Replacement stock ?

Breeding questions, sow talk, semen management, baby pig basics
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Mmueller
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Replacement stock ?

Post by Mmueller » Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:35 am

Has anyone kept replacement gilts and boars back from first time gilts without any noticable difference. Or is it just an old wives tale not too. Thank you Mike

Norm
Boar Stud
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Location: Eastern PA

Re: Replacement stock ?

Post by Norm » Thu Jul 30, 2020 6:56 pm

Your operation, your rules. I've kept replacements from first parity females. In theory it is your best genetics. My selection criteria is to only keep females if the sow conceived first service, farrowed with minimal difficulties, has a proper underline, and wasn't from a boar heavy litter (i.e. 6 of 7 pigs are boars). Boars is a bit different if I like them to 50 pounds, I feed them to 250. They change too much in the growing phase to honestly asses them. Plus they have to be pretty special, overrun semen is too cheap and gates are too expensive for me to deal with raising boars. I disqualify any sex if the litter has things like hernias, retained testicles, or other genetic conditions. I just don't have the time for those shenanigans.

Mmueller
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Re: Replacement stock ?

Post by Mmueller » Thu Jul 30, 2020 8:02 pm

Thank you for your reply. That was my feelings exactly. I have a small processing plant we we supply customers with our hogs. I believe that my genetics are a perfect blend of material bacon type hogs. But currently there is a good market for bred gilts. The current batch coming up is from gilts. I was going to put the best in with my young boar on the early end of the timeline. That way if they don't take, or I see any issues that I don't like, they will still be young enough to butcher like normal. If they don't sell, I will just farrow them out and not lose any sleep. Thank you Mike

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