The pig Industry Flashcards
Name 5 breeds of Pig
- Gloucester old spot
- Tamworth
- British Lop
- Welsh
- Large white
- British saddleback
- Large Black
What is the decrease in pigs in the UK most likely due to?
fall in the number of breeding pigs
How much of the meat consumed in the UK is pork
27% of the meat consumed in the UK
What makes up the breeding pyramid of pigs?
Great Grandparents (pedigree/ genetic selection) -> Grandparents (Crossbreeding/ Selection) -> Commercial Parents (pigs developed for different markets) -> Commercial growers
What is the pig performance system?
Monitors daily growth, shows which animals perform the best, enables optimisation of genetics
What are some advantages of indoor pig production?
- Biosecurity
- Lower consumer Price
- Greater Productivity
- More sustainable
What is a gilt?
young female pig before/in her first pregnancy
What is a sow?
mature breeding female that has already had a litter
What is a boar?
Mature breeding male
What is the parity?
The number of litters a sow has carried
How long is the average pig estrous cycle?
21 days
How long are pigs pregnant for?
112-113 days
When are young pigs separated from the sow?
At 28 days (8kg)
What weight are pigs considered to be finishers?
above 70kg
What is a porker?
A pig reared to pork weight- normally around 60kg live weight
What is a cutter?
A pig between pork and bacon weight, raised to produce larger joints
What is a baconer?
Pig reared to between 80-140kg- reared for bacon rather than pork
What can tail biting cause?
Infection -> Spinal abscesses and skin trauma -> pain -> rejection in a slaughterhouse
When should tail docking be done?
- Routinely not permitted
- should only be done as a last resort when there is evidence of injury to other pigs tails
Who can carry out tail docking?
Must be carried out by a competent trained operator before day 7 or a vet
What is teeth reduction?
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
What damage does teeth do?
- 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
What is nose ringing?
Insertion of a ring into a nasal septum
What is ear notching?
Widely used in the swine industry and involves removing V-shaped notches from the pigs ear that corresponds to a specific litter
What is the purpose of castration?
Castration reduces agression and avoids boar taint
When can farmers castrate pigs?
Up to 7 days old as long as theyre trained
When do piglets need to consume colostrum?
- Consume before the tight junctions close
- Within 2-3hrs post farrowing
- gives them lactose and oligosaccharides for energy
How long is the farrowing stage?
28 days
What two things can you use to dock a pigs tail?
- Cauterising docker- but only if they are under 7 days old
- Clippers/ Pliers
Why may you clip a pigs teeth
- 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
What is the issue with nose ringing
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
What is nose ringing?
- Insertion of a ring into the nasal septum
- prevents rooting
- should not be done in outdoor pigs
What is ear notching?
widely used in the swine industry
involves removing v-shaped notches from the pigs ear that corresponds with the specific litter
What is the benefit of castrating pigs?
- Reduces aggression and avoids boar taint
- if carried out by a farmer it must be a method that does not involve tearing tissues
Up to what age can farmers castrate pigs?
Up to 7 days old as long as they’re trained
What is boar taint?
androstenone and
skatole which accumulate in fat and
found in faeces
When should you ideally be slaughtering the males?
Young, under 85kg
When should piglets be getting colostrum?
Within 2-3 hours post farrowing- per piglet
What 5 phases is the pork production sequence split into?
- Mating
- Gestation
- Farrowing
- Nursery
- Growing-Finishing
At what age are gilts usually bred?
at 170-220 days of age
When do you need to be giving an extra 1kg of meal?
The week before and after service
How much water do pigs require?
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.
