3 – Breeding herd management Flashcards

1
Q

Breeding-gestation barn: areas of importance

A
  • Quarantine barn or acclimation area
  • Gilt development unit (GDU)
  • Weaned sow housing
  • Breeding area: sows & boars
  • Implantation
  • Gestation area
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2
Q

Production flow

A
  • Replacements in a different barn
  • Gilt development unit
  • Breeding and implantation (7 days)
  • Assembled into groups and move to gestation
  • Farrowing room
    o Sow back to breeding
  • Nursery
  • Grower-finisher
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3
Q

Production groups: cycles

A
  • Some ‘lost’ during breeding
  • Only 8-9 rebred out of 12
  • Replacement gilts (targe 3-4 per week)
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4
Q

Lighting: indigenous pigs

A
  • Seasonal breeders
  • Farrow in the SPRING
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5
Q

Lighting: domestic pigs

A
  • Stimulated by shortening photoperiod
  • Effect is gradual and requires several months to express
  • *sows most fertile in autumn-winter to farrow during spring and summer
  • *SEASONAL INFERTILITY peaks in summer breeding seasons to deter autumn/winter farrowing
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6
Q

Practical rule for lighting

A
  • Maintain 16 hrs daylight in breeding-gestation barn to attempt to PREVENT SEASONAL INFERTILITY
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7
Q

Pregnant sows are prone to heat stress

A
  • Sweat glands on nose only
  • Drip nozzle and misters can be useful if increased airflow to create evaporative cooling is provided
  • Regions of prolonged hot summers
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8
Q

Barn temperature

A
  • Optimum: 16-18 degrees C
  • WARMER TEMPERATURE REQUIRED IN STALLS: inability to escape adverse air flows and/or floor moisture
  • Pregnant sows are PRONE TO HEAT STRESS
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9
Q

Gilt management drives success of breeding herd

A
  • Allow for planned CULLING of sows: 40% annually
  • Ensure proper NUMBER to achieve breeding targets
  • Ensure proper AGE STRUCTURE to optimize herd immunity of disease control
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10
Q

Frequency distribution of sow numbers:

A
  • Excess numbers of parity 1 sows compared to parity 0
  • Lowers after parity 3
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11
Q

Sources of replacement gilts (2)

A
  • Raised on farm (in house multiplication)
  • Purchased from supplier (external nucleus and/or multiplier)
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12
Q

Raised on farm (replacement gilts)

A
  • Lower upfront cost
  • More labour required to manage genetic and selection programs
  • Eliminates ACCLIMATION problems: lower external biosecurity risk
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13
Q

Purchased from supplier (replacement gilts)

A
  • Pay a PREMIUM to supplier
  • Supplier manages genetic and selection programs
  • GREATER EXTERNAL BIOSECURITY RISK
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14
Q

Health assurance when purchasing gilts (and boars)

A
  • Vet-to-vet interviews
    o Health status
    o Vaccines
    o Bio secure
    o Mass medications/vaccinations
    o Quarantined
    o Vet visits
    o Transportation biosecurity
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15
Q

Isolation procedures for purchased gilts/boars (3)

A
  • Quarantine
  • Acclimation
  • Isolation: could refer to either
  • *best to quarantine then acclimate
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16
Q

Quarantine

A
  • Isolate gilts in a SEPARATE building
  • Convenient distance from main unit for 30-60 days prior to entry into breeding barn
17
Q

Acclimation

A
  • Controlled exposure to pathogens present in recipient farm
    o Develop sufficient immunity w/o clinical illness
18
Q

Common guidelines for first fertile breeding on commercial farms

A
  • Minimum 220-240 days of age
  • Second observed estrus on farm
  • *Optimum weight (135kg)
19
Q

Advantages of delayed breeding (second observed estrus)

A
  • Litter sizes increase by 0.5 pigs for each subsequent estrus
  • *must be balanced by additional housing and feed
20
Q

Breeding weaned sows

A
  • Generally housed in stalls after weaning (for ~5 weeks)
  • Estrus checks performed with boars once or twice daily
21
Q

How is breeding done?

A
  • Typically estrus cycle occurs 4-7 days after weaning
  • Confirm receptivity to boar
  • Inseminate or breed naturally once per day until out of STANDING heat (generally 2-3 matings total)
22
Q

Proper timing of breeding: ‘events’

A
  • Riding behaviour: something is going to start
  • Standing heat: accepting mounting (or human pressing hands)
  • Seeking boar
  • Vulva reddening and swelling
  • *need an old stinky boar=more stimulating!
23
Q

Management of boars

A
  • TERRITORIAL and DOMINANT
  • Individually housed to prevent fighting
  • Culling rate: 50% per year (genetics, size, libido)
  • Each boar need INDIVIDUAL attention and training
  • *do NOT turn your back!
24
Q

AI serviced barns

A
  • Maintain population of TEASER BOARS for estrus stimulation
25
Q

Naturally serviced barns

A
  • Maintain ratio 1 boar/20 females
26
Q

Boar housing

A
  • Individually housing: prevent fighting
  • Do NOT enter pen unless you have an escape route
27
Q

Semen production

A
  • AI stud or on-farm
  • CFIA regulated
  • Fresh; 16-17 degree C storage (protected from UV light)
  • Usually POOLED (collections from multiple boars combined)
  • 2-3billion sperm/dose (2-3 doses/female)
  • Many extenders with shelf-life 3-14 days
  • Transport to farm
  • Sexed semen (commercially available through 1 supplier)
28
Q

Post-breeding management

A
  • Re-grouped into group pens
    o After fertilization (<7d) or implantation (>21d)
  • *Minimal ‘stress’ during implantation (day 12-21) to minimize early embryonic mortality
29
Q

Confirming pregnancy

A
  • ESTRUS (heat check) with boars at day 21 and 42 (MOST SENSITIVE WAY: but need well trained staff)
  • Pregnancy examination day 25-35 depending on equipment
30
Q

Pregnancy examination day 25-35: equipment options

A
  • Real-time: image of embryonic vesicles
  • Doppler: fetal heart beat or uterine blood flow
  • A-mode: fluid filled organs (uterus, urinary bladder=false positive)
31
Q

Non-pregnancy ‘types’

A
  • Conception failure
  • Pregnancy failure
32
Q

Conception failure

A
  • Return to service at 21d (+/- 3) intervals
    o Regular returns (13-21d or 39-45d)
33
Q

Pregnancy failure

A
  • Follows maternal recognition of pregnancy (12-21d post breeding)
  • Return to service at IRREGULAR intervals (29-39d)
34
Q

Expected farrowing rates

A
  • 85-90% of sows bred
35
Q

Reasons for pregnancy loss in late gestation

A
  • Abortion
  • Pseudopregnancy
  • Not in pig (NIP): someone did NOT do job properly (assumed sow was pregnant)
  • Premature farrowing
36
Q

Normal gestation length in sows and gilts

A
  • 115-116d from first day of breeding
  • Considerable variation
  • Litters less than 112 days=pre-mature and are at risk of high piglet mortality
37
Q

Life cycle of sow: vaccination

A
  • Vaccinated pre-breeding
    o Parvo, lepto, erysipelas
  • Vaccinated right before farrowing
    o Baby pig diseases (*COLOSTRUM)
    o E. coli and Rotavirus