PIGS AHW Flashcards
What do the following terms mean?
Porcine
Gilt
Sow-
Dry sow
Barrow
Boar
Farrowing
Piglet
Weaner
pig
young female before first litter
female pig that has had a litter of piglets
pregnant sow but not lactating
castrated male pig
male pig of breeding age
process of giving birth
animal from birth to weaned
animal taken off mother/milk
What are side cutting pliers used for?
Tail docking
Removing small teeth, to prevent damage between piglets
What are notching pliers used for?
To cut notches on the pliers to attach ear tags for identification
What is a slap tattoo used for?
To permanently identify/ mark pigs
What is a pig snare used for?
Catching a single pig, as larger methods are impractical
Can be used to catch feral pigs that could cause damage
What is the blind point on pigs?
Directly behind
When and how do you use a snout snare?
Used on animals > 10kg
Place the snare loop in the mouth and over the top jaw and snout of the pig- start with it as wide as possible
Snare handle held vertically in other hand
Move loop as far back in mouth as possible before tightening it
What behaviour would a boar show when aggressive?
Butt heads
Bite
Bark
Squeal
Raise neck hairs
Chomp jaws
How would you sex a pig?
Same as sheep, look under tail for how many holes
1 hole- anus- male
2 holes- anus and vulva- female
How would you catch a piglet
Approach from behind gently and slowly
Catch by grasping hind leg just above hock
Whilst holding hing leg, with other hand go under chest for support and lift
Being piglet close to your body for support, with forearm under chest
When and how do you tail dock a pig?
2-3 days old
Cauteriser is used, tail must remain longer than 6cm
What is a withhold period and what is the purpose of it?
Minimum amount of time you must wait after giving drugs before it can be used for production
Ensures that the consumers aren’t at risk from medication administered
Which sites must be avoided on pig when medicating and why
Ham and loin
May bruise or ruin cut of meat, so financial issue for farmer
What is the intravenous sites of medication in piglets and adults
Vein in ear
What are the IM sites in a pig?
Use a spot on the neck just behind and below the ear, but in front of the shoulder
What are the SC sites in a pig and piglet?
For small pigs, use the loose flaps of skin in the flank or behind the elbow.
For larger pigs, inject in neck behind the ear at the same location as for IM injections after grabbing the skin to make an elevated area to inject into.
What is ileitis and what are the signs of it?
It is caused by Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacterium that infects the intestinal tract. It causes the wall of the ileum and colon to become thickened, resulting in diarrhoea, internal bleeding, reduced feeding efficiency and impaired growth
What causes ileitis?
Prevented by rodent control, biosecurity and good hygiene
Usually spread through infected fseces
Where should you put a tattoo on a pig?
On ear with UK
Where should a slap mark be?
On both shoulders
When can a slap mark be used for pigs?
Before they leave holding premise, even if they have existing ones
Pigs must be identified from the holding they move from
What common breeds of pig are seen at;
- shows
- placement
- Berkshire pig
Large white/ landrace
What percentage of pigs are farmed
Indoors
Organic
Outdoors
60%
4%
36%
What are the stages and weights of each pig?
Weaner- 7-35kg
Grower- 35-40kg
Finisher- >65kg
When can pigs be weaned
Under vet instruction at 21 days if sow welfare is compromised
UK legal requirement of 28 days
Naturally weaning occurs at 10-12 weeks when piglet GI tract is almost mature
When does slaughtering of pigs tend to happen
6 months
When do breeding boars reach sexual maturity and what is the target breeding age?
6 months
10-12 months
What are the requirements of age/ weight for breeding gilt?
Target breeding age is 8 months
Should weight 135-140 kg
Should have BCS of 3-3.5
What is good soundness of a boar
Select a boar that has visibly sound reproductive organs.
●The testicles should be well developed and of equal size.
●Do not select boars that have umbilical or scrotal hernias.
●Select boars that are aggressive and show a desire to mate.
What is good soundness of a gilt?
Gilts with small vulvas should not be kept.
•Look for at least 6 good teats on each side.
•Udder sections need to be well spaced.
•Look for strong pasterns, sound feet and legs.
•Cull sows that have problems farrowing.
What is the best boar to sow ratio
1;20
When does oestrus occur and what are the signs?
Every 21 days
Swollen/ red vulva
Vocalisation or barking
Standing heat (standing to be receptive to mating)
How long is gestation period
3 months 3 weeks and 3 days
Pig- 3 letters in name
Signs pig is in labour?
Red, swollen vulva
Respiration rate increases to 60 breaths per minute
What is typical number of piglets in indoor vs outdoor farming
14 vs 12
What is colostrum requirement for piglets
150 per kg of body weight in first 16 hours
What is ideal pig birthweight?
1.5kg
What type of injection do indoor piglets need and why?
Iron deficiency anaemia injection
IM injection 1-3 days post birth
Don’t get iron from soil
What is normal HR of pig
70-80
What is normal resp rate of piglet and sow
Sow- 10-20
Piglet- 20-40
What is normal rectal temperature?
