Pedigree reproducer for breeding pigs of Ukrainian meat and large white breeds

LLC "Lugovskoe" Solonyansky district, Dnepropetrovsk region

LLC "Lugovskoe" of the Dnepropetrovsk region is a breeding reproducer for breeding pigs of large white and Ukrainian meat breeds (an independent genealogical type of selection of the Dnepropetrovsk Agricultural Institute).

Producer boar and gilt 9 months old, weighing 155 kg

The high selection and production culture achieved in pig breeding allows the farm to have stable economic growth in the industry for about 10 years and produce high-quality breeding stock.

Suffice it to say that such well-known “pig breeding authorities” in Ukraine as Olimpex-Agro, Olimpex-Aurora, the Chumaki breeding plant, inter-district breeding enterprises of the Dnepropetrovsk region and other farms have repeatedly purchased replacement boars and gilts of both breeds from Lugovskoe LLC "

Replacement boars of the Ukrainian meat breed (type of selection DSHI) age 5.5 months, weight 95-105 kg

They produce over 8,000 piglets per year with multiple births of more than 11 pigs per farrow. Payment for feed in general for both herds is less than 4.8 feed. units taking into account queens and breeding boars, and without taking into account – 3.4-3.6 feed. units

At the base of 000 “Lugovskoe”, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and the Poltava Research Institute of Pig Breeding HAAH, a Ukrainian scientific and practical seminar-training on breeding meat genotypes of pigs was held.

The pherogram shows the high hereditary consolidation of pigs bred by DSHI for a number of microsatellite DNA loci, which at the genetic level confirms their high breeding value.

When breeding pigs, the most modern methods of population genetics, immunogenetic monitoring and studies of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA are used. On the basis of this, a program was developed for the improvement and development of these populations in a closed type - “in themselves”, which made it possible to create highly productive animals, highly adapted to the conditions of the Central steppe of Ukraine and to avoid veterinary risks associated with the acquisition of imported livestock.

Changes in gene frequencies for 9 genes as a result of selection in the gene pools of: a), b), d) and c) generations of pigs selected by DSHI; d) - large white breed of pigs

Since 2005, a highly inbred line has been created in the population of pigs selected by DSHI, the gene pool of which has been freed from genetic load. Representatives of this line are not inferior in productivity to outbred animals. They have high homozygosity and original genotypes for a number of genes, therefore they show a high heterosis effect when crossed with traditionally bred animals in terms of growth rate and feed costs.

In fact, this is a nuclear line!

On the synthetic basis of two breeds, work began in 2010 to create a line with genotypes resistant to pathogenic intestinal microflora.

Replacement gilts and boars of the fifth generation inbred line

At any pig-breeding enterprise, a reproducer (or queen cell), which includes an insemination workshop, a waiting workshop (pregnant sows), a farrowing workshop and a replacement gilts workshop, performs only one function - it must provide the rearing and fattening buildings with the required number of quality piglets daily/weekly/ monthly, so that later, when they are sold, the company makes a profit. The reproducer performs this function regardless of whether the production has a full cycle or is a separate reproduction facility. Traditionally, the efficiency of a breeder is often expressed by an indicator such as “the number of piglets produced per sow per year.” If you ask a hundred pig farmers or farm managers what the productivity of their farm is, they will all most likely give a figure reflecting the number of piglets per sow per year. This figure is even used to compare the efficiency of pig production in different countries.
As a method of measuring the efficiency of a loudspeaker, this indicator says little about the state of affairs of the enterprise. At best, it can be used to judge what results the sows give.
The reasons are as follows:

1. What is meant by the term “sow”.
   Differences in the interpretation of this term can be observed both between countries and within a country. They are associated with different understandings of when a pig becomes a sow: when entering the farm, during the first insemination, when pregnancy occurs at the age of 5 weeks after insemination, or even during farrowing. Also, the differences arise because everyone has a different understanding of when a sow stops being a sow: when she dies, when she is sold, or after she is culled.
   Obviously, when calculating the indicator “number of piglets per sow per year”, such discrepancies in the number of sows significantly change the result.
2. Falsification of results.
   Productivity indicators on farms may be deliberately distorted for one reason or another. In most cases, this occurs if a bonus system is used for low mortality rates or for a large number of piglets per sow per year. In other cases - when you need to conceal the theft of piglets or simply create a good picture of the results of the farm. The most common method of falsification is to have more sows than are reflected in the accounting system. Obviously, this will increase the number of piglets produced per sow per year. I have also seen piglets being returned to the sow's crate after weaning to be "weaned" again the following week (this was from a genetics company that paid bonuses based on the number of weaned pigs - thankfully that company no longer exists!).
3. From a mathematical point of view, we are comparing two variables – piglets and sows! Whereas for a correct comparison it is necessary to compare a variable value in relation to a constant value. For example, to compare the fuel efficiency of cars, we look at the number of liters spent every 100 km, not how long it takes to use up a tank of petrol!

Number of piglets per pen
To compare the efficiency of pig farms, a more correct indicator is the number of weaners per farrowing pen. The number of farrowing pens (spaces) on a farm is a fixed value, so when comparing the number of weanlings per pen, it is possible to compare how well farms cope with the limiting factors of production (their available area).
To determine the number of piglets per pen, divide the total number of pens by 5 to get the number of pens per week. Divide the average number of weaners per week by the number of pens per week.
Let's look at two identical breeders with a population of 2500 sows (2010 data).

When using traditional methods of measuring efficiency, the results of both farms are approximately the same, with some advantage for Farm B. If we look at the number of piglets per pen, Farm A looks significantly better. If we look at economic results, rather than just metrics as a way to boost our egos, then when we translate the numbers into sales, we see a significant financial difference.
(To calculate the amount of unsold meat, a 10% mortality rate in the period from weaning to slaughter, a slaughter weight of 115 kg and a price of 82 rubles/kg were taken).
In terms of the number of piglets per sow per year, farm B showed better results than farm A, but its income was significantly lower. Both farms do a good job of keeping sows, but Farm B is inefficient from a business point of view (insufficient number of sows and gilts, not enough sows bred). Just!

What should I do if my sows are not weaning at 11.5?
Most genetic types available today are capable of producing 11, or at best 14, weanlings. On new or modernized farms in Russia that have European genetics with a high health status, these indicators are achieved.
Unfortunately, such farms are a minority today, but even without such conditions, achieving target indicators is possible. If your sows are not currently weaning at 11.5 or they are unable to do so, it does not matter. Please remember that we are running a business and trying to achieve total weaning numbers (to maximize revenue). There are different techniques for producing more weanlings per pen than per sow.

Production cost
The main benefit of getting more piglets per sow is (at least in theory) that the cost of producing a piglet becomes lower. Naturally, this is good for the company. Of course, everything is not so simple. Many costs in pork production are fixed, meaning they do not change as production volumes change. Analyzing the costs of a pig farm and based on the definition of fixed costs, you can see that most costs are constant or change to such an insignificant extent that they are practically constant. Depreciation, wear and tear, labor, utilities, manure removal, repairs and maintenance remain the same regardless of sow herd size.
Costs that change include feed, pharmaceuticals and sow wear and tear. They make up the largest portion of all expenses.
It seems quite clear that the fewer sows used to produce the same number of piglets, the lower these three cost items will be.
However, by analyzing the amount of feed consumed by different farms in different countries, there are large differences in the amount of feed consumed per sow and even greater differences in the amount of feed consumed by sows per piglet.
Obviously, sows need feed to ensure their own vital activity and growth, regardless of production volumes. Sows also need feed to produce piglets - logically, the more piglets, the more feed is required.
On farms in Russia and around the world, I estimate that sows consume 1-1.5 tons of feed per year. If you look at the amount of feed consumed by a sow per piglet, at best this amount is 45 kg, at worst - 75 kg. Even among companies considered cost-effective, these figures vary significantly, ranging from 45 to 65 kg.
The difference in feed costs is quite significant and certainly has a wider range of values ​​than the difference in drug costs or sow wear and tear.
Assuming that feed consumption remains the same and the number of weaners per sow varies, this obviously also shows some differences in cost.
Surprisingly, the differences in costs due to different amounts of feed consumed are similar to the differences in costs caused by increasing sow productivity.
An interesting trend can be noticed regarding the amount of feed consumed by a sow per piglet produced: the higher the productivity of sows, the less feed is required per sow and per piglet. This is partly due to the consumption of feed that the sow needs for her own needs. However, how much of the cost is caused by overfeeding sows producing fewer piglets?
Monitoring the feed intake of sows is quite simple. There are technical solutions to this problem in the form of electronic feeders that recognize each individual sow using an electronic ear tag. The feeder automatically gives the sow the amount of feed she needs per day. Also, the exact amount of feed can be supplied using volumetric measuring cups, but since the density of the feed changes, regular calibration is required. If pigs are hand-fed, even simple chalk marks on the wall of the cage (how many ladles or buckets of feed are needed for a particular cage) can help.
The easiest way to control is to track the amount of feed used every week. Your nutritionist or feed supplier will give you a target amount of feed per sow per year. Multiply this by the number of sows and divide by 52 and you will get the total amount of feed required per week. If you use much more, the feeders will need to be calibrated. It is also an easy way to identify decreases in feed intake during the summer caused by hot weather. To ensure that the productivity of sows does not decrease, feed intake should not be limited. If feed intake in the farrowing barn is reduced, provide inadequate feed to sows early in gestation to compensate for excessive loss of body condition.

