481 Current Knowledge Gaps in Swine Production Management

Recently I’ve started questioning everything I thought I knew about common management practices in the swine industry. As a scientist I’m trained to trust the science and use the data, but when the science contradicts common knowledge, do I question the science or question the common knowledge? Perhaps both, which has led me down a path to scientifically reevaluate the basic management principles of hog production; or taking it back to the basics. Management practices that were implemented 30 years ago are still being commonly used; however, over the years those practices have been altered to make them simpler or cheaper. By altering these fundamental principles, we may have unintentionally disrupted the overall intent of the principle and caused accidental consequences to production. For example, it is common knowledge that newborn pigs need to be dried at birth to improve the chance of survival. Originally these pigs were picked up and thoroughly dried and rubbed to stimulate the muscles and then strategically placed at the teat and encouraged to suckle. Over the years this practice has been altered; sprinkling drying agent over the litter instead of picking them up and using cheaper drying agents that may not be intended for this purpose, and placing the pigs down at the back of the crate. Robust and replicated science is needed to identify which components of these fundamental management processes are beneficial, serve a purpose, and therefore should not be adulterated. Therefore, prioritizing research back to the basics of fundamental management practices.

An Impact Analysis of Farmer Field Schools on Hog Productivity: Evidence from China

In recent decades, pigs and pork have been the central elements of Chinese agricultural systems, food security, and diet. China’s rapid income growth has induced a significant change in food consumption patterns, and hog production has received utmost attention from both, the Chinese government and the public. While the impact of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) on crop cultivation has been widely studied, few studies have examined the impact of FFS on hog production. This study uses data collected from 222 hog farmers in Beijing to examine the impact of FFS on the productivity of hog production, focusing on its three main indicators: feed conversion ratio and the mortality of sows and piglets. We found that farms that participated in FFS programs significantly improved the feed conversion ratio of hog production, particularly in small scale hog farms. On average, FFS reduced the feed conversion ratio for herd sizes of 1000, 500, and 200 by 6.8%, 10.7%, and 14.0%, respectively. We did not find evidence that farms that participated in FFS programs had a significant impact on minimizing the mortality of sows and piglets. This study suggests that the knowledge training model of the FFS program could also work in fields other than crop cultivation. Furthermore, we suggest that more attention could be paid to extension services diffusing knowledge of vaccination and disinfection in hog FFS programs.

Ecological Efficiency of Hog Scale Production under Environmental Regulation in China: Based on an Optimal Super Efficiency SBM-Malmquist–Tobit Model

China’s hog production is facing the dual pressures of the market and environment. A systematic analysis on the ecological efficiency (eco-efficiency) of hog cultivation is of great significance for the development of sustainability and distribution optimization in the industry. This paper investigates the eco-efficiency of hog production and the determinants of eco-efficiency in China using a panel data (2004–2018). An optimal Super Efficiency SBM-Malmquist–Tobit model is adopted for hog production analysis, and the empirical results show a great variation in eco-efficiency across provinces, ranging from 0.557 to 1.19 with a mean value of 0.937 in 2018. The predominant production area of hogs is found being transferred from north to south, with small- and medium-scale predominant production areas shifted from east China to southwest China, and large-scale predominant production areas shifted from north China to south-central China. Another finding is that eco-efficiency increased by the improvement of technical efficiency. In addition, the Tobit regression results show that, rural economic development, the government’s investment in environmental control, the market advantage index, and transportation conditions had positive effects on the eco-efficiency; meanwhile, the forbidden policy for livestock cultivation in certain areas, the structure of the hog-breeding industry, the density of slaughtered fattened hogs, and the prices of hogs had negative effects on the eco-efficiency.

Dynamic and Static Comparative Analysis on the Cost-Profit of Backyard Hog Production and Scale Hog Production in China

This paper uses a combination of dynamic comparison and static comparison to comprehensively compare the cost-profit changes and gaps between backyard hog production and small, medium and large scale production from 2007 to 2018 in China, and discusses the relationship between the cost-profit of hog production and production scales. The purpose is to provide data basis and support for the government to formulate relevant policies, and to provide reference for the transformation of farmers’ hog production behavior, so as to further promote the healthy and stable development of the pig industry. The results showed that: (1) the cost of backyard hog production is the highest, and the cost of large-scale production is the lowest, and the cost is inversely proportional to the scale of production; (2) the main incentives for the high cost of backyard hog production are the input of piglets, feed and labor, and The main incentives for the high cost of scale hog production are the input of piglets and feed. Scale hog production saves labor costs more than backyard hog production; (3) The net profit of backyard hog production is the lowest, and the net profit of medium-scale production is the highest. It is not that the larger the scale, the higher the profit; (4) The profit gap between backyard hog production and scale hog production is gradually expanding, and the economic advantages of scale hog production are obvious. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the production technology service system, develop moderately scale production, and improve the level of organization of farmers in order to promote the modernization and transformation of backyard hog production and further enhance the competitiveness of China’s pig industry.

At the Expense of the Environment

North Carolina is the second largest pork producer in the United States where 10 million hogs are raised annually resulting in 10 billion gallons of waste. Environmental risks, including the contamination of ground and surface water contamination, exist when the amount of nutrients in animal waste exceeds the assimilative capacity of available farmlands. This case study introduces students to the environmental impact of hog production associated with concentrated animal feeding operations and the externalized costs of industrial farms on freshwater and coastal ecosystems. A particular focus is on factors related to the location, governance, and monitoring of these industrial farms. The case engages with the long-standing challenge of how to better align economic development with environmental protection. The case allows students to explore the competing motivations of a diverse group of stakeholders and appreciate the challenges faced when private economic decisions made by business entities move into the public realm due to threats to the health and safety of the public and environment. Students should gain insight into the economic and regulatory factors that contributed to the proliferation of large, industrialized hog farms in North Carolina and how these same factors impact the development and implementation of solutions to mitigate environmental risk.

Conservation of criollo livestock in the United States: challenges and solutions

Conservation of criollo breeds in the USA provides for the survival of unique genetic resources that remain productive in challenging environments. Conservation is difficult because most criollo breeds are local and have no formal organization of breeders. Successful conservation has depended on establishing accurate breed definitions and investigations of phenotype, history, and genetics. Organization of breeders and of breeding has been essential for the final success of conservation efforts. Each specific breed has met its own unique challenges. Among cattle breeds, Texas Longhorns needed an accurate breed definition as well as genetic investigations, whereas Florida Crackers needed organization. Spanish goats required definition, organization, and research into their productive potential. This has led to the Spanish goat now being secure as a popular choice for extensive production of goat meat. Navajo Churro sheep are maintained by ongoing phenotypic evaluation at each generation and careful attention to the frequency of phenotypic characteristics within the population. The other criollo sheep breeds in the USA (Louisiana, Gulf Coast, and Florida) have benefitted from genetic studies that demonstrate differences among the breeds and guide conservation of each of these related types in isolation one from the others. The organization of criollo swine has lagged behind the others, with the Duroc standing out as an exception that has become one of the main breeds in commercial hog production.