PERFORMANCE OF SELECTED PHILIPPINE COMMERCIAL PIGGERY FARMS WEANING AT DIFFERENT AGES

Abstract

Philipp J Vet Anim Sci 2012, 38 (2): 127-133

Twenty-four swine commercial farms participating in a three-year monitoring project were grouped as practicing early (n = 3; 21-24 d), moderate (n = 12; 25-27 d) and late (n = 9; 28-31 d) weaning to determine if there are differences in farm performance. Results showed that farms practicing early weaning had better reproductive performance (P<0.05) and gave 3.81 and 2.4 more pigs weaned/sow/year, as well as 1.9 and 1.46 more pigs produced/sow/year compared to those practicing moderate and late weaning, respectively. However, it was seen that farms practicing early weaning had lower (P<0.05) average weaning weight, adjusted 180-day weight, weight of regular slaughter hogs sold and average daily gain than those practicing moderate and late weaning. Although early weaning improved pigs produced/sow/year by 1.46, this was significantly offset by 0.05 kg lower average daily gain, resulting to comparable weight of pigs produced/sow/year.