6 – Finisher

Question 1

What are the goals of grow-finish unit?

Answer 1

• 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)

Question 2

Physical environment 2 important areas

Answer 2

• Penning
• Flooring

Question 3

Penning (2 types)

Answer 3

• Conventional pens (15-30 pigs)
• Large group pens (50-700 pigs)
  o Allow pigs to escape aggressors and harsh microenvironments

Question 4

Flooring

Answer 4

• Concrete (wears down claws)
• Partial slats (33-40%): drink and dung in a different area than sleep and eat
• Total slats (100%)

Question 5

Temperature requirements

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

Effective temperature

Answer 6

• Felt by the pig
• Affected by environment
  o Slat type
  o Bedding
  o Air velocity
  o Dampness
• *huddling or panting

Question 7

Ambient temperature

Answer 7

• Room T
• Measured by sensor or thermometer in room
• Positioned ~4’ above floor
• 1-2 locations per room

Question 8

Space allowance

Answer 8

• *similar formula as nursery
• Performance negatively affected when k<0.0335
• Normal resting behaviour altered if k<0.039

Question 9

Other important standards

Answer 9

• 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

Question 10

Types of enrichment

Answer 10

• Social
• Occupational (psychological enrichment with challenges)
• Physical
• Sensory
• Nutritional

Question 11

Social enrichment

Answer 11

• Direct or indirect contact with other pigs

Question 12

Physiology of growth of the pig

Answer 12

• *growth is NOT linear
• Comprised of at and lean tissue

Question 13

Growth rate is affected by

Answer 13

• Genotype
• Gender
• Health
• Pen density
• Environment
• Nutrition

Question 14

For each 1 kg of live weight gain, genetically advanced pigs deposit

Answer 14

• More weight
• More lean (muscle and bone)
• Less fat

Question 15

How do you measure fat and loin thickness?

Answer 15

• Ultrasound at P2 probing site
  o 5cm off midline over last rib
• *usually post mortem

Question 16

Target fat muscle depth

Answer 16

• 14-20mm

Question 17

Target loin muscle depth

Answer 17

• 55-70mm

Question 18

Why is measuring fat and loin thickness important?

Answer 18

• 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)

Question 19

Why weigh market pigs?

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

Most produces INDIVIDUALLY weigh all or proportion of pigs to slaughter: examples of how

Answer 20

• Scale
• Girth measurement
• Auto-sort scales
• Weigh leaders, eyeball the rest
• AI advancement (ex. cameras with app)
• *TIME INTENSIVE

Question 21

5 factors contributing to value of a market hog

Answer 21

1. Market price (per kg dressed): FLUCTUATES
2. Dressed weight
3. Backfat and loin muscle depth=CARCASS INDEX
4. Premiums (health, weight)
5. Demerits (trim losses, ex. abscesses)

Question 22

Dressed weight

Answer 22

• Warm eviscerated carcass
• Head is on
• ‘leaf-lard’

Question 23

Carcass index is based on

Answer 23

• Warm carcass weight
• Estimated lean yield %

Question 24

Steps to calculate value of market hogs

Answer 24

1. After evisceration, warm carcass is weighed to establish the dressed (carcass) weight (78-80% of live weight)
2. Carcass ultrasound probed to measure the fat and loin muscle depth at P2 site
3. Estimated lean yield precent (from fat and loin measurements)
4. Assigned carcass index
5. Multiply market price x dressed weight x index/100
6. Subtract demerits
7. Add premiums (lean and health bonus)
   **EXAMPLE QUESTION