pigs Flashcards
what is this and whats its purpose
Tooth clippers
- to blunt the tips of the corner teeth of piglets to prevent damage when suckling the sow, tail or ear biting among other litter mates
what is this and what is its purpose
tail cauteriser
- used to dock tails of piglets to prevent tail biting
what is this and what is its purpose
slap marker
- used to slap the herdmark onto each shoulder of a pig as as form of ID
what is this and what is its purpose
pig board
- used to aid in moving pigs
what is this and what is its purpose
paddle/rattler
- generates gentle rattles when shaken to aid in moving pigs
what is this and what is its purpose
snout snare
- used to restrain an animal >10kg for safe handling/vet examination. less stress is caused to a pig using this form of restraint and procedures can be carried out faster
what is this and what is its purpose
pig injector gun
- used to deliver vaccines and medication (easy to adjust dose)
what is this and what is its purpose
weigh crate
- accurate way of weighing piglets/pigs frequently to check daily live weight gain
what is this and what is its purpose
AI catheters
- used to deliver boar semen to a gilt/sow during artificial insemination
True or false: stressful handling of pigs results in quicker movement of the animals
true
True or false: stress can affect pig growth performance
True
True or false:stressed pigs are safer to be around
false
True or false: stress can affect porcine reproductive performance
true
True or false: during handling, stressed pigs may become injured, reducing carcass quility due to bruising
true
True or false: stressful handling reduces the pigs flight zone
false
True or false: stress can weaken a pigs immune system making them more susceptible to disease
true
where can you take blood from a pig
- jugular or ear vein
how much water do pigs drink
where can you give an IM injection on a pig? why do we prioritize some locations
- neck muscle = most common
- can also do quads and tricepts but since pigs are meat animals doing IM injections in these sites damage prime cuts of meat
- some locations (neck) are more safe since its hard for pig to bite
where do you apply a snout snare to a pig
in their mouth.
- allow pig to sniff and bite the snare then slowly tighten around ton of nasal bone
what organizations do all pig owners need to register with by law
animal health and veterinary laboratories agency
what is a county parish holding number and where do you apply for this
A CPH number identifies the land where the pigs will be kept. It is a 9-digit number with the first 2 digits related to the county your pigs are kept in, the next 3 digits relate to the parish and the last 4 digits are a unique holding number. For example, 12 / 345 / 6789. To apply for a CPH you need to contact The Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
what is a hermark and where would a pig keeper obtain this
A herdmark is a unique number given to a pig keeper. Herdmarks for pigs are 1 or 2 letters followed by 4 digits. For example, A1234 or AB1234 and are obtained from AHVLA (you need a CPH number first).
what is the purpose of a county parish holding number and a herdmark
Traceability. With these numbers a pig can be identified and traced back to its holding. For disease outbreaks this is essential in sourcing and controlling the spread of disease.
is it a vets responsibility to check that pig carcasses at a UK abattoir have the relevant ID
Yes and no! It is the Food Business Operators (FBO) responsibility to check pigs arriving at abattoir have the correct paperwork/ID. However, all Food Chain Information forms containing this information should be made available to the Official Veterinarian (OV) and this should be checked. Any pig keeper failing to comply can be reported to Trading Standards (usually by the FBO not OV). Please contact Amelia Garcia-Ara or John Pegg if you would like any further information regarding anything OV!
British saddleback
This large pig has a distinctive black body with a white band around its middle and front legs. Sometimes featuring a white nose, hind legs and tail, the breed was created in the 20thcentury
British Saddlebacks are hardy and noted for their mothering ability. The breed is known for its grazing ability. It has secured a niche in outdoor and organic production. These are docile pigs making them more manageable than some.
They are bigger than some of the breed, therefore produce good bacon.
Gloucestershire old spots
The Gloucestershire Old Spots are a hardy breed and live quite happily outside. Whilst they must have one clear spot there are no set numbers of spots and people have mixed views on how many they like with some opting for lots of spots whilst others for very few.
They have become very popular and have the highest number of the native breeds of pig.
Hampshire
In some respects the Hampshire can be regarded as a ‘British Native’ Breed, as the original breeding stock was imported from Wessex, UK in 1832. The Hampshire is used extensively as the sire of cross bred pigs for the pork and manufacturing markets in the USA and many other countries. It has the reputation of being the leanest of the North American Breeds.
Landrace
The British Landrace is a very versatile breed, performing well under either indoor or outdoor systems of management.
Sows can produce and rear large litters of piglets with very good daily gain and high lean meat content, in a superbly fleshed carcase, which is ideal for either fresh pork or bacon production.
