Pig production Flashcards
Define the pig production systems “continuous”, “all in all out”, “open” and “closed”
Continuous: constant flow of animals in all production stages
All in- all out: Arrangement of the sows in groups, reallocation of animals through the production stages group wise. + more hygienic
Open system:
- Only one or 2 production stages on the farm
- Buying and selling of piglets, fatteners and/or sows.
- Division of labor, but higher hygienic risks.
- Maybe fewer financial risks due to faster adjustment to the market.
Closed system:
- All production stages on the farm.
- More labor intensive, more buildings and stables needed. Also need the knowledge!
- Lower hygienic risks
- Own breeding of sows
- Maybe higher financial risks due to slower adjustments to the market.
What are the consequences for the design of functional areas in a pig house considering their behavioural patterns (social, feeding, moving, exploration, playing, excretion).
Social :
- Gregarious animals : like to execute everything in group, therefore keep in groups
- Integrate new pigs in groups, not alone
- Nest building of sows (genetic characteristic, in more modern barns, not possible)
- Tussles about limited factors (feed, water)
Feeding:
- Enable simultaneous and “safe” feeding
- Water supply with adapted flow rate
Moving and exploration:
- Offer enough space for “unhindered” movement
- Offer something for digging, nuzzling, manipulating
Comfort and playing behavior:
- Offer something for skin scrubbing, thermoregulation
- Enough space for running, playing
Excretion behavior:
- Strong disklike to own excrements, therefore separate functional areas for lying, moving and excretion
Resting behavior (13-16h/d):
- Offer comfortable (floor, thermoregulation, safeness) and lying areas
- Enough space for relaxed lying of all pigs at the same time
What is a gestation stable (waiting stable) and how does group housing work?
Waiting stable is where the sows stay during gestation period. The group housing is obligatory, as it gives more room for movement for the sows, improves the structuring of the room, and contributes to the formation of strong social patterns.
There exists different group housing designs, normally include a lying area, moving area, and feeding station.
Design choices:
- small groups or open system with large groups?
- slatted or solid floor?
- floor material?
- extra walls?
- automatic feeding?
- bedding material
How does automatic feeding system for sows work?
System with sensor on ears of sows, when sow enters feeding box gates close behind her and feeder gives them individual feeding portions.
How does a sorting gate for large/mega groups work?
System with sensor on ears of sows, gives them individual feeding portions, but also able to detect other information and sort for selection for slaughter/other production stage or go back to the group.
Explain the design principles, advantages and disadvantages of a standard farrowing pen compared to a free/moving farrowing pen.
Standard farrowing pen: The sow is kept in a tight cage like space, that allows lactation/feeding piglets but keep them separated. Disadvantage: hindered movement of the sow (really tight space). Advantage: avoids sow to lie down on piglets and accidently kill them.
Free moving farrowing pen (Ex: Völkenroder loose farrowing pen, group farrowing): Sow can move freely in a delimited space shared with the piglets. Advantage: respects a more natural behavior, more space for the sow. Disadvantage: more losses from sow crushing piglets. In some farms about 25% losses, therefore, can be an important issue! More space also needed compared to standard farrowing pens.
Also possible: housing in groups, loose farrowing systems
Farms in Germany transitioning, as free farrowing will become the norm by law.
- Sketch/Describe a housing system for fattening pigs which promises to provide a high level of animal welfare.
Open stable with fewer emissions. Air circulation naturally present. Functional areas for lying, eating and excrementing are available to enable normal behavior. They are kept so busy that they are content and do not have an outbreak of tail biting. 1.5 to 1.6 m2 per animal is made possible and straw is provided in the lying area, once for warmth in winter and for playing with in summer (less straw in summer)
Discuss experiences during meat inspection of pigs kept in organic/free range and conventional indoor systems
Conventional indoor system: more lesions on limbs (solid floor, more lying?), more hernie/pyemia
organic/free range:
- more fractures: piglet squeezing?
- more tail lesions + abscesses: no tail docking? undertreatment?
more infectious diseases: bad management, poor hygiene, undertreatment?
more skin lesions: insects, sun, lying in soiled areas?
Describe your favourite innovation/agrifuture concept for pigs.
havito: new housing system without slatted floor
- pigs have separate areas for sleeping, playing + eating, manuring
- enough space to avoid tail clipping
- coverage of sleeping area
- innovative toilet floor: separates urine and feces
- immediately → strong reduction of ammonia emissions
Give examples for computer control in pig farming.
- 3D-camer: determines weight of pig inside of automatic feeder → appropriate amount of feed or spray marking when pig is finished
- SoundTalks: system with microphones, monitors sounds like coughs → sick animals can be detected early and separated
- automatic and frequent straw distribution (bedding)
Explain the pig production cycle
Gilt raising (140 days to 150 days): insemination –> pregnant sow
Gestation: After mating, the pregnant sow undergoes a gestation period of about approximately 115 days. During this time, the sow is housed in gestation stalls or group pens
Farrowing (21 days): Farrowing refers to the process of giving birth to piglets. Sows are moved to farrowing crates or pens shortly before giving birth, where they can nurse their piglets in a protected environment.
Immediately after birth, piglets rely on their mother’s milk for nutrition
piglets rearing (35-42 days): At around 3 to 4 weeks of age, piglets are weaned from their mother’s milk and transitioned to solid food. They are separated from the sow and moved to nursery facilities, where they are housed in groups and fed a specialized diet to support their growth.
Fatteners (120-130 days): After rea, piglets enter the growing phase, which lasts until they reach a weight of around 50 to 60 pounds (22 to 27 kilograms), typically at about 8 to 10 weeks of age. During this stage, they continue to receive a balanced diet designed to promote steady growth and development.
