Performance Testing

Glenn E. Conatser1, Professor; Gordon Jones2, Professor; Ken Stalder1, Associate Professor

1University of Tennessee Department of Animal Science,

2Western Kentucky University Department of Agriculture

                                                                                                                                                                                               

In The Beginning

The first recorded evidence of swine performance testing started in Denmark in 1907 and since then has operated continuously except for three years during World War I when a shortage of feed forced the suspension of all testing.  In those early days only swine bred at organized swine breeding centers were eligible for registration because those were the farms where breeders had complied with certain regulations including sending each year to the testing stations half as many litters as they had sows in their herd.  At the test station these test litters of four pigs each were fed under standard conditions.  The rate of gain and feed efficiency were recorded as well as carcass data.  “Advances made in the carcass traits (body length, belly and backfat thickness) plus efficiency of feed utilization were phenomenal.” (M.E. Ensminger, December 1942).

 

The first performance testing program that was used by U.S. pork producers was the production registry (P.R.) program initiated by the breed secretaries in 1938 through the National Association of Swine Records.  The program involved weighing litters of pigs at 56 days and recording the weights.  The information was sent to the breed associations and litters that met the minimum requirements were designated as P.R. litters.  A P.R. litter from a sow was one with eight or more pigs raised to a 56-day litter weight of at least 320 lbs. Or from a gilt (15 months of age or younger at farrowing time) with eight pigs or more raised to a 56-day litter weight of at least 275 pounds.  In other words, a litter of 8 pigs from a sow was required to average 40 pounds each at 56 days while pigs from gilt litters were required to weigh just over 34 pounds each at 56 days.

 

Table 1.   Duroc data for the first ten years of the Production Registry Program

 

Sows ++

Year

No. of

litters

Avg. no. farrowed

Avg. no. raised

56-day

avg. wt.

per pig

Avg. 56-day

litter wt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1938

101

11.94

8.90

36.10

321

1939

152

11.83

8.71

36.76

323

1940

112

11.82

8.22

35.70

298

1941

341

11.11

7.47

35.63

273

1942

421

12.59

8.71

38.86

308

1943

379

11.89

8.75

36.91

317

1944

369

11.18

7.99

36.50

314

1945

454

11.87

8.85

37.46

326

1946

620

11.67

8.91

37.01

334

1947

664

10.47

8.37

37.43

315

1948

693

11.13

8.80

37.12

330

*Duroc News - February 1949 (page 19)

**Gilt litters not included

 


In the first ten years of the Duroc program there were 7,672 litters weighed on the P.R. program, 4306 of these were sow litters (shown in Table 1) and 3366 were gilt litters (not included in Table 1).  Litters from sows averaged weighing just over 45 pounds more at 56 days then litters from gilts.  The top ranked Duroc sow in 1938 weaned 19 pigs that weighed 762 pounds at 56 days of age in two litters and was owned by Everett Thompson of Scheller, Illinois.  The top sow in 1939 weaned 20 pigs that weighed 868 pounds and was owned by Willard Waldo of DeWitt, Nebraska.

 

The first “production accredited” herd in the nation was the herd of The Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.  “Production accredited” honors were awarded to any herd that qualified 60% or more of all litters produced during a 12-month period of time.  John Beckett wrote in 1949 that “Production registry records will unquestionably pay biggest dividends to those breeders who keep records on the entire herd and farrowing season, rather than just a few occasional entries of selected individual sows.”  He continues “Complete herd records provide more valuable information to the owner for developing a constructive herd improvement program and naturally, carry more weight in the advertising program.”

 

The Production Registry (P.R.) program was sometimes called the Register of Merit (R.M.) program depending on the breed being tested and the breed association.  The rules were very similar but did vary somewhat on the number of pigs required to be weaned and the weight at 56 days.

