TOPIGS Achieves 28.6 Weaned Piglets/Sow/Year
BRAZIL - Pig producers in Brazil with TOPIGS sows achieved an average production of 28.6 weaned piglets per mated sow per year in 2008.This is an increase of 0.8
piglets compared to 2007. This conclusion has been drawn from the technical
results of 25 farms with a total of over 38,600 TOPIGS 40 sows. The top farms
achieved 30.67 weaned piglets per mated sow.
In 2008, the average litter size was 12.4 live-born piglets (2007: 12.1). The
farrowing rate was 92.9 per cent (2007: 92.1 per cent). In 2008, the mortality rate of the
piglets until weaning was 7.1 per cent, about the same as in 2007. These results
clearly demonstrate that the efforts TOPIGS has made since 2002 to improve
piglet vitality and piglet survival, are paying dividends.
The low sow mortality rate of 4.8 per cent is another example of the work TOPIGS is
doing to improve vitality and robustness. This sow mortality is significantly
lower than the Brazilian average.
The technical results are mostly gathered on farms that are located in the
central and western part of Brazil, a region with an average temperature of 31
degrees Celsius. The results show the outstanding performance of TOPIGS 40
under these tropical conditions.
Table: Results of TOPIGS 40 sows in Brazil in 2008 | |
Number of farms | 25 |
Average number of sows | 1546 |
Interval weaning - 1st service interval (days) | 5.4 |
Sows inseminated 7 days after weaning (%) | 91.2 |
Farrowing rate (%) | 92.9 |
Litters / mated female / year | 2.51 |
Total piglets born / litter | 13.5 |
Live-born piglets / litter | 12.4 |
Stillborn piglets (%) | 4.8 |
Preweaning mortality (%) | 7.1 |
Piglets weaned / litter | 11.4 |
Piglets weaned / mated sow / year | 28.56 |
Piglet age at weaning (days) | 22.0 |

Piglets weaned per mated sow per year