conclusions

1. The main function of the reproducer is the production of piglets, which will then be transferred to the existing areas of the growing and fattening workshops.
2. If the plan to produce the required number of piglets is met, the quality of the piglets becomes more important (a 4kg piglet is better than no piglet!).
3. Traditional efficiency factors (number of piglets per sow per year) tell us nothing about the profitability of the enterprise and can easily become false benchmarks.
4. To measure the efficiency of the reproducer, it is better to use the indicator “number of piglets per pen”.
5. A good target is 11.5 piglets per pen and this can be achieved with average sow production (on most farms).

Question 5. Production types of pig farms.

Pig farming is one of the most productive branches of livestock farming. It produces relatively cheap products (meat, lard, fat), which ranks second after beef. In the structure of meat products produced on farms, pork accounts for about 40%, and in the structure of all commercial agricultural products - 10-12%. Pig farming goes well with dairy farming and vegetable growing.

Almost all agricultural enterprises are engaged in pig farming. They can be divided into 2 groups: breeding and commercial.

The following should be classified as tribal:

1) breeding farms. They are called upon to create new and improve existing breeds, as well as to develop new breed types, families and lines;

2) reproductive breeding and other pig-breeding farms, where pedigree pigs and breeds bred at breeding farms are bred, breeding young animals are raised for commercial farms, agricultural enterprises, as well as farmers and personal, subsidiary plots, citizens;

3) breeding reproducers of complexes, as well as breeding farms, agricultural enterprises that receive and raise replacement young stock for commercial reproducers of their farms.

Breeding farms can have 100, 200, 300 and 400 main sows.

The group of commercial pig-breeding agricultural enterprises includes:

1) reproductive farms that raise piglets for up to 4 months and sell them to commercial farms;

2) fattening farms that receive piglets at the age of 4 months from breeding farms and fatten them up to 100-110 kg;

3) farms with a complete production cycle, having a parent herd and replacement young stock. They receive, raise and fatten piglets and adult animals to marketable standards. Sometimes reproduction and fattening are carried out at different companies of the same farm.

Pork production can be divided into several stages:

Reproduction of breeding and commercial young animals;

Growing and raising young animals;

Fattening of young and adult pigs;

All technological processes can be carried out either at one enterprise or at different ones separately. Depending on the level of specialization in pig farming, various forms and principles of organization of the industry have developed.

The main form of organizing pork production in agricultural enterprises is the farm, and in pig farms it is the workshop.

All farms are given self-supporting assignments.

Question 6. Organization of commercial pig farming.

Depending on the location of the enterprise, the type of feeding of pigs, the structure of the herd, the level of specialization and the direction of the industry (meat, lard, meat and lard), various methods of keeping pigs are used:

a) large-group free-range;

b) stall-walking;

c) without walking.

Large-group free-range housing is used for weaned piglets, replacement young stock, sows of the first period of pregnancy. Animals are kept in pens (sections). Feed can be distributed both in pens and in special feeding rooms. In this case, animals can freely walk in the fresh air on areas adjacent to the pigsty.

Stable and walking Lactating sows and the last period of pregnancy, as well as breeding boars, are kept. This method differs from the first one in that animals in walking areas are placed in pens (sections), where they are fed. There should be as many machines on the site as in the premises.

Without walking As a rule, fattening pigs are kept. The animals are fed here in the pens.

Groups of animals are formed depending on age and physiological state: single sows and the first period of pregnancy (10-15 animals per group); weaned piglets (25-30 each); replacement young animals (25 each); fattening pigs (20 heads each). Breeding boars and suckling sows are kept in individual pens.

Some farms organize pig keeping camps in the summer. It is usually common where pigs are kept in a combination of confinement and pasture.

Reproduction of a herd is the restoration and increase of the livestock through reproduction and rearing of young animals. Organization of reproduction of a herd of pigs includes:

Formation of breeding stock;

Establishment of optimal dates for mating and farrowing;

Breeding work;

Justification of the structure and turnover of the herd;

Feeding and keeping of animals;

Veterinary services.

