Swine Nutrition

Question 1

What is the average pig gestation

Answer 1

Average gestation: 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days

Question 2

What is the average pig lactation

Answer 2

Average lactation: 3 weeks

Question 3

What are 3 types of diets used for pigs? What type of systems use each type?

Answer 3

• Complete feed: TMR
  o Commercial pigs
  o Balanced to the level of amino acid = very customized
   Made based off of genetics
• Grain-based homemade feed + supplement or premix
  o Backyard pigs
• Produce-based homemade feed + supplement or premix
  o Backyard pig/pet
  o Veggie/food waste – common to develop malnutrition

Question 4

What factors impact feeding your pigs

Answer 4

• Fed daily – must meet nutritional requirements
  o Easy to feed them ok, hard to feed them great
• Amount – depends on breed/age/sex/stage/nutrient density
• Depends on goals
  o Commercial, show, outdoor small holder, backyard/pet, zoo
• Cannot be raised on pasture alone

Question 5

How does regulation of livestock feed influence feeding pigs

Answer 5

CFIA regulates all livestock feed
* Feeds Act – all feeds we give too pigs must comply
o Backyard owners often are not aware
* No feeding meat, meat byproduct to pigs (even though it is an omnivore)
o Infectious disease transmission (virus)
o Introduced because of foot and mouth disease
o Also Classical swine fever, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus

Question 6

What are the ‘feed basics’ to know when feeding pigs

Question 7

What is a plant based product that distributes viruses? How do we deal with it?

Answer 7

Plant based product that distributes viruses: soybean meal

• Trade restrictions on places with viruses – and if it is imported it is heated and properly processed

Question 8

What are the basic feed components to know when feeding pigs

Answer 8

• Feed components:
  o Nutrients (carbs, fat, protein)
   Protein: incomplete protein (soy/field pea/canola)
   Grain: barley, wheat, corn, oats
  o Amino acids – supplemented because only fed incomplete protein
  o Premix: Minerals/ Vitamins/Enzymes
  o Supplement: protein/amino acid/vitamin/mineral/enzyme
• Water

Question 9

How many essential amino acids do pigs require and what is the most important?

Answer 9

• 10 essential amino acids for pigs (can’t synthesize)
  o Lysine**

a significant driver of muscle growth

Question 10

How is Pig Feed Formulated

Answer 10

1. Set energy needs
2. Set lysine amino acid ratio – depends on ingredient amount of lysine
   a. May not need to prioritize if it is a pet but still needed for a balanced diet
3. Set other amino acids as a ratio to the amount of lysine
4. Add vitamin and mineral (also enzymes to help with digestion)

Question 11

What is the sow cycle

Answer 11

Sow Cycle
1. Gilt introduction
2. Puberty and genetically selected to enter mating program and bred to achieve specific desired outcome
3. Pregnancy
4. Lactation
5. Repeat – each stage requires different nutrients

Question 12

What factors indicate a replacement gilt is ready to breed

Answer 12

• Average birth weight = 130-170kg, heavier = better to breed
• Breed on second estrus – usually 7 – 9 months
  o Because reduced activation/development of mammary glands
• Should be a BCS 3 – 3.5

Question 13

What factors impact puberty onset

Answer 13

• Housing
• Movement
• Lighting
• Feed intake
• Feed quality
• Bear exposure (required for estrus induction)
• Genetics

Question 14

Compare the consequences of if the gilt is too skinny or too fat

Answer 14

If Gilt is too skinny
* Weak/low weaning weight
* Poor return to estrus
* Smaller subsequent litter size
If Gilt is too fat
* Anestrus
* Dystocia
* Reduced appetite in lactation
* Poor milk production

Question 15

What are the goals for feeding gilts

Answer 15

Goals for Feeding the Gilt
* Need to grow (bone growth and repro growth)
* Ensure they are sound