 

A P.R. boar was a boar that had earned at least 15 points by having 15 daughters earn the P.R. rating.  A daughter would earn one point for each litter that qualified for the P.R. designation.  In 1949 the rules were relaxed to 10 points on the basis of daughters for the P.R. boar designation in order for more boars to quality on their first pig crop.  “In making this change, the swine breed secretaries were fully aware of the fact that the number of P.R. litters sired is not as accurate a measure of a boar’s breeding worth as the number of his daughters that raise P.R. qualified litters.”  However, provision was made for a definite distinction between the two.  On the basis of litters sired, a boar was called a “P.R. boar,” but on the basis of daughters he was known as a “star P.R. boar” for one unit of daughters, a “two star P.R. boar” for two units of daughters, etc.  The “star” naturally denoted a higher honor.  A “unit” was any combination of ten P.R. litters.  A boar was given additional stars for each unit of ten P.R. litters from his daughters.  A P.R. rating from siring P.R. litters required 15 litters to qualify the boar.

 

Ton Litters

Around 1944 a second performance program was started.  This was the ton litter program initiated by the Duroc association.  This program was very popular with breeders

and required that producers enter the litter with the breed association giving the number of pigs in the litter within 15 days of farrowing.  This litter information had to be verified by an FFA or 4-H advisor, a county agent, an AAA committeeman, a cow tester, a veterinarian or “some other person with public responsibility.”  The litters had to be weighed at 180 days (plus or minus 10) and the weight report sent to the breed association within five days of the weighing.  Weighing had to be verified by one of the officials mentioned above.  In the first five years of the program there were 577 ton litters in the Duroc breed.  (Duroc News Journal, January, 1949)

 

How About a Fair Deal for Pork and Lard - The Beginning of a Focus on Lean Production

 

In an editorial in the Duroc News dated February of 1949, Mr. Bing Evans, Executive Secretary of the Duroc Association, asks the question “What about pork and lard?”  He states that lard is and has been a drag on the market for some time, but only small quantities have been exported through land-lease or the Marshall plan.  He says, “With lard selling for about half the market price of just one year earlier, what more substantial food, dollar for dollar invested could they ship to Europe?”  He asks all breeders to contact their elected representatives and put pressure on them to increase the exports of lard.

 

In another article in July of 1949, Mr. R.G. Plager, of the John Morrell Company, talks about solving the lard problem.  He states that when a group of hog producers get together it doesn’t take long for someone to raise the question, what has happened to the lard market and what can be done about it?  He says the price of any product declines when the supply exceeds the demand, and that in simple terms is what happened to the lard market.  The factor that concerned pork producers in 1949 was that lard was selling at wholesale for about half the price of live hogs.  During the period 1910-1919, the wholesale price of lard averaged $4.46 per hundred pounds above the price of live hogs.  This price had gradually declined until March of 1949 when lard averaged $7.26 less than the price of live hogs.  Mr. Plager offered three suggestions to solve the problem.  The first was to produce a more intermediate type hog, one that was not so short and fat and one that was not tall and narrow.  Second was to market hogs at a lighter weight of 180 to 240 pounds.  He states that a 300 pound slaughter hog produces more lard than two hogs weighing 200 pounds each.  The third suggestion was to improve the quality of lard to compete with the new vegetable oils and to advertise the new lard as being a better product.  It was becoming obvious that lard was on its way out as a product wanted by the American housewife.

 

What is the Best Type?

William J. Loeffel, chairman of the Animal Science Department at the University of Nebraska, raised this question in 1949.  According to Loeffel, type is constantly changing with changes in economic conditions. For example, the mechanization of industry and agriculture has sharply reduced the demand for fat meat cuts and lard, once regarded as essential in the working man’s diet.  This caused the development of the meat type hog at the expense of the lard type hog.

 

At the end of 1951 the Duroc Association had tested 144,444 purebred Duroc litters on their P.R. program.  At this point the difference between average litter weights of sow and gilt litters had grown to 54 pounds per litter.

