Posted April 25, 2013

A new spreadsheet that can help pork producers and seedstock suppliers make better decisions is now available from the Iowa Pork Industry Center at Iowa State University.

Animal Science Professor Ken Stalder developed the free tool along with animal science graduate student Caitlyn Abell.

“This spreadsheet can be used to estimate the total costs associated with genome-enabled selection,” said Stalder. “Producers also can see how much improvement in a weaned pig will be necessary in order to break even on the costs associated with genome-enabled selection.”

Stalder, who also is an Iowa State Extension and Outreach swine specialist, said producers can use the spreadsheet to determine whether they think investing in animals that have been selected based on genomic methods is an economically viable option. Seedstock suppliers can use the tool when making breeding program decisions.

You can register for a free download of the program on the IPIC web site.