Peak Swine Genetics, Inc. (Newsletters

July 2007 , Vol. 10, No. 7
PEAK OF PERFORMANCE NEWS

General Manager Comments

Our customer appreciation days were another huge success, both in Lethbridge and in Barrhead. Thank you very much again to all of our loyal customers who attended these events.
Congratulations to all our clients able to produce more than 25 pigs weaned/sow/year in 2006. These include:

Hutterville Colony
30.2 p/s/y

Roseglen Colony
27.3 p/s/y

Milford Colony
26.1 p/s/y

Bench Colony

26.0 p/s/y

Miltow Colony
26.0 p/s/y

Big Sky Colony

25.8 p/s/y

Willow Creek Colony
25.7 p/s/y

Newell Colony

25.4 p/s/y

Peace View Colony
25.1 p/s/y

I believe that Hutterville Colony has the highest productivity in North America; of all the published breeding company herds I’ve seen to date. Not only is the herd producing more than 30 pigs weaned/sow/year but also has achieved a weaning rate second to none in this country. Congratulations again to all our producers on their significant achievement! Next year will see several more herds added to this list.

PEAK Growth Summit

GROWTH in Litter Size Improvement:

Miller Colony reports that litters sired by Trailblazer boars are so large that a weaned sow needs to be kept back each week so as to foster off the extra pigs from the birth litters. Trailblazer boars at Pondera Colony are siring litters that are 0.3 piglets bigger than the sires they were using in the past.

We believe that Trailblazer boars are superior breeders for natural service in our client herds. Their high libido and large testicle size contribute to the large litter sizes we see in these herds. Data from Trailblazer boars at AI stud show they produce bigger than average number of semen doses compared to other breeds of boars.

Peak Customers

We welcome Jeff Kern’s purchase of bred gilts and the sale of Yorkshire and Landrace boars to Pine Haven Colony. Thanks to all of our continuing clients!

PEAK BookOf World Records

OLYMEL results on settlement slips for Wild Rose Colony in 2007 show nice carcass quality on a number of different shipments. Lowest fat was 16.8 mm, while highest loin depth was 63.4 mm on two occasions. Breeding stock and management changes deceased backfat by 2 mm and increased loin depth by 5 mm since December 2004. Good work!

Trait
Value

No. pigs
166

Carcass weight, kg
93.1

Backfat average, mm

17.4

Average index
112.3

Loin depth, mm

62.7

Lean incentive, $
1.31

Mar 8, 2007

Trait
Value

No. pigs
120

Carcass weight, kg
92.8

Backfat average, mm

18.5

Average index
111.2

Loin depth, mm

63.4

Lean incentive, $
1.55

Feb 8, 2007

IGF2 gene testing for genetic improvement of sow productivity (and pork quality), Part 1

Dr. Pramod Mathur, Canadian Centre for Swine Improvement, Ottawa

Contributing to the advancement of Agriculture and Agri-Food knowledge

A component of an IGF2 gene-testing project is to provide genetic evaluations for carcass and meat quality as well as sow productivity. Meat quality is necessary for the reputation and competitiveness of the Canadian swine industry. Canadian pork today has very good meat quality. Nonetheless, there is a need to maintain and possibly improve it to a level where large volumes of high quality pork are readily available to meet market needs locally and internationally.

Pork quality is determined by a number of factors including nutrition, on-farm management, pre-slaughter handling, cold storage and genetics. All these factors are important and need due attention. Genetics is only one of the important factors determining pork quality.

Genetic improvement is both permanent and cost effective. It has a long lasting effect on the outcomes from the various segments of the value chain. The relatively high heritability of meat quality traits offers greater opportunities for genetic improvement even compared to production traits that have already shown very positive results.

Meat Traits
Heritability

Intramuscular fat
50%

Meat colour
28%

Meat structure

30%

Production Traits

Growth rate

30%

Sow productivity
10%

Territory Managers

For more information, contact:

Manager	Territory	Cell Telephone
Les Robinson	Southern & Central Alberta	(250) 833-6196
Paul Klingeman	Pacific Northwest	(509) 989-1347
Mike Miller	Saskatchewan and Montana	(403) 317-0543

Recent Issues

2007		2006		2005		2004

January	(Vol. 10, No.1)	January	(Vol. 9, No.1)	January	(Vol. 8, No.1)	January	(Vol. 7, No.1)
February	(Vol. 10, No.2)	February	(Vol. 9, No.2)	February	(Vol. 8, No.2)	February	(Vol. 7, No.2)
March	(Vol. 10, No.3, No.3a)	March	(Vol. 9, No.3, No.3a)	March	(Vol. 8, No.3, No.3a)	March	(Vol. 7, No.3, No.3a)
April	(Vol. 10, No. 4)	April	(Vol. 9, No. 4)	April	(Vol. 8, No. 4)	April	(Vol. 7, No. 4)
May	(Vol. 10, No. 5)	May	(Vol. 9, No. 5)	May	(Vol. 8, No. 5)	May	(Vol. 7, No. 5)
June	(Vol. 10, No. 6)	June	(Vol. 9, No. 6)	June	(Vol. 8, No. 6)	June	(Vol. 7, No. 6)
July	(Vol. 10, No. 7)	July	(Vol. 9, No. 7)	July	(Vol. 8, No. 7)	July	(Vol. 7, No. 7)
August	(Vol. 10, No. 8)	August	(Vol. 9, No. 8)	August	(Vol. 8, No. 8)	August	(Vol. 7, No. 8)
		September	(Vol. 9, No. 9)	September	(Vol. 8, No. 9)	September	(Vol. 7, No. 9)
		October	(Vol. 9, No. 10)	October	(Vol. 8, No. 10)	October	(Vol. 7, No. 10)
		November	(Vol. 9, No. 11)	November	(Vol. 8, No. 11)	November	(Vol. 7, No. 11)
		December	(Vol. 9, No. 12)	December	(Vol. 8, No. 12)	December	(Vol. 7, No. 12)

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