The pig Industry

Question 1

Name 5 breeds of Pig

Answer 1

1. Gloucester old spot
2. Tamworth
3. British Lop
4. Welsh
5. Large white
6. British saddleback
7. Large Black

Question 2

What is the decrease in pigs in the UK most likely due to?

Answer 2

fall in the number of breeding pigs

Question 3

How much of the meat consumed in the UK is pork

Answer 3

27% of the meat consumed in the UK

Question 4

What makes up the breeding pyramid of pigs?

Answer 4

Great Grandparents (pedigree/ genetic selection) -> Grandparents (Crossbreeding/ Selection) -> Commercial Parents (pigs developed for different markets) -> Commercial growers

Question 5

What is the pig performance system?

Answer 5

Monitors daily growth, shows which animals perform the best, enables optimisation of genetics

Question 6

What are some advantages of indoor pig production?

Answer 6

• Biosecurity
• Lower consumer Price
• Greater Productivity
• More sustainable

Question 7

What is a gilt?

Answer 7

young female pig before/in her first pregnancy

Question 8

What is a sow?

Answer 8

mature breeding female that has already had a litter

Question 9

What is a boar?

Answer 9

Mature breeding male

Question 10

What is the parity?

Answer 10

The number of litters a sow has carried

Question 11

How long is the average pig estrous cycle?

Answer 11

21 days

Question 12

How long are pigs pregnant for?

Answer 12

112-113 days

Question 13

When are young pigs separated from the sow?

Answer 13

At 28 days (8kg)

Question 14

What weight are pigs considered to be finishers?

Answer 14

above 70kg

Question 15

What is a porker?

Answer 15

A pig reared to pork weight- normally around 60kg live weight

Question 16

What is a cutter?

Answer 16

A pig between pork and bacon weight, raised to produce larger joints

Question 17

What is a baconer?

Answer 17

Pig reared to between 80-140kg- reared for bacon rather than pork

Question 18

What can tail biting cause?

Answer 18

Infection -> Spinal abscesses and skin trauma -> pain -> rejection in a slaughterhouse

Question 19

When should tail docking be done?

Answer 19

• Routinely not permitted
• should only be done as a last resort when there is evidence of injury to other pigs tails

Question 20

Who can carry out tail docking?

Answer 20

Must be carried out by a competent trained operator before day 7 or a vet

Question 21

What is teeth reduction?

Answer 21

When the sharp ends of a piglets needle teeth are removed to reduce samage to both the sows teat during suckling and to other piglets

Question 22

What damage does teeth do?

Answer 22

• damages the sows teat when suckling which can make them tender
• Causes face, ear and tail wounds among litter mates as a result of normal behaviour

Question 23

What is nose ringing?

Answer 23

Insertion of a ring into a nasal septum

Question 24

What is ear notching?

Answer 24

Widely used in the swine industry and involves removing V-shaped notches from the pigs ear that corresponds to a specific litter

Question 25

What is the purpose of castration?

Answer 25

Castration reduces agression and avoids boar taint

Question 26

When can farmers castrate pigs?

Answer 26

Up to 7 days old as long as theyre trained

Question 27

When do piglets need to consume colostrum?

Answer 27

• Consume before the tight junctions close
• Within 2-3hrs post farrowing
• gives them lactose and oligosaccharides for energy

Question 28

How long is the farrowing stage?

Answer 28

28 days

Question 29

What two things can you use to dock a pigs tail?

Answer 29

• Cauterising docker- but only if they are under 7 days old
• Clippers/ Pliers

Question 30

Why may you clip a pigs teeth

Answer 30

• can damage a sows teats when suckling, this can make them tenderv and result in her refusing to suckle
• can cause face and ear wounds among litter mates as a result of normal fighting behaviour

Question 31

What is the issue with nose ringing

Answer 31

Pigs explore via biting, chewing, sniffing etc
If there is nothing to ‘explore’ in a pen, pigs often redirect their behaviour towards the pen fixtures amd pen mates

Question 32

What is nose ringing?

Answer 32

• Insertion of a ring into the nasal septum
• prevents rooting
• should not be done in outdoor pigs

Question 33

What is ear notching?

Answer 33

widely used in the swine industry
involves removing v-shaped notches from the pigs ear that corresponds with the specific litter

Question 34

What is the benefit of castrating pigs?

Answer 34

• Reduces aggression and avoids boar taint
• if carried out by a farmer it must be a method that does not involve tearing tissues

Question 35

Up to what age can farmers castrate pigs?

Answer 35

Up to 7 days old as long as they’re trained

Question 36

What is boar taint?

Answer 36

androstenone and
skatole which accumulate in fat and
found in faeces

Question 37

When should you ideally be slaughtering the males?

Answer 37

Young, under 85kg

Question 38

When should piglets be getting colostrum?

Answer 38

Within 2-3 hours post farrowing- per piglet

Question 39

What 5 phases is the pork production sequence split into?

Answer 39

1. Mating
2. Gestation
3. Farrowing
4. Nursery
5. Growing-Finishing

Question 40

At what age are gilts usually bred?

Answer 40

at 170-220 days of age

Question 41

When do you need to be giving an extra 1kg of meal?

Answer 41

The week before and after service

Question 42

How much water do pigs require?

Answer 42

A pregnant sow requires 10 - 12 litres of water per day.
* A lactating sow requires 20 – 30 litres of water per day.
* A growing pig requires 6 - 8 liters of water per day.
* A boar requires 12 - 15 liters of water per day.