The Rural Voice, 1983-08, Page 62PERTH COUNTY PORK PRODUCERS' NEWS
U.S.D.A.
Report
The U.S.D.A. June report shows a major
build up. All hogs are up 11%, kept for
breeding up 9% and market hogs up 110/o.
The increases by weight category are:
Under 60 Ib. - 15%
60 119 lbs. - 9%
120 - 179 lbs. - 7%
180 lbs. + - 5%
Good Handling Award
to Prouse Transport
This year's Good Handling Award goes to
Prouse Transport of Mount Elgin.
O.P.P.M.B. General Manager, Helmut
Loewen, made the award at the Annual
Meeting of the Ontario Truckers' Associa-
tion (O.T.A.) in Toronto.
The O.P.P.M.B. presents the award each
year to recognize truckers with excep-
tionally low losses of hogs through death
or injury. The Board sees it as part of their
ongoing program to keep loss rates
amongst the lowest in North America.
Prouse Transport was selected from the
300 trucking firms who serve the Ontario
hog industry by a joint committee of the
Board, O.T.A. and the Canadian Meat
Council.
Runners up were:
R.J. Buckle, Teeswater
Finley Transport, Dresden
Hadaway Livestock Trans., Toronto
D. Jackson, Stouffville
R. Kaufman Livestock Tr., Bright
D. Kennedy, Ilderton
R. Lesway & Sons, Kinburn
Lightfoot Trans., Alvinston
E. & D. MacDonald, Dutton
Kenneth Mogk, Tavistock
O'Hara Trans., Cayuga
W. G. Reynolds, Bond Head
Roddick Trans., Wyoming
W. Thur & Sons (K), Elmira
W. Thur & Sons (T), Elmira
Sow selection criteria
If selection of breeding sows is done on
the basis of litter size at birth, the weight
of the piglets at 21 days old should also
be taken into account.
This was the conclusion reached by
geneticists at Cuba's institute of animal
science in Havana, following their detail-
ed study of the interrelationships between
the different reproductive traits. For this
investigation—which was part of a probe
into the reproductive performance of the
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Perth County Pork Producers
Annual Directors' Picnic
At the home of Peter Huitema
Sunday,
August 14
Pot Luck - Pork chops and refreshments will be served. Bring
your family and a salad or two for an afternoon of fun.
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PG 60 THE RURAL VOICE, AUGUST 1983
Duroc breed in Cuba—the researchers
analyzed the records of 3206 litters from
1062 cows and sired by 129 boars.
They were able to confirm the observa-
tion made in other countries, that there is
a high, positive correlation between litter
size at birth and level of piglet mortality
up to weaning. This relationship is unfor-
tunate, they commented, since it means
selection of sows on litter size born can
be associated with greater pre -weaning
losses.
To counteract that effect, they suggest
that the average weight of pigs at 21 days
be considered as an additional selection
factor. Their study had shown a desirable
positive correlation between average
21 -day weight and the mortality rate up to
weaning.',=
Managing summer cycles
Late summer temperatures, humidity
and daylength may have adverse effects
on sexually maturing gilts. Kansas State
University Extension researchers report
gilts tend to delay cycling during periods
of increasing temperature and when dif-
ferential between daily high and low am-
bient temperatures is small.
Researchers also have found seasonal
effects delaying puberty or inhibiting ex-
pression of estrus are more adverse in
confinement than nonconfinement.
If your gilts are confinement reared,
there are some ways you may induce first
estrus. Kansas researchers report mixing
gilts from confinement to outdoor Tots
also has been shown to facilitate heat
detection. Finally, exposing gilts to boars
for just 30 minutes daily may be more like-
ly to start gilts cycling earlier than any
other treatment.
Dr. Al Leman, veterinary scientist,
University of Minnesota says first -litter
gilts also delay returns to estrus after
summer weanings. He adds, however, pro-
ducers may be able to minimize slow cycl-
ing by proper management.
"Get as much feed as possible Into your
sows during summer lactation. In addi-
tion, avoid implementing a breeding
schedule during late summer months,"
says Leman. The Minnesota Agricultural
Extension Service reports researchers
believe abnormal return to estrus after
matings in July through September could
be due to miscarriage.
Producers also may manage the costly
effects of seasonal infertility by breeding
more females, providing of course, plans
for labor and additional boars are made.
Finally, Leman suggests concentrating on
the newly weaned sow. "She is the most
predictably fertile animal in your herd," he
concludes.11
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