Pigs Flashcards
What is an F1 gilt?
A first cross daughter of 2 different pure bred parents
What is HV (or heterosis), and which generation is it present in, and to what %?
HV: hybrid vigour
F1 crosses exhibit 100% hybrid vigour and display improved traits associated with fertility, growth rate, litter size, milk production)
What is a TSL, and are they usually pure bred or cross bred?
TSL: terminal sire line is a boar selected for breeding to introduce superior growth and caracass attributes. They are usually cross bred
Where does pork sit on the charts for most consumed meats in Aus. ?
Pork is 2nd most consumed
What are the 3 types of accommodation for pigs and briefly describe them
Indoor: most popular, single or group housing, on slatted/ solid flooring, controlled thermal environment
Deep litter: ‘eco shelter’, group housing, on deep litter in shelters or sheds
Outdoor: niche system but gaining popularity, paddocks with shelters (MCOP)
Classes in a piggery
Weaners, lactating sows/ suckers, farrowing sows, growers/ finishers, boars, gilts, barrow
What are DSS, and what is the legislation surrounding the amount of time a pig is permitted to spend in one?
DSS: dry sow stall is a small stall limiting movement but has some benefits
Amount of time permitted: <6 weeks, <1/3 pregnancy
What states have banned DSS
Tasmania and ACT
How long is the lactation cycle of pig?
21-28 days, 3-4 weeks
What is the DMA, and when are sows moved here, and are gilts able to be transferred here?
DMA: designated mating area where breeding boars are located
Sows are moved here after being weaned from piglets
Gilts can also be moved here once ready to breed
Indoor weaner shed group housing: who is moved into here? and when? what guidelines must be followed here? what is a common issue related to physiology that may occur once moved here?
Weaners are moved here at weaning, both female/ male are moved here but separated based on sex and size. Stocking density determined by the MCOP helps determine group sizes.
Common issue: scours due to GIT issues developed from drastic change in feed
What % of piglets struggle to integrate creep feed into their diet? and what implications does this have once weaned?
10-15% of piglets struggle to adjust to creep feed.
Once weaned, these weaners will struggle to adjust to weaner feed and most likely have GIT issues.
What is the next shed after the weaner shed? Should the piglets from the previous shed be maintained or should new individuals be introduced, why?
After weaning shed: grower finisher shed
The same weaner group should be maintained if possible to reduce aggression while establishing a new hierarchy
What shed will selected females (for breeding) from the grower shed go to? what does the stocking density (MCOP) change from and to when moving to this shed?
Gilt shed
The stocking density changes from kg/m2 to animals/ m2 (because they are now considered adults)
In the gilt shed, after the gilts have been exposed to the boar, how many days until they start cycling?
10-30 days
What are the optimum environmental temps for these pig classes: newborns, suckers, weaners, ‘other’ and what is the ideal rectal temp.
Newborns: 27-35
Suckers: 24-30
Weaners: 20-30
Other: 15-25
Rectal: 38
3 measurements of welfare (hint: K, H, E)
Production KPI’s: FCE/FCR
Health: morbidity and mortality rates
‘Emotion’: ability to express natural behaviours (nesting, hygiene - urination/ defecation)
Nesting and farrowing: how long before parturition does it occur? Do they do this with the group or away? How can nesting be made available to sows in DSS?
Nesting: 6-24 prior to farrowing
Gilts/ sows perform this away from the group
Small amounts of hay/ straw/ bedding can be provided in DSS (careful not to block effluent drains)
What are 6 indications that a sow/ gilt is approaching farrowing?
Increased activity (standing up, lying down, restless)
Swollen vulva ~4 days before
Udder enlarges
RR increases (~30 minutes before)
Pelvis ‘drops’
Milk spurts (~8 hours before)
Nesting and farrowing: What is the avg. time for farrowing, and when should a vet intervene (what amount of time between each piglet), what recumbancy do sows/ gilts lay in when farrowing?
Avg time for farrowing: 2-3 hours
Intervening: more than 30 minutes between each piglet
Recumbancy: lateral recumbancy
What is the maximum % of piglet crushes that is acceptable in a DSS, commercial with no confinement, and what amount of days after birth do the most crushes occur in?
DSS: max. 2%
No confinement: 10-15%
Most crushes: first 3 days
What is the ideal litter size? and what litter size should you start fostering piglets?
Ideal litter: 13-14
Fostering: 17-18
Are replacement gilts/ sows chosen based on mothering skills or genetics contribution such as lactation, early puberty etc.
Genetic contribution: lactation, early puberty, etc.
How many stages are involved in sow nursing/ lactation? and simply define each step?
6 stages:
1. Vocalising/ gather of piglets, sow grunting (1 grunt/ second)
2. Stim. oxytocin, reduced vocalisations, increased butting/ nosing, sow grunt (1/second)
3. Sucking noises and reduced vocalisations, sow grunting maxs at 2/second
4. Maximum milk letdown, piglets suck fast (3/second), sow grunt 1/second
5. loud sucking, sow grunting stops
6. Sucking slows and piglets bunt udder depending on nutrition received, sow: milk flow ends
How many litters/ sow/ year should a commercial industry aim for?
2
What type of yearly oestrus do pigs have?
Seasonal anoestrus (summer and early autumn)
Anoestrus: period of sexual inactivity between 2 periods of oestrus/ year
How long does courtship last in pigs?
1-5 minutes
How does courtship affect litter size?
Courtship stimulates FSH, LH surge (hormones for ovulation) which increases the number which increases litter size
What % of the day do pigs spent rooting/ feeding/ foraging?
10-15%
What is the last resort to prevent pigs from destroying ground by rooting? and where can it be placed?
Nose rings should be placed either through the top of the nose cartilage or between the cartilage of the two snouts
What are 6 main abnormal behaviours?
Tail and ear biting/ sucking
Cannibalism
Inguinal/ belly nosing
Prepuce sucking (which can lead to sores/ infections)
Snout rubbing (can lead to necrotic areas on flank
What digestion system do pigs have?
Monogastric
What cereal grains can be fed to pigs?
Wheat, barley, sorghum
What protein meals can be fed to pigs?
Fish meals, blood/ bone meal, soymeal
What ‘other’ nutrients should be fed to pigs?
Oil, fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals
What biosecurity issues must be considered if using dam water?
Some diseases included can be salmonella and e.coli
How long before farrowing should a gilt/ sow be moved into the farrowing shed?
1 week before farrowing
What is an acceptable BCS to drop from farrowing -> lactation? and what can happen if it is more than x?
0.5 BCS, if more than 0.5 BCS, it can affect the next oestrus/ pregnancy
How long after farrowing should a pig be back up to ideal consumption on lac sow feed?
7 days
How is growth rate measured?
ADG (average daily gain): g/day
How is feed intake measured?
kg/day or tonnes/ shed
What does FCE/ FCR stand for and measure?
FCE/ FCR: feed conversion efficiency/ rate
measure how much feed (in kg) is required to produce 1kg of lean meat
Are younger or older pigs able to convert feed more efficiently?
Younger pigs
match the BCS to the associated time: 2.5, 3, 4-5
- mid-to-late gestation up to farrowing
- acceptable after farrow (lactation requires lots of energy)
- not acceptable, dystocia risk
2.5: acceptable after farrow (lactation requires lots of energy)
3: mid-to-late gestation up to farrowing
4-5: not acceptable, dystocia risk
What is the difference between metaphylactic and prophylactic administration of medication?
Prophylactic: administering meds to prepare for illness (e.g. antibiotics in the weaning shed to prepare for scours)
Metaphylactic: treatment of a group of animals without evidence of disease (e.g. come into contact with an animal who does have the disease)
What is swill feeding? is it legal/ illegal, why?
Swill feeding is the illegal feeding of food scraps containing meat/ imported dairy products.
It is illegal as it draws the risk of introducing exotic diseases into Aus. (e.g. foot and mouth disease, African Swine Fever (ASF)
What is ‘feedback’ in terms of feeding pigs? and provide 2 examples and if they are legal/ illegal
Feedback is the traditional way of exposing pigs to pathogens.
1st example: feeding e.coli diarrhoea to pigs to increase their e.coli resistance (legal - grey area)
2nd example: the consumption of piglets who have died from parvovirus to build their immunity (illegal - swill feeding)
What is the length of gestation, lactation, weaning to oestrus?
Gestation: 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days)
Lactation: 21-28 days (3-4 weeks)
Weaning to oestrus: 6 days
What is the length of the oestrus cycle and oestrus period
Oestrus cycle: 21 days
Oestrus period: 2-3 days (receptive to boar)