39C
What are common zoonotic diseases from pigs?
Brucellosis: a form of this bacterium can be transmitted from swine to humans. Workers are usually exposed by contact with reproductive fluids or tissues.
Campylobacteriosis: this bacterial agent is excreted in the feces or reproductive fluids of infected animals and may be ingested
Tetanus: this bacterium can be found in swine feces or soils infected with feces from pigs
Ringworm: these fungi are spread by contact and can occasionally cause itching, hair loss, and scaly skin in people
Salmonellosis: this bacterial agent is spread by ingestion of fecal matter via contaminated food or objects, including your hands
Toxoplasmosis: infective forms of this parasite can be ingested when people consume undercooked meat products
What should pig housing contain
Straw- as it can be used as enrichment—> would stop tail biting
Stops lameness
Source of thermal control
What are the legalities of tail docking
Last resort
1-3 days within birth- no anaesthesia
7+ days- with anaesthesia by a vet
What are the legalities of tooth clipping?
Last resort
Within 7 days of birth, doesn’t have to be a vet
How to prevent tail biting?
Ensure the following aren’t stressing out the pig?
Thermal comfort, air quality and light
Health and fitness
Competition
Diet
Enrichment material (that is chewable)
Pen structure and cleanliness
What is pig scour and what are the causes?
Diarrhoea in piglets
The main bacterial causes are E. coli and clostridia and the main parasite is coccidia. This section deals principally with E. coli diarrhoea
Didn’t get enough colostrum
Dirty environment
Changes in environment
Bad antibiotic use
How to treat/ prevent scout?
passed on in the faeces, it is crucial to remove them and to keep slurries clean.Adding clean, extra bedding is also a good idea in the nursery. Rodents, birds, insects and fomites can carry faeces and spread pathogens between groups, therefore, pest control and internal biosecurity help in the fight against scour.
Metaphylatic treatment of herd
Why is a post weaning check so important?
Begin to develop their own immunity, as not relying on antibodies form the sow
Promptly identify poor performers or sick pigs, and treat appropriately
Stream smalls into a cosy environment for specialist feeding
Review hygiene protocols in relation to the challenges
Review farm health plans with your herd vet, e.g. breeding herd vaccination protocols
Time post wean has big effect on potential weight
What are the consequences of being weaned?
piglets often gut fill with water and go through partad of anorexia.
Causes small intestinal villi to turn short stubby so nutrients aren’t being absorbed properly.
This then results in fermentation in the large intestines and a dysregulation in bacterial microbiome, and build-up of bacterial toxins
What is Porcine. Respiratory and reproductive syndrome and how is it spread?
Complications- reproductive failure, pneumonia
faeces, urine, and semen and can be spread by vehicles or supplies and even insects or windborne
What are financial problems to farmer of PPS.
May kill all foetuses
Premature farrowings, late term abortions, stillborn or weak piglets and mummified fetuses. Preweaning mortality is high.
Antibiotics needed to treat any secondary infections
Lose livestock
When were pigs domesticated?
Over 9000 years ago, from wild boars
What are some uses of pig
Ingredients for surgical equipment
Food
Insulin
Leather
Pet food
Hair
Gelatin
What is the biggest cost for a UK pig farmer
Finisher/ fattener feed
What weight are most pigs slaughtered?
100kg
How much of deadweight mest is usuabale
About 54-60%
How to reduce stress of pigs to increase pork output?
Rule number one: NO mixing of pigs (this isn’t always adhered to)
•No mixing from weaning to slaughter, pigs only split into smaller groups
• Minimise handling
• Environmental stimuli to help reduce aggression
•Stocking density
•Low density= Better meat quality
•Low density= Higher cost of production
What does the red tractor scheme cover?
both indoor and outdoor systems, environmental factors, and antibiotic usage
What is used to calculate lean mean percentage?
Cold carcass weight and P2 (fat depth)
What are farm assurance schemes
They hold certain standards that pig producers must adhere to if they wish to carry that logo on their products.
What does the rspca assured scheme mean?
prohibit the use of farrowing crates
must also be provided with a dry, warm and comfortable shelter when living outside
do not allow pigs to be kept on bare slatted or concrete floor
The RSPCA standards never allow the routine use of mutilations. In some cases, the RSPCA may grant permission to allow pigs to be tail docked, have their teeth clipped or fitted with a nose ring where a vet has provided evidence that the procedure is needed to overcome a serious welfare issue
Why at does the red tractor assurance scheme focus on?
Food safety
clear focus on housing conditions, nutrition, hygiene and animal care, with regular veterinary oversight, our standards prioritise preventing the need for antibiotics in the first place, along with their responsible use on far
What does red tractor scheme check?
- identification and traceability of pigs
- good vermin control
- housing should be clean and suitable
- any fallen stock are handled so they don’t affect environment
- well managed transportation
What are some examples of abortion diseases in pigs
Brucellosis
Leptospirosis
Porcine parvovirus
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome
