Acta agriculturae slovenica, suplement 1(avgust 2004), 191–193. 
12th Int. Symp. “Animal Science Days”, Bled, Slovenia, Sept. 2–4, 2004. 
Original scientific article 
Izvirni znanstveni prispevek 
DERIVING ECONOMIC WEIGHTS BY APPLYING THE PROFIT EQUATION 
METHOD TO A HYPOTHETICAL HUNGARIAN LARGE WHITE PIG POPULATION 
László CSATÓ a), Zsófia VÍGH b) and István NAGY c) 
a) Faculty of Animal Science, University of Kaposvár, Guba S. str. 40, H-7400 Kaposvár, Hungary, Assoc.Prof., 
M.Sc. 
b) Same address as a). 
c) Same address a), Researcher, Ph.D., M.Sc. 
ABSTRACT 
The profit equation method was used in order to derive economic weights on a hypothetical 
Hungarian Large White pig population. The size of the population was held constant at the 
number of 100 sows which constructed four equal age categories (12, 18, 24, 30 months of age). 
Average farrowing interval was supposed to be 6 months, all of the sows were fertilised each 
year. Conception rate and weaning rate was 85% and 90%, respectively. The average litter size 
was set to be 10 thus total number of the weaned piglets per year was 1530. After replacement 25 
culled sows and 1505 pigs could be sold in every year. Economic weight for number of piglets 
born was 1.1 EURO. Comparing the economic weight of the born piglet with that of the unit of 
product it can be concluded that reproductive performance receives strong emphasis in Hungary. 
Key words: pig production / pigs / breeds / Hungarian Large White / economics / economic weights / Hungary 
IZRAČUN EKONOMSKIH TEŽ Z UPORABO ENAČBE ZA IZRAČUN DOBIČKA PRI 
HIPOTETIČNI POPULACIJI PRAŠIČEV PASME MADŽARSKI LARGE WHITE  
IZVLEČEK 
Enačbo za izračun dobička smo uporabili za izračun ekonomskih tež pri hipotetični populaciji 
prašičev pasme madžarski large white. Velikost populacije je bila stalna pri 100 svinjah, 
razporejenih v štiri enake starostne skupine (12, 18, 24, 30 mesecev v povprečju). Povprečna 
doba med prasitvama je bila po predpostavki 6 mesecev, vse svinje so bile osemenjena vsako 
leto. Delež uspešnih osemenitev in delež odstavljenih pujskov je bil 85 % oziroma 90 %. 
Povprečna velikost gnezda naj bi bila 10, tako da je bilo skupno število odstavljenih pujskov na 
leto 1530. Vsako leto bi lahko po remontu prodali 25 izločenih svinj in 1505 prašičev. 
Ekonomska teža za število rojenih prašičev je bil 1,1 EURA. Na osnovi primerjave ekonomske 
teže za število rojenih prašičev in enoto proizvoda lahko zaključimo, da so na Madžarskem 
reprodukcijske lastnosti zelo pomembne. 
Ključne besede: prašičereja / prašiči / pasme / madžarski large white / ekonomika / ekonomske teže / Madžarska 
INTRODUCTION 
In Hungary, the performance of the pig breeding sector is evaluated through various 
performance tests. Carcass traits are measured by progeny tests while other production traits and 
reproductive performance is monitored using performance test. Based on the obtained data, 
various conventional index scores are created in order to rank the breeding animals. The BLUP 
method is only used as a supplementary tool helping selection decision. Presently, a multitrait 
model is applied for estimating breeding values for the production traits and a single trait 
http://www.bfro.uni-lj.si/zoo/publikacije/zbornik/suplementi/index.htm
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(repeatability) model is used for breeding value evaluation of reproduction data expressed only 
as the number of piglets born alive. Though evaluated separately reproductive performance is 
considered to have high economic value. Reproductive failure (undetected oestrus, high 
mortality of piglets, long farrowing interval) is the most common reason for culling the sows. In 
Hungary, majority the sows are culled after the second, third or fourth parity. Thus only 53–72% 
of the sows' lifespan can be considered as economically productive. It has to be emphasised that 
the daily costs are higher for unproductive than the productive period. Hence, it is very likely 
that the total costs of the produced piglets (per sow) are higher than desirable. This phenomenon 
has high impact on the profitability of fattening, as the high initial costs of the piglets cannot be 
compensated during the fattening period.  
