from your seedstock source. The breeders featured in this issue stand ready to supply you with exactly that.
Attention to Detail
In my opinion, the pork industry is moving towards more micromanage-ment. I referred to a bit of this earlier when I spoke of specification driven markets. It been said that you cannot improve an area if you do not measure it. As margins continue to tighten in the swine industry, micromanagement becomes a necessity. One area that concerns me is the need to get a handle on health by focusing on producing replacement gilts in house. This is not a “new concept”. In fact, a number of herds have been practicing this for years. What has been interesting has been the migration of genetic companies who only recently offered terminal gilts and breeding packages have now begun to offer grandparent programs for closing herds up. To properly design grandparent systems, you must build with stock that has been selected for this purpose. To illustrate, I was told of a rather large grandparent system that is incorporating a base of pureline females from one of these large company sources. They were told to expect 65% conception rates on their GGP matings. It is apparent that the selection program in the past had not focused on fecundicity (fertility). This lack of attention to detail has a dramatic effect on the pig flow and profitability of this unit.
Another area of concern is the longevity of the sow herd. Dr. Ken Stalder has an excellent report in this commercial issue where he outlines the profit lost when sows exit herds prematurely. Reasons for high replacement rates are numerous but sow death loss and unsoundness rank very high for removal. This is a direct result of the genetic supplier not paying attention to structural correctness. National Swine Registry’s breeders have sometimes been accused of keeping sows around too long and thus hindering genetic progress. Looking at the economics, I would rather err on the side of building sows that last rather than the course taken by our competitors producing “disposable” sows. This attention to detail is only realized when a breeder is committed to spending time with his stock and observing. The large genetic entities rely heavily on anonymous labor to determine the future direction of a breeding program.
The Choice is Yours
Within this issue, you will find numerous breeders offering genetics that provide that consistency, heterosis and attention to what matters most. National Swine Registry also offers UltraCROSS Swine Breeding Solutions, under the direction of Mark Meurer, that can source your genetic needs if you require a different level of service from your genetic supplier. Either way, you benefit from years, even generations, of selection for the traits that matter most to you. Remember, we put our pants on one leg at a time just like you and will work hard to earn and keep your business.
