Pig Production Systems Flashcards
What are the main countries from which the UK imports pigs?
Netherlands and Denmark
What is the typical weight of pigs during weaning?
7kg at 20-40 days
What weight range do weaners typically reach?
20-30 kg
What is the live weight range for pork slaughter?
50-80kg
What is the weight range for bacon and processing pigs?
90-120kg
What weight do specialist pigs, such as those for slow dried hams, typically reach?
140-170kg
What are the characteristics of intensive indoor pig production?
- Specialized feeds
- Controlled breeding
- Close monitoring of sow performance and growth rates
- High investment in buildings and infrastructure
- High-density animal health management
What factors are critical in the building design for intensive indoor pig production?
- Temperature control
- Health status
- Cleaning
How does intensive indoor pig production impact labor and feed usage?
Reduces labor and feed needed for maintaining body heat and physical exercise
What percentage of breeding sows are kept in outdoor systems?
42%
What happens to piglets after weaning in outdoor systems?
Most are transferred to indoor intensive units
List some factors to consider in pig production.
- Site selection
- Ground cover
- Climate
- Genetics
- Stocking density
- Food and water
- Mating management
- Health
- Nose ringing
- Tooth clipping
- Tail docking
- Weaner management
What are some features of modern sows?
- Higher body weight at maturity
- Physiologically younger at any weight during growth
- Lower voluntary food intake
- More milk of higher energy content
- More difficult to maintain optimum fat levels
What factors affect the farrowing index (litters/sow/year)?
- Gestation length (115-117 days)
- Lactation length (26-27 days)
- Interval weaning to heat (about 6 days)
- Non-productive days
What are the acute issues in the pig sector?
Acute labour shortages in slaughter and processing facilities, controversial practices, low margins, and increasing welfare demands
Controversial practices include tail clipping, teeth clipping, and nose ringing.
What influences low margins in the pig sector?
Consumer expectation of low price and profitability influenced heavily by feed prices
This creates pressure on producers to maintain low costs.
What are the types of accommodation required for pigs?
- Farrowing house
- Dry sow accommodation
- Weaner accommodation
- Finisher accommodation
Proper accommodation is essential for different stages of pig development.
What is weekly farrowing?
Farrowing, weaning, and mating every week
This method allows for continuous production cycles.
What is batch farrowing?
Three-weekly farrowing with one job per week
This method organizes the production schedule into batches.
How does temperature affect mature pigs?
The mature pig is tolerant to a large variation in temperature
However, feed intake, growth rate, and feed conversion efficiency are highly dependent on environmental temperature.
How does temperature tolerance change as pigs age?
Increases tolerance to low temperature and decreases tolerance to high temperature
This is critical for managing housing conditions for pigs.
What happens during the weaning process for piglets?
There is a step change in temperature tolerance
Piglets require different environmental conditions compared to mature pigs.
What is the ventilation requirement in temperate conditions?
Provide variable air to control house temperature
Proper ventilation is crucial for maintaining a healthy environment.
What measures should be taken in summer conditions for pig housing?
Provide adequate air throughput to limit the building temperature to 3-4 degrees above the outside temperature
This helps prevent heat stress in pigs.
