In fact 65-70% of the PCAI benefits are driven by post-weaning and carcass improvements. If you are a pork producer with finishing operations, stop by at IRT to learn how we have coupled our SQIRT™ PCAI catheters with GF PRO Vision to positively impact your bottom line.

 

Independent Expert Valuation of PCAI & Improved Boars

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Dyck, Foxcroft and Patterson (2012) described that the potential benefits of improving the step-by-step “average terminal index” of boars used in a 10,000 sow operation from 115 to 134 would contribute over $325,000 annually to operational profit.  This improvement of 19 index points is based on largely “only” the terminal attributes of those boars.  Consider these points:

 

• Dyck et all assumed an incremental value per index point of $0.07/pig marketed.

• Other geneticists and genetic companies assess that value higher at $0.10-0.14, which would double or nearly double the annual value of improvements.

• In high feed cost years or high market value years, the value calculated by the Alberta team would likely be much higher.

• Potential improvements based on this calculation are generally limited to key drivers – ADG, FCR and % Lean to name a few, but PCAI and use of “fewer sires” per 1,000 head of pigs marketed also will be based on:

  • Homogeneity of the progeny produced (lowered sort loss)

  • More uniform growth (lowered barn days or days in the marketing period)

  • Value derived from reduced variation throughout the production chain

 

So when considering PCAI, please don’t think of it as a reproductive technology alone.  Its an Efficiency Technology and a Profitability Technology as long as you fully implement the genetic steps necessary to utilize better boars across your operation.

 

The graph below is derived from a 4-year step-by-step improvement in two parameters (ADG and FCR) for an operation of approx. 30,000 sows utilizing the GF Pro Vision swine management platform from IRT and our partner InSight.

 

Check in with us at the Iowa Pork Congress to learn more about both PCAI and tracking the benefits of PCAI with GF Pro Vision.