The efficiency of pig farming is largely determined by the level of use of sows. To reproduce the herd, multiple and high-milk sows are selected that are capable of preserving and raising the maximum number of piglets. Typically, sows are used for 2.5-3 years. To replace rejected ones, the best specimens of replacement young stock are used. Such sows are called testable sows. Single sows also give offspring (1 time). The ratio of main and tested sows should be 1:1.

The efficiency of using sows depends on the length of the reproductive period. There are pregnant, suckling and single periods (Table 1).

Table 1. Efficiency of sow use

After 5-6 interviews, the productivity of the main sows sharply decreases and they are subject to culling according to the following method (Table 2).

For breeding stock, it is better to use purebred sows and boars of at least two breeds. This makes it possible to have purebred young stock for repairs, and for commercial herds - crossbred young stock, which gives higher average daily gains in live weight (by 20-30%).

Table 2. Calculation of culling percentage of main sows

There are five main breeds of pigs bred in the Republic of Belarus: Belarusian black and white, large white, large black, Estonian bacon and Hampshire. The first two are the most common (≈ 90%).

The age of the first mating in farms is approximately 9-10 months (live weight 120-140 kg), in complexes it is approximately 8-10 months (live weight 100-120 kg). Boars – from 11-12 months (live weight 160-180 kg).

Load per boar: with natural insemination - 20-25, with artificial insemination - 150-200 sows.

Farrowing is divided into uniform year-round and seasonal cyclical. For both types, tour surveys (3-4 days) can be used. This allows you to form piglets of the same age for growing and fattening.

Uniform year-round farrowing is typical for the complexes. Commercial farms usually use cyclic farrowing. Usually the first farrowing occurs in December-March, the second in June-August. In the period between these farrowings of the main sows, test and one-time sows farrow. This makes it possible to receive up to 70% of piglets in the first half of the year and raise them at a favorable time of year. The disadvantage is the unevenness of product receipt throughout the year.

The structure and turnover of pig herds on farms are developed based on the specialization of pig farming (breeding, commercial, with a complete production cycle) and other local conditions. So, for different types of farms it can have the following form (Table 3):

Table 3. Approximate structure of the pig herd, %

The age structure of the pig herd can be as follows: breeding boars and main sows up to two years old - 35%; from two to three years – 40, from three to four years – 25%.

The main performance indicators in pig farming are the following:

a) in reproductive farms - the number of reared young animals under the age of 4 months and their live weight per one average annual sow;

b) in commercial farms - the average daily increase in live weight during the fattening period;

c) in farms with a complete pork production cycle - pork output per average annual sow.

The turnover of the pig herd is planned both by month of the year and for the year as a whole. The turnover plan for the pig herd, the timing of mating of sows and their farrowing, the time of placing piglets for fattening and weaning, possible volumes of pork sales, the average monthly and average annual livestock are planned for each age and sex group. A herd turnover plan is necessary to calculate the need for premises, feed and labor.

Feed in pig farming accounts for up to 70% of all costs. There are two main types of pig feeding:

1) concentrated

2) potato concentrate;

A number of farms use root crops, grass meal, green fodder and food waste for feed.

To balance the diet, various types of protein and vitamin supplements are added. Feed can be distributed both dry and in the form of wet feed mixtures. Feed distribution is carried out using special equipment.

The concept of breeding work in pig farming

Breeding work is the principles, form and technique of breeding animals in relation to herds or groups for various production purposes. It includes selection as the process of creating new and improving existing breeds and types using methods of targeted selection and selection of animals.

In turn, breeding work is an organic part of the technology for producing livestock products, in particular pork. The decisive factor in the development of pig farming is animal productivity. The organization of production and labor is of great importance, but they do not depend on the level of productivity: after all, all animals - good and bad - must be fed, watered, manure removed, etc. Consequently, the same technology gives completely different results depending on the productivity of the animals.

Of course, productivity largely depends on feeding and maintenance, but under all the same conditions, the economic winner will be the farm that has the best animals in terms of heredity.

Breeding good heredity and highly productive qualities is not a matter of one day. This is purposeful and long-term work in breeding herds. The quality of this work is determined by the result of the production activities of industrial complexes and commercial farms, where breeding animals are used and conditions are created for the realization of the genetic potential of productivity and adaptation. Many years of experience have shown the need to separate selection from production, especially in large-scale industrial conditions, and at the same time create close and permanent ties between breeding and commercial pig farming. If in the first group of farms selection is the main thing, then in the second group only its results are used. However, the realization of productive potential is possible only with the obligatory implementation of certain breeding work both on commercial farms and on industrial complexes.

