6 – Finisher Flashcards
1
Q
What are the goals of grow-finish unit?
A
- Optimize growth (from 25-115kg)
- Maximize feed EFFICIENCY (feed is 70% of cost of production)
- Capture value at marketing
- ID of hogs prior to marketing (TRACEABILITY)
- Ensure appropriate animal welfare
- Minimize impact of disease on production & food safety
- Selecting BREEDING gilts (if a gilt multiplication barn)
2
Q
Physical environment 2 important areas
A
- Penning
- Flooring
3
Q
Penning (2 types)
A
- Conventional pens (15-30 pigs)
- Large group pens (50-700 pigs)
o Allow pigs to escape aggressors and harsh microenvironments
4
Q
Flooring
A
- Concrete (wears down claws)
- Partial slats (33-40%): drink and dung in a different area than sleep and eat
- Total slats (100%)
5
Q
Temperature requirements
A
- Fairly wide comfort zone
o But can be challenging when temperature fluctuates so much (especially in Canada) - Air speed needs to be taken into account
*effective vs. ambient temperature
6
Q
Effective temperature
A
- Felt by the pig
- Affected by environment
o Slat type
o Bedding
o Air velocity
o Dampness - *huddling or panting
7
Q
Ambient temperature
A
- Room T
- Measured by sensor or thermometer in room
- Positioned ~4’ above floor
- 1-2 locations per room
8
Q
Space allowance
A
- *similar formula as nursery
- Performance negatively affected when k<0.0335
- Normal resting behaviour altered if k<0.039
9
Q
Other important standards
A
- Water flow, lighting, ventilation
- Sick and injured pigs
- Enrichment (social and physical!)
o Hay=has shown to be best form of enrichment, PROBLEM=manure systems
o Chains, 2x4 wood, old tires
o Nutritional if possible
10
Q
Types of enrichment
A
- Social
- Occupational (psychological enrichment with challenges)
- Physical
- Sensory
- Nutritional
11
Q
Social enrichment
A
- Direct or indirect contact with other pigs
12
Q
Physiology of growth of the pig
A
- *growth is NOT linear
- Comprised of at and lean tissue
13
Q
Growth rate is affected by
A
- Genotype
- Gender
- Health
- Pen density
- Environment
- Nutrition
14
Q
For each 1 kg of live weight gain, genetically advanced pigs deposit
A
- More weight
- More lean (muscle and bone)
- Less fat
15
Q
How do you measure fat and loin thickness?
A
- Ultrasound at P2 probing site
o 5cm off midline over last rib - *usually post mortem
16
Q
Target fat muscle depth
A
- 14-20mm
17
Q
Target loin muscle depth
A
- 55-70mm
18
Q
Why is measuring fat and loin thickness important?
A
- Enables genetic progress
- To formulate diets based on protein (AA) requirements
- To estimate carcass lean content=enable carcass quality premiums to be paid to producers (CARCASS INDEX)
19
Q
Why weigh market pigs?
A
- Must be shipped within a ‘WINDOW’ (115-130kg live, 90-105kg dressed) in order to achieve PREMIUM prices fore each hog
- *target 85-90% marketed in ‘core weight’ window
20
Q
Most produces INDIVIDUALLY weigh all or proportion of pigs to slaughter: examples of how
A
- Scale
- Girth measurement
- Auto-sort scales
- Weigh leaders, eyeball the rest
- AI advancement (ex. cameras with app)
- *TIME INTENSIVE
21
Q
5 factors contributing to value of a market hog
A
- Market price (per kg dressed): FLUCTUATES
- Dressed weight
- Backfat and loin muscle depth=CARCASS INDEX
- Premiums (health, weight)
- Demerits (trim losses, ex. abscesses)
22
Q
Dressed weight
A
- Warm eviscerated carcass
- Head is on
- ‘leaf-lard’
23
Q
Carcass index is based on
A
- Warm carcass weight
- Estimated lean yield %
24
Q
Steps to calculate value of market hogs
A
- After evisceration, warm carcass is weighed to establish the dressed (carcass) weight (78-80% of live weight)
- Carcass ultrasound probed to measure the fat and loin muscle depth at P2 site
- Estimated lean yield precent (from fat and loin measurements)
- Assigned carcass index
- Multiply market price x dressed weight x index/100
- Subtract demerits
- Add premiums (lean and health bonus)
**EXAMPLE QUESTION
