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Pig Husbandry > Housing, Management, Health > Flashcards

Housing, Management, Health Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 5 must haves

A

Stockpersonship
Health
Biosecurity
Management
Accomodation

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2
Q

Indoor breeding herd gestation - restricted housing

A

Dry sow house = gestation stalls
Banned in UK - kept in open deep bedded stalls

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3
Q

What are the main global indoor housing systems?

A

Confinement systems
Slatted stall systems throughout pregnancy

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4
Q

Why are they kept on slatted stalls?

A

Ease of management - weak
Nutrition, no waste - weak
Protection of pregnant animal and unborn piglets - however if space and time are given, there is low risk and no aggression

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5
Q

What are the callenges with restriction?

A

Barren environment and extreme restriction
Abnormal behaviour
Weak joints
Injury and sores
Resp Disease
Chronic nutritional and psychological stress

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6
Q

What are the challenges in terms of hunger?

A

Fed conc feed max 20 minutes a day and less than normal, Normally they spend 15% of their day eating/rooting/drinking
Results in hunger and abnormal behaviour

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7
Q

Preferred feeding

A

Should be given bulking or high fibre foods as well as high density foods

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8
Q

What are UK, NO, SE, etc opinions on gestation stalls?

A

Total ban, partial ban in the rest of Europe.

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9
Q

What does change from gestation stall to group housing entail?

A

Cheapest option - removing stalls in same space
High stocking densities and competitive feeding - false economy

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10
Q

Simple pends with dump feeders

A

Competitive feeding, lose sows

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11
Q

Spin feeders

A

Slightly better than dump feeders

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12
Q

Trickle feeders with shoulder stalls

A

Small groups with full lengths stalls

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13
Q

Best feed system

A

Large groups with Electronic Sow Feeders - Protected, larger groups

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14
Q

Outdoor breeding herd

A

Dry sow paddock, group housing

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15
Q

Challenges with outodoor breeding herd

A

Weather challenges
Extreme temperatures facilitate heat and cold stress
Sow TNZ is 18 to 25 deg

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16
Q

Where do pigs have sweat glands?

A

Nose! Can’t sweat well, that’s why they wallow

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17
Q

How are males selected?

A

Breeding, teasing, catching at same age as females

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18
Q

Welfare issues for males?

A

Feed restriction and single housing

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19
Q

Most common farrowing housing?

A

Farrowing crates

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20
Q

Arguments for crates

A

Reduces mortality (does not eliminate) by controlling sow movement and crushing
Allows targeted heating
Facilitates hygiene
Facilitates human intervention

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21
Q

Arguments against crates

A

Restricted sizing! Discomfort
Restrict performance of species specific and highly motivated behaviours (ie. nest building behaviour)

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22
Q

Modern sows vs sows in 1960s

A

Substantially bigger now!

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23
Q

Minimal regultions for farrowing crates

A

Sow should be able to rise up and lie down without difficulty
Piglets must have sufficient space to suckle without difficulty

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24
Q

What is nest building behaviour?

A

Sows begin building nests in any environment even in the absence of substrate, prior to giving birth.
More participation in this behaviour inc Oxy and then inc maternal behaviour
Inability

