Chapter 9 - Guidelines for Swine Husbandry Flashcards
What three factors make up the thermal environment experienced by the pig?
Air temp, air movement, and moisture.
What does excessive moisture provide? What ventilation rate should be achieved in the winter?
Excessive moisture >80% provides a vehicle for microorganisms. Minimal ventilation rate in winter.
How sensitive are pigs to lighting?
Domestic pig is less sensitive to photic environment.
How often should be pigs be observed? Where can they be fed? How much should they be fed and watered?
Observed twice daily. Can be fed from floor as long as surface is clean and dry. Should be fed to meet or exceed nutrient requirements for their particular age and life cycle with ad libitum access to water.
What occurs when pigs are held in complete isolation? Which age demonstrates less stress? What should occur in single housing of pigs is requested as part of a research protocol?
Show behavioral and physiological signs of stress. Adult pigs may experience less stress than growing pigs. Request for single housing should be justified and approved by IACUC.
What treatment may sows receive before farrowing? What special diet may be fed?
Treated for internal and external parasites. Fed a special diet or laxative additives before or after parturition to minimize constipation.
Sows need to be zone cooled above what temperature? What should be provided to pigs when the farrowing room is zone heated or cooled?
Above 85 F. Heated creep area when farrowing room is zone heated or cooled.
What flooring is typically in farrowing stalls? What should be provided if floors are solid?
Slatted or perforated. Provide bedding with solid flooring.
What method of filling farrowing stalls should be used?
All-in, all-out
Until weaning, what area should pigs be provided?
Warm, dry, draft free, zone heated, and protected from being crushed by sow.
What is the lower critical temperature of the piglet at birth?
95 F
What should be provided to meet the disparate thermal needs of the sow and piglet?
Zone heating, zone cooling, or both
What procedures occur within a few days of piglet birth?
Naval disinfection, trim needle teeth and tail, give iron, individual ID via ear notches
When are piglets weaned?
10-20 days
How many watering devices are needed per nursery pig? A minimum of how many watering devices is required per pen?
One watering device per 10-20 pigs with at least 2 watering devices per pen located far enough apart
At what age are pigs in the growing-finishing range?
8/9 weeks to market at 20-25 weeks.
How many times should pigs be mixed/moved?
As few as possible
How many growing pigs can share a feeder? A waterer?
10 pigs share feeder space, 20 may share waterer
How should solid floors be sloped?
1-3% to allow water and manure to drain
What is the formula for floor space in swine?
A = k x BW raised to 0.667
A = Floor space allowance
K = A space allowance coefficient (0.336 is the minimum)
What should sow housing minimize?
Aggression and competition
What is the optimum range of air temperature for gestation gilts and sows? When will pregnant sows start to experience heat stress?
60-68F. When air temp > 84 F
What are the two types of sow group management?
Static: Small groups or groups up to 35-40
Dynamic: 80-200 sows
What are the function of metabolism stalls? Why are they used? What does their use require?
Keep pigs from turning around and soiling feed or eating feces. Used for investigations on nutrition and physiology. Use requires ACUC approval.
When is castration of piglets performed? After this period, what must be used? Describe site and instrument prep and closure.
Performed between 1-14 days of age. After 14 days use local or general anesthetic. Site disinfected, instruments disinfected, don’t close ventral incision.
What are negative outcomes of nose rings in pigs? When is their use acceptable?
Reduce rooting behavior and can affect eating. Should be fitted with nose rings only with expected deleterious impact to environment outweighs concerns regarding welfare
When are needle teeth trimmed? How much of the tooth is removed?
1-3 days of age, not more than half the tooth remove.
As per the FDA, how is meat and milk from cow, pig, and goat clones treated? How should their disposal be treated?
Milk and meat as safe as food we eat daily. Disposal in accordance with the application portion of the NIH guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules.
When is blunt force trauma euthanasia acceptable?
Pigs weighing less than 5.5 kg
When is CO2 euthanasia acceptable? What is an advantage of CO2 euthanasia?
Pigs less than 10 weeks of age and less than 14 kg (30 lb), providing that residual O2 is quickly removed from CO2 chamber. Does not leave behind residues
Why is carbon monoxide not recommended?
Human health hazard
When is electrocution acceptable? Gunshot and captive bolt with exsanguination?
Electrocution: Pigs over 4.5 kg
Gunshot/captive bolt with exsanguination: Pigs over 5.5 kg
When is euthanasia via an overdose of anesthetic or injection suitable? What do these agents require?
Suitable for pigs of all ages. Require special training, handling, and licensing.