Rattlerow Farms has set up a dedicated multiplication pyramid to supply damline breeding stock to Wayland Farms, the pig production division of processor and food manufacturer Cranswick plc.
Both companies have agreed to work together in the production and selection of Whiteroc parent gilts specifically for Wayland‘s 10,000-sow outdoor breeding operation. Within the agreement, Rattlerow will manage a gilt mating unit for Wayland that will supply in-pig gilts to herds on a weekly basis.
This long-term contract involves significant investment for Rattlerow, and fits into the company’s corporate plan to form closer working relationships with key pig producers and processors.
“Our aim is to help these businesses manage and improve their breeding programmes, enabling them to focus more on the business of commercial pig production,” Rattlerow Farms’ joint managing director, Robert Lawson, said.
The Rattlerow Whiteroc gilt, which contains a proportion of Duroc genes, has an exceptional reputation for prolificacy and mothering ability. It also has an excellent temperament, is easy to manage and popular with both indoor and outdoor producers.
“As breeding programmes develop and continue to push for greater efficiency, aggression appears to be becoming more of problem with certain genotypes,” Mr Lawson added. “The docility of our damlines, and particularly the Whiteroc female, is being noted by our customers.”
The breeding performance currently being achieved by a number of Rattlerow customers, along with the technical support and outdoor knowledge within the Rattlerow business, were influential in winning Rattlerow the deal with Wayland Farms.
“We’re delighted to be working closely with Wayland Farms and Cranswick and believe we are ideally placed to run such an important project,” Mr Lawson said. “We have an excellent technical team, supported by comprehensive research and development resources, both here and in Europe.”
Rattlerow is an established pig producer and actively involved in the pigmeat supply chain through its own commercial production. This deal, together with a recent agreement with Karro Foods to supply and manage its gilt breeding and AI operations, demonstrate Rattlerow’s clear and absolute commitment to UK pig production.
These agreements represents 57,000 new gilt sales and more than 335,000 doses of AI semen over the period of the contracts and reinforces Rattlerow’s position as the leading supplier of genetics to the outdoor sector.