New Study Shows Swine Production May Have More Than $300M in Untapped Potential in the U.S., More Than €530M in the EU
The study found an additional 200 mg dose of injectable iron yields higher optimal blood hemoglobin at weaning.
Studies have shown that up to 79% of baby pigs have less than optimal blood hemoglobin (Hb) at weaning, which has demonstrated impacts to wean-finish growth rates of five pounds per head. [1] [2] Pharmacosmos conducted a study using Uniferon® 200 iron supplements that found that a large economic potential remains untapped by failing to maximize the hemoglobin status of baby pigs at weaning, more than $300 million in the U.S. and €530 million in the EU annually. [3]
Data from this and previous studies show that a single 200 mg dose of injectable iron, the common dose used today, is not sufficient in preventing full-scale and sub-clinical iron deficiency anemia in baby pigs.
“We have found that increasing the dose to 400 mg, given in two 200 mg injections, increases baby pigs with optimal hemoglobin at weaning from 21% to 70%,” said Jerry Purvis, Director of Feed Operations at Purvis Farms, North Carolina. “Increased hemoglobin means larger pigs and a bigger return on investment for the swine industry.”
The economic model used in the study was developed by Chris Olsen, DVM, M.S., technical services manager at Pharmacosmos. The model shows by maximizing the hemoglobin status of baby pigs at weaning, the ROI increases $2.77 per head, even after the cost of an additional 200 mg dose of iron at $0.25 a head. When multiplied by the total number of hogs slaughtered in the U.S. annually, more than 121.3 million, there was a total ROI more than $300 million annually. When applied to production in the EU, the ROI increases €2.08 per head. When multiplied by the number of hogs slaughtered in the EU annually, 255 million, the total ROI is more than €530 million.
“The results of an additional 200 mg dose of iron at 12 days of age showed an increase of five pounds per head,” said Olsen. “The results are significant and there is clear benefit to increasing the dose given to each baby pig from one 200 mg dose to two 200 mg doses.”
The study was conducted on 235 healthy baby pigs, with hemoglobin distribution of a herd when given a single 200 mg dose of Uniferon used as a baseline. The ROI was calculated using estimates to account for costs of production, product and labor for administration of a second injection.
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