 

Wisconsin Hogmen Increase Profits Through Swine Selection Coop

The Wisconsin Swine Selection Cooperative had its origin back in 1945 when 30 hog producers got together with professor James Lacey and Dr. A.B. Chapman, Professor of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, and organized the group.  “The improvement program was based upon the premise that individual pigs and litters differ greatly in the inheritance they carry for litter size, vigor, livability and rate of gain, and that all of these factors are more or less heritable.”  The program was directed toward enabling the swine producer to make his selections from the top of the herd when he is selecting breeding gilts and boars for next year’s crop.  As a yardstick for measuring efficiency of pork production, the Wisconsin cooperative used an index that could be readily computed from simple records kept by the producer.  The index was based on size of litter farrowed, size of litter weaned, weight of litter and weight of the individual pigs at five months.  One point was allowed for each pig farrowed, two points were given for each pig raised to five months, total litter weight at five months was divided by 100  and 0.7 point was given for each pound over 75 for the individual pig at five months.  The average index for the Wisconsin program in 1948 was 90.  The index for the top 25% of herds was 127 and 59 for the low 25%.  Extension Specialist, D.H. Williams, states that the pig indexes are most valuable when used to compare pigs on the same farm.  The project was set up as an improvement program, not a contest.  All litters on the farm were enrolled, not just the promising ones.  The only comparisons made between farms was in the form of a herd analysis sheet prepared each fall when the index sheets were returned to herd owners.  The analysis gave state averages and in addition, gave each member a personal report on his own averages.  According to D.H. Williams, the program was designed to increase litter size by selecting only gilts from large litters, increase growth rate, improve mothering ability of sows and to eliminate genetic defects such as hernias and inverted nipples by selecting only sound pigs from sound litters.  All of the pigs in the program were identified by ear notches and all of the weighing was done by a coop fieldman and the local county agent.

 

General policy in the operation of the cooperative was directed by the purebred and commercial swine producers who represented different parts of the state.  A lifetime membership in the swine improvement coop was $2.00.  There was a service charge for each litter weighed graduating down to 50˘ per litter when there were 20 litters to weigh.  In the course of his routine calls upon members, the coop fieldman would check litter record cards at farrowing time to be sure they were complete and accurate, including ear notches.

 

Crossbreeding or Disease Control?

In an editorial dated February, 1952, Bing Evans, secretary of the Duroc Association, raised the question about crossbred and hybrid hogs and swine diseases.  He says “Recent public criticism of a corn belt state college for it’s apparent friendliness toward a so-called hybrid hog company has stirred up plenty of comment.  Especially since a part owner of this company is connected with the state board of education.  The complaint was signed by all officials of the state purebred associations except one, and he is employed by the college.”  He continues that “They were somewhat aggravated as taxpayers for the vast amount of publicity cranked out regarding the success of these crossbreeding experiments which a few colleges are and have been generating for some years without conclusive proof of producing a hog of ultra efficiency or one that’s any better than good purebreds.”  “While all of this vast program of crossbreeding has been going on for years through the USDA and some agricultural colleges connected with the program, swine diseases have gained ground tremendously.  Millions of pork producers dollars have been lost through cholera, erysipelas, influenza, dysentery, baby pig disease, TB and the devastating new disease that has swept hog herds recently, atrophic rhinitis.”  He continues “It is easy to find fault we know, but our criticism is constructive when we raise the question: Would these various diseases now be under control if some of the millions of dollars spent on crossbreeding programs had been invested in disease research and control?”

 

Too Much Fat Says OPS

In 1952 the office of price stabilization charged packers with violating the law by selling pork with too much fat on it.  Millions of dollars were reported to be involved.  The trouble started when packers reportedly sold pork loins with layers of fat from 1 ˝ to 2 ˝ inches thick, while OPS regulations limited the fat to ˝ inch.  The OPS began investigating after the retailers complained that they were forced to cut off the fat before housewives would buy the cuts.  OPS reported in one case where a retailer trimmed 100 pounds of fat from a 500 pound shipment of pork loins.  An editor’s note on the fat problem is interesting.  The editor notes that as long as farmers continue to feed hogs as they do, (any type or any breed) by pushing in a lot of corn for finishing, there will be lots of lard.  He notes that “Until there is a large enough price differential between lean and fat hogs to make it economical for farmers to finish them properly, fat hogs will keep coming to market.”  He then asks the question “what should be done?”  He states further that the customer has the money to buy meat, but he doesn’t like too much fat on his pork.  Then he suggests that the simple answer is to just trim off the fat!  There was no mention of the possibility of breeding to attain leaner hogs.

