Two updated spreadsheets on sow longevity are available from the Iowa Pork Industry Center (IPIC) at Iowa State University (ISU).
The Sow Longevity Calculators Version 2.00 for farrow-to-finish operations and for breed-to-wean operations works with Microsoft Excel 97 and newer editions, and comes in English and metric versions.
Spreadsheets are free with completion of an online registration form. Log onto the IPIC Web site, www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/subjects.html, choose Management/Economics and then the appropriate sow longevity spreadsheet entry.
ISU Extension swine specialist Ken Stalder and colleague Curt Lacy, Extension economist at the University of Georgia updated the spreadsheets.
Stalder says the new versions allow input for herd size, while adjusting for parity performance differences, thus providing more accurate herd results.
“Both are outstanding tools for determining how long a sow needs to remain in the breeding herd to reach positive net return value,” he notes. “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.”