Optimal age of breeding gilts and its impact on lifetime performance

Abstract

Though the present study was an observational analysis of retrospective data records from commercial piglet producing herds, our results could be biased by growth rate of gilts, weight at first breeding and backfat thickness at first breeding which we did not measure. However the present study adds to scientific work by providing valuable findings regarding the significance of age at first breeding and its relation with lifetime performance helping swine producers and veterinarians to put in practice for productivity in the swine industry. Analyzing collected and stored farm data using appropriate statistical tools has proved to provide valuable solutions that could not have been established on a time restricted controlled experiment. Swine producers and veterinarians can now adequately rely on retrospective data analysis to spruce out solutions on the challenges that are facing the swine industry.