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Effect of Sorting and Mixing Strategy on Pig Growth Performance
Taxation Tidbits:  Financing Retirement for Farmers and Other Small Business Owners
Variation in Feed Nutrient Levels
AgriExpo 2001

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Effect of Sorting and Mixing Strategy on Pig Growth Performance

An often misunderstood swine management practice affecting swine performance is the social environment or interaction of pigs within and between pens. Social environment in a building is difficult to change because pig flow was determined by the facility's original design. Typically, pigs have been sorted in an attempt to optimize growth rate, make efficient use of available space, ensure pig health, and reduce pen weight variation.

Sorting By Weight
A Canadian study evaluated weight variation at market of weaning pigs which were sorted into either a high weight variation (20 lbs.) or a low weight variation (10 lbs.) treatment. The results indicate that the low weight variation in a pen was not maintained through finishing. The social strife in a pen appears to be the greatest between pigs of similar weight because the hierarchy structure of the pen is possibly pushed to increase variation until social order is established.

Sorting By Sex
Producers have begun sorting pigs by sex to reduce feed costs and better match nutrient supply with requirements. Barrows grow faster, eat more and have higher nutrient requirements than gilts. While research has shown split sex feeding does not impact market weight variation in a pen, it does decrease cost of gain.

Sorting By Litter
It is known that mixing pigs results in more aggression, which ultimately affects the productivity for at least the following 2 weeks. One way to maintain familiarity is to keep litters of pigs together at weaning. However, studies have shown no differences in performance due to the number of pigs coming from the same litter within the same pen.

The data suggests that the wean-to-finish response is a nursery phase response with no difference in growth performance between the housing (wean-to-finish) and mixing during the growing-finishing phase. Those pigs housed in a wean-to-finish building did have a lower coefficient of variation at market weight or when the first pig was removed from the pen, which could result in better market premiums or less sort loss applied by the packer.

Wean-to-Finish Technology
The objective behind the development of wean-to-finish facilities was to minimize the moving and resorting of the growing pigs between the nursery and finishing phase. Earlier wean–to–finish research has only looked at the impact during the nursery period on growth performance. The research concluded that pigs housed in wean-to-finish housing systems were slightly heavier in body weight at the end of the 8 week nursery period compared to pigs weaned into a conventional nursery. However additional research has shown little improvement in subsequent grow-finish performance.

An experiment was conducted evaluating the following four housing treatments:

1) Wean–to-Finish (WF) into 2.4 x 4.3 m pens (15 pigs/pen)
2) Double stock wean-to-finish (Same pen)
3) Double stock wean-to-finish (Move to new pen)
4) Nursery (N)

The research referenced indicates the best method to sort or mix a group of pigs at weaning is whatever minimizes labor requirements and maximizes the pig flow through facilities. There appears to be no lasting impact of mixing or sorting on nursery or grower pig performance. Sorting by sex can improve feed efficiency and reduce feed costs. Regrouping pigs for the finishing phase should be avoided.

(Author: Marcia S. Carlson, State Swine Nutrition Specialist, University of Missouri Columbia) 

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Taxation Tidbits:
Financing Retirement for Farmers and Other Small Business Owners

  SEP “Simplified Employee Pension”

Employees who must be covered by the plan:

	attained age 21,
	performed service for the employer during at least 3 of the immediately  preceding 5 years, and
	received at least $450 in compensation for the current year (2000).

Contributions:

	are the lesser of $30,000 or 15% of compensation (adjusted net income for the self-employed) and
	only the employer can contribute to this account.

Other important considerations:

	While distributions from this plan must begin when participants  reach the age of 70½, sole proprietors, partners, and  corporate employees can continue making contributions regardless of age.
	The deadline for establishing and funding a SEP is the due date  of the employer’s income tax return, including extensions.