Swine Finishing Microcomputer Program - Development of a Swine Feeder to Finish Microcomputer Program

Accurate estimation of the weight gain occurring in a growing pig can be accomplished when nutrient intake along with gender, genetic potential for lean tissue accretion, current live weight, and environmental circumstances are known and applied mathematically to a series of equations. The Swine Monitor, a personal computer program developed at Iowa State University, utilizes these variables in a set of equations that is capable of providing an estimation of pig weight gains such that a paired Student's T statistical evaluation fails to indicate a significant difference from actual weight gains for barrows and for gilts. Thus, with the use of this program it is possible to tie input costs and income receipts with pig growth for pigs being monitored under actual production situations and enables one to track both pig and monetary performance throughout the grower-to-finish phase on a continuous and current basis.