Swine Flashcards
(88 cards)
1
Q
US Pork Trends
A
- pork production in US has increased as carcass weight and litter size have increased
- number of hogs per farm has increased, driving smaller farms out of business
2
Q
China
A
- 1/2 world’s pork production
- 1B pigs raised annually
- pre-weaning mortality of 40%
- more pigs die than are produced in US
- not sustainable
3
Q
China’s 5 Year Plan
A
- focuses on efficiency and size of farms
- one more pig per sow would mean million tons of feed would be saved
4
Q
Stages and Types of Production
A
- breeding
- gestation
- farrowing/lactation
- nursery
- growing/finishing
5
Q
Life Cycle of a Pork
A
- farrow: 17 days
- nursery: 45 days
- finishing: 128 days
6
Q
Animal Weight Through Production
A
- piglet: 1-2 kg; fed by mother until weaned
- weaned pig: 25 kg of feed; 4-5 kg weight
- finishing pig: 275 kg of feed; 20-23 kg weight gained
- final weight: 115-120 kg; 300 kg of feed used
7
Q
Production Drivers
A
- lower costs
- increase number of pigs per litter and conception rate
- increase weight gain and feed efficiency
- improve animal health, reducing morbidity (disease) and mortality (death)
8
Q
Bioavailability
A
- ability of digestive system to access nutrients of animal-sourced foods is very high
- pigs eat corn and soybean (high quality feed) and convert it to pork loin meat (essential macro and micro nutrients)
9
Q
Production Cycles
A
- 20-21 week cycle
- 20 groups of sows on a weekly schedule (one group farrows, one is weaned, one is bred)
- shorter lactation length = more litters per year
10
Q
Nursery Operation
A
- facility where weaned pigs are raised until they reach feeder pig size
11
Q
Farrow-to-Wean Operation
A
- swine facility that includes breeding stock and newborn pigs that are not yet weaned
- weaned pigs are generally sold to other producers to raise until sold for feeder pigs
12
Q
Farrow-to-Feeder Operation
A
- swine facility that includes breeding stock and pigs ranging from newborn to feeder pig size
13
Q
Farrow-to-Finish Operation
A
- swine facility that includes breeding stock pigs and are raised from birth until sold for slaughter
- most common in CA
14
Q
Finish Operation
A
- swine facility that includes market hogs, but not breeding stock, that are fed until they are sold for slaughter
15
Q
3 Model Forms
A
- 1980s: separate buildings for nursery, grower, and finisher
- early 1990s: separate building for nursery, 1 building for grower/finisher
- late 1990s: one building for wean to finish
16
Q
Oligosaccharides
A
- 2/3 of the carbs in breastmilk (dairy and human milk)
- neither calves nor babies can digest it
- nourish microbes in baby’s body to produce microbiome
- promotes gut and immune health
- formula milk doesn’t have oligosaccharides
17
Q
Farrow to Finish in CA
A
- for feeder pig production
- low feed reqs
- higher level of management for piglets than adults (higher labor reqs)
- high investment in buildings and equipment
- can’t put ear tags on pigs; ear notched
- have to dock tails to avoid piglets’ sharp teeth
18
Q
Farrowing Crate
A
- while sow is nursing
- otherwise, sow will crush piglets by laying down
- poultry also have to be indoors for efficient management and welfare
19
Q
Finishing Pig Production
A
- from feeder pig to market
- going from to 190-220 lbs takes about 115 days
- the higher the weight, the higher the avg daily gain
- simpler system (less death loss)
- higher investment in feed and feeder pigs
- lower investment in buildings and equipment
- lower labor needs
- higher risk due to market fluctuations (farmers have to accept market prices - “price takers”)
20
Q
Indoor Facilities
A
- if bedded, needs to be cleaned more often to avoid growth of bacteria (pigs very susceptible to disease)
- if slatted, feces fall through slats; can be used for fertilizer and keeps facility clean (“normal”)
- facilities must be kept at comfortable temperature because pigs are bad at temperature regulation (also because a lot of energy will go into temp reg if it’s not at a decent temp to begin with)
21
Q
Outdoors
A
- central hub and pastures radiating out
- each paddock is 1 acre
- huts for shelter
- wallow: water hole that pigs can bathe in to stay cool