Distinguished by its ears pointing forward vs the Large White has ears erect.
Large black
The Docile black pigs are good mothers as well as being easy pigs to handle. They are good outdoor pigs as the black pigmentation stops them from getting burnt as other white breeds do.
They have an easy-going nature which means that they are less adventures than some. They are also a large breed making them good bacon pigs.
The only truly entire black pig in the UK
large white/yorkshire
Known as the Yorkshire pi in the USA
These inquisitive pigs thrive both inside and out though it is important to ensure they have wallows in the summer to cool off and coat themselves in mud to stop them from becoming sunburnt.
Widely used in cross breeding, it is a very popular commercial breed, now bred worldwide.
Distinguishable from the Landrace due to its erect ears.
Middle white
The Middle White is one of the most distinctive white pigs because of its short nose that some say makes it look like it has run into a wall.
The Middle White is a cheeky, friendly pig that became known as the ‘London Porker’ because of its popularity in London restaurants.
welsh
It has a long level body with deep strong hams and legs set well apart.The modern Welsh breed described the perfect Welsh pig as “pear shaped” when viewed from either the side or from above.
They are still known for their hardiness and ability to thrive under a wide variety of conditions, both indoor and outside.
tamworth
Today’s Tamworth is thought to be the most typical breed descended from the old indigenous species, the Old English Forest pig. The sows are excellent mothers, being milky, docile as well as protective.
As with all traditional breeds, the Tamworth is hardy and can be kept in environments ranging from rough pasture to meadowland. Of all the native breeds it is particularly resistant to sunburn.
Now considered as a vulnerable breed Tamworth’s numbers have fallen in recent years with less than 300 breeding sows registered in Britain.
british lop
Named after its large ears, which hang over its face, the British Lop was originally bred in the South-West of England for pork meat. With a long and large frame, the British Lop provides lean, tasty meat.
The breed is classed as vulnerable.
Distinguishable from the Landrace and Welsh by a more arched back.
oxford sandy and black
A traditional farmers and cottagers pig, of the middle part of the country, especially around Oxfordshire.
These pigs have been on the brink of extinction a couple of times, but the hard work of a few dedicated breeders maintained the numbers.
With a rust-coloured skin and black patches across its body, the pig is particularly attractive and stands out amongst the other British native breeds. Producing tender meat with strong flavour, meat from the Oxford Sandy and Black is often used in bacon, ham and pork products.
duroc
The Duroc’s tenacity in looking after its young combined with its docility between times makes it an ideal candidate for an outdoor pig, either as a dam or sire line, and its succulence and heavy muscling makes it very suitable for anything from light pork to heavy hog production.
The Duroc’s thick auburn winter coat and hard skin allows them to survive the cold and wet of the British winter. This coat moults out in summer to leave the pig looking almost bald, but as a consequence it can cope with hot dry summers equally well.
Aften cross-bred with native breeds to provide a hybrid pork product.
Pietrain
The Pietrain is renowned for its very high yield of lean meat, but this is often associated with the presence of the halothane gene for Porcine Stress Syndrome. For this reason, the use of purebred Pietrain in British pig production is relatively rare, and it is commonly found in crossbred and synthetic terminal sire lines. A small number of purebred herds are maintained to supply stock for these breeding programmes.
The breed is of medium size and is white with black spots. Around the black spots there are characteristic rings of light pigmentation that carries white hair. The breed is commonly referred to as being of piebald markings. The ears are carried erect.
mangalica
Traditionally found in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Romania and Switzerland.
Once renowned as a Lard Pig capable of producing 70 litres of rendered fat, the Mangalitza has carved out new niche markets in forestry projects and the production of special hams and salamis.
The meat is well marbled so that it is tastier and less dry than that from more modern breeds. The fat is also special as it has a higher level of monounsaturated fats, meaning it goes rancid less easily which is good for long curing. It also has a healthier balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids than seed oils which have become so popular in modern cookery.
iberian (black iberian)
Native to the Iberian peninsula.
The numbers of the Iberian breed have been drastically reduced since 1960 due to several factors such as the outbreak ofAfrica swine fever and the lowered value of animal fats.
This traditional breed exhibits a good appetite and propensity to obesity, including a great capacity to accumulate intramuscular and epidermal fat. The high intramuscular fat is what produces the typical marbling; this, together with traditional feeding based on acorns, is what makes it ideal for large ham joints, which are often seen in Italy and across the continent.
Distinguishable from the Large Black as the Iberian has a longer snout.
