by many with some thoughts on hog production, management practices with how hog units manage their inventory flow. The misconceptions makes logical sense to those searching for possible reasons for marketing numbers coming in as they do. However in todays environment of hog production, with mostly large scale units holding the largest percentage of production, the inventory flow is based on a structured model of a timeline based movement similar to production line movement that does not allow much flexability for tweaking the production line time frame of keep the line moving.

The logic to the misconceptions was relevant pre 2000 but when I escaped the hog production world in 2007 the logic to many of these misconceptions did not apply to the way things were actually done in a factory based hog production model. The two misconceptions at the top of my list are, producers are getting ready for field work so they are getting fats hauled to market before they get too busy. True 20 years ago when we still had a majority of small hog producers that were also predominately crop producers. The hogs were a sideline business for something to do in the winter months. The majority of todays hog units are fully staffed, 100% focus on a production line factory model. They can only pull marketings ahead or hold them heavier within limitations. The production line only allows limited flexability.

The other misconception is with gilt retention, breeding more or changing their mind and dumping those they intended to bring into production because of economic reasoning. This process may have changed in the last 8 years but those I talk to still use a similar approach to managing their sow inventory. Most hog units are tied to a reputable genetic based breeding stock company that get a high dollar for their efforts and knowledge in the quality genetic product that the hog units pay up to keep the sow herd genetic pool moving the production results up the ladder of increased production. Increased production is the cornerstone for the factory based hog production model. The breeding pool for gilts is generally a pre determined scheduled event of a new group of gilts every 2-4 weeks and the only ones that get the dump call, are the ones that have not bred in 6 weeks time. If the unit decides to decrease breeding inventory because of economic reasons or other, it will be done with older sows or bottom end sows with lower production numbers that have already been tagged for future culls. On the average, sows only stay in the factory for around 2.8 parities of production. The new incoming gilts are probably genetically superior and need to be given a chance to prove that since their price tag investment is higher than a market hog. A cull sow may or may not bring the same amount as a market hog, some times more, but the cull sow has had her chance to prove a stay or go. Dumping gilts you have already invested high dollars in, is not the correct economical choice in a financially weak situation. For most units, the bottom 30% of the sow herd is already on the cull list at all times if management is doing it's job correctly.