4 ms·

Are they more efficient though? Right now the average seems to be 4kg of grain per kg of pork[1]; if these large pigs require 5kg per 1kg of pork, then does the

by jjcm 7y ago

Are they more efficient though? Right now the average seems to be 4kg of grain per kg of pork[1]; if these large pigs require 5kg per 1kg of pork, then does them being bigger create any benefits in a shortage? Another question is growth rate - how fast are they growing? Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but their end size seems to be one of the less important factors in the mix when it comes to efficient pork production. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/sep/02/era-of-cheap-food-over https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/sep/02/era-of-chea...

throw_xyzyz 7y ago
Currently in China, from what I understand, it is not about efficiency per unit food but per live animal. Their herds were severely depleted by disease and they need to make the remaining pigs count for more.
dvt 7y ago
> ...their end size seems to be one of the less important factors in the mix when it comes to efficient pork production Biological processes are often non-linear, so your intuition is probably correct. Here's an interesting paper[1] I found that looks at body size, energy metabolism, and lifespan. [1] https://jeb.biologists.org/content/208/9/1717 https://jeb.biologists.org/content/208/9/1717
erudition 7y ago
Your intuition is spot-on. Feed conversion efficiency drives profitability in the pork industry. The average live weight of US hogs at market is right around 280 lbs., not because the animals can't get larger than that, but because growing them beyond that size cuts into profits as efficiency drops. I think pigs-as-big-as-polar-bears was just an opening hook to draw in eyeballs that would otherwise have skipped over yet another headline about African Swine Fever (ASF), which is covered in the second half of the article. ASF is the real meat of this story (pun intended, sorry) and the most significant factor currently impacting Asian pork production.
- drewmol 7y ago
  >The average live weight of US hogs at market is right around 280 lbs., not because the animals can't get larger than that, but because growing them beyond that size cuts For reader reference a full grown sow can weigh 500+ lbs, a full grown hog can weigh 1000+ lbs and live 20+ years (~900M heartbeats). Livestock pigs reach market weight in 6-7 months.
- fsagx 7y ago
  "Really Big" pigs of the sort in the article are a common sight to anyone attending a county or state fair in many rural parts of the US: https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/results/big-boar-contest/ https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/result...

by jjcm 7y ago

throw_xyzyz 7y ago

Currently in China, from what I understand, it is not about efficiency per unit food but per live animal. Their herds were severely depleted by disease and they need to make the remaining pigs count for more.

dvt 7y ago

> ...their end size seems to be one of the less important factors in the mix when it comes to efficient pork production Biological processes are often non-linear, so your intuition is probably correct. Here's an interesting paper[1] I found that looks at body size, energy metabolism, and lifespan. [1] https://jeb.biologists.org/content/208/9/1717 https://jeb.biologists.org/content/208/9/1717

erudition 7y ago

Your intuition is spot-on. Feed conversion efficiency drives profitability in the pork industry. The average live weight of US hogs at market is right around 280 lbs., not because the animals can't get larger than that, but because growing them beyond that size cuts into profits as efficiency drops. I think pigs-as-big-as-polar-bears was just an opening hook to draw in eyeballs that would otherwise have skipped over yet another headline about African Swine Fever (ASF), which is covered in the second half of the article. ASF is the real meat of this story (pun intended, sorry) and the most significant factor currently impacting Asian pork production.

drewmol 7y ago
>The average live weight of US hogs at market is right around 280 lbs., not because the animals can't get larger than that, but because growing them beyond that size cuts For reader reference a full grown sow can weigh 500+ lbs, a full grown hog can weigh 1000+ lbs and live 20+ years (~900M heartbeats). Livestock pigs reach market weight in 6-7 months.
fsagx 7y ago
"Really Big" pigs of the sort in the article are a common sight to anyone attending a county or state fair in many rural parts of the US: https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/results/big-boar-contest/ https://www.iowastatefair.org/participate/competition/result...