1 – Swine Production Basics Flashcards
Breeding pigs: terminology
- Gilt
- Sow
- Gestating sow
- Boar
Gilt
- Female pig that has NOT yet farrowed
Sow
- Female that has farrowed at least once
Gestating sow
- A pregnant sow (not lactating)
Boar
- Intact male pig (generally post-pubertal
Progeny pigs: terminology
- Barrow
- Piglet
- Suckling pig
- Weaner (weaned) pig
- Feeder pig
- Market pig
Barrow
- Castrated male pig
Piglet
- Young pig
- *less than 5 weeks of age (generally pre-weaning)
Suckling pig
- Piglet before weaning
Weaner pig
- Pig recently weaned
Feeder pig
- Pig old enough to enter grower barn
- *25kg
Market pig
- Pig large enough to be processed
- *115.-125kg live weight (5-6months of age)
Production terminology
- Gestate
- Farrow
- Wean
- Breeding herd
- Feeding herd
Gestate
- Being pregnant (114-117 days)
Farrow
- Process of birthing
Wean
- Removing litter from dam
- 3-4 weeks
Breeding herd
- Breeding/gestation/farrowing areas/animals
Feeding herd
- Nursery/grower/finishing areas/animals
Locations
- Farrowing barn
- Nursery (weaner) barn
- Grow-finish barn
Farrowing barn
- Where sows farrow and nurse their litters
- 3-4 weeks
Nursery (weaner) barn
- Where pigs are raised after weaning (5-8 weeks)
Grow-finish barn
- Where pigs are raised after leaving the nursery and before marketing/slaughter
- 16-18 weeks
Pig breeds: types
- Purebreds
- Crossbreds
- Synthetic lines
Crossbreds
- 2 way (AxB=AB)
- 3 way (ABxC)
- Back cross (ABxB)
Synthetic lines
- Company proprietary lines made of multiple breeds
- Bred ‘pure’ over many generations
Maternal breeds/lines
- *selected for fecundity and mothering ability
- Landrace x large white/York
Paternal breeds/lines
- *selected for growth, feed efficacy, carcass and meat quality
- Pietrain
- Duroc
- Hampshire
- White synthetic
There are multinational genetic companies that operate nucleus farms in western Canada
- Alpha Gene (Canada)
- Fast genetics (Canada)
- DNA Genetics (Denmark
- Hypor (Netherlands/Spain/Canada)
- Etc.
Genetic pyramid of swine production (top to bottom)
- Genetic nucleus
- Production nucleus
- Multiplication
- Commercial
- To slaughter (meat)
- *AI stud barns only (provide to all different levels)
Genetic nucleus
- Genetic testing
- Maternal and paternal: pure breeding
- Ex. YxY, LRxLR
Production nucleus
- Purebred female multiplication, linked to genetic nucleus by semen and planned matting
Multiplication
- Crossbred female multiplication
- No genetic testing
- Ex. LRxY=YLR gilts
Commercial
- YLRxDUR terminal sire
4 stages of production in a production system
- Breeding/gestation
- Farrowing
- Nursery
- Grow-finish
- *each requires a source of NEW genetics
- *when done farrowing go back into breeding/gestation barn
Each stage requires a source of NEW genetics and get it from
- Raised on farm
- Purchased from breeding company
- Artificial insemination (AI)
Code of practice (revised in 2014)
- National Farm Animal Care Council and Canadian Pork Council
- Link codes with science
- Ensure transparency in production processes
- Broad representation from stakeholders
- Contributes to improvements in animal care
- IDs research priorities to encourage work in these areas
What are the dead stock removal options?
- Rendering
- Composting
- Incineration
Rendering
- Most common on large units
- Communal pick up=LESS biosecure
- Requires temporary storage on farm storage
- Off-site storage bind until pick up
- Processing byproducts+dead stock
Processing byproducts + dead stock
- Meat and bone meal
- Blood meal
- Fats: tallow (beef), lard (pork), choice white grease (poultry)
- *pigs can be feed back to pigs
- Ruminants can be fed to non-ruminants if specified risk materials are removed
- Most fed back to poultry or used for pet foods
Composting
- Effective in warm climates
- Composting pile or vessels
- Requires source of carbon and aeration
Incineration
- Less common, very biosecure
- Diesel burner: cost operation
- Sized according to volume
- *important for anthrax cases
Liquid manure storage: in barn storage pits
- 2-8ft deep
- 2-6 weeks of storage
Liquid manure storage: long term
- Concrete tanks
- Earthen manure storage (EMS)
o Clay lined, plastic liners
o Straw covered
Liquid manure storage: noxious gases
- Hydrogen sulfate: no smell or colour (hard to know when toxicity occurs)
- Ammonia
Liquid manure application: environmental stewardship
- Value: nitrogen fertilizer
- 400 days storage required
- Application (spring and/or fall) to adjacent crop land
o Injected preferred over surface applied or sprayer
Human slaughter and processing: 6 major federally inspected plants in western Canada regulated by CFIA
- Maple Leaf Foods (Brandon)
- Hylife (Neepewa)
- Thunder Creek Pork (Moose Jaw)
- Olymel (Red Deer)
- Maple Leaf Foods (Lethbridge)
- Donald’s Fine Foods (Langley)
Provincially inspected/local abattoirs
- Numerous: inspection policies varies across provinces
- Meat can only be sold WITHIN province
Human slaughter: ‘steps’
- Delivery to plant by producer
- Traceable: TATTOO on L. shoulder IDs each farm of origin
- ASSEMBLED in ‘yard’ for 12-18 hours
- STUNNED by electrocution or CO2
- SHACKLED
- EXSANGUINATED (via vena cava/jugular) (blood used for other products)
- Scalded, dehaired, & washed
- Eviscerated
- Inspected, weighed
- Halved and chilled
Major reasons for hog slaughter condemnations: Canadian federally inspected plants
*abscesses
-sudden death
-peritonitis
Broken needles in pork products
- Infrequent but serious
- Improper vaccination/restraint of individuals or groups
- Industry mandates use of detectable needles
- Metal detectors in most plants (screen shoulders & neck)
o But can migrate! - *Spurred the adoption of needless injectors
Post-harvest meat processing
- Carcass chilled 24hrs
- “broken” into PRIMAL CUTS
o HAM, LOIN
o Shoulder: PICNIC, BUTT
o BELLY: ribs, belly bacon - Timed or retail cuts
Further processing of meat
- Wieners, sausages, pepperoni, etc
- Curing/smoking: bacon, ham
Rendered product
- Offal
- Trim
- Bones
- Etc.
Total cost of producing pigs and the price
- Europe: losing money if producing pigs
- Canada: making a little money
- US: makes more profit
- *very tight: anything to move the balance for more cents/pig up=big deal!
