Swine Production Flashcards
Gilt
a female pig that has not yet farrowed
Sow
a female that has farrowed at least once
Gestating Sow
a pregnant sow (not lactating)
Boar
an intact male pig, generally post-pubertal
Barrow
a castrated male pig
Piglet
a young pig, less than ~5 weeks of age, generally pre-weaning
Suckling pig
a piglet before weaning
weaner (weaned) pig
a pig recently weaned
Feeder pig
a pig old enough to enter the grower barn (25 kg)
Market pig
a pig large enough to be processed
- 115-125 kg live weight, 5-6 months of age
Gestate
being pregnant (length 114-117 days) average is 115 days
Farrow
process of birthing
Wean
remove litter from dam, typically 3-4 weeks
Breeding herd
breeding/gestation/farrowing areas/animals
Feeding herd
nursery/grower/finishing areas/animals
Farrowing barn
where sows farrow and nurse their litters (3-4 weeks)
Nursery (weaner) barn
where pigs are raised after weaning (5-8 weeks)
Grow-finish barn
where pigs are raised after leaving the nursery and before marketing/slaughter (16-18 wks)
2 way crossbreds
A x B = AB
F1
a cross between 2 purebreds
3 way
AB x C
back cross
AB x B
synthetic lines
company proprietary lines made of multiple breeds, bred “pure” over many generations
A+B+C+D+E = line Syn
Syn x Syn = Syn
Pietrain
paternal line
pink with grey/brown spots
Duroc
paternal line
black hair, floppy ears
Hampshire
Pink strip along front legs
what are Paternal breeds selected for?
selected for growth, feed efficiency, carcass and meat quality
genetic pyramid
Genetic nucleus -> Production nucleus -> multiplication -> commercial
Genetic nucleus (GN)
genetic testing, maternal and paternal are both pure breeds that are bred for pure breeding. (Y x Y, DUR x DUR gilts and boars)
production nucleus (PN)
purebred female multiplication, linked to GN by semen and planned mating
AI stud
Multiplication
crossbred female multiplication, no genetic testing (LR x Y = YLR gilts)
AI stud
Commercial
commercial production (YLR x DUR terminal sire) AI stud
stages of production
breeding/gestation
farrowing
nursery
grow-finish
what percentage of population is replaced in a commercial barn?
40-50%
how many days in breeding and implantation
~35 days
Days in gestation
~12 weeks
days in farrowing
~4 weeks
nursery
~6-8 weeks
grower-finisher
~16 weeks
Rendering
a dead stock removal option. most common on large farms communal = less biosecure rendered into meat and bone meal blood meal fats
composting
dead stock removal.
- effective in warm climates
- composting piles or vessels
- requires source of carbon and aeration
incineration
dead stock removal.
less common, very biosecure
costly since uses diesel
in barn storage pits
liquid manure storage
2-8 feet deep, storage for 2 weeks to 6 months
long term liquid manure storage
concrete tanks
earthen manure storage (EMS)
- clay lined or plastic liners and covered in straw
problem with liquid manure storage
noxious gasses
- hydrogen sulfide
- ammonia
what is thie value of liquid manure application?
nitrogen fertilizer
how long does lquid manure need to be stored?
400 days
when can liquid manure be applied?
spring and/or fall
what is the preferred method of application?
injection is preferred over surface or sprayed
at what level is the slaughter process governed?
federally and provincially
where is the identification tattoo placed on a pig?
left shoulder
what are the 2 stunning methods for pigs?
electrocution or CO2
what is the most common reason for hog condemnations?
all post mortem conditions
list primary cuts
ham, loin, picnic, butt, belly
what are common reasons for carcass condemnation
abscess, found dead, peritonitis, antemortem condemned, pneumonia, arthritis
what are the 2 types of pig flow systems?
continuous flow, all in all out flow
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS FLOW?
large airspace, comingled ages, multiple weeks of production in one room, pigs enter and exit airspace on weekly basis
what is All-in-all out flow?
compartmentalized, usually 1 room per week of production, emptied and sanitized between batches, fundamental principle of health control
what are the genetics of a farrow to finish operation
gilts/boar/semen
sections of the farrow- to finish operation
breed-gestation, farrow, nursery, finisher
where do the finished pigs go?
market hogs or breeding stock
what is a two-site multiple source system
multiple breeding to nursery barns then auctioned to various finisher barns
What is a two site single source system?
grow - finish or wean to finish
what is a parity segregated system?
seperation of parity 1 progeny from parity 2+ progeny
advantages of parity segregated system
improves the health status and performance of the nursery and finisher pigs
- young sows she higher pathogen levels to their progeny
- older sows produce higher quality colostrum following natural exposure and vaccination
what is a must in parity segregation systems
must maintain separate NGF flows for slaughter progeny of P1 and P2+ sows
can parity segregation system be used in small populations
only feasible in large systems
what is the code on gestation stalls?
stalls can be used up to 28 days after the date of the last breeding and an additional period of up to 7 days is permitted.
what is changing about the code in 2029?
mated gilts and sows must be housed in groups or in individual pens. no staying in stalls permanently
what are the 2 ways that sows can be housed for gestation?
stalls or group pens
what is stalled housiing?
single stalls adopted to reduce aggression and improve feeding consistency compared to group pens
where geographically are stalls used the most?
north America
where are gestationstalls banned?
banned in the EU after 35d gestation
what is group housing?
group systems are numerous and variable
- different sized group
- feeding methods vary
- dynamic vs static groups
Disadvangages of group housing
aggression at mixing and feeding, more difficult to assess welfare
what are the 5 requirements for the breeding herds?
1) freedom of movement
2) freedom from aggression
3) control over individual feed intake
4) provision of environmental enrichment
5) provision and layout of static space (ie floor plan)
what are the advantages of increased movement?
increased muscle size and tone in group sows, shorter farrowing, lower culling rates
when does aggression from group housed systems happen?
aggression follows re-grouping and feeding
how to decrease aggression when feeding in group housing?
aggression tends to drop as feeding frequency increases
floor feeding system
group housing feeding system
feed usually dropped 1-2 times per day
walk in feed stalls
group feeding system
full sized feeding stalls in pens
what is environmental enrichment?
straw or shaving for bedding
novel manipulation objects