 

By the early 1950's it became obvious that fat and lard were the reasons pork consumption was taking a beating and the price of live hogs was in the high teens and low twenties .  Lard was a commodity with very little value and hogs were fat without much muscle.  In 1952, the average price paid for hogs was $18.13 and the price of corn was approximately $1.65 per bushel.  The hog/corn ratio was 11.  In an editorial in the Yorkshire Journal, it states that “after years of clamoring for it, the day of the meat type hog seems to have arrived.  It is the talk of the stock yards, of the packers, of purebred men and everyone else in the industry.” Carcass contests were started, first at the National Barrow Show and at the International Livestock Show.  At the International Dressed Carcass contest in 1952, the Yorkshire breed won all divisions, grand and reserve champion and had more winners than all other breeds combined.  The Ohio State University, Michigan State and Purdue were entering Berkshires in the carcass contests and doing relatively well.  The name of Oscar Anderson began to show up regularly as being competitive in carcass shows with Poland Chinas.

                                                                                               

In the state of Ohio, under the sponsorship of the Ohio State Extension Service and other interested parties, a performance program was developed where litters could be “certified” on the basis of number of pigs born, rate of gain, economy of gain and carcass value.  This program was developed around 1947 and was similar to the Wisconsin program except that the Ohio certified program had a carcass component.

 

The “production accredited” program that became a part of the P.R. testing procedure was awarded to five producers in 1951.  “Production accredited” was an honor given to herds that qualified for P.R. 60 percent or more of all litters raised during the year.  The top herd was Fred Ottinger of Elgin, Illinois with 94% of his litters and second was W.H. Waldo of DeWitt, Nebraska with 75.6% of his litters meeting the P.R. standards.

 

In an article in the Duroc News in July of 1952, Mr. Waldo states that the P.R. program helps recognize outstanding herds but it’s greatest value is in singling out the best producers within a herd.  He says it is more difficult to compare records of one herd with another where environment may vary considerably and have more influence on the records than the heredity of the animals.  Even so, he says, P.R. helps breeders locate high producing breeding animals and it has proved to be a valuable guide to commercial men.

 

USDA Adopts New Grade Standards

The USDA adopted grade standards for slaughter barrows and gilts in September of 1952:  Choice No. 1 - slaughter hogs with about the minimum finish required to produce high quality pork cuts.  Carcasses have a relatively high ratio of lean to fat and usually yield about 50 percent of their carcass weight in the four lean cuts of hams, loins, picnics and boston butts.  Choice No. 2 - slaughter hogs producing high quality pork but decidedly overfat.  Carcasses yield a somewhat low proportion of lean cuts and a high proportion of fat.  These carcasses normally yield less than 45 percent of their weight in the four lean cuts.  Medium - slaughter hogs are slightly under finished and as a result produce flabby and slightly soft cuts with little marbling.  These cuts are of medium quality.  The yield of lean cuts is proportionately high but the ratio of total lean and fat to bone is slightly low.  Cull - hogs of this grade are decidedly under finished, and although they produce carcasses with a high ratio or lean to fat, the cuts are very inferior in quality and are suitable only for use in processed meats.

 

The grades which were the results of several years of research, will supplement present tentative standards for live hogs and establish for the first time standards for pork carcasses (USDA, 1952).  The new grades were to be used on a voluntary basis by producers, livestock, market men, packers and others.

 

Inbred Strains Valuable

In an editorial in the Duroc News in October, 1952, editor Bing Evans stated that professors L.N. Hazel and Dr. J.L. Lush of Iowa State College were “appealing to breeders of purebreds to develop inbred strains within each breed in order to facilitate the work of swine breeding at the various state colleges in ten years.  The Iowa College has championed the fact that by crossing two inbred lines within the same breed, hybrid vigor can be obtained.” 