A Brief History of Breeding

In pig farming, the oldest English and German schools of breeders have historically developed, and somewhat later the Russian school.

The pioneers of breeding work are the English breeders Backwell, the Colling brothers, Wiley and Bates. They laid a solid foundation for livestock breeding and practical selection and achieved outstanding results. Backwell in the 18th century. conducted the first experiments to improve local pigs, developed the Leicester breed, without the infusion of blood from other breeds. His students used crossbreeding to solve special breeding problems. Using crossbreeding, the Colling brothers achieved better results than Backwell, but it was he who first used inbreeding and became the founder of an entire school of breeders.

The Leicester breed was small, so it did not last long. Backwell's followers crossed local English pigs with imported cultivated breeds. Robert Colling developed the average white breed by crossing local pigs with Chinese and Neapolitan breeds. In 1817, his farm was bought by Wiley, who significantly improved this breed.

A characteristic feature of the work of these and other English breeders is the use of close inbreeding, leading to an increase in homozygosity and persistent transmission of desired hereditary traits to offspring. But they also noted that close inbreeding is advisable only at the beginning of the selection process. This issue was finally clarified by Charles Darwin, who showed that crossing, combined with strict methodological selection over a number of generations, is a powerful means of transforming breeds. He also noted the harmfulness of excessive inbreeding.

The Backwell, Colling and Wiley pigs were early maturing, but small, so their crossing with late maturing large long-eared pigs began. As a result, in the middle of the 19th century. A large white breed was obtained - the queen of all pig breeds.

The German school originated in the 60-70s. XIX century, when many facts for scientific generalizations had already been accumulated. Its most prominent representatives were G. Nathusius and G. Zattegast. The peculiarity of this school of breeders was, first of all, a cautious attitude towards inbreeding. Crossing, in their opinion, provides the necessary breeding material that contributes to the improvement of animals. They crossed local pigs with imported English ones and got an outstanding pig for the beginning of the 20th century. German short-eared noble pig and long-eared noble pig. German livestock specialists paid great attention to body shape and constitution.

Our domestic school's roots go back to the end of the 18th century. and is associated with the names of Count A. Orlov and Professor M. Livanov, who issued the first recommendations on pig breeding. The scientist, along with choosing the best producers, attached great importance to proper feeding of animals. The taxonomy of domestic animals was given by Professor V.I. 22 years before the publication of Darwin’s work “The Origin of Species”. Vsevolozhsky.

Outstanding breeder I.V. Mertsalov attached decisive importance to the selection of queens, introduced the concept of three categories of animals (golden fund, queens of high quality in appearance and others), and was a supporter of group selection of outstanding sires. These methods, recommended in the late 40s. XIX century, were developed and deepened by other scientists.

Academician A.F. Mittendorf, for example, was the first to note the disproportionality of skeletal development during starvation in the embryonic period and established periodicity in the process of growth. Professor P.N. Kuleshov (Petrovsky Agricultural Academy) became the founder of Russian animal science. He showed that I. V. Mertsalov’s methods of working with animals were significantly better than the German system. His theoretical principles and practical developments, in particular on issues of animal constitution, are still of great importance in the improvement of breeds.

The first pig breeder in Russia was M. M. Shchepkin. He emphasized that the success of breeding work depends on the clarity of the tasks and the number of traits for which selection is carried out. He paid special attention to the strength of the constitution, reproductive and fattening qualities of pigs. M. M. Shchepkin opposed excessive enthusiasm for the size of pigs and demonstrated his sows weighing only 200-250 kg, which is optimal for modern pig breeding. MM. Shchepkin especially noted the role of pedigrees and introduced the concept of short factory lines. To consolidate the desired characteristics in the offspring, he used moderate inbreeding and at the same time rejected up to 70% of the resulting offspring. His herd became famous throughout pre-revolutionary Russia.

In the XIX - early XX centuries. Based on crossings of local pigs with imported breeds (mainly from England and Germany), breeds were created that were unpretentious in feed, well adapted to local conditions and quite productive, large, greasy type - Kalikinskaya, Livenskaya, Urzhumskaya, Breitovskaya, etc., which later were improved, many of them have survived to this day.

