Pigs Flashcards
What is a barrow?
Castrated male
What does dressing mean?
Process of slaughtering, eviscerating and trimming. Refers to the carcase of a once alive animal.
What does farrow mean?
To give birth
What is farrowing rate?
The percentage of sows that farrow relative to the number of sows mated
What is fecundity?
Ability to produce offspring frequently and in large numbers
What is a finisher?
Pig about 16-22 weeks old (or sale age) (called a hog in North America)
What is a gilt?
Unmated female pig (pig equivalent of a heifer)
What is a nucleus?
Term given to a relatively small number of sows and boars of a specific genetic merit retained in the herd or introduced to produce commercial (parent) sows to produce terminal progeny for slaughter. Genetic improvement takes place in the nucleus.
When are pigs in oestrus?
Every three weeks- the sow will be receptive to the boar
What is parity?
The number of litters sow has had
What is pleuropneumoniae?
Respiratory disease (serious) commonly caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
What is a replacement rate?
Refers to the number of new gilts introduced to the herd annually to replace culled sows and sows that die. Usually 40-65%
What is a sow?
Female pig that has been mated
What is Swine Dysentery?
Mucohaemorrhagic colitis caused by Brachyspira hyodysenteriae
What is a weaner?
Recently weaned pigs usually up to about 9 weeks of age
When does weaning occur with pigs?
21-35 days (less than a month)
Weaning to service interval
Period from weaning until the sow is served. About 4-10 days.
What are gilts vaccinated against?
Parvovirus, erysipelas, E coli, Leptosporosis (maybe), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Haemophilus parasuis
When are gilts mated (sexually mature)?
Mated to the boar or AI about 30 weeks of age when they weigh about 130 kg
What is the gestation length of a pig?
115 days
What is the duration of farrowing?
2-5 hours
What is the length of lactation?
3-5 weeks
What is the comfort range of a sow?
Sensitive to heat stress. Comfort range 17-21 C
What temperature do piglets require?
30 C
What is a major problem and the reason for farrowing crates?
Overlain pigs
How many piglets do sows normally have?
9-15 pigs born alive
What is the avg. birth weight of a pig?
1.5 kg
How many litters do pigs have per year?
Approx 2.2-2.4 litters
How much do pigs weight when they are weaned?
5-8 kg
What is important in a weaners diet?
Lysine and high energy (15 MJ DW/ g available lysine) based on wheat, barley, and mixed animal protein sources
Also Calcium, Phosphorous, Aphos
As pigs grow, how do their diets change?
Vegetable protein source, lupins, peas, soyabean meal, canola meal, sorghum may be introduced
How fast do pigs grow? (per day between birth and sale). When is sale?
600-650 g/day and sale for slaughter at 22 weeks of age (85-95 kg liveweight)
What are the most common crossbreds?
Large white, Landrace, and Duroc
What percentage of sows die?
12% (culled for soundness, reproductive performance, and temperment)
What replacement rate is required for genetic progress?
30% (most farms replacement rate varies from 30-65%)
How many litters do sows normally have before they are culled?
6 litters
What are the major international markets?
EU, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and Rusia
What percentage does Australia sell? To who?
10%- mostly to Singapore and NZ
What does GnRH cause?
Boar taint in uncastrated males. Can immunize against.
What are the three major pig diseases?
Foot and Mouth Disease, African Swine Fever, and Classical Swine Fever
What diseases does every herd carry?
Parvovirus, Colibacillosis, Coccidiosis, Strep suis, Haemophilus parasuis, Brachyspira pilosicoli, Erysipelas, and Lawsonia intracellularis
What is the problem with poorly designed ventilation or air inlet systems?
Inadequate removal of ammonia, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide (H2S) which can cause respiratory system issues and feed intake suffers
How big are the groups sows are kept in?
20-40 animals with about 50 m^2/sow
What is the loss rate of outdoor systems?
15%
What is the risk with overfeeding during gestation?
Reduced intake during lactation
What is the risk of underfeeding during lactation or gestation? What is underfed?
Failure to achieve an avg. intake of about 6.0 kg per day during lactation compromises later performance. Poor intakes in the last two weeks of lactation have an adverse effect on developing follicles and the maturity of ova shed at ovulation.
Why would low numbers of pigs be farrowed in winter?
Sows may be too thin due to nutrition therefore energy deficit, weather burden, need to examine feed amount and quality of feed. Look at faecal sample for parasite burden.
Why would a high sow mortality rate occur during farrowing?
Older and heavier sows had the higher mortality rate so nutritional deficiency may affect them the most because they have the highest energy requirements, possibly a toxin
A lower number of pigs weaned in July, why?
If sows were in poor condition when farrowing, piglets may not be getting enough milk. May increase overlain, more piglets seek shelter in the “danger zone”
What would cause abortion in pig?
Env. factors such as cold, decreased daylight hours, farm mgt. factors such as insufficient energy/ nutrition, could be genetic, could be toxic