 

In November of 1952 the Duroc Association made the announcement that because of the IBM system for recording hogs used by them, that it is now possible to uncover interesting figures that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to find.  They reported that in 1951 there were 47,872 litters of purebred Durocs raised and that the average litter size farrowed was more than ten pigs.  There were eight pigs raised per litter to weaning age.  They also reported that in 1952 there were 135 ton litters recorded.  The average litter weight at 180 days was 2450.3 pounds, they had an average 56 day litter weight of 408.49 pounds and the average number of pigs in the ton litters was 10.7.  The top ton litter weighed 3715 pounds at 180 days and was owned by Clarence Chappell, Jr. of Belvidere, North Carolina.

 

Certified Superior Hogs are Coming

On April 7, 1953, the swine breed secretaries and a number of interested representatives of the swine industry met at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana to discuss plans for formulating a program of identifying superior strains of efficient top quality carcass yielding hogs and recognizing them officially.  The meeting had been called by Bob Shannon, secretary of the Yorkshire Association and president of the National Association of Swine Records.  Others attending were Claude Mitchell, Poland China Record Association, Willard Brittin, American Berkshire Association, Levi Moore and Pat Lybrook of the Chester White Record Association, Rollie Pemberton and Harold Boucher of the Hampshire Swine Registry, F.G. Ketner, Ohio Cooperative Producers Association, Bernard Ebbing, Rath Packing Company, Wilbur Plager, secretary of the Iowa Swine Producers Association and Claude Harper, head of the Animal Husbandry Department, Purdue University.

 

It was pointed out, in the discussion, that “there is a definite need for a program of buying hogs based on merit.  That to make such a program more workable, there is a need for more hogs meeting desirable carcass qualities.”  There was clear evidence that there were strains of hogs that will reproduce uniform market hogs of desirable type.  They concluded that “a program to help identify and certify these superior producing strains could be one of the most constructive developments in the history of the swine industry.”  A committee was appointed to prepare standard requirements for certification.  The committee consisted of Rollie Pemberton, Wilbur Plager, Bernard Ebbing, Larry Kunkle and Carroll Plager.

 

It didn’t take the committee long to formulate the first standards for what was called the Three Point Certification Program.

 

            1.  Requirements for “Certified Litter”

 

A.     QUALIFICATION OF LITTER IN PRODUCTION REGISTRY         

         1)  In view of the widespread discussion of possible changes in the age of                                        weighing P.R. litters it was decided to set up temporary requirements as

               follows:

   a)    No fewer than 8 pigs to be weighed at 35 or 56 days of age

b)        The age of weighing and the minimum weight of 35 days of age shall be whatever is called for in the standard rules for P.R. in the breed               involved

    c)    For those using the 56-day weight the minimum weight shall be:

1)     Dam 15 months or under at farrowing-275 lbs.

2)     Dam over 15 months of age at farrowing-320 lbs.

2)  Litters failing to meet these requirements may go no further.

 

B.         WEIGHT FOR AGE, AND WEIGHT AT SLAUGHTERING

1)  The weight shall be the “off truck” weight

2)  The minimum weight for age shall be 200 lbs at 180 days or the

                             equivalent plus or minus for each day over or under 180 days.                          

3)  Weight limits for pigs submitted for slaughter:

a)     Maximum weight shall be 230 lbs.

b)        Minimum weight shall be 180 lbs.

                        4)  Pigs shall be tattooed by slaughterer when weighed

 

C.        CARCASS MEASUREMENTS

1)   Maximum and minimum carcass lengths, based on average of two pigs.

                              (Measurements to be taken from the front of the first rib where it joins

                              the vertebra, to the front of the aitch bone.

a)     Live weight from 180 lbs. to 199 lbs. inclusive, 28.5 - 31.5          

        inches

b)        Live weight from 200 lbs. to 214 lbs. inclusive, 29.0 - 32.0 inches

c)        Live weight from 215 lbs. to 230 lbs. inclusive, 29.5 - 32.5 inches

2)         Maximum and minimum fat back thickness - average of two pigs

                                    a)     Thickness to be measured at three points as follows:

1)  Opposite third thoraic vertebra.)     

