Swine (Exam 2) Flashcards by D. M.

Where are most commercial pigs located?

North Carolina
Iowa
Minnesota

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Where are most feral pigs located?

Texas
California

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Why are many larger swine enterprises relocating to remote (low human population density) sites? Where is a common relocation site?

Oklahoma panhandle
Isolated to mitigate odor and dust complaints from humans & achieve isolation from other pig herds to protect against certain infectious diseases

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Define: Wild Boars

Male or female members that have never been domesticated
Not present outside captivity in the US

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Define: Feral Pigs

Commercial pigs that have escaped/been released from farms to live in the wild
Closest breed to domestic pigs in terms of genetics
Living and feeding conditions represent those of wild boars

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Define: Commercial Pigs

Domesticated pigs
Smaller breeds

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What are environmental concerns associated with wild boars and feral pigs?

Cause environmental issues = invasive species
Destroy forest, cause erosion through digging, and can displace wildlife

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What are infectious disease concerns associated with wild boars and feral pigs?

Means of carrying new infectious agents into commercial swine herds (especially small farms that have outdoor operations)

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Identify warm piglets based on body posture and behavior

Not piled on each other, but close

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Identify chilled piglets based on body posture and behavior

Piled on top of each other, lethargy, back hunched, dirty, shivering
Difficulty walking, limping, or getting traction to start walking
Patchy hair loss, hair standing on end

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Describe all-in-all-out facility management

Common practice in most swine herds
Pigs of a given age brought into unit at same time, filled to capacity (all in)
When pigs complete this stage, entire facility is emptied (all out
Empty facility is steam-cleaned, disinfected, and dried before new group of pigs brought in

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What is the goal of all-in-all-out management?

Greatly reduce role of environment as a reservoir for pathogenic infectious agents on pig farms

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What is the trend of housing in the swine industry?

Trend towards large, confined pool of pigs which creates new challenges for infection control

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What do modern swine operations look like?

Pigs housed in enclosed building for protection from health, predators, and separated by age to limit disease spread (ALL IN ALL OUT)

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What is an SPF operation?

Threat of new infections promoted development of specialized and strict biosecutiry/disease control guidelines for specific herds that wish to achieve particular high degree of biosafety status
Farm has implemented very strict biosecurity practices for several years - facility and personnel isolation, rodent and bird control, disease monitoring, maintenance of closed herds

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What are SPF pigs used for?

Test documentation that pigs on site do not harbor specific infectious disease agents (e.g. respiratory pathogens, swine dysentery)
Pigs desirable as new stock for new farms, breeding stock for farms with specific disease control measures in place, or farms that have depopulated because of infectious disease outbreaks

What are the 4 biggest food safety issues for the swine industry?

Salmonella spp.
Campylobacter spp.
E. coli 0157:H7
Trichinella spiralis
*Higher risk with ground products than cut products
*Reduce risk by cooking product until grey inside - no pink

What do gestation crates look like?

Iron cages that allow the sow to lie down and stand up, but not to turn around

Compare gestation crates to pens and free stalls (nutrition)

GC & FS: tailor feed to each sow without dominant sows stealing food from submissive ones

Compare gestation crates to pens and free stalls (safety)

GC & FS: prevent fighting among sows
Pens: sows normally don’t congregate in larger groups in nature and co-mingling of large numbers of sows in pens = serious bite wounds

Compare gestation crates to pens and free stalls (welfare)

GC: not great, resulting in changes in pork industry due to consumer concerns
FS/Pens: better because they can walk around
FS: channels to walk around, gated area to eat, tag reader feeds appropriate amount, individual stalls to rest in (70%)

What is the consequence of co-mingling all sows?

Behavioral traits cause harm
Naturally dont congregate - submissive sow typically vacates if dominant one is around = minimize fighting
Severe biting

What is a farrowing crate, when is it used?

1 week before birth, moved to these crates = metal cage within a pen
Prevents the sow from laying down on piglets = designed to protect piglets from crushing
Piglets free to move in creep area that surrounds the farrowing crate

Why are farrowing crates safer for piglets than open stalls (pigstys)?

Prevents crushing of piglets

What is the optimal equipment design for loading pigs onto trucks?

Spotlight directed into ramp/trailer - facilitate entry (lit) No downward slopes - loading ramps should be upwards (20 degrees Tandem (side-by-side) movement optimal - natural Smaller operations = hand-held panels used to direct pigs into trailer

What biochemical processes occur prior to slaughter?

Metabolism os intramuscular glycogen = primary role in conversion of muscle to meat and expression of different attributes of fresh pork Post-mortem metabolism of porcine muscle is faster than beef/lamb - results in pale, soft, exudative (PSE) and dark, firm, dry (DFD) pork Level and extent of postmortem pH decline is glycogen-dependent as anaerobic conversion of glycogen to lactic acid results in achieving acceptable/non-acceptable meat pH

When is pale, soft, exudative pork created?

Occurs when intramuscular lactic acid accumulates quickly (<1hr) while carcass temp is still high LOW PH Initiation of glycolysis due to (1) genetic predisposition, (2) pigs prone to high excitability, (3) pre-slaughter stress, (4) combination of all 3

What causes pre-slaughter stress and what problems are caused by this? How can it be avoided?

Pigs transported in hot conditions, experience fights, or roughly handled Problems: (1) welfare, (2) heat and glycolysis = poo-quality pork Can be avoided by improving welfare during transport and rest = better mood and higher product quality

When is dark, firm, dry pork created?

Related to acid production in pork muscle after slaughter but nature of chemical change different HIGH PH Results from lack of acid production in muscle = low levels of glycogen = restricts amount of acid that can be produced and limits expected postmortem reduction in pH Extended stress, caused by factors (weather, long transport, unfavorable holding conditions) = deplete muscle glycogen and cause DFD condition in pork muscle

What is lairage at the slaughter plant?

Rest after transport and before slaughter (at least 2hrs) Placement of animals in holding pens to allow them to rest Critical for pigs, especially if stress from transport prior to slaughter = animal welfare concern and carcass quality decreases

What are important things to consider with lairage and transport?

Transport to new facility/slaughter = key time to understand pig behavior If pig already stressed by transport = co-mingling with new pigs at slaughter produce disastrous results (hurt each other during fights) Keep pigs with their social groups = alleviate issue Rest after transport and before slaughter = lairage

Why should pigs not be introduced to new pigs during lairage?

Stressed by transport and then co-mingling with new pigs at slaughter facility = produce potential disastrous results = injury to pigs during fights Maintain in same social groups to prevent

Describe methane entrapment (capture). What type of manure handling system enables this to happen?

Most manure handled as liquid Falls through slotted floor into gutter or concrete storage pit (3-12 months storage) Flushed/drained by adding water to create slurry and directing to outside storage Modern slurry containment systems have methane entrapment = used as fuel to tun the farm Methane generated by microbial anaerobic digestion of nutrients in manure Contain within tank = gases liberated are contained and harvested for use Liquid manure is then applied to soil surface or buried in soil