Introduction to UK Pig Production

What is meant by the term ‘porcine’

• Of or resembling a pig/boar

What is meant by the term ‘gilt’

• Young female before first litter of piglets (smaller in size/weight)

What is meant by the term ‘sow’

• Female pig that has had a litter of piglets

What is meant by the term ‘dry sow’

• Pregnant sow but not lactating

What is meant by the term ‘v-boar’

• A vasectomised boar

What is meant by the term ‘barrow’

• A castrated male pig

What is meant by the term ‘boar’

• Male pig of breeding age

What is meant by the term ‘farrowing’

• The process of a gilt/sow giving birth (often 12-14 piglets)

What is meant by the term ‘piglet/neonate’

• Animal from birth to weaning

What is meant by the term ‘runt’

• Unusually small piglet (usually 1 per litter)

What is meant by the term ‘weaner’

• Animal taken off its mother/milk

What is meant by the term ‘passel/sounder/herd’

• A group of pigs

Describe the life stage of neonates

• 0-4 weeks old

• Ideal piglet birth weight is 1.5kg

• Large litters means piglet birth weight decreases

• Minimum of 150ml per kg birth weight of colostrum by 12 hrs post-farrowing

• Lack brown fat, little surface fat and no hair (heat must be provided)

Describe the life stage of weaners

• 4-12 weeks old

• Usually 7-13kg at time of weaning

• UK legal requirement of 28 days, but under vet instruction, piglets can be weaned at 21 days if sow welfare is compromised 

• Natural weaning occurs at 10-12 weeks when piglet GI tract is almost mature

• Grow to 35-40kg 

Describe the life stage of growers

• 12-16 weeks old

• Start from 35-40kg

• Moved into a grower shed, then moved into finisher sheds when reaching 65kg

• Genetic potential not achieved: compromised growth rates, poor management, poor nutrition, environmental factors, poor health/disease

Describe the life stage of finishers

• 16-23 weeks old

• Start from 65kg, fattened to 100-120kg

• Make up the largest portion of pigs being farmed

• Slaughtering usually occurs 21-23 weeks of age

• Easier to manage: need food, water and shelter

• Biggest cost of pig production is finisher feed

Describe natural breeding in pig production

• Introduction of diseased stock (use known ‘healthy herd’ boars)

• Boar pheromones most effective to induce standing reflex in gilts/sows

• Match boar and gilt/sow weight accordingly

• Boars used excessively (>7 matings/week) may have reduced fertility

Describe artificial insemination in pig production

• Use of AI catheters and skilled operators

• Only fresh semen to be used, stored at 15-19 degrees 

Describe breeding boars- including what to look for

• Reach sexual maturity at 6 months

• Reach breeding age at 10-12 months

• Test-mate from 7-8 months: observe for aggression and desire to mate

• Genitalia: symmetrical testes, no abnormalities/penis injuries, semen quality-screened

• Diseases: PRRSV, brucellosis

• Legs: short and strong fetlocks

• Behavioural characteristics

What are the advantages of the Duroc breed?

• Good feed conversion ratio

• High lean meat %

• Excellent carcass quality

What are the advantages of the Large White breed?

• Good feed conversion ratio

• Fast growth

• Excellent carcass quality

What are the advantages of the Landrace breed?

• Good fertility

• Strong legs

• Excellent carcass quality

Describe breeding gilts- including what to look for

• Reach sexual maturity at 6 months

• Reach breeding age at 8 months

• Age and weight are important to consider (135-170kg, BCS of 3-3.5)

• Once gilts hit 110kg, introduce daily boar contact for 10 mins- around 80-85% should be showing regular cycles by 7-8 months of age

• No visible abnormalities or injuries to any body part

• Toes: big, well spaced to take the weight of mounting boars

• Underlines should have a minimum of 7 teats per side

• Vulva: good size and shape (not tilted up= issues with farrowing)

• Anus: no anus 

• Behavioural characteristics: non-aggressive, good mothering

• Give 2-3 breeding attempts (objecting to boar entry may indicate cervical/vaginal damage)

• No purebred Pietrain pigs-presence of halothane gene associated with Porcine Stress Syndrome

When should you serve breeding gilts?

