Business Buying Tips
by, Rhonda McCurry
There are plenty of choices regarding breeding decisions but one in particular is, “what direction will this sire take me?” Whether a hog breeder is just beginning or has invested a lot of time and money into building their sow herd, the choice of which sire to use can be a big one.
Mike McCoy is a third generation hog breeder from Bloomingburg, Ohio. His family, Real McCoy Genetics, offers 45 boars with semen sales across the country and a 120-head sow operation, which Mike manages. For the past 15 years he has worked to develop a solid sow herd based on substance. McCoy says this means having sows that are deep in quality and consistency. He selects sires that will make good females and build his herd but will also produce competitive barrows that can win a hog show.
“Seven years ago I realized we needed to rebuild our herd and create daughters with substance,” he says. “I was focused on making females. We needed to make our sow herd stronger. Once we did this we could be more aggressive in our breeding approach for competitive show barrows.”
When selecting a sire McCoy says to focus on the long-term goal of your sow herd. If a breeder wants to build a show pig operation, place gilts that win national shows or perhaps breed pigs that win local and county events, the choice of sire must compliment the sows a breeder has in the barn. The sires McCoy selects are used to continue the uniformity and predictability he has worked to create. His operation is built around certain sow bloodlines and by doing so, McCoy says he can count on the consistency of those strong sow families.
Here are a few tips from Real McCoy Genetics on how to choose a sire to best fit your sow herd.
- Be open-minded. McCoy says to be very honest with yourself and what you currently have for sows. It’s easy to get tunnel vision and be barn blind, the best thing to do as a breeder is to be your own worst critic. Be happy with what you’ve accomplished to this point but also strive for excellence, McCoy says. The most important thing is to be honest about where you need to make improvements.
- Select a balance of traits. Look for sires that are correct in their feet and legs and check out whether their own sows generate soundness. Mothering ability and design are important traits too and if you’re trying to produce show pigs, consider a boar that offers a show pig look. McCoy says he emphasizes substance in the sow herd and uses boars to refine or tweak the look he’s trying to achieve in the show ring.
- Research which boars can compliment your mating. If your sow brings substance to the table pair her with a boar that will refine her look, looseness of skeleton and athleticism. On the other hand, if she’s nice patterned, loose skeletoned, athletic and needs more substance then look for a boar with more powerful features.
“The approach I prefer to take is having sows with substance and using boars to smooth things out,” McCoy says. The following boars that McCoy depends on include Sugar Daddy, Slingblade 832 and the original Slingblade. His operation has produced. Out Of Bounds, a son of No Limits, and McCoy hasys he’s the best boar he’s used to correct skeleton and refine appearance. He also likes Beefcake and Moonshine as sires that have helped him create a sound sow herd.
- Be picky. When considering which females you put into production, be very selective – breeding up from low quality to high quality is a long and very expensive route to take. If your sow is not good enough to help you reach your goals within a generation or two then you need to quickly replace her with one of higher quality.
- Ask for advice. Don’t be afraid to ask questions from breeders you respect and have purchased seedstock from.