Swine, Sheep, and Goat Breeds: Production and Characteristics

What are the top states for swine production?

Iowa -> Minnesota -> North Carolina -> Illinois -> Indiana

What are the main swine breeds?

Yorkshire, Landrace, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, & Berkshire

How long is the estrous cycle for pigs?

18-24 days

How long is the gestation length for pigs?

3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days (~114 days)

Artificial insemination in pigs

Breeding rod twists into cervix -> sow should pull the semen in rather than you pushing (AI is common due to safety & genetic improvement)

Farrowing

Giving birth

Piglet processing

Iron injections (200 mg) -> umbilical cord treatment -> identification (ear notching) -> tail docking -> castration -> occasionally clipping needle teeth (less common now)

Swine body condition scoring

Too thin = poor lactation & fertility. Too fat = farrowing complications.

What does it mean to be a breed?

A group of animals with similar, heritable characteristics (color, wool type, reproduction, origin).

What species in this class have breeds?

Domesticated species like sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, & horses all have breeds.

What is the purpose for a terminal breed?

Used for meat production, fast growth, muscling, & carcass yield.

What are a few examples of a terminal breed?

Suffolk, Hampshire, Texel, & Dorper.

What is the purpose for a maternal breed?

Used to improve mothering traits, prolificacy, milking, and lamb survival.

What are a few examples of a maternal breed?

Dorset, Rambouillet, Polypay, & Targhee.

What is the foundational wool breed?

Merino

What are 2 breeds that would combine to make a brockle-faced lamb?

Suffolk x Dorset or Hampshire x Rambouillet

Distinguish Suffolk vs. Hampshire vs. Shropshire

Suffolk: Black face/legs, no wool on head/legs, largest frame. Hampshire: Black face with wool cap, some wool on legs. Shropshire: Black face with more wool on face and legs, smaller than Hampshire

What was the first sheep breed created in the U.S.?

Columbia (1912)

What is the purpose of the Polypay breed?

A USDA "dream breed" combining: prolificacy + good wool + strong carcass + year-round breeding

What is the most populous goat meat breed in the U.S.?

Boer (dominant meat goat today)

Primary meat goat before 1993?

Spanish goats were the main U.S. meat goat before the Boer importation.

Alpine

dairy breed

LaMancha

dairy breed (2)

Saanen

dairy breed

Toggenburg

dairy breed

Nubian

dairy breed

Nigerian dwarf

dairy breed (1)

Boer

meat breed

Kiko

meat breed

Spanish

meat breed

TexMaster

meat breed

Pygmy (now mostly pets)

meat breed

Angora (mohair)

fiber breed

Cashmere

fiber breed

Pygora

fiber breed

Alpine origin

Alps

LaMancha origin

Oregon, USA

Nigerian Dwarf origin

West Africa

Nubian origin

England (Anglo-Nubian)

Saanen origin

Switzerland

Toggenburg origin

Switzerland

Boer origin

South africa

Kiko origin

New zealand

Spanish origin

Spain

TexMaster origin

Texas

Angora origin

Asia minor

Cashmere origin

Himalayan region

Pygora origin

Oregon

Top states for goat meat production

Texas -> Tennessee -> California -> Georgia -> Oklahoma

Top states for goat milk production

Wisconsin -> California -> Iowa

Top states for goat fiber production

Texas -> Arizona -> New Mexico -> California

Top states for sheep production

Texas -> California -> Colorado -> Wyoming -> Utah