Pork KPIs – Survivability

A measure of how much antimicrobial medicine has been used (AMU) to produce a unit of pork (kg)

High rates of AMU can show a challenge to teh pigs that reduces profitability. Lower AMU demonstrates higher standards of biosecurity, health and welfare and is a key aspect of protecting the industry's reputation. 

• Total kg d.wt (kg) produced
• Total antimicrobials (mg) used

• Average
• Top 10%

Overall medicine usage is a good indicator of the effectiveness of health and welfare across a unit. High mg/kg measurements especially of antibiotics tend to indicate issues with endemic diseases and or welfare issues.

More information is available in our electronic medicine book 

We also offer a range of materials in the AHDB knowledge library

• Colostrum: Food for life
• Water quality and quantity - Pigs
• Biosecurity
• Benchmarking data 

A measure of how many potential pigs (profit) are lost.

In order to lower fixed costs, more pigs are required to spread the cost e.g. the cost of semen/sow is fixed. The cost of one bag of semen spread across 15 pigs is a lower ppkg cost than spread across 10 pigs

• Total pigs born alive
• Total pigs died

• Average
• Top 10%

Mortality is a multi-factor issue occurring across the production stages

• Pre weaning mortality
• Post weaning mortality
• Sow and gilt mortality

Again, AHDB provides benchmarking measures for comparing your mortality to other producers, separated by indoor and outdoor production systems. They can be found on our Pork Costings and Herd Performance pages.

We offer a wealth of information on factors that can mitigate and reduce mortality:

• Enrichment
• Establishing the weaned pig 
• Small piglet management
• Sow and gilt health
  • Gilt management until puberty
  • Gilt service to farrowing
• Environmental factors
  • Outdoor pig production for the arable rotation 
  • Avoiding heat stress in indoor herds
  • Avoiding heat stress in outdoor herds