Six commercial trials prove the PIC®800 sets the pace for today’s sire performance, consistently producing offspring with superior robustness and fast, efficient growth. In addition, taste panels revealed that pork from PIC®800 pigs was favored over pork from competitive Duroc sires, supporting packer demands for high meat quality.
The PIC®800 continues to redefine sire performance with accelerating genetic gains. In Elite Farm data, PIC®800 shows strong and continuous improvement in traits that directly impact profitability. From 2015 to 2020, grow-finish average daily gain increased by 0.06 lb and wean-to-finish survival rates rose by 0.5%.
PIC continues to invest in genetic improvement to achieve these gains. For example, PIC increased the PIC®800 Elite Farm sow population by ten times since 2013, creating a larger population for a greater selection pool of the best animals. Then in 2018, PIC added differentiated germplasm for a more diverse genetic library from premier Danish breeder, Møllevang.
These combined investments are demonstrated to deliver faster genetic progress in commercial settings through the GNXbred program, proving producers can realize genetic gains on-farm sooner.
Assessing PIC®800 progeny performance and economics
Six comparative trials were conducted in commercial conditions using 8,800 pigs:
- Trials were conducted across different systems in North America to assess the performance of the PIC®800.
- Trials used commercial pigs birthed by PIC Camborough® sows.
- Sires were either PIC®800 or competitor boars.
Each trial had a specific goal that drove trial end point:
- Trials 1, 2 and 3 evaluated pig performance from wean to closeout.
- Trials 4 and 5 evaluated pig performance in the grow-finish phase through closeout. Pigs were housed in a commercial nursery, then on-tested for grow-finish performance evaluation.
- Trial 6 evaluated carcass traits only.
Performance that drives profitability potential
PIC®800 offspring are more economically valuable than competitor progeny. PIC®800 delivers more full value pigs, superior growth, competitive feed efficiency and high-quality meat. The result is an economic advantage between $2.14 and $6.15 per pig placed.
Superior robust performance
PIC®800 consistently sired more robust offspring, for easier management and greater throughput.
PIC®800 produced the most full value pigs out of all competitors. PIC®800 also produced offspring with a numerically higher survivability rate in four trials.
Robustness advantages are translating to commercial customer operations. Wean-to-finish customer closeout data from 2019 to 2020 shows PIC®800 progeny have survivability rates well above U.S. benchmarks.
Efficient, fast growth
Growth rate and feed efficiency are key drivers of higher profitability. PIC®800 progeny excelled at both, achieving high growth rates without sacrificing feed efficiency.
No other sire line had faster growing pigs than PIC®800, statistically or numerically. PIC®800 offspring also had competitive feed efficiency with a numerical advantage in four trials.
Excellent meat quality, competitive carcass value
PIC®800 progeny have proven carcass performance and pork quality. A U.S. consumer taste panel with 126 panelists compared four industry-leading Duroc sire lines, all reared and harvested side by side in the same environment. Panelists favored pork from PIC®800 pigs, revealing that loin samples were more tender and juicy.
Across six comparative trials6, PIC®800 showed strong performance for carcass lean and back fat, meeting or exceeding industry standards9.
Summary
PIC®800 sires pigs with a competitive edge in economically valuable traits – all designed to meet swine producer and packer needs.
Trials confirm PIC®800-sired progeny consistently:
- Achieve industry-leading growth rates with competitive feed efficiency
- Are more robust in trials and on farm
- Have a carcass lean advantage
- Deliver high meat quality consumers prefer
Superior trial results and strong customer performance data validate PIC®800 as a market leading Duroc boar. And PIC continues to redefine performance by investing in PIC®800 genetic gains.
Producers can have confidence that when they use the PIC®800, they can consistently realize tangible economic advantages now and in the future, as genetic improvement continues.
Contact your PIC account team for more information.
Footnotes:
1Reference: ES 124. This trial was conducted with PRRS positive pigs.
2Reference: ES 133
3Reference: ES 147
4Reference: ES 150
5Reference: ES 144
6Reference: ES 177, 124, 133, 144, 147 and 150.
7Wean-to-finish data was summarized as an overall average and for the top 25% for 2019-2020. Survivability rate calculated as the inverse of the mortality rate.
8National Pork Board Industry Productivity Analysis Adjusted Wean-to-Finish Results for 2017-2019. Survivability rate calculated as the inverse of the mortality rate.
9For complete carcass trial data, contact your PIC representative.
*P<0.01
**P<0.05
***Economic advantages were calculated assuming a fixed-time marketing strategy. Values measured net margins above feed and housing costs on a per pig placed basis.