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25
What happens if sows cannot perform nest building behaviour?
Negative state
26
What is the impact of behavioural frustration?
Increased plasma cortisol levels in sows Increased risk of savaging Increased activity during farrowing and thus increasing risk of crushing
27
Benefit of allowing nest building behaviour?
Reduces pre weaning mortality Reduced activity during parturition
28
Regulations for nest building behaviour?
"In the week before the expected farrowing time sows and gilts must be given suitable nesting material in sufficient quantity unless it is not technically feasible for the slurry system used in the establishment" Give straw/material in farrowing crates
29
Future of farrowing crate legislation
Banned in SE, CH, NO - free farrowing Phaseout in AT, DE 10% herd DK Temporary crating
30
What are the options for farrowing and lactation?
Temporary crating/confinement Loose lactation
31
What is loose lactation
Sows are confined in crate before and after farrowing but loose for lactation (3-7 days post-farrowing)
32
Loose farrowing and lactation options
Zero-confinement Indoor designed pens Kennel and Run Group or multisuckle
33
Outdoor farrowing vs indoor in terms of performance
Similar live born mortality Outdoor pigs are good mothers Intervention can be challenging Challenges with weather and temperature
34
Farrowing management - describe piglet behaviour at birth
Vulnerable at bith Behaviourally mature Physiologically immature - cannot thermoregulate well
35
Do we expect mortality?
Yes, they are a litter species, so some piglet mortality is expected
36
What are the outcomes of breeding for large litter size?
Decreased birth weight Increase variation within weight of litter Increased farrowing duration Increased piglet mortality
37
Why is intervention required with larger litter sizes?
Reduced competition at the udder * High colostrum intake * Optimum passive immune transfer
38
What are the consequences of increased litter size?
Increased farrowing time - higher risk of uterine fatigue, piglets experience o2 deprivation Increased number of stillborn piglets Implications for postnatal viability (ie. Muconium aspiration syndrome) Increased number of intraurine growth retarded piglets
39
Consequences of
40
Why is colostrum ital in piglets?
Give immunity, nutrition, maturation, GIT, thermoregulation
41
When does lactogenesis start in sows?
2 to 3 weeks prior to farrowing
42
When is colostrum available?
Contrinuously from start of farrowing and available for about 12 hours, 24 to 30 hours
43
How do IgG levels change through lactation
Best in first 4 hours and then reduce rapidly
44
When does let down occur?
After farrowing, every 20 minutes
45
When are piglets no longer able to absorb IgG from colostrum?
48 hours
46
What is a teat order?
Piglets become faithful to a specific teat
47
Why clip or grind piglet teeth?
Minimize damage to each other from fighting over a teat
48
Clipping or grinding?
Grinding is thought to be more welfare friendly Operator is the greatest risk to animal welfare
49
What are the biggest risk factors that lead to clipping or grinding?
Large litter sizes - look to optimally manage the large litter
50
At what age are piglets surgically castrated?
Within first 2 days of life No more than 7 days
51
Alternatives to surgical castration?
Raise entire males and take them to slaughter earlier Sex specific semen 'Vaccinate' to shrink testes
52
Why is weaning a key transition for the pig?
Change in feeding Housing Social effects Vaccinations Infection exposure
53
Typical weaning, growing, finishing accomodations?
Slatted systems
54
Common problems during weaning?
Growth check -failure to feed/drink properly Gut disorders -Scouring -GI infections Thermal problems Behavioural vices -Belly nosing -Ear, tail, flank biting
55
Describe the issue of tail biting
Common in growers, biting anywhere from the tip to base of the tail
56
What amount of tail is meant to be docked?
Just the tip, no more than half Does not nevessarily stop the behaviour
57
What are hte contributors to tail biting?
Cumulative risk bucket: Barren environment, lack of enrichment Thermal comfort and air quality Health status Resource competition Diet Pen structures and cleanliness
58
What are some enrichment options?
Chains Toys Chews Shredded paper
59
What is a major issue in accomodations?
Stocking density
60
What is one of the biggest limitations with improving stocking density?
Restricted legislations on where you can build new pig buildings
61
Other options to improve stocking density
Stalls with deep bedding and fewer pigs Indoor and outdoor Outdoor growers and finishers
62
Good feeding arrangements
Piglets - Long troughs, part solid part liquid Outdoors - contained feed to prevent vermin Indoors - Electronic sow feeders
63
Poor feeding practice
Piglets - competitive feeding Indoors - Dump feeders, sprinkle feeders slightly better
64
Consequences of insufficient water
Increased aggression Decreased daily gain Decreased food intake Increase weight gain variation
65
Common issue with drinkers
Too high and too angled
66
Ideal drinking methods
Have same drinker type throughout life
67
Ways to minimise handling stress
Positive early life contact Understand pig behaviour and signals Use of technology and innovation to minimise handling
68
Managing Health
* Recognition of abnormalities/disease * Treatments/hospitalisation * Hygiene: environment, water, air * Nutrition * Transportation/stress
69
Process for slaughter
Grown to 110kg Tagged (tattoo) - traceability Transport (no f/w) Unloaded into warehouses Rest - Lairage Stunning - CO2 Slaughter
70
Why is stunning a major welfare issue?
CO2 is very aversive to pigs

Pig Husbandry (2 decks)

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