- high piglet losses
- pigs eat worms and insects
- price of meat is much higher - niche markets
- farrowing hut: sows can cross into it, but piglets can’t and are kept safe from predation
22
Q
Environmental Management
A
- thermal regulation (cold pigs pile together, hot pigs spread out)
- air quality (remove gases like ammonia)
- pigs sensitive to noise
- simulate outside lighting
- collect manure for fertilizer
- need dunging areas to keep pigs clean (improve air quality, microbial numbers, pig health)
- slatted floors to remove manure
23
Q
Animal Manure Fertilizer
A
- 1/2 of all world’s fertilizers
- contains nutrients in ratio perfect for plants (N, P, K)
- crops need manure at same rate that animals produce it
- dry manure (w/ bedding)
- wet manure (liquid; store in covered lagoon to trap biogas to make into transportation fuels)
- enriches environment
24
Q
Castration
A
- 1-14 days of age
- testosterone makes meat taste worse
- usually done w/out anesthesia because injections are much more stressful for pigs than incision
25
Clipping Needle Teeth
- trimming or grinding
- not done as often
- piglets' teeth are sharp, so tips are clipped off to protect teats
26
Ears, Tail, Hooves
- ear notching and tattoos are typical
- ear tags atypical bcs pigs can bite them off
- tail docking to prevent tail biting
- older sows sometimes have such long hooves that they curve upwards --> causes trouble walking
27
Iron
- piglets run out of iron they're born w/ or that's in mom's milk in 5 days
- need iron dextran injections from 2-6 weeks of age to prevent anemia
28
Piglet Procedures 1-3 Days Following Farrowing
- clip needle, teeth, tails
- even up litters (one teat per piglet)
- ear notch for ID
- castrate males
- iron injections
29
Piglet Procedures 7-10 Days Following Birth
- starter diets are available
30
Lactational Anestrus
- pigs (and humans) put out hormones that simulate pregnancy, so sows cannot get pregnant while lactating
- pigs also can't get pregnant during the first heat after birth
31
Transportation
- reduce novelty
- train pigs to handle 'new tasks' to avoid injury to pig and/or handler
- handle them calmly
- use flight zone (pigs have larger flight zone because they are less used to handling)
- no knees, move in small groups, use proper tools
32
Handle and Restraint Tools
- use a board as a wall to move towards them
- use a flag
- use a paddle w/ rattle
- use a snare over top of snout and immobilize the pig to treat them --> scream only because immobilized (can't put pigs in a scree shoot but need to treat them)
- DO NOT USE electric prod (only use this w/ cattle)
33
Transport Environment
- proper temp and ventilation
- clean floor and surfaces (completely sanitized so pathogens from previous groups don't pass to this herd)
- no sharp objects
34
Non-Ambulatory Animals
- animals who cannot walk
- NEVER transport
- usually euthanized humanely (trained people on the farm)
- not allowed to sell that meat bcs packing plant won't let it in for inspection
- you can eat it yourself
35
Treat Disease
- isolate for infectious disease
- individual animal treatments
- water or feed meds
36
Regulatory Compliances
- FDA compliance (for drug withdrawal times, drug label reqs)
- DEA compliance for controlled substances
- USDA-APHIS-Animal Care: flag bruised meat as sign of potential animal abuse
37
Biosecurity Guidelines
- shower in to protect pigs
- shower out to protect humans
- foot baths
- sanitation
- protect feed storage sites from risks like vermin
38
Occupational Health and Safety
- for pigs' and people's health
- worker safety category
- protection from zoonotic disease and allergies category
39
Minimizing Human and Pig Health Risk
- healthy immune system: low risk of contracting zoonotic diseases
- appropriate pen sanitation and personal hygiene (hand washing)
- no eating, drinking, smoking near animals
- use PPE to avoid zoonotic incident or exposure (gloves, farm clothes, masks)
40
Litter Size
- 8-14, average 10
41
Female Puberty
- 6 mo
42
Weight at Estrus
- 200 lbs
- they go from 2-3 lbs at birth to 200 lbs in 6 mo
43
Duration of Estrus
- 2-3 days
44
Length of Estrous Cycle
- 21 days
45
Ovulation
