Swine

Question 1

What are the weights of swines at different ages?

Answer 1

Nursing pigs - 1 kg at birth
Weaned pig (3 weeks) - 6 kgs
Starter/nursery (6-8 weeks) - 25 kg
Grower pig - 25-60 kg
Finisher pig (16-17 weeks (6 mo) ) - 60 kg to market at 105-110 kg

Question 2

What are the names for ages and sexes of swine?

Answer 2

Gilt - young female
Boar - reproducing male
Sow - reproducing female
Barrow - castrated male
Hog - growing/finishing pig

Question 3

What type of market is the pork industry under?

Answer 3

free market

Question 3

What are the characteristics of the open free market system in the pork industry?

Answer 3

Large price volatility
No supply management
Heavily export dependent

Question 3

What are the 7 market cutouts?

Answer 3

Rb, belly, butt, loin, picnic, ham, carcass

Question 4

How much money does the pork industry make on exports

Answer 4

4.82 billion

Question 5

Why does Canada do so much export to the US?

Answer 5

Canada has little slaughter capacity, US can provide this, so we export

Question 6

What are the major 4 breeds of swine?

Answer 6

Yorkshire - originated from the UK, large white pigs, good milk prof, large litters
Landrace
Duroc - lean muscle mass, good for cross breeding
Hampshire

Question 7

At what weight does the first estrus cycle occur in sows?

Answer 7

120 kg body weight

Question 8

Which estrus cycle do we like to target breeding?

Answer 8

2nd estrus cycle

Question 9

How long is a sows gestation period?

Answer 9

114-115 day gestation

Question 10

How long is a sows lactation?

Answer 10

17-28 days

Question 11

How many litters does a sow have per year?

Answer 11

2.3 litters

Question 12

How many litters do sows have per lifetime?

Answer 12

5 litters per lifetime?

Question 13

How many pigs per litter?

Answer 13

9-12 pigs

Question 14

How many days do we rebreed pigs after they are weaned from sows

Answer 14

rebreed 4-7 days after weaning

Question 15

How many boars per sow?

Answer 15

1 boar per 20 sows

Question 16

What is the percent that AI breeding occurs?

Answer 16

85% of breeding is AI

Question 17

What are the signs of estrus in sows?

Answer 17

• swollen red vulva: discharge
• stands to be mounted
• seeking boar: increased vocalizations

Question 18

What are teaser boars?

Answer 18

help with estrus detection, help stimulate sows to ovulate

Question 19

What are three reproduction goals?

Answer 19

• maximize number of pigs born alive
• minimize pre weaning mortality
• increase longevity

Question 20

How do we manage gestating sows?

Answer 20

Keep and feed sows in individual stalls and manage them in large groups/pens

Question 21

What are the challenges to having gestation stalls

Answer 21

Strong social hierarchy: can be aggressive towards eachother
Insatiable appetite during gestation - limiting feed intake leads to aggression
Bar biting due to stress and frustration

Question 22

What are three ways to minimize fight for food in group sow housing?

Answer 22

• large pens with individual feeding stalls are closed
• slow feeding system
• skip a day feeding

Question 23

What are 2 characteristics of european desings for sow housing?

Answer 23

- lower-density group housing - enriched straw bedding packs, eat straw and feel full, prevents lameness, natural rooting behaviour

Question 24

What do piglets need during lactation in terms of housing?

Answer 24

heat lamp and creep feeding area

Question 25

What is the biggest problem when farrowing?

Answer 25

sow crushing piglets when laying down

Question 26

What is a farrowing crate?

Answer 26

slows sow when lying down, allowing piglets to move out of the way

Question 27

What is an ellipsoid crate?

Answer 27

allows the sow to turn around

Question 28

How long are sows and piglets in the farrowing crates for?

Answer 28

21-28 days

Question 29

What are the 4 procedures we conduct on piglets at farrowing?

Answer 29

tagging/ear notching teeth clipping/filing - 8 sharp teeth can cause injury to sow and piglets tail docking castration

Question 30

How is tail docking done on piglets at farrowing?

Answer 30

Hot iron tool

Question 31

What is the importance of tail docking at farrowing

Answer 31

prevents tail biting

Question 32

How is castration done on piglets at farrowing?

Answer 32

done surgically, with a knife or scalpel

Question 33

What is the importance of castration?

Answer 33

Eliminates boar taint, which is an unpleasant smell which acts as a pheromone,

Question 34

What are we doing in order to prevent castration pain in boars?

Answer 34

Developing a vaccine in order to castrate the males naturally

Question 35

What is the benefit to creep feeding?

Answer 35

Reduce the post weaning growth lag, if solid feed is offered earlier, the piglet will develop a stronger gut

Question 36

At what age are pigs weaned?

