Final Flashcards
Choosing boar guidelines
Improvement using boar> gilts
Concern when selecting boar from litters on farm
Consider purchasing animal vs semen
-1 boar/ 20 sows live cover
-1 boar/ 200 sows AI
Purchase 6-7 months of age, use no earlier than 8 months of age
Purpose of boar guidelines
Replacement gilts
Terminal market hogs- good market characteristics
Traits to look for in boar
Behavior
Reproductive soundness
Conformation
Dam productivity
Performance
Backfat
Behavior
Look at: temperament, sex characteristics (have libido to breed), aggressiveness
Reproductive soundness
12+ evenly spaces teats
No genetic abnormalities
Strong feet and legs
Wide stance
Ability to move freely
Conformation
Body length, depth, height, size, etc
Dam productivity
Consider when using to make replacement gilts, boars selected from litters of 10+ farrowed and 8+ weaned
-reproductive and growth traits (Maternal Line Index)
Performance
More emphasis on individual than pedigree
Reach 250 lbs at 155 days of age (or less)
Gain 2+ lb/day
Backfat
Carcass merit traits- trying to maintain or decrease fat
Loin muscle area ( want large)
Backfat thickness (10th rib Backfat of 250 lb boar < 0.8 in)
Negative # decreases Backfat on future generations
Expected progeny differences
Estimate how future progeny of sire chosen will do
-compare between sires of same breed
Each trait has associated accuracy of prediction
Selection index
Incorporate genetic evaluation of performance record
-include multiple traits together
Based on economic value of each trait
Provides overall breeding value in terms of $
Values based on 100
NBA
Number born alive ( want big #)
# (+ or -) of offspring born in litter
Expressed as numbers of individuals
10% heritable- good chance it wont be passed down
LW21
Litter 21-day weight (want large number)
Weight in pounds (+ or -) of total litter at weaning adjusted to 21 days
15% heritable, not good indication of breeding
D/250
Days to 250 lbs
#(+ or -) of days it takes to reach 250 lbs
- days= reach 250 lbs quicker
Reflects feed efficiency and intake
35% heritable
BF
Backfat depth
10th rib Backfat amount (+ or -) adjust to a 250 lb hog
Expected difference from the current average
Measured in inches
Negatively correlated to muscle
40% heritable
Terminal sire index
Uses DAYS, BF, LBS (pounds of fat free lean), feed/pound gain
-use for choosing boar with Terminal traits
Maternal line index
Includes TSI and SPI (sow productivity index)= BF, DAYS, LBS, NBA, LWT, NW
Maternal traits weighted 2x as much
-Based on average= 100
Boar housing area
Penned separately
Crates
Pens
Total or partial slatted flooring
boar breeding area
Common no ownership area (neutral)
-reduces territorial behavior
Runs females and males into
Variable
Flooring is most important
-good footing to ensure mounting
-Avoid slippery or wet flooring
-free of sharp and dangerous objects
-create favorable/ enjoyable environment
Housing environment for boars
> 85F reduces semen quality
=lower farrowing rates
=lower litter sizes
Ventilation
Evaporative coolers, misters, droppers
Boar nutrition
Normal feeding up to finishing period to maximize growth rate
At 6 mo of age up to breeding, boars are limit-fed to prevent over fattening
BCS 3 ideal, Whitaker likes backbone of 2 for boars
Routine management of boars
Daily observations -loss of appetite, listlessness, lameness
Vaccinations
Treat for mange and Lice
Tusk trimming -enlarged tooth in males, 2x a year
erysipelas
Bacteria: ersipelothrix rhusiopathiae
Infection by ingestion
Acute form results in 50-75% death loss
Edema of nose= breathing like snoring
Diamon-skin lesions
-make sure there aren’t sores from laying down (erysipelas would be on side)
Leptospirosis
Bacteria: leptospira pomona
Infection by contact (mucous membrane)
Reproductive failure
Difficult to observe in adult pigs
Parvovirus
Virus: parvovirus
Reproductive failure
Very difficult to diagnose
Mange
Aka scabies, scab, itch
15 day life cycle, occurs on body of pig
Female lays eggs under skin
Ear->neck-> body
Irritated skin, crusting skin
Insecticides
Lice
Sucking and biting louse
Life cycle occurs on body of pig
