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Extension Communications |
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Extension Communications |
3/23/04
Contacts:
Ken Stalder, Animal Science, (515) 294-4683, stalder@iastate.edu
Sherry Hoyer, Iowa Pork Industry Center, (515) 294-4496, shoyer@iastate.edu
Sow Longevity Spreadsheets Now Available from Iowa Pork Industry Center
AMES, Iowa -- Livestock producers can use new versions of two spreadsheets to help determine optimum times for keeping sows in their operations. The Sow Longevity Calculators Version 2.00 for farrow-to-finish operations and for breed-to-wean operations works with Microsoft (r) Excel 97 or newer, and are available in English and metric versions.
All versions are available at no charge via e-mail from the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) at Iowa State University (ISU), by completing an online registration form. To complete the registration form, go to this URL on the IPIC Web site http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/subjects.html, choose "Management/Economics" from the listing at the top of the page, and then choose the appropriate Sow Longevity Spreadsheet entry from the top of that section.
ISU Extension swine specialist Ken Stalder and colleague Curt Lacy, extension economist at the University of Georgia, have updated both spreadsheets to provide even more information. Stalder said the new versions allow input for actual herd size while adjusting for parity performance differences. This provides more accurate results for any particular herd.
"Both are outstanding tools for determining how long a sow needs to remain in the breeding herd to reach positive net present value," he said. "They use operation-specific production and financial information, so individual producers can determine how long sows must remain in their herds to create a positive net value."
Stalder said the programs provide producers with a net present value (NPV) analysis that helps provide an economic overview of their operation. If the NPV is greater than zero, the gilt investment should be profitable in the long term. If the NPV is less than zero, the investment in the gilt will not be profitable in the long term.
"By using the program appropriate for their operation, producers can focus on management practices that improve longevity in their herds, and improved longevity can increase profitability," he said.
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