N. N. Zavadovsky played an outstanding role in the development of domestic pig breeding, especially in improving the large white breed. Academicians D. A. Kislovsky, M. F. Ivanov, A. I. Ovsyannikov and others made a great contribution to the development of the theory and practice of selection.

Until the 60s. XX century In the former USSR, genetics and selection developed poorly, and the achievements of world science were rejected or ignored. And only in the last third of the century did these sciences begin to develop rapidly, and this process coincided with the industrialization of pig farming and the creation of powerful industrial complexes. Regional pig breeding systems were created and implemented in the country, including those based on purebred selection, crossbreeding and hybridization, and valuable specialized lines, types and breeds were developed in a short time. The basis of this process was the system of creating breeding farms, ensuring the improvement of all existing breeds in terms of early maturity and meat production. Improving the genotype of pigs makes it possible to increase pork production by 1.5-2 times without large additional capital investments. In relation to modern conditions, the main direction of selection and breeding work is the creation of herds and breeds of pigs adapted to the conditions of intensive industrial production.

Breeding work in breeding farms and farms

The best part of the number of pig breeds bred in the country is concentrated in breeding farms. Animals are distinguished by high productivity and breeding value. In some breeding farms - "Industry" in Minsk, "Rekonstruktor" in the Vitebsk region of Belarus, "Ventsy-Zarya" in the Krasnodar Territory, "Katun" in the Altai Territory and "Primalkinsky" in Kabardino-Balkaria - the multiple pregnancy of large white breed queens is more than 12 piglets per farrowing, milk production - 55-60 kg, nest weight at 2 months - over 200 kg.

The main breeding method is purebred linear. A specific type is formed, differentiated into factory lines. They improve breeds for breeding and productive qualities, and widely use quality-tested offspring of sires. In the main herd, 30-35% of queens and boars form the leading group. The performance of these animals is 20-30% higher than that of the rest of the class group. Replacement young animals, including boars, are left from the sows of the leading group; young animals from the class group are raised for breeding and sale. Boars are assigned to uteruses of certain related groups, the selection is individual, but it can also be linear-group, in which uteruses of the same or another line are assigned to boars of a certain line, depending on the method of linear breeding. Each queen is assigned a main boar and a replacement (understudy) of the same line or related group. The planned load on a boar in the leading group is 10-15 queens per year, in the class group - 15-20.

The culling of the main herd is 30-35%, i.e. queens and boars are used for an average of 3 years (age 4 years), but in breeding farms, boars over 4 years old make up at least 28, and queens - up to 30% of the livestock. The higher the zootechnical culture and the better the veterinary care of the livestock, the more long-lived record-breakers there are in the herd.

The number of checked queens per year is usually 75-80% of the main ones, which makes it possible to introduce one queen into the main herd with one farrowing out of two or three. The ratio of the main and inspected boars is 1:1, from every ten inspected according to the results of the first year, no more than two or three are transferred to the main herd, and the rest are either sold to other farms or go to slaughter.

Piglets for repair are selected at the age of 2-2.5 months, weaning weight, exterior (must correspond to meat type) and productivity of the parents are taken into account. The next assessment ends the control rearing when a weight of approximately 100 kg is reached, when the thickness of the backfat is measured in gilts and boars while they are alive. The third time, gilts are assessed immediately before being assigned to mating (age 9-10 months, weighing at least 130-140 kg), and boars at the age of 11-12 months, weighing 180-200 kg. All pigs that are not standard according to these indicators are culled. Breeding sales of young animals are mainly carried out after they reach an age of at least 6 months, a weight of more than 85 kg and an assessment of the thickness of the fat.

Queens are graded after each farrowing, and boars - once a year at the date of birth. A report is drawn up annually and a summary appraisal sheet is filled out. Breeding records, cards and other documentation are kept in full form; valuation indicators for groups of boars, dams and replacement young animals are compared with the indicators of the selection and breeding work plan.

The results of breeding work of all breeding farms in the regions and the country as a whole are analyzed in computer centers.

Control fattening

Breeding farms that carry out this fattening with strict adherence to technology receive a significant premium to the selling price of young animals, because this in itself is a very labor-intensive and expensive breeding technique, through which a genotypic assessment of boars and, to some extent, queens is carried out based on the quality of their offspring.