• Oestrus occurs every 21 days

• Look for swollen/reddened vulva with viscous secretion

• Vocalisation/barking/whining

• Restlessness, heightened activity, mounting other pigs, twitching/perked ears

• Bring gilts/sows to boar, standing heat (5-10 mins), leave for 30 mins post-service before moving

Describe pregnant/lactating breeding sow husbandry and management

• Gestation lasts 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days

• Piglets stay with sow for 28 days

• Sow is served again 5-7 days post-weaning

How should you care for dry gilts/sows?

• First sign= no return to oestrus 

• Keep in small groups to minimise aggression

• Move to farrowing house 1 week pre-farrowing

Describe farrowing and after-birth care

• Signs of farrowing: reddened, swollen vulva, nesting/rooting/padding the ground, increased respiration rate (from 10-20 to 60 bpm)

• Piglets born approx 15 mins apart (3-4 hours per litter)

• Last third of litter has an increased risk of stillbirth

• Typical piglets born alive indoors is 14 versus 12 in outdoor units

• Lactating sows require energy to prevent loss of condition

• Average number of farrowings per year is 2.2

Describe the pros and cons of indoor pig production

Pros:

• Easily controlled environment

• Easier returns on investment

Cons:

• Noise levels for workers and pigs

• Iron deficiency

• More respiratory issues

• Behaviour/welfare issues

Describe the pros and cons of outdoor pig production

Pros:

• Ideal for free-draining soil types (sand/chalk)

• Better public image of sector

• Provides a more natural environment

• Allows for natural behaviours

Cons:

• Cost of land and land degradation

• Safety concerns of piglets from predators

• Biosecurity risk increased

• Build up of parasitic worms

Describe how farmers decide whether to house pigs indoors or outdoors

• High quality pork comes from minimal stress in farm production practices

• Low stocking density gives better quality meat, but higher production costs

• Natural habitat of porcine is deciduous woodland- providing shade and nutrients

• Certain systems can receive a premium (e.g organically produced pork)

  • Animals mostly housed outdoors (indoors if extreme weather)

  • Currently 3-4% of outdoor pigs are organic

Outline the main structure and economics of UK pig farms and their position within the global porcine sector

• Pig production economics: forecasting that full year UK pig meat production for 2025 will total 988000 t 

• The UK makes up around 1% of the world producers of pork- approx 5 million pigs in the UK

• There was a massive economic crash in 2022 due to: Brexit, loss of workers, war in Ukraine, less breeding/finishing pigs, reduced profitability- only just recovering now

Identify the areas where vets play a role in UK pig keeping

• Abattoir assessment

• Wider planning strategy

• Urgent diagnostic work

• Antibiotic stewardship

• Routine diagnostic work

• Disease control and eradication

• Training

• Data analysis

• Advisor to the business

What are the key things to assess on a pig farm?

• Disease

• Productivity

• Husbandry

• Housing

• Compliance

• Nutrition 

• Vet and medicine use

• Welfare

Describe the key stage you might be called out to assess as a vet

Weaning:

• Irregular feed intake (bouts of anorexia, then gorging)

• Atrophy of villi in SI, undigested feed passes into LI

• Emphasis placed on quality of dietary ingredients 

• Importance of water and heat 

What are the notifiable diseases of pigs in the UK?

• Foot and Mouth Disease

• Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea

• Classical Swine Fever

• Vesicular Stomatitis

• African Swine Fever

• Teschen Disease

• Swine Vesicular Disease

• Bovine TB

• Aujesky’s Disease

• Anthrax

Describe African Swine Fever

• Affects all pigs

• Major clinical signs: fever, depression, loss of appetite, sudden death without signs

• Highly contagious: transmission via infected meats/meat products, contact with infected pigs, bodily fluids, faeces, contact with anything contaminated

• Confirmed in over 50 countries worldwide (new reports in Sri Lanka and India, closest in Germany), DEFRA budget cuts could impact Dover port authority ASF checks