Changing Catheters Worth $550,000 Annually for 5,400-sow Operation
US - Data from a 5,400-sow farm comparing two types of AI catheter was added into a spreadsheet, showing an advantage worth $550,000 in favour of its catheters, reports Absolute Swine Insemination Co., LLC (ASIC).
28 February 2014
3 minute read
By: In a testimonial to ASIC, Pavel Kerber wrote:
I am a manager of NPPII Midway. Currently we have 5,400 sows. We are performing IUI on wean sows for over than one year. We use IMV Deep Golden Pig catheter and I must say that we are very happy with the production numbers. Our breeding team is very skilled in using these rods and our conception rate numbers are this year on wean sows from 92.86 per cent up to 97.14 per cent, average 94.32 per cent. On the other hand I must admit it took long time to train personal to this level. Gilts we breed with traditional AI and our conception rates are between 91.8 per cent to 100 per cent, avg. 95.02 per cent.
We have used Absolute rods for sows and gilts in week 16 of 2006. We have had on site training with Mr Jake Nelson and after first day we got used to these rods and after 2 days we become really confident. In only five days 9 people learned how to use these rods. The results were surprisingly good: we bred 187 wean sows (D0 to D6) and at RTU we detected 180 pregnant sows. That is 96.26 per cent conception rate. Second best of the year. We bred 52 gilts and 51 conceived, cc per cent 98.08 and second highest of this year.
We achieved very good results using new rods with short training. I was to be honest very impressed with not only your rods but also with high quality training level of Mr. Jake Nelson. I hope your product will find wide use in the future. I have used many kinds of IUI rods but Absolute is definitely the best of them.
ASIC’s Profit Spread was completed with data filled out based on actual PigChamp data. IMV’s results were placed in the “Current Performance” section and ASIC’s data in the “Expectations” area.
ASIC showed an improvement in farrowing rate of 88.4 per cent compared to IMV’s 82.9; the adjusted farrowing rates are ASIC 90.6 per cent and IMV 85.1 per cent (the adjusted rates were inputted into the spreadsheet for comparison).
In addition, ASIC’s “average pigs born alive was 12.0; where as IMV’s was 11.5. ASIC consistently provide a full half extra live born piglet per litter over the 20-week comparison. These averages were used in our spreadsheet for calculations.
ASIC’s “average” non-productive sow days/year was 33.8 compared to IMV’s 35.6.
All in all, the profit spreadsheet shows an annual profit of over $550,000 for this size operation. The additional cost of the technology was $16,632; so this means an investment of $16,000 provided a return of 3,331 per cent.