Female lays eggs on hair near skin
All parts of Body
Irritated skin, weight loss
Insecticides and sanitization
Individual breeding
1 boar w female in heat
Aka hand-mating
Lots of labor
Higher conception rates
1 boar can’t do more than twice a day, 7 Times/week
Pen mating
Boar in pen w random females
Rotate boars every couple days
Semen characteristics
1 dose= 100 ml
1 dose= 3 billion sperm
Look for 70-90% motility prior to insemination
Extender keeps sperm viable for7+ days
Replacement gilts guidelines
Expensive
External gilts= bio security risk
Well developed underline
Reproductive soundness
Feet and leg soundness
Performance (fast growing, from large litters, from good milk producing mothers)
replacement gilts considerations
Average culling rate 42%
Avg death rate 8%
Avg parity of culls 4
Visual evaluation
Structural soundness
Volume and body capacity
Muscle
Leanness
Underline quality
Sow productivity index
Uses NBA, LWT, NW
Indicates reproductive ability
Based on average= 100
HAL gene
Aka porcine stress syndrome
Pigs have PSE pork
Originally selected for because it produced a leaner hog
ESR gene
Estrogen sulfate receptor
Increases ovulation rate
+1 NBA/ litter
K88 gene
E.Coli binds to K88 receptor in gut
No K88= no E.Coli= no scours
Skin color
White skin is dominant allele
Creates white offspring regardless of parent skin
Packers prefer white skinned hogs
Age at puberty
5-8 months
Weight at puberty
180+ lbs
Duration of estrus
2-3 days
Length of estrous cycle
20-22 days (21 avg)
Time of ovulation
12 hours before estrus ends
weaning to estrus interval
3-7 days (5 avg)
length of gestation
114 days (3-3-3)
Estrus synchronization
Prepubertal gilts- not already through puberty
Mature sows and gilts- already cycling
Weaned sows-lactating, already farrowed
Before puberty
GnRH not really there
Low concentration
Infrequent
After puberty
GnRH level increases
Consistent
Boar exposure
Works with prepubertal gilts
“Boar effect”
Stimulates release GnRH
70-80% gilts show estrus in 28 days
Large group of females
Cycle at 28 weeks
Small group of females
Cycle at 32 weeks
Small group with boar
Direct contact and no contact cycle at 24 weeks
Prepubertal gilts
PG600
Injection of eCG (FSH like) and hCG (LH like)
80% gilts show estrus 5-10 days after inj
Cycling females
Matrix-> oral progestin
Fed for 14 days
80-90% pig display estrus 4-9 day after removal
group weaning
Wean all piglets at once
Removes inhibition on GnRH (from suckling)
90% weaned sows display estrus within 10 days after removal
pure breeding
Eligible for breed registration
Lineage
Breed purity
Breed promotion
Represent ~1% of US pig population
Necessary to maintain genetic diversity and progress
Foundation of crossbreeding
Crossbreeding
Mating animals of different breeds
Capitalize on traits controlled by additive and non additive gene action
= highly heritable traits and aim for high heterosis
Additive gene action
Select for G gene
Incremental gene action
Almost all traits are polygenic
Offspring trait is avg of parent traits
-amount of variation due to genetics
Non-additive gene action
Not all traits respond to additive gene effects
Offspring trait differs from average trait of parents= heterosis
Individual heterosis
Improvement in performance traits like growth rate and feed efficiency
Due to cross breeding (must have)
Maternal heterosis
Improvement in performance in sows and their progeny from using a crossbred dam
Pre and post natal environment, large litter sizes, higher rebrewing rates (repro traits)
Paternal heterosis
Improvement in performance in boars and their progeny from using a crossbred sire
Libido, breeding, longevity
Maternal Line
Select for highly heritable traits
Use crossbred females to maximize heterosis (health and reproduction)
Two Breed terminal cross
All progeny will go to market
100% heterosis
Three breed terminal cross
100% heterosis
1/2 one breed, 1/4 two other breeds
two Breed Rotational cross
Two breeds mated and resulting female offspring kept as replacement and bred back to one of two breeds
-in future females bred to opposite sex, keeps heterosis high?
