PIGS Flashcards

1
Q

Outline the UK pig industry, including economics

A
  1. Roughly 55% in UK, rest from abroad Holland, spain
  2. Becoming a smaller industry: fewer, larger pig farms
  3. 40-45% out door production system
  4. vast majoring of pigs that are born outside are weaned INSIDE. Buying outdoor pig = only born outdoor. Free range = outside till slaughter
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2
Q

What are the main pressures facing the pig industry?

A
  1. buyers wanting cheap prices
  2. environmentalists wanting small carbon footprint
  3. welfare
  4. Health authorities = meat doesn’t kill anyone!
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3
Q

Genetic improvement

A
  1. Breed choice huge part of genetic improvement = vast majority of breed improvement is done in large multinational breeding companies
  2. Improving breeding through trait selection- scan live animals using ex human scanners, work our muscle mass, lean, fat etc
  3. Diversified cross breeding
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4
Q

Pig production cycle

A
  1. buy in pig
  2. quarantine for 42 days (4-6 weeks)
  3. Mate with sow: third oestrus to increase litter size
  4. 85% pregnant those not = return at 21 days
  5. pregnancy diagnose at 28 - 35 days
  6. not pegnant = cull
  7. gestation 115 days
  8. farrow in farrowing crate individually
  9. lactate 21-28 days
  10. mother another litter or cull
    This is the exact same indoors and outdoors
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5
Q

Pig farm when do they have piglets

A
  1. non seasonal- cycle every 3 weeks so farms have a certain number farrow at the same time throughout the year
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6
Q

How many litters do most sows have?

A

6

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7
Q

What are the average ages of weaner pigs, pork pigs and bacon pigs?

A
  1. Weaner = 70 days of age
  2. Pork Pig = 120 days of age
  3. Bacon pig = 145 days of age
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8
Q

What is important for pigs with regards to bio security?

A
  1. All in all out approach.

2. Completely disinfect the shed after one batch leaves

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9
Q

How many times does the sow “go around” the pig performance cycle a year?

A
  1. 2.3 to 2.4 litters per year
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10
Q

Batch management (how many sows farrow per 100)

A
  1. Expect 4.5 sows to farrow per week per 100 sows on continuous flow system
  2. Pigs at every stage at every week of the year
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11
Q

How can you maximise health and performance of pigs

A
  1. minimise mixing

2. keep batches separate

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12
Q

What current issues face the pig industry?

A
  1. Health: new disease, zoonoses etc
  2. moving awya from antibiotics to vaccines
  3. welfare
  4. environment
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13
Q

What vaccines are given to Sows?

A
  1. Parvo
  2. Enzootic pneumonia
  3. PMWS (circo virus)
  4. Erysipalas
  5. E coli
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