Unit records are useful for many reasons:

1. Monitoring overall business performance
2. Highlighting key performance indicators
3. Helping motivate staff
4. Helping to hone performance
5. Helping to identify problems
   

TARGETS
Always set achievable targets and communicate to the stockpeople. We believe units need to be operating around the following levels:

1. Conception rates 88-93 %
2. Farrowing rates 85%
3. Born alive 11.5 - 12.0 per litter
4. Farrowing Index 2.4.
5. Replacement rate 40-45% / year.
   

ANALYSIS
When analysing changes in breeding performance, look at past performance (weekly, monthly, 3 months, 6 months and yearly). Is there a seasonal difference? What else changed at around the time in the fall-off in production?

Records required when diagnosing a problem:

1. a Parity profile (Target - Gilt Pool 4%, P1 18%, P2 17%, P3 15%, P4 13%, P5 12%, P6+ 21%.)
2. a Results by parity. Look at - conception rate, born alive by parity.
   • Is it a gilt or Parity 2 problem? Look at gilt preparation/integration/nutrition
   • Is it a Parity 3 to 5 problem - look at overall serving system/nutrition
   • Is it a Parity 6 problem - look at culling policy/ replacement rate.
3. Sow individual ID. Is there a small percentage of very low productivity sows present?
4. Gilt weight/age at first service (Target 220 days+, Weight 135kg+)
5. Weaning to service interval (Target 5 days)
6. Individual stockperson service analysis
7. Exact timing of service AM/PM/AM
8. Returns analysis - Regular/irregular 0 Weekly target/actual service numbers and number of repeat matings
9. Service quality score (1 -5) - standing/insemination/run back
10. Conception rate by day of the week served 3 Cool cabinet temperatures and semen storage records
11. Pregnancy testing or scanning results.