Characterization and influence of production factors on growing and finishing pig farms in Brazilian cooperatives

The objective of this study was to identify and quantify, through mathematical models, the main factors of production in growing and finishing pig units linked to three Brazilian cooperatives located in Western Region of Paraná State that influence the parameters of daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio. The records of 216 growing and finishing farms from 2010 to 2013, representing 1,533 batches, and totaling approximately 1,025,000 pigs, were evaluated. Thirty production factors related to the management, health, installations and equipment, nutrition, genetics, and environment were considered. The number of pigs per pen, the feeder model, the origin and sex of the animals, and the initial and final body weights were the factors included in the final models for both dependent variables (daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio) and had a significant impact on these ratios. Approximately, 41 and 55% of the total variance found for daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio, respectively, were explained by the variables included in the final models. Mathematical models could serve as important tools to aid the decision-making in pig production systems.