Question 16

How should you feed gilts and what happens if they don’t

Answer 16

• Do not restrict feed or else
  o Delayed puberty
  o Lameness issue: Ca:P imbalance
  o Repro problem – low backfat reserves

Question 17

How do we feed pregnant sows

Answer 17

How do we feed:
* All sows to be in loose sow housing (in the next 4 years – government act)
* Use electronic sow feeders to allow feeding individually

Question 18

What are the goals of feeding pregnant sows

Answer 18

Goals:
* Meet maintenance requirement/maintain BCS
* Meet needs for fetus/placenta growth
* If young then they also need to grow

Question 19

What are the consequences of overfeeding a pregnant sow

Answer 19

Overfeeding
* Reduced feed consumption during lactation/excess weight loss in lactation
* Poor udder development (verry large teats – can’t get in baby’s mouth)/reduced milk production
* Reduced herd longevity
* Stillbirth (sows tired during birth – birth can be from 6-12hrs)

Question 20

How much to feed a pregnant sow

Answer 20

How much to feed
* Daily feed = maintenance + back fat gains + fetal growth
* Later in gestation they need more lysine and Ca (also younger parity animals need more)

Question 21

What is a bedding material that can impact sows

Answer 21

Don’t give pigs straw: they will eat it and it will fill the spiral colon/cecum (excess fibrre)
* Difficult to measure intake of food

Question 22

What is the goal of feeding lactatting sows

Answer 22

Goal
* Avoid negative energy balance
* Meet maintenance requirements
* Optimize litter performance

Question 23

What are the conssequnces of underfeding lactating

Answer 23

• Extended wean to eestrus interval
• Smaller litter size
• High culling rate of sows

Question 24

How much to feed a lactating sow

Answer 24

• Commercial: ad lib
• Generally: 1.5kg per sow and + 0.5 kg per piglet

Question 25

What are the goals when feeding boars

Answer 25

• Met maintenance requirement
• Maintain energy for work
• Maintain body size (need to balance that with protecting the sow – he is very heavy and breeding takes a long time)

Question 26

How much to feed boars

Answer 26

• 2.5 kg/d
  dont make them fat

Question 27

Compare underfeeding and overfeeding boars

Answer 27

If overfeed
* Poor libido
If underfeed
* Low energy/low mounting
* Reduced semen volume/sperm production

Question 28

List the functions of colostrum

Answer 28

Functions
* Give nutrient (fat/sugar/protein/vit/mineral)
* Maturation of GI (growth factors)
* Uterine gland development
* Thermoregulation (brown fat)
* Immunity

Question 29

How does colostrum quality change over time

Answer 29

Quality
* Declines immediately after parturition begins (resorbing antibodies) –
1st 4 hrs is best

o 3hr – decrease by 30%
o 6 – 7 hr – 50% lower
o 12 hr – 70% lower
o 24 hr – 90% lower
* Colorstral immunity is high – high levels of Ig
* Lactogenic immunity – low levels of Ig persist over all lactation

Question 30

Does it matter if the piglet is feeding on their own mom

Answer 30

Yes

Babies can only absorb their biological moms T cells (can absorb some Ig)

Question 31

How does timing impact piglets during lactation

Answer 31

• After farrowing they will have milk let down every 20 minutes
• After 48hrs piglet GI cannot absorb Ig

Question 32

What is the minimum amount of colostrum a piglet should have

Answer 32

• If <400g of colostrum = rapid increase in mortality

Question 33

What impacts low colostrum intake

Answer 33

• Low birth weight/large litter size
• Born last
• Infrequent suckling
• Sampling only a few teats
• Chilling – born wet = they can get cold

Question 34

How does teat order influence piglet growth

Answer 34

• Milk at cranial end of mom is better in quality, and produce more vs teats at the back
  o Smaller piglets at the back
• Piglet very loyal to the teat they choose – established in 3 days
  o Even if sow flips over – they stay at same teat
• Unused teats regress – these ones will produce less milk in subsequent lactations