- 24-36 hours after estrus
46
Best Time to Breed
- 2nd day of estrus
- services are 12 and 24 hours after heat
47
Gestation length
- 114 days
- 3 mo, 3 weeks, 3 days
48
Gilts
- animals that haven't had litters yet
- puberty at 4-7 mo, but not bred until 8 mo (or 3rd heat period)
- gilts that farrow at 1 yr have the advantage (compared to cattle, who have first offspring at 2 years and smaller litter sizes)
49
Flushing
- improving pig nutrition to get most viable pregnancy
50
Calculating Conception Rate
- conception rate + return rate percent = 100%
- conception rate incr, return rate decr as number of services increases
51
Lot or Pen Mating
- one boar brought to pen of females or females brought to one boar
- not controlled or for specific amount of time
- less management and time
52
Hand Mating
- targeted selection of 1 boar to 1 female
- takes longer, more management
- higher likelihood of successful pregnancy
- litter size in comparison to ova ovulated is larger
53
Gestation Critical Periods
- most embryonic deaths: 1st 30-35 days of gestation and just prior to farrowing
- sows need less stress and optimal nutrition
- prenatal deaths are 40%
- improve this number for increased efficiency and sustainability
54
Farrowing
- process of giving birth
55
Rebreeding
- sow will show heat 2-7 days after farrowing, but this estrus is infertile
- she is in lactational anestrus
- will not return to estrus until 5 days after pigs are weaned
56
Weaning
- weaned between 4-6 weeks
- 5-6 mo between litters on average
57
Ovulation Rate
- litter size is only 50-70% of ova number originally released
- need to limit litter sizes to number of teats
- no ovulation during lactation
- estrus less than 1 week after weaning
58
Standing Reflex
- way to determine estrus/that pigs are ready to be bred
- apply different stimulations
- most effective stimulation to get standing reflex is smell, sound, and sight of the boar
59
Boar Care
- 500 mL semen produced
- 12-14 mL sperm
- used for breeding after 8-9 mo old
- yearling boars need lower ratio of females to males
- mature boars (2+) can have higher ratio of females to males, but watch for injury
- appropriate nutrition and less stress during mating (otherwise, boar doesn't take care of itself)
- pint of ejaculate, large testicles, large penis w/ corkscrew tip
60
Artificial Insemination
- w/ fresh, undiluted semen is best (higher motility)
- w/ fresh diluted semen (lower insemination rate bcs concentration of sperm per unit of semen)
- w/ liquid cooled semen (even less conception, but necessary when boar facility far from females)
- w/ frozen semen (not as popular bcs pigs concentrated in Midwest; worst conception rates)
61
Pheromones
- coming from boars
- stimulate puberty in gilts
- produce stronger expression of heat in sows
62
Pigs vs. Humans
- pigs used to study human medicine
- humans have menstrual cycle; pigs have estrus
- pigs don't have periods; humans don't have standing heat
- similar digestive systems
- stomach is acidic: where we digest proteins and peptides
63
Energy
- mostly from fats and carbs
- also from protein (plant-based protein less bioavailable to us than animal protein
64
Structural Function
- fats
- proteins
- minerals
65
Regulatory Function
- minerals
- vitamins
- water
66
Carbs
- polysaccharides
- cellulose (which pigs can't digest)
- starch (pigs can digest)
- cellulose and starch are almost the same except for bonding
- made up of glucose molecules
- in starch, humans, pigs, poultry can break those bonds and digest glucose mcs (esp important for brain)
- cellulose has different bonds; only microbes in ruminants can digest cellulose --> why ruminants can feed on 2/3 world's land (marginal land)
67
Fats (Triglycerides)
- 3 hydrocarbon tails/fatty acids connected to glycerol molecule
- digested in small intestine
- gallbladder digests fat by making bile
- bile emulsifies and allows enzymes to attack fat mcs and break bonds between glycerol and fatty acids
- individual glycerol and fatty acids pass through intestinal wall
68
Proteins
- consist of peptides, which consist of AAs
- 10 essential AAs for swine:
- lysine, methionine, tryptophan, threonine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, arginine, histidine and phenylalanine
- most limiting is usually lysine
69
Stomach
- pilorus: stomach exit area that opens and closes depending on how well food has been digested
- main function of stomach is protein digestion
70
Small Intestine
- nutrient absorption
- pancreas gland produces all the enzymes needed to digest proteins, carbs, fats (why pancreatic cancer prognosis is so poor)
- gallbladder in liver secretes bile to break down fats in small intestine
71
Large Intestine
- reabsorption of water
- rich microbiome that affects gut and immunological health
- large surface area w/ villi
- inside of gut unfolded is huge, so absorptive capability is vast
- then goes to anus
72
Pig Feeding (Protein)
- want a lot of muscle
- pigs are feed efficient (3 lbs feed --> 1 lb meat); poultry more feed efficient
- challenge is that the feed they eat could also be eaten by ppl (corn, soybean)
- competition btwn pig and poultry diets vs. human diets
- pigs also need carbs, minerals, fat, water, vitamins
73
Antibiotics
- not part of swine feed
- VFD (vet feed directive) implemented in Dec 2016 prescribes antibiotics in certain cases
- have to wait past withdrawal period of drug before selling animal to slaughter
- need valid vet-client-patient relationship (VCPR) to get drugs through a vet or w/ a written prescription
- treat animals based on symptoms
74
Swine Growth Curve
- average weight gain incr w/ incr age
- exponential
75
Feeding Young Pigs
- starter/creep feed at 7-10 days (sometimes also fed w/ mother's milk)
- different nutrient reqs than sow's diet
- should include iron sulfate
- clean, fresh water separate from sows
- highly palatable, high quality feed
- easily digestible
- pre-starter used for early weaning (< 3 weeks or until 20-40 lns)
- starter used for normal weaning (pigs fed until 75 lbs)
- milk-based ingredients (whey for piglets)
- corn and soybean meal (all stages; basis of swine nutrition)
76
Grower Diet
- 75-125 lbs
- diet higher in protein
- gain 1.6 lbs/day
77
Finisher Diet
- 125 lbs-market weight (220)
- higher in energy/fat
- gain 1.8-2.1 lbs/day
78
Feeding Schedule (CA)
- ADG increases as age incr
- days on feed increase
- CP (crude protein) decreases
79
Gestating Sows and Gilts
- need body weight gain during gestation
- 60-80 lb for sow
- 75-100 lb for gilt (still growing)
- moderate protein (14% CP) w/ adequate vitamins and minerals
- restricted energy to prevent overweight probs at farrowing
80
Gestating Sows and Gilts' Diet
- gilts: 1.5-2% BW (5 lb/day)
- sows: 1-1.5% BW (4 lb/day)
- do not overfeed, or sows get fat
- sometimes "laxative feed" 3-5 days before parturition
- change to lactation diet over period of 7-10 days once sow has farrowed
81
Laxative Diet
- prevents constipation complications during birth
82
Dystocia
- difficulty giving birth
- overweight animals often have dystocia
83
Milk Letdown
- milk production for piglets
- sow lays down and letdown begins
- several small windows/periods of feeding throughout the day for the piglets
84
Lactating Sows' Diet
- sow nursing 7-8 pigs will produce 8-12 lbs/day
- water extremely important
- body size (2.5-4 lb/100 lb BW), milking ability and pigs/litter determine feed intake
- 15% crude protein (CP)
- 8-15 lbs of feed intake on average
- 3-5 lbs of feed to maintain the sow and 1 lb for each piglet nursed
- more feed = less body weight loss to lactation = higher piglet weight = greater % of sows exhibiting estrus w/in 8 days of weaning
- can manipulate estrus time w/ food
85
Replacement Gilts' Diets
- remove breeding gilts from finishing pens at weight of 150-175 lbs or between 4-5 mo of age
- feed adequate diet for growth (but not so much as to get fat gilts)
- goal: 230-250 lbs at breeding
86
Boar Diet
- same as gestating sows (14% CP)
- drylot:
- 3-4 lbs/day when not breeding
- 8-10 lbs/day when breeding
87
Diet Summary
- balance according to NRC reqs for intended goal
- meet AA reqs (precision feeding)
- diet needs: adequate water, protein (AAs), energy, vitamins, minerals, fat, carbs
88
Marbling
- veins of fat going through the meat
- marbling = flavor
- lean meat doesn't have marbling or good flavor