2)  Opposite last thoraic vertebra.)                    Average of these

3)  Opposite last lumbar vertebra.)                    three measurements

b)     The maximum and minimum shall be as follows:

1)  Live weight from 180 lbs. to 199 lbs. inclusive,

     1.1 to 1.6 inches

2)  Live weight from 200 lbs. to 214 lbs. inclusive,

     1.2 to 1.7 inches

3)  Live weight from 215 lbs. to 230 lbs. inclusive,

     1.3 to 1.8 inches.

  c)     The measurements are to be taken from the tip of the spinal

                                               process to the outside of the skin.

  3)         Minimum area of lean loin, based on average of two pigs.

  a)       Loin is to be broken at the 10th rib and tracing of lean rib eye area

                                                taken on parchment paper

  b)       Loin muscle area required by compensating planimeter               

            measurement:

1)       Liveweight from 180 lbs to 199 lbs. inclusive, 3.5 square inches

2)       Liveweight from 200 lbs. to 214 lbs. inclusive, 3.75 square inches

3)       Liveweight from 215 lbs. to 230 lbs. inclusive, 4.00 square inches

           

“Certified Litter”

1.         A litter that has met the above requirements is a “certified” litter.

2.         A litter from a repeat mating of one that has met the requirements is a

                        “certified” mating.

3.         Suitable identification shall be put on the registry certificates of all pigs from

                        “certified litters’ and “certified matings.”

 

“Proven Sire”

A “proven sire” is one that has sired five litters that qualify as “certified” litters.  These litters must be out of five different sows, not more than two of which are full sisters or dam and daughter.  The registry certificates of such boars shall bear suitable identification - probably by the addition of P to their registry number.

 

Probably Operation

1.         The BREEDER                        a) Qualify litter in Production Registry

                                                            b) Present two pigs from the litter for slaughter

    when weighing between 180 lbs. and 230 lbs.

 

2.         The SLAUGHTERER            a) Weigh pigs submitted when unloaded

                                                            b) Tattoo pigs for identification

                                                            c)  Kill and stamp loin in accordance with tattoo

                                                           

d) Make called for measurements and trace lean

                                                                 area of loin on parchment paper provided

                                                                 for purpose.

                                                            e)  Enter measurements on report form, sign and

                                                                 mail with loin tracing to breed office or college.

 

3.         The AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE OR EXTENSION OFFICE

           

            a) Give moral support and encouragement to program

            b) Recommend and instruct slaughterers

            c) Occasionally spot check work of slaughterers

            d) Determine area on tracing with compensating planimeter

            e) Check figures and averages of measurements given on form

             f) Cooperate with breed offices in seeing that the program is properly conducted

 

The certification program was up and running but some breeds were slow to adopt it.  The Hampshire breed was the first to try it at a national type conference in 1954, and only one litter met the requirements out of several that were entered.    The Duroc breed was next to try it and none of the 30 litters entered met the certification standards.

 

Swine Breeding Research - Quality Pork Becoming Important

In an article in the Hampshire Herdsman in June of 1953, Dr. L.N. Hazel of Iowa State College stated that  “present day techniques provide a challenge to the swine industry to develop systems of swine breeding research useable to all swine producers.”  He said that “the response of the industry may well determine whether the pig continues to be the mortgage lifters of the corn belt.”  Hazel said “let’s face it, pork has already gone a long way toward acquiring a reputation as a low quality product.  We hear a great deal about the lard problem, because surplus lard is a physical and tangible thing which can be seen and measured.”  However, he says that consumer acceptance of pork is more important than a lard surplus.  He says, “we realize this more and more as competition from the growing beef and broiler industry make themselves felt.”  Much still is not known about quality in pork, but it is obvious that the most important detriment of the kind we have now is over fatness.”  Over fat hogs, he says, produce too much lard as well as low quality meat.  Hazel points to research by Dr. Joe Kastelic and Ed Kline to show the differences in three types of hog carcasses.

 

Table 2.  Percentage of Fat in Three Types of Hog Carcasses

 

 

Closely Trimmed

Wholesale Cuts

Type

of Hog

Total

Carcass

Ham

Picnic

Belly

 

 

 

 

 

Meaty

30

6

15

41

Intermediate

45

11

22

51

Fat

55

27

38

66

 

By contrast, Dr. Hazel points to the Danish system of improvement.

