You are here

Development of Automated Pig Weighing

Award Information
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 34413
Amount: $47,411.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1996
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
P.O. Box 388
Osborne, KS 67473
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Dr. Ronald Thibault
 Principal Investigator
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Raising pigs has become a specialized agribusiness. Pork producers have a desire to improve their efficiency of production in a cost effective manner. One tool to accomplish this is knowing the weight of the pig as it grows. This knowledge provides greater assistance in managing the feeding program as well as avoiding financial penalties when marketing.

Feed costs account for 60% of the cost production and improving feeding program management can provide far reaching improvement in profitability. Packing firms, who purchase and process pigs for consumption, financially penalize the swine producer if the weight of a pig is not within specified guidelines. However, routinely weighing pigs is a laborious, time consuming task which can take away from other needed duties on the swine farm.

Our approach is to develop an automated weighing system that will provide the swine producer the needed information to effectively manage the farm's feeding program and to identify which pigs would meet market weight guidelines to minimize financial penalties.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

US Flag An Official Website of the United States Government