Three-breed rotational cross
Two breed roatational but add third breed to mix
Keep few to stay within herd
Breeding
Estrogen level low when in estrus
-seeking boar occurs during estrus
-riding behavior occurs before estrus and after
-some vulva discharge, reddened vulva happening at beginning of estrus
Become immobile when mounted in heat and could suck up semen if in strong heat
Gestation critical periods
First 30 days, last 30 days
Gestation time line
0: fertilization
1-12 : embryonic migration
11-14: MRP
14-30: implantation
90-114: rapid growth of piglets
Inherent losses during gestation
43% of potential pigs lost during gestation
-about 1/3 potential pigs lost during 1st 30 days
Gestation temperature
60-68F
keep at right temp
Manage heat and cold stress
Open fronted
Indoors and outdoors, solid concrete flooring
~15 ft2/ sow
Enclosed
More control, less labor, land efficient
Individual stalls
2’x7’, traditional
No aggression/fighting
Regulate feed intake
AI friendly
Easier observations
Group pens
Typically AI first in stalls ~ 5 weeks then group
LOTS of fighting
~24 ft@/ sow
Feeding becomes primary issue: group feeding vs individual feeding
Gestation crates banned in
Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island
~20% of the country and ~10% of sows
_75% farms still use gestation crates
PRRS
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
Blue coloration o skin
Late term abortion (107 days)
Poor offspring
Labored breathing of offspring
Virus
Vaccine available (16 weeks)
SMEDI
Still birth, mummification, embryonic death and infertility
Syndrome
Name says it all, PPV often a culprit
Prefarrowing
Deworm sows 2 weeks before farrowing room entry
Farrowing room empty, cleaned, disinfected and dry for 5-7 days
Was the sows
Limit feed the sows (4-6 lb per day)
Use laxative diet
-20 lb/ ton Epsom salts
-15 lb/ton KCl
-Linseed meal (protein source)
Farrowing
Birth process-shortest but most important period
Labor= 1-10 hours (avg 3)
Interval between pigs= 1 min- 1 hour (avg 15 min)
75% anterior presentation
Induced farrowing
Prostaglandin
3 days or less before due date
Farrowing occurs 16-24 hours after
Assisting in farrowing
Oxytocin
After 30+ min and no new piglet
Farrowing crates
Minimize crushing and allow piglet to access teats
Forces sow to drop slowly to knees then roll over
Crate is narrow at top and wide at bottom
Lactation physiology
Suckling->posterior pituitary-> mammary gland targeted to produce milk ( milk synthesis)
Anterior pituitary leads to increased oxytocin which causes milk letdown (prolactin)
Lactation nutrition sow
No feed 1st 20-24 hours after farrowing
Can include laxative diet for first day
Want to increase full feeding ASAP
Try to have sows stand at least 3 time a day
Lactation nutrition piglet
Need iron within 1st 3-4 days
Prestarter feed (20% CP) in pans [~ 1 week of age]
Starter feed (18%) afterwards until weaning
MMA
Mastitis-Metritis Alactia Complex
mastitis= inflammation of mammary gland
Metritis= inflammation of uterus
Agalactia= failure to secret milk
No fatal
Hurts offspring more than sow, usually due to E.Coli
CAFO
Concentrated animal feeding operation
-confine livestock or poultry prior to market
2500 hogs > 55 lb
10000 hogs <55lb
45+ days of confinement (over one year)
Manure
Feces+ Urine+ bedding +other
Manure forms
Liquid slurry (<15% solid)
Semi- solid (>20% solid)
Dry
Manure nutrients
Water
Carbon- from digested plant material direct spreading of solids CO2 or CH4
nitrogen- ~10lb/ton, ammonium, urea; product of protein breakdown
Phosphorous- ~9lb/ ton, digested plant material; P2O6 of phytate
Potassium- digested plant material, K2O
Sulfur-digested plant, animal, bacterial proteins, H2SO4
Pig manure ratio
N:P:K
10:9:8
Corn requirement when fertilizing: 10:4:10 (P amt doubled is issue)
Phytoestrogens
Converts phytate (non-digestable) into inorganic phosphate
WMS
- Manual or mechanical scraping
- Gravity draining for sloped pens
- Flushing with dump tanks, siphons or pumping systems with automatic or manually controlled valves
- Continuous flushing, takes large amounts of water
Aerobic lagoons
Very rare, won’t ask about?
Aerobic bacteria use oxygen to decompose organic material
Breakdown of organic material is relatively complete
Decomposition acitvity is slow
Odor output is reduced
Lagoons usually very shallow with large surface area
Anaerobic lagoons
Anaerobic bacteria do not require oxygen for decomp of organic material
Breakdown of organic material is incomplete
Odors more prevalent
Decomp occurs quickly
Slurry system
Manure stored in large reservoir (above ground)
No extra water added to manure (4-15% solids)
Collection easy
Volume minimal
Fertilizer value improved
Sprinkler/ irrigation
Usually endpoint is cropland
Sprayed through sprinkler system
Released into irrigation ditches
Reincorporation into environment
Constructed wetlands
Water from treatment/ storage component passes slowly through a wetland that is full of plants
Plants utilize any organic material left for growth
Water re-enters environment
Reincorporation into environment
Solid fertilizer
Usually slid material after dehydration and/ or solid separation is mixed with organic matter or pelleted and used for fertilization
This is mixed with wood chips to form potting soil
Primal
Wholesale
Market channels
Auction (open market)
Direct to buyer (private treaty)
Contracts (futures) base pricing on future hogs
Ticker symbol
LH
Exchange
CME
Price quote
$/ cwt
Contract size
40000 lbs LH
235 hogs?
Prices highest
May and July
Price based on
Corn
Seller
Company
Industry
Buyer
Producer
Facility owner
Farmer
Grow pigs out
