Chapter 9 - Guidelines for Swine Husbandry

Question 1

What three factors make up the thermal environment experienced by the pig?

Answer 1

Air temp, air movement, and moisture.

Question 2

What does excessive moisture provide? What ventilation rate should be achieved in the winter?

Answer 2

Excessive moisture >80% provides a vehicle for microorganisms. Minimal ventilation rate in winter.

Question 3

How sensitive are pigs to lighting?

Answer 3

Domestic pig is less sensitive to photic environment.

Question 4

How often should be pigs be observed? Where can they be fed? How much should they be fed and watered?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

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?

Answer 5

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.

Question 6

What treatment may sows receive before farrowing? What special diet may be fed?

Answer 6

Treated for internal and external parasites. Fed a special diet or laxative additives before or after parturition to minimize constipation.

Question 7

Sows need to be zone cooled above what temperature? What should be provided to pigs when the farrowing room is zone heated or cooled?

Answer 7

Above 85 F. Heated creep area when farrowing room is zone heated or cooled.

Question 8

What flooring is typically in farrowing stalls? What should be provided if floors are solid?

Answer 8

Slatted or perforated. Provide bedding with solid flooring.

Question 9

What method of filling farrowing stalls should be used?

Answer 9

All-in, all-out

Question 10

Until weaning, what area should pigs be provided?

Answer 10

Warm, dry, draft free, zone heated, and protected from being crushed by sow.

Question 11

What is the lower critical temperature of the piglet at birth?

Answer 11

95 F

Question 12

What should be provided to meet the disparate thermal needs of the sow and piglet?

Answer 12

Zone heating, zone cooling, or both

Question 13

What procedures occur within a few days of piglet birth?

Answer 13

Naval disinfection, trim needle teeth and tail, give iron, individual ID via ear notches

Question 14

When are piglets weaned?

Answer 14

10-20 days

Question 15

How many watering devices are needed per nursery pig? A minimum of how many watering devices is required per pen?

Answer 15

One watering device per 10-20 pigs with at least 2 watering devices per pen located far enough apart

Question 16

At what age are pigs in the growing-finishing range?

Answer 16

8/9 weeks to market at 20-25 weeks.

Question 17

How many times should pigs be mixed/moved?

Answer 17

As few as possible

Question 18

How many growing pigs can share a feeder? A waterer?

Answer 18

10 pigs share feeder space, 20 may share waterer

Question 19

How should solid floors be sloped?

Answer 19

1-3% to allow water and manure to drain

Question 20

What is the formula for floor space in swine?

Answer 20

A = k x BW raised to 0.667
A = Floor space allowance
K = A space allowance coefficient (0.336 is the minimum)

Question 21

What should sow housing minimize?

Answer 21

Aggression and competition

Question 22

What is the optimum range of air temperature for gestation gilts and sows? When will pregnant sows start to experience heat stress?

Answer 22

60-68F. When air temp > 84 F

Question 23

What are the two types of sow group management?

Answer 23

Static: Small groups or groups up to 35-40
Dynamic: 80-200 sows

Question 24

What are the function of metabolism stalls? Why are they used? What does their use require?

Answer 24

Keep pigs from turning around and soiling feed or eating feces. Used for investigations on nutrition and physiology. Use requires ACUC approval.

Question 25

When is castration of piglets performed? After this period, what must be used? Describe site and instrument prep and closure.

Answer 25

Performed between 1-14 days of age. After 14 days use local or general anesthetic. Site disinfected, instruments disinfected, don’t close ventral incision.

Question 26

What are negative outcomes of nose rings in pigs? When is their use acceptable?

Answer 26

Reduce rooting behavior and can affect eating. Should be fitted with nose rings only with expected deleterious impact to environment outweighs concerns regarding welfare

Question 27

When are needle teeth trimmed? How much of the tooth is removed?

Answer 27

1-3 days of age, not more than half the tooth remove.

Question 28

As per the FDA, how is meat and milk from cow, pig, and goat clones treated? How should their disposal be treated?

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

When is blunt force trauma euthanasia acceptable?

Answer 29

Pigs weighing less than 5.5 kg

Question 30

When is CO2 euthanasia acceptable? What is an advantage of CO2 euthanasia?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

Why is carbon monoxide not recommended?

Answer 31

Human health hazard

Question 32

When is electrocution acceptable? Gunshot and captive bolt with exsanguination?

Answer 32

Electrocution: Pigs over 4.5 kg
Gunshot/captive bolt with exsanguination: Pigs over 5.5 kg

Question 33

When is euthanasia via an overdose of anesthetic or injection suitable? What do these agents require?

Answer 33

Suitable for pigs of all ages. Require special training, handling, and licensing.