EXAM 3: sow mortality and culling

Question 1

average sow mortality

Answer 1

7-8%

Question 2

number of breeding females that died or was euthanized throughout the year divided by the total sow population

Answer 2

sow mortality

Question 3

replacement cost can account for ___________/sow death

Answer 3

$400-500

Question 4

cost associated with sow mortality

Answer 4

replacement cost
opportunity cost (sow died when preg)
worker morale

Question 5

how many parities does a sow need to have in order to make her money back

Answer 5

4

Question 6

what are the most common causes of sow mortality

Answer 6

lameness
season
parity
stillbirths
backfat
gastric ulcers

Question 7

how does lameness effect sow mortality

Answer 7

poor structured/ lame sows= higher mortality

Question 8

how does season effect sow mortality

Answer 8

summer months= higher mortality

Question 9

how does parity effect sow mortality

Answer 9

first parity (number of times preg) are more at risk of mortality

Question 10

how does stillbirths effect sow mortality

Answer 10

stillborn pigs may be an indication of a problem with the sow (disease)

sows that give birth to stillborn= higher chance of mortality

Question 11

how does backfat effect sow mortality

Answer 11

sows that have little to no backfat experience higher mortality rates

BCS 1-2

Question 12

how does gastric ulcers effect sow mortality

Answer 12

small particle size of cereal grains, pelleting and grain type are predisposing factors for the gastric ulcers

in sows/finishing herd

sow diet is a powder/crumble

Question 13

reasons for rising sow mortality

Answer 13

labor force
observation skills
farm size
crowding
culling
phenotypic selection
AI
feeding

changes with genetics, nutrition, and predisposition to disease/ animal handling= increased mortality

Question 14

how does labor force effect sow mortality

Answer 14

little to no training
lack of experience
understaffed

**main reason for rising sow mortality

Question 15

how does observation skills effect sow mortality

Answer 15

due to limited experience, workers may not recognize that an animal is sick, going lame, or has poor structure or is losing weight until too late

Question 16

how does farm size effect sow mortality

Answer 16

daily individual sow observations is often overlooked

overlook the importance of observation, treatment, culling, housing

Question 17

how does crowding effect sow mortality

Answer 17

farms maximize production to reduce overhead cost

lack of sick pens

Question 18

how does culling practices effect sow mortality

Answer 18

traditionally farms culled sows on as- beed basis

today farms wait until they have a full load to cull

Question 19

how does phenotypic selection effect sow mortality

Answer 19

sows structure (soundess of legs and feet and body condition) can influence longevity

less emphasis on phenotype and more on genetics
**does see pig before buying

Question 20

how does AI effect sow mortality

Answer 20

natural breeding is able to show indicators that a sow has a structural weakness and should be culled

an AI rod doesn’t show indicator

Question 21

how does feeding effect sow mortality

Answer 21

sows are typically fed once a day= increase in gastric ulcers occurring

sows also typically go off feed during lactation = increase in gastric ulcers

Question 22

what is culling correlated to

Answer 22

economic efficiency of the sow herd

Question 23

a sound culling policy is an integral part of _______________________

Answer 23

sow herd management

Question 24

used to remove sows from the herd that have shown suboptimal performance like farrowing difficulties, poor little size

Answer 24

voluntary culling

Question 25

used to manage the parity profile of the sow herd

Answer 25

voluntary culling **sow is still productive

Question 26

reasons to voluntarly cull

Answer 26

small litter size poor lactation poor maternal behavior farrow difficulties sow too big for crate (height or width)

Question 27

removal of sow from herd due to failure to come into estrus, fail to conceive, abortion, lameness, disease

Answer 27

involuntary culling

Question 28

reasons to involuntary cull

Answer 28

fail to conceive fail to come into estrus (most common) abortion lame and disease

Question 29

6 MAIN reasons for culling sows

Answer 29

1. repro fail 2. inadequate performance (hysterical sow, small litter) 3. locomotor (feet and leg issues) 4. death (involuntary) 5. miscellaneous (age, size, temp) 6. other disease

Question 30

how long is gestation

Answer 30

114 days

Question 31

how many days are sows in lactation

Answer 31

21-22

Question 32

in a sows production cycle when are they normally culled

Answer 32

weaning at preg check; if not pregnant=culled

Question 33

reasons for culling at weaning

Answer 33

low production small litter poor milk too big

Question 34

how many NPDs does a sow have

Answer 34

4-6 days

Question 35

sow production cycle: gestation

Answer 35

day 24-35 preg check some culled because they failed to conceive or did not come into estrus **don't cull during gestation

Question 36

sow production cycle

Answer 36

breeding gestation farrowing lactation weaning NPD repeat