Comparative analysis of certain factors affecting the production costs of pigs weaned

This paper presents an analysis of the three most important factors affecting the production cost of pigs weaned, namely the number of pigs weaned per litter and sow, the number of litters per year and sow, and the total number of litters during the productive life of a sow. The analysis of the total cost of pigs weaned according to the number of pigs weaned per litter and sow based on the average (8.1 +/-0.4) and also on one and two standard deviations under and over it, namely a fluctuation between 7.3 and 8.9 weaned per litter and sow. This difference leads to a decrease in the production cost equal to 1.921 drs. or 16% per pig weaned, and 3.675.855 drs. per year for a herd of 100 sows (225 drs = U.S.$1). The larger difference of decrease between the higher and the lower production costs per pig weaned according to the total number of litters per sow in comparison with the number of pigs weaned per litter and the number of litters per year, is due to the larger effect of the total number of litters on the fixed costs (depreciation, insurance, interest) of a sow. Comparing the number of the pigs weaned per litter, the number of litters per year and the total number of litters of a sow, and the frequency of achieving these numbers for producing a pig weaned with the same cost, it is difficult to find out which of these factors affects the production costs of pigs weaned and indirectly the profitability of a sow more. This depends on the pig data and the frequency of achieving it for each pig farm and especially for each individual sow. In general, the combination of increasing the productive life of a sow with the increase of the number of pigs weaned per litter, is expected to decrease another 7% the average production costs of a pig weaned. This is true taking into account the high fixed costs (48,5-52,8) of livestock, land improvements, buildings and equipment of pig farming.