PIGS Flashcards
1
Q
Outline the UK pig industry, including economics
A
- Roughly 55% in UK, rest from abroad Holland, spain
- Becoming a smaller industry: fewer, larger pig farms
- 40-45% out door production system
- vast majoring of pigs that are born outside are weaned INSIDE. Buying outdoor pig = only born outdoor. Free range = outside till slaughter
2
Q
What are the main pressures facing the pig industry?
A
- buyers wanting cheap prices
- environmentalists wanting small carbon footprint
- welfare
- Health authorities = meat doesn’t kill anyone!
3
Q
Genetic improvement
A
- Breed choice huge part of genetic improvement = vast majority of breed improvement is done in large multinational breeding companies
- Improving breeding through trait selection- scan live animals using ex human scanners, work our muscle mass, lean, fat etc
- Diversified cross breeding
4
Q
Pig production cycle
A
- buy in pig
- quarantine for 42 days (4-6 weeks)
- Mate with sow: third oestrus to increase litter size
- 85% pregnant those not = return at 21 days
- pregnancy diagnose at 28 - 35 days
- not pegnant = cull
- gestation 115 days
- farrow in farrowing crate individually
- lactate 21-28 days
- mother another litter or cull
This is the exact same indoors and outdoors
5
Q
Pig farm when do they have piglets
A
- non seasonal- cycle every 3 weeks so farms have a certain number farrow at the same time throughout the year
6
Q
How many litters do most sows have?
A
6
7
Q
What are the average ages of weaner pigs, pork pigs and bacon pigs?
A
- Weaner = 70 days of age
- Pork Pig = 120 days of age
- Bacon pig = 145 days of age
8
Q
What is important for pigs with regards to bio security?
A
- All in all out approach.
2. Completely disinfect the shed after one batch leaves
9
Q
How many times does the sow “go around” the pig performance cycle a year?
A
- 2.3 to 2.4 litters per year
10
Q
Batch management (how many sows farrow per 100)
A
- Expect 4.5 sows to farrow per week per 100 sows on continuous flow system
- Pigs at every stage at every week of the year
11
Q
How can you maximise health and performance of pigs
A
- minimise mixing
2. keep batches separate
12
Q
What current issues face the pig industry?
A
- Health: new disease, zoonoses etc
- moving awya from antibiotics to vaccines
- welfare
- environment
13
Q
What vaccines are given to Sows?
A
- Parvo
- Enzootic pneumonia
- PMWS (circo virus)
- Erysipalas
- E coli