Pig Production Flashcards
In relation to the pig How long is the oestrus cycle Length of oestrus Gestation period Average litter size Weight of bonham Sow production life span
- Oestrous Cycle: 21 Days
- Length of Heat Period/oestrous: 2-3 Days
- Gestation Period: 115 Days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days)
- Average Litter Size: 13.5 Bonham’s
- Weight of Bonham: 1-1.5kg
- Sow Production Life Span: 4-5 Years
The large white
- Highly prolific
- Fast growth rate
- Good meat quality
- Good Mothering Qualities
- Ears Perked Up/erect
The landrace
- Long muscular body
- Small shoulders
- Large hams
- Lean meat
- Good conformation
- Drooped Ears
The Duroc
- Used as Terminal Sire – to produce pigs for slaughter in intensive systems
- Red in colour
- Large Muscular Body
- Fast Growth Rates
What is criss-cross breeding
• Criss-cross breeding reduces the cost of producing quality pigs while maintaining the best characteristics of both breeds.
• Purebred boars are always used to start
• Boars are replaced every 2 years to prevent
inbreeding
• The best females (F2) from the cross are kept as replacement gilts
• The remaining females and all of the males will be fattened and finished for slaughter
What are 5 characteristics farmers look for in a replacement gilt
➢Gilts that come from mothers that were good milkers
➢Correct weight and body condition score
➢Good conformation
➢Good feet and legs (no abnormalities)
➢Gilts that have 12 or more evenly spaced, well developed teats
What are the different units of an intergrated pig production
➢Breeding unit:
❖Dry Sow House
❖Farrowing House
➢Fattening Unit:
❖Weaner House
❖Fattener House
What is an Integrated Pig Production Units
- Integrated pig production units reduces movement of pigs
- This allows them to use energy for growth
- It also reduces the risk of disease entering the farm
What happens at the breeding unit
• Sows giving birth to piglets in a farrowing house
• Piglets remain until weaned at 4-5 weeks at an
average weight of 7-9kg
• Piglets moved to the weaner house – kept here until they reach 20kg weight
• They are then moved to the second stage weaner house until they reach 32-38kg
• Boars are kept in these units as “teaser boars” to bring gilts/sows into heat
What happens from birth and nutrition
- 1-1.5kg at birth
- Born in a farrowing crate
- Colostrum provides energy, warmth and immunity (fat, lactose)
- Colostrum produced for first 24 hours then transitions over 3-4 days to milk
- High protein in colostrum is due to a high concentration of antibodies present in the milk
- This concentration is highest in the first 12 hours after the first piglet is born
- Creep feed is introduced a week after birth
- Creep feed contains 21% protein and 1.8% lysine
Why is lysine important in pig production
- Lysine is the most essential amino acid and is required by pigs for producing muscle
- It is also important for milk production in sows and gilts.
What is weaning and when does it occur
- Weaning: process of changing a young mammal’s diet to other food while withdrawing the supply of its own mother’s milk.
- Occurs abruptly at 4-5 weeks
Describe the management of pigs
- Greatest risk of piglet mortality is within first 48 hours
- Main causes – starvation and crushing
- Weak piglets (less than 1kg) should be helped, syringed colostrum
- Adequate supervision is very important at this time
- Navels should be sprayed with iodine – prevent infections
- All piglets are given injection of iron at 2-3 days to prevent anaemia (lack of iron)
- Ear notching/tagging is carried out for identification purposes - to identify future replacement gilts
What is environmental enrichment
- Objects or materials for the piglets to investigate and manipulate.
- They improve living conditions of the piglets.
- Examples include: straw, wood, sawdust, grass, silage and shredded paper.
Weaner house stage 1
Animals present
Temperature and conditions
Nutrition
Animals Present: • Bonhams weaned from mother at 4-5 weeks Bonhams now called weaners • 7-9 kg • Grouped according to size • Stay here for a month
Temperature and Conditions:
• 28°C and decreased by 2°C per week over a 4 week period to 22°C
• 0.2 squared per piglet
• Well Ventilated
Nutrition:
• Creep ration: 21% protein, 1.8 % lysine ad-lib
• Link ration containing 21% protein, 1.45% Lysine
• Weaner ration: 18-20% protein, 1.3% Lysine
