SWINE PRODUCTION

sow-herd enterprise

production cycle starts with sows and ends with the product of the enterprise

farrow to feeder

weanlings sold

farrow to finisher

finisher pigs sold

farrow to breeder

replacement breeder gilts and junior boars sold

growing-finishing enterprise

no breeder animals present in the farm; youngest are weanlings and they are raised until they become finisher pigs

boar-for-hire enterprise

boars are the only class of animal present in the stud farm. natural service is provided or extended s3men for artificial insemination is sold

gilts and dry sow pen

may be kept in individual pens or group pens

boar pen

individually penned to avoid fighting and aggression

gestating pen

individually penned to avoid injury, feed competition and unnecessary stress that may lead to failure of pregnancy or abortion

farrowing pen

penned in elevated and slatted farrowing crates while piglets stay in the creep area

nursery pen

weanlings are transferred here after weaning; slatted and elevated to maintain a clean and dry environment

growing-finishing pen

brought down from nursery pens to pens with solid concrete flooring; “all in all out system”

biosecurity

keeping the herd safe from the introduction and spread of diseases

population projection

forecast how many pens and buildings are needed to be established

good teat

sphincter and the body of the teat is clearly distinct

inverted teat

turned inwards with various degrees of inversion (partial to complete)

supernumary teat

shorter in size than normal teats

production indices

can be used as a basis for monitoring farm performance, identify problems, and establish strategic management

litter size

number of pigs farrowed or weaned from gestation

percent mummified

number of dead fetuses that are born degenerate

percent stillborn

number of pigs that died intrapartum

pre-weaning mortality

number of piglets born alive that died before weaning, should not be more than 10%

post weaning mortality

number of pigs that died after weaning, should not be more than 1% per month

weaning to conception interval

intervening period from the end of the suckling period to the start of the next pregnancy

gestation period

period from breeding to farrowing

lactation period or weaning age

period from farrowing to weaning, or period were the sow is nursing the litter

farrowing interval or litter intervals

period from the birth of one litter to the succeeding litter

sow index or farrowing index

number of times a sow has farrowed in a year

conception rate

indicator of successful breeding; ideal rate is 80-90%

farrowing rate

indicator of successful farrowing

pigs weaned per sow per year

measure of breeding herd productivity, basic components are pigs weaned per litter and farrowing interval

pigs sold per sow per year

measure of breeding herd productivity, basic components are pigs weaned per sow per year and post weaning mortality

farm efficiency

total amount of different rations fed to all animals in the herd in proportion to the total weight of all live animals sold for the same period of time