Control fattening is carried out in special pigsties. At the age of 56-60 days, 2 pigs (weighing 18 kg) and 2 medium-sized hogs are selected from the nest, placed in a cage with an area of ​​at least 3.5 m2 and fattened from 30 kg to 100 or 120 kg. They are fed ad libitum with special compound feed with a high protein content at a rate of about 120 g/kg and given 1 liter of skim milk if the feed does not contain dry skim milk. Feed accounting is constant with removal of residues. Sick and stunted gilts are removed from fattening and are not taken into account when calculating data for the entire fattening period on feed days, gain and feed costs. After fattening, a control slaughter is carried out and the weight of the steamed carcass is determined, as well as the weight of the half-carcass chilled during the day. The thickness of the backfat over the 6-7th rib, the length of the side and side, and the weight of the rear third of the side are measured. Average data for the nest for the fattening period are displayed. The boar is assessed based on three simultaneous fattening nests (12 heads). A comparison is made with the planned indicators for the line or the entire herd, and an improver boar is bred according to the main selection trait. Deteriorating boars and some neutral boars are subject to culling.

Control cultivation

All boars and gilts selected for the breed are put to it, and their own productivity is assessed based on its results (phenotypic assessment). Growing is carried out at the maximum possible intensity of growth until the pigs reach a weight of 95-105 kg. For the assessment, the growth rate from birth to the end of rearing (up to 100 kg), the age at which this weight is reached, and the lifetime thickness of the back fat above the 6-7th rib with a weight of 100 ± 10 kg are taken into account. The growth rate is at least 500 g/day. Walking is organized on areas near the pigsty. There is no slaughter. The best animals are kept for breeding, the rest are sold.

Pigs that have gained a weight of 100 kg are transferred to regular housing or sold to other farms. To prepare animals for insemination, active exercise is organized. Of all the animals assessed by their own fattening and meat productivity, no more than half of the gilts and up to 30% of the boars are retained, and in case of linear breeding - according to the need for line successors, but no more than one out of 3-10 boars of a given line. Subsequently, boars are assessed for sperm quality, sexual activity and weight of offspring from all uteruses covered by a particular boar at the age of 2 or 4 months; Gilts are assessed based on their first parity. The best half of them are transferred to the main herd; for boars, the rate of transfer from the group of inspected to the group of main producers should not exceed 33% (one out of three).

Currently, there are specialized pig farms, including breeding, reproductive, fattening and state farms with a complete pork production cycle.

The task of breeding plants is to constantly improve the breed of pigs being bred and supply breeding breeding farms and commercial breeding farms with highly valuable breeding animals.

The task of breeding reproducers (breeding farms of complexes) is to reproduce pigs created in breeding farms and provide them with commercial reproducers. The most appropriate principle that should be used is the one-way direction of the movement of replacement young stock from the breeding plant to the breeding reproducer, and from it to the commercial herd.

Specialized commercial reproductive farms produce young animals for fattening with intensive use of broodstock, raise piglets to a weight of 35-40 kg and sell them to fattening farms.

Reproductive state farms are large specialized farms. In them, it is possible to divide the entire broodstock into two production groups - breeding and use. The breeding group (farm) of the herd produces breeding gilts for the repair of the breeding stock of the user group. It is stocked and maintained with purebred large white cattle imported from breeding farms. Only purebred breeding should be carried out here.

Further improvement of the breeding system consists of creating special farms instead of breeding groups - breeding reproducers and eliminating self-repair of broodstock at the two final stages of the system: breeding reproducer - commercial reproducer.

In the user group of the commercial farm, interbreeding is used (uterus of the Large White breed and Urzhum or Landrace boars) and the resulting crossbreeds are sent for fattening. Three-breed crossbreeding is also carried out, in which the queens of the breeding group are inseminated with sperm from boars of another breed, and the queens of the user group are completed and repaired with two-breed crossbred animals. Young animals for fattening are obtained from crossing two-breed queens with boars of a third breed.

All reproductive state farms are tasked with further increasing the production of early maturing young stock for fattening. Therefore, along with improving feeding and living conditions for animals, targeted breeding work is one of the main ways to increase the productivity of sows in reproductive herds, improve the quality of pig products and increase the efficiency of this industry.

A typical reproductive farm is the Budennovets state farm in the Moscow region. In 1977, the state farm had 5,535 hectares of agricultural land (including 3,578 hectares of arable land). The production of piglets on the state farm reached 40 thousand heads. According to the conveyor technology plan, 130 sows are inseminated weekly, which makes it possible to accept farrows from 100 queens and transfer 790 piglets for fattening.

State farm "Taldom" is one of the largest pig breeders in the Moscow region. Here, from year to year, the number of raised piglets increases, which go to the region's fattening farms. In addition, the state farm also sells piglets to its workers and employees for fattening on their private plots.

