Settling Numbers, a Stubborn Parity 2, and What the Gilt Data is Telling Us

By Jack Bosworth, Director, FJ Bosworth & Sons. Published 11 September 2022.

I hope everyone is well.

This weekend I have had a day off the farm. Usually, when the phone goes on a day off, it is more likely to be a problem than a good update. This time it was very different. The message coming in was that today’s average liveborn was 18.4 per farrowing, and the week was averaging 16.1 per farrowing.

It is great to see those numbers. What is just as good is having members of the team genuinely pleased and proud to be sharing that information on a Sunday, rather than coming in and getting out again as quickly as possible. That culture is harder to build than the numbers themselves.

The breeding herd is starting to settle

The KPIs for breeding herd performance seem to be settling, after the variation we have seen since the new building went up. I think this is partly down to both staff and animals getting properly acclimatised to the new environment. Some things you simply cannot rush.

The number we are not yet happy with

One area we have flagged for significant improvement is second parity performance.

All other parity conception rates for the last six months are sitting at 85 to 92 per cent. Parity 2 conceptions are at just 73.88 per cent. That gap is too big to ignore.

The team are as keen as we are to see this improve. To fix it, we are looking right back at how the gilts exit the feeding herd and enter the breeding herd. That transition can have a huge influence on performance further down the line.

What the gilt weight data is telling us now

We now have a decent body of data on gilt weights at service. The results show how fine the line really is:

Weight at first service (kg)	Conception rate	Liveborn per litter
150	72.73 per cent	(baseline)
155	86.49 per cent	baseline +0.3
160	73.33 per cent	similar to 150 kg

That extra 5 kg between 150 and 155 is also showing a liveborn gain of around 0.3 per litter. Five kilos. That is the kind of precision that turns stockmanship into results.

Age at first service

Some in the industry now consider age at first service less important than it used to be. Our results say otherwise.

Optimum age in our herd appears to sit in two windows:

• 241 to 246 days, with the standout being 245 to 246 days: a 100 per cent conception rate and an average liveborn per litter of 14.5 over the last year.
• 251 to 270 days, also showing strong results.

Either side of those windows, performance drops away.

Using ESF to feed parity 2 differently

The big advantage of Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) is that we can tailor feed plans down to individual animals.

We have just started a new feed plan specifically for second parity sows, to see whether we can get more feed into them earlier after insemination than we do with other parities. The hypothesis is straightforward: parity 2 are still growing themselves while they are growing their next litter. If we can get the nutrition right at the right point, the conception rate should follow.

I will report back on whether it works.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Lastly, I would like to end this piece by paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II: the greatest, most inspiring and dedicated leader the world will ever know.

Thank you Ma’am for everything you have done for our great nation, including your support for British food and farming.

May you rest in peace.

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About the author

Jack Bosworth is a fourth-generation farmer and Director of FJ Bosworth & Sons, an arable and pig farming business at Spains Hall, Willingale, Essex. The farm has been in the family since 1919, and Jack farms alongside his father Stuart Bosworth, who was named Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year in 2011. The business is Red Tractor assured and runs an integrated farm-to-fork model, with home-grown cereals milled on site using solar-generated electricity.

You can follow Jack’s articles on fjbosworth.com, or get in touch via the WhatsApp link on the site.