Pork KPIs – Productivity

A measure of the number of pigs (value) each sow produces.

As with % mortality, this directly affects fixed costs but also potential profitability. No piglets means no product (value).

• Piglets born/sow/year

• Average
• Top 10%

As mentioned previously, one process naturally feeds into the next and so many of the previously listed documents link to herd performance.

Much like ppkg or £/head, this KPI allows a very clear snapshot of a business' performance. In simple terms if a sow is not producing pigs for sale, performance of the business is low. There is a caveat, unlike ppkg and £/head which directly link to profit. It is possible to have a very high pigs/sow/year and run at a loss. Over production of piglets without sufficient planning of finisher places leads to loss of productivity through over stocking. This is a classic example of when production has been pushed but with no thought of the cost, hence why ppkg or £/head are always the most important KPI.

We provide benchmarking for specific measurables for both the indoor and outdoor breeding herds on our Pork Costings and Herd Performance pages. 

Number of pigs weaned per farrowing pen.

This is a direct measure of productivity.

• Pigs weaned (total)
• Total number of pens

• Average
• Top 10%

Herd performance is a total productive process i.e. without this process, there would be no viable business. Measures such as pigs/sow/year and in this case pigs/weaned/pen, provide a very direct almost instant measure of the business viability. Again, it is possible to maximise this KPI at the cost of profitability. This means that you should always compare your cost of production (ppkg or £/head) with this metric.

Resources available from AHDB:

• Breeding herd performance
• Effective heat detection
• AI resources
• Outdoor breeding service

See also documents in the other KPIs sections relating to feed, welfare, health and specifically mortality.