 

Table 3.  Changes in Danish Pigs Between 1924 and 1948

 

Trait

1924

1948

 

 

 

Daily Gain (lbs.)

1.30

1.46

Feed required per lb. Gain

3.63

3.20

Length (inches)

35.04

36.61

Back Fat (inch)

1.65

1.34

Belly (inch)

1.18

1.26

 

The Swine Improvement Association of Ohio opened their swine testing station to accept pigs farrowed in the fall of 1954.  The station could accommodate 108 pairs of littermates.  All litters had to meet P.R. standards and in addition, a pair of littermates had to be delivered to the test facility on or before the day they were 60 days of age.  A barrow and gilt were preferred, but two barrows or two gilts were acceptable.  Pigs were slaughtered at approximately 210 pounds at the Ohio State University meats laboratory.  The carcass value was measured by the percentage of live weights found in the four primal cuts, skinned ham, trimmed loin, trimmed belly and New York shoulder.  A primal cut yield of 49 percent or over was called a certified Ohio Improved Record.    In the beginning the cost to the producer was one pig given to the University and the University would purchase the other pigs on a formula basis.

 

USDA Announces New Backfat Probe

On June 30, 1954 Mr. Ralph Durham of the USDA announced a new method of measuring backfat on a live hog.  A method was developed whereby a very small incision was made through the skin and a small measuring ruler about one quarter of an inch wide was inserted through the opening of the skin.  The ruler was pushed downward through the opening in the skin and pushed downward through external fat until lean muscle was touched.  The thickness of the backfat was then measured to the tenth of an inch on the ruler.  According to the USDA, in the past (prior to 1954) it had been necessary to slaughter the animal to determine the amount of “lean meat produced”.  With this new probing technique, performed when live breeding animals were near market weight, the meatier individuals could be determined.

 

The USDA announcement was a result of research conducted at Iowa State College in the fall and winter of 1950-51 by L.N.  Hazel and E.A. Kline (1952).  They developed the procedure using 96 hogs that were measured using the new procedure and comparing the results with carcass measurements taken on the same hogs.  The correlation between the average of four backfat measurements taken on carcasses and on live hogs was .81.  Measurement made on the 96 live hogs were slightly more accurate as indicators of leanness and percent primal cuts than were carcass measurements of backfat thickness.  The most accurate locations were just behind the shoulder and at the middle of the loin about 1 ˝ inches off the midline of the body (Hazel and Kline, 1952).  The use of this simple technique was one of the most important steps in the change from fat hogs to meat type hogs in the 1950s and later.

 

Hampshires Lead the Way in Certification

Without question, the Hampshire Association led the way in the early years of the certification program.  The Hampshire breed secretary, Rollie Pemberton, led the charge and gave the program much publicity in the Hampshire Herdsman magazine.  The first certified litter in America was owned by Dean Snyder of Good Hope, Illinois.  The litter was sired by King Edward P.R. 93 and the carcass data was gathered at the Oscar Mayer Packing Company in Madison, Wisconsin during the 1954 Hampshire Type Conference.  Five litters were entered in the type conference class set up for certified litters.  Only one litter certified and those that failed were due to being too short or not having enough loineye.  None failed because of backfat.  King Edward was recognized as the first certified meat sire of any breed.  The first certified litter was slaughtered at 210 and 214 pounds, had 29.25 and 29.6 inches of body length, 1.3 and 1.4 inches of backfat, and loineyes of 4.43 and 4.17 square inches, respectively. 

 

The industry leader who had, without a doubt, the biggest impact on the certification program was Carroll Plager of George A. Hormel and Co.  He gave leadership to the development of the program and was among the first to purchase hogs on the basis of carcass merit.  Others who were influential were his brothers Wilbur Plager, secretary of Iowa’s Swine Producers Association and later secretary of the Yorkshire breed association, R.G. Plager of the John Morrell Company and Bernard Ebbing of the Rath Packing Company.  Colleges and Universities that gave leadership to the early certification program were Ohio State, Purdue, Cornell, Oklahoma A & M, Michigan State, University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee, Iowa State, Fresno State, Texas A & M, LSU and Washington State University.