Industry Flashcards
Ear notching: what does the left ear represent?
Individual number
Ear notching: what does the right ear represent?
Litter number
What is the industry flow?
Breeding Gestation Farrowing Nursery Growing Finishing
Ideally, sows should have ______ litters per year.
2.5
The gestation length for a sow is _____ days.
115
True or False: Growing pigs gain more muscle than fat when compared to finishing pigs.
True
Which breed is known for its red-colored coat, prolific sows, and high growth rate?
Duroc
What is the breed of swine currently housed on the Campus Farm?
Crossbred Hereford x Gloucester Old Spot
An intact, male pig is called a ____, whereas a castrated, male pig is called a _____.
boar
barrow
An immature, female pig is called a ____ and a mature female that has had at least one litter is called a _____.
gilt
sow
What are principles of good stockmanship practices?
Promote low stress handling
Use the animals’ natural behavior to direct their movement
Require understanding of how animals perceive and react to their environment
True or False. Most of the pigs in commercial operations are purebred.
False
What is the term used to describe the birth process in swine?
Farrowing
What is the most common purebred breed of swine?
Yorkshire
True or False. As a biosecurity precaution, almost all swine facilities require personnel to shower before entering the facility to prevent disease transmission.
True
True or False. It requires more energy to gain a pound of muscle than a pound or fat.
False
Gilts should reach market weight with less than ____inches of back fat, while barrows should reach market weight with less than ____ inches of back fat.
- 6
0. 7
What are the two main factors that determine the value of a pork carcass?
Lean quality
Yield (of 4 major wholesale cuts)
What is the primary cause of PSE meat and how can it be prevented?
Stress before slaughter. Handlers must work calmly and quietly around them in order to minimize the amount of stress experienced and allow the pigs to rest before slaughter.
What is feed efficiency? Name a benefit of improving animal feed efficiency.
A measure of how well an animal converts feed into product. A benefit is that it reduces and usage for manure storage and spreading.
What are the four lean wholesale retail cuts assessed to determine pork carcass value?
Ham
Loin
Blade shoulder (Boston butt)
Picnic shoulder
True or False. An average muscled pig with 0.75 inch thick backfat would have a yield grade of US no. 1.
True
The final live weight of a market hog is ____ pounds. This yields an ideal carcass weight of approximately ____ pounds.
270
205
True or False. Gilts yield leaner carcasses than barrows.
True
Name the four lean wholesale cuts from a hog carcass that we use to determine carcass value.
Loin
Ham
Blade shoulder (Boston butt)
Picnic shoulder
What is defined as the pounds of feed intake required to yield one pound of product?
feed efficiency
True or False. Average daily gain (ADG) is a highly heritable trait.
True
True or False. Ideally, the calculated feed conversion ratio should be a low number. This indicates that you are getting higher daily gains for less feed.
True
What traits of loin muscle is graded acceptable quality?
Color: pink
Firmness: slightly firm
Marbling: slight
Water: non-exudative
The backfat on your thick muscled hog measured 1.13” thick. You determine that the preliminary yield grade is U.S. No. 2, based off of the back fat. What is the final yield grade for your hog?
U.S. No. 1
What does FCR stand for?
Feed conversion ratio
What is the FCR of an ideal market hog?
< or = 2.4
What does ADG stand for?
Average daily gain
What is marbling?
term for intramuscular fat that is responsible for giving the meat its juiciness and flavor
What are the yield grades?
U.S. no. 1, 2, 3, 4, and U.S. Utility.
U.S. no. 1 is highest grade
What are the factors that affect feed efficiency?
Genetics Sex Age Nutrition Activity level Animal comfort and health
How big are the flight zones of pigs? Do they flock together?
small flight zones
no they do not have herding instincts
What tools are used to move groups of pigs?
boards and canes
Do pigs get distracted easily?
yes
How is yield grade estimated?
By using muscle scoring (Thick, Average, Thin)
Backfat thickness at the 10th rib
How is quality grade determined?
Acceptable or unacceptable (utility)
Loin is assessed for firmness, color, and marbling