Perceiving the high economic importance of reproductive performance, the objective of this 
paper was to estimate economic value for the number of piglet born alive from the perspective of 
the individual and unit product. 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
The method corresponds to the one used by Ponzoni (1988). The profit equation was derived 
on a hypothetical population with a constant size of 100 Hungarian Large White sows. Four age 
groups were constructed (12, 18, 24 and 30 months of age) having 25 sows in each group. First 
farrowing occurred at the age of 12 months. Subsequent parturitions took place in intervals of 6 
months. The other production parameters were set to the national average values (Csörnyei., 
2003). Fertilisation and farrroeing rates were 100% and 85%, respectively. The average number 
of piglets born and weaned per farrowing was 10 and 9, respectively. Total number of piglets 
weaned per year was 1.00 × 0.85 × 100 × 18 = 1530. The needed sow replacement was 25 hence 
1530 – 25 = 1505 pigs plus 25 culled sows could be sold in every year. 
Economic weight was calculated adapting the equation given by Brascamp et al. (1985). Trait 
of interest was the number of piglets born per sow per year. Economic weight of this trait was 
defined from the individuals' and unit product's perspective. 
Profit equations: wr - c1d - c2/n2; r - c1d/w - c2/wn 
Economic weights: c2/n2; c2/n2w 
where: 
w = weight of product per retailed animal (weight of pigs at slaughter), 
r = (price per unit product), 
c1 = (cost per slaughtering per day), 
d = (age at slaughter animal), 
c2 = (cost per sow per year), 
n = (number of slaughtered pigs per sow per year).  
The annual cost of a sow is 240 EURO (from which annual feeding cost is 160 EURO). 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
The economic weight for the number of piglets born per sow per year was (Vlb = 240/15.052) 
1.1 EURO. The economic weight of one unit product is 80 times less than that of the number of 
piglets. At least to our best understanding no economic weights were published by other 
Hungarian authors for the same traits. However, Jelinkova et al. (2002) found that the economic 
weight of the number of piglets was 55 times greater than that of one kg product (440 vs. 8 CZK) 
so the reproductive performance received more emphasis in Hungary than in the Czech republic. 
Csató, L. et al. Deriving economic weights … method to hypothetical Hungarian Large White pig population. 193
CONCLUSIONS 
Economic weights and ratio that of the number of born piglet and unit of product derived by 
the present research differed from those described by other authors. However, according to the 
literature, the overall monetary genetic gain and the total return from selection seem to be 
relatively robust to deviations from the "true economic weighing" of traits in the breeding 
objective (Wolfova et al., 2002). The Hungarian pig breeding sector should therefore apply 
(BLUP and) aggregate genotype instead of the conventional index scores. 
REFERENCES 
Brascamp, E.W./ Smith, C./ Guy, D.R. Deivation of economic weights from profit equations. Anim. Prod., 
40(1985), 175–180. 
Csörnyei, Z. Results of the Hungarian Pig Breeding in 2002. Budapest, National Institute for Agricultural Quality 
Control, 2003, 1–136. 
Jelinkova, V./ Prazak, C./ Stibal, J. The application of Genetic MBLUP Evaluation of Pigs in the Czech Republic. 
In: International Workshop on genetic evaluation of pigs, Nitra, 2002-04-17/21, Slovak Republic. Research 
Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, 2002. 
Ponzoni, W. The derivation of economic values combining income and expense in different ways: An example with 
Australian Merino sheep. J. Anim. Breed. Genet., 105(1988), 143–153. 
Wolfova, M./ Nitter, G./ Wolf, J.: Defining the breeding goal with taking into account the intended use of the given 
breed in the production system. In: International Workshop on genetic evaluation of pigs, Nitra, 2002-04-17/21, 
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