For the tenth year now, the Taldom state farm has been a non-exhibition farm at the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements. Delegations of agricultural specialists from the Byelorussian and Kazakh SSR, the Baltic republics, Siberia and the Far East come here. The creative team of state farm specialists is constantly searching for the best ways to raise piglets, maintains close contacts with five agricultural institutes, and boldly introduces scientific achievements and best practices into production.

The state farm has five workshops: a pig breeding workshop, producing 60 thousand piglets per year; dairy farming, numbering 2750 cows with an average milk yield of 3400 kg; crop production; mechanization and construction.

The pig breeding workshop has three production areas, where 20 thousand pigs are simultaneously kept. The commercial farm includes two production areas. Here 40 thousand piglets are raised throughout the year. On the breeding farm, 20 thousand piglets are raised, of which 2-3 thousand are breeding pigs. An average of 8.9 piglets are produced per farrowing; the weaning weight is 15.9 kg. The cost of 1 centner of weight gain is 161 rubles, labor costs are 14 man-hours, feed is 5.4 centners of feed. units The state farm transfers piglets to fattening farms at the age of 3.5-4 months with an average weight of 32 kg for 2 rubles. 80 k. per 1 kg. The profit from the production activities of the pig breeding workshop is 1 million 380 thousand rubles. Almost over the last seven years, the state farm has increased the production of piglets by 1.5 times, and the receipt and transfer of young animals to fattening state farms has become uniform.

One of the main conditions for the successful implementation of the production program is a new organization of production, which has a significant impact on the intensity of use of breeding stock, premises, technological equipment and, ultimately, on economic indicators.

Pig-breeding enterprises with a complete production cycle combine the technological processes of livestock reproduction and fattening of pigs. The following principles are observed:

1. Maximum specialization and cooperation using the latest achievements in the field of feeding, breeding, genetics, pig physiology, mechanization and automation of production processes integrated into pork production lines.

2. Providing enterprises with complete industrially produced compound feeds in accordance with the physiological needs of animals of various sex and age groups.

3. Special rearing of replacement young stock for transfer to industrial complexes.

4. Training of highly qualified personnel, creation of working conditions equal to working conditions in industry, and maximum satisfaction of the everyday and cultural needs of all workers involved in production.

The organization of production at such enterprises is based on technological schemes for reproduction and fattening, which take into account the biological characteristics of pigs of each age group and provide for the intensive use of premises, equipment, mechanization and labor. The technological scheme should ensure uniformity, rhythm and a constant level of production of commercial pigs in large, homogeneous batches.

Typical industrial enterprises are complexes with a complete production cycle with a capacity of 108 thousand fattened pigs per year. These complexes are designed to produce 108 thousand marketable pigs each year weighing 112 kg at the age of 222 days, which makes it possible to obtain 12.6 thousand tons of pork. The livestock here is divided into homogeneous groups depending on age and physiological condition. The main production units are groups of queens, which are formed during insemination and maintained during gestation and the suckling period until the piglets are weaned, as well as groups of piglets, which go through all stages of growing and fattening.

The size of a pig farm - breeding, reproductive or with a complete production cycle - largely depends on the size of the average annual number of sows. This indicator determines the possibility of obtaining the required number of animals. The most common capacities of enterprises with a standard technological process are the production of 12 thousand, 24 thousand, 54 thousand and 108 thousand fattening pigs per year.

The volume of pork production at these enterprises is determined not only by the number of animals fed. If an enterprise specializes in the production of piglets, it should take into account the mass of weaned piglets that go for sale, and, in addition, the mass of culled replacement gilts and sows, which is part of the annual production volume of this enterprise.

If the enterprise has a complete production cycle, then in addition to the weight of sold fattened gilts, the weight of culled replacement gilts and sows is also taken into account, which constitute 3.4% of the livestock, or 5.6% of the sold weight.

At pig fattening enterprises, 100% of the annual production volume is formed from the mass of fattened pigs.

Approximate indicators for calculating the volume of annual production for reproductive state farms with 75% marketability of production can be as follows: sales of weaned piglets with an average weight of one head of 30 kg is 95.77%, sales of queens weighing 160 kg - 2.82%, culled replacement pigs weighing 115 kg - 1.44% of the total number of animals. The production of pig weight in farms of this type should be distributed as follows: weaned piglets - 80.5%, cull dams - 14.3, cull replacement gilts - 5.2%.

Thus, specialization leaves a unique imprint on the production of final and intermediate products, which must be taken into account in the continuous production of pork.

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