Pig husbandry Flashcards
What do we need to keep pigs outdoors
- Free draining soil and and low levels of rainfall
- Space - stocking density ~25 sows/ha and need paddock rotation
- Labour intensive - taking feed and water to pigs, bedding for the sow to build nests
- Housing needs to be portable and provide adequate shelter from the environment
- Wallows
- Electric fencing - keep animals in and help keep predators out
Issues with outdoor systems
Attracts higher premium but often sows have fewer piglets
Issues with environmental conditions
Piglets more likely to get crushed
More food wastage
Uses of farrowing crates
Prevent sow crushing piglets
Health and safety of stockpersons
Disadvantages of free farrowing
Increased re-weaning piglet mortality
Additional capital costs
Additional labour costs
Hygiene and safety concerns
Routine piglet procedures
Ensure piglets get sufficient colostrum
Dip navel
Iron injections advised for pigs kept indoors
Mutilations can be done by a trained person if <7 days and with vet recommendation.
Tail docking
Routine tail docking is illegal and should be used as a last resort
requires vet approval
Must involve quick and complete severance of the tail
An anaesthetic + analgesia must be andministered where the animal is aged >7 days old
Teeth clipping
Only the uniform reduction of the corner teeth to leave an intact smooth surface and may only be carried out after recommendations by a vet as a last resort
May only be carried out on animal < 7 days old
Factors leading to tail biting
Overcrowding?
Environment - temperature/ventilation
Disease - any dietary issues?
Boredom - environmental enrichment?
Environmental enrichment
Enables pigs to fulfil their essential behavioural needs without compromising their health. They must be safe, hygienic and should be the following:
- Edible
- Chewable
- Investigatable
- Manipulable
Housing for pigs
Pigs housed in indoor systems are usually kept on one of the following:
- Fully slatted floor
- Partly slatted/part solid concrete
- Deep straw yard with solid floor
- Solid floor kennel with bedding and scrape through during passage
- Slatted flooring may be concrete, plastic or metal
- Flooring type linked to how the manure is handled on the unit
Lighting and temperature
Lighting with an intensity of > 40lux for a minimum of 8 hours/day should be provided
Pigs shouldn’t be exposed to constant/sudden noise > 85dBA
Sows need extra feed if temperature drops below 20℃
Essential amino acids
Arginine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
Lysine is first limiting
Artificial insemination
Most common method - delivering semen to the cervix
70% of breeding performance can be explained through variation on staff technique
Need to ensure semen is stored correctly - 15-19℃ and horizontal