Answer 36

3 weeks

Question 37

What are some characteristics of a barn for grower/finisher pigs?

Answer 37

- slatted floor - nipple drinker (water) - automatic feeders (reduces labour)

Question 38

What are the goals for growth of a finisher pig?

Answer 38

- Fast body weight gains - fast lean growth - high carcass yield

Question 39

What is the main issue with transporting pigs to slaughter?

Answer 39

Issue with animal rights. Protests happen, try to feed pigs water

Question 40

What ensures good handling during transport to slaughter?

Answer 40

- Minimizing stress - keeping trucks well ventilated, well bedded in the winter - fit for transport (not lame)

Question 41

What is favoured in meat in the pork industry quality or quantity?

Answer 41

quantity, only have a quantity grade

Question 42

Why are quality assurance programs beneficial?

Answer 42

Demonstrate to consumers a standard of quality, regulations and commitments to food and care

Question 43

What does HACCP stand for?

Answer 43

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

Question 44

What is the goal of HACCP?

Answer 44

To ensure food safety, eliminate food recalls, minimize points of concern around food safety

Question 45

How many food services in north america use HACCP principles?

Answer 45

all

Question 46

What are the three canadian pork excellence programs?

Answer 46

pig care - welfare/care pig trace - tracing pork pig safe - food safety and overall safety

Question 47

What is Ractopamine?

Answer 47

Is a feed additive that increases muscle mass and lean gain in livestock, fed in the diet a few weeks before slaughter

Question 48

What is the stance on ractopamine in pigs?

Answer 48

Almost all Canadian pigs aren't on ractopamine

Question 49

What is DFD vs PSE?

Answer 49

DFD: dark firm and dry meat, very dark and when its cooked is very dry and firm PSE: pale soft and exudated

Question 50

Which has a higher pH DFD or PSE?

Answer 50

Higher pH in DFD and lower pH in PSE

Question 51

What does PEDv stand for?

Answer 51

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

Question 52

How high is the mortality in PEDv in piglets vs after weaning?

Answer 52

close to 100% for piglets and just an illness for weaned

Question 53

When was the first outbreak of PEDv in Ontario?

Answer 53

2014

Question 54

What is PDCoV?

Answer 54

Porcine Delta Corona Virus, similar but less sever to PEDv

Question 55

What does PRRS stand for?

Answer 55

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome

Question 56

What are the symptoms of PRRS?

Answer 56

Reproductive failure, abortions, stillborn Coughing

Question 57

How to manage PRRS in the herd?

Answer 57

Vaccines with limited success, creating PRRS free herd certifications,

Question 58

What is the overall goal of eliminating PRRS?

Answer 58

prevention is the goal

Question 59

What does ASF stand for?

Answer 59

African Swine Fever (foot and mouth disease)

Question 60

What are some characteristics of ASF?

Answer 60

Highly infectious and high mortality

Question 61

What is the reporting like on ASF?

Answer 61

Federally reportable, surveillance, euthanasia if reported

Question 62

Is ASF zoonotic or non zoonotic?

Answer 62

non zoonotic

Question 63

What is a unique characteristic of ASF?

Answer 63

Known to survive cooking

Question 64

When were the first cases of domestic ASF reported and where?

Answer 64

2007 in Europe

Question 65

When was the last major breakout of ASF in China?

Answer 65

2018

Question 66

Are there any cases of ASF in Canada or the USA?

Answer 66

No cases of ASF in canada or the USA

Question 67

What are some biosecurity protocols in the swine sector?

Answer 67

Shower in, shower out, plastic boots and coveralls, truck wash

Question 68

Why are wild pigs a challenge to the pork industry?

Answer 68

Challenge to contain the population, and they are highly reproductively efficient, they are a huge biosecurity risk

Question 69

Why is welfare a challenge to the industry?

Answer 69

Sow housing and transportation causes protests, welfare standard and audits are conducted on the large packing companies like maple leaf

Question 70

What are some common challenges in the pork industry (6)?

Answer 70

Contagious diseases Competitiveness in the world market Animal Welfare Proper assessment of quality and value Trend toward multiple site production and integrated pork production

Question 71

What are overall trends of farm size and amount of farmers?

Answer 71

Farms are getting bigger and Farmers are decreasing

Question 72

What are ways that animal well-being has been improved(2)?

Answer 72

Managing pain, castration, enriched cages

Question 73

What are ways that labour can be reduced on farm (4)?

Answer 73

introducing automation extended grazing systems reduce labour costs using new technologies

Question 74

What are three HACCP based programs?

Answer 74

VBP+ Canadian Pork Excellence Feed assure

Question 75

What are four characteristics of a starter pig diet?

Answer 75

- very nutritional - highly palatable - highly digestible - very expensive