Pork Production Lecture Notes

This set of flashcards covers essential vocabulary and concepts related to pig production based on the lecture notes.

What is the nature of the longtime agricultural trade relationship between Canada and China in the pork industry?

Longtime trade between Canada and China for pig genetics. Chinese pig breeding companies utilize Canadian pig genetics. variable production and consumption patterns.

What environmental challenge affects pig production in certain global regions?

Compatibility of the animal with a tropical environment.

Patchy distribution

Refers to the uneven global distribution of pig production compared to chicken.

According to 2021 data, which country/region is a primary consumer of pork?

China (including Macao and Hong Kong), the EU, and Montenegro.

Farm cash receipts

The value of animals sold, crucial for assessing economic viability.

What type of market system does the Canadian pork industry operate under?

A free market system, which is not supply managed. It’s An economic system where prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.

What was a major problem for domestic pork producers between 2010-2012?

A combination of high feed costs and low prices for hogs.

Why is pork production considered even more at the mercy of the market than beef production?

Pigs are fed grain throughout their lives, unlike beef cattle which can be fed cheaper forages.

Which Canadian province produces approximately double the number of pigs as Ontario?

Quebec

The geographic distribution of pig production in Canadian provinces like Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba often corresponds to the location of what infrastructure?

Processing plants.

How long does the nurser stage last for a piglet?

The piglet is born and nurses for approximately 21 days.

What is the term for a pig between 25-65 kg?

A grower pig.

What is the term for a pig from 65 kg to its market weight?

A finishing pig (or finisher).

What is the standard gestation period for a pig?

114 days, often remembered as 3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days.

Approximately how long does it take for a pig to go from the nursery stage to its final market weight?

Around 160 days.

what does Y stand for as an abbreviation 

Yorkshire pig breed

what does D stand for as an abbreviation in pig reproduction

Duroc pig breed acronym letter

what does L stand for as an abbreviation in pig reproduction

Landrace pig breed

In the common (Y x L) x D crossbreeding system, for what characteristics are Yorkshire and Landrace pigs selected?

They are selected for maternal characteristics.

In the common (Y x L) x D crossbreeding system, for what characteristics is the Duroc pig selected?

The Duroc is selected solely for meat, growth, and fat characteristics.

What is the typical hair and skin color of a Yorkshire pig?

The hair is light and the skin is pink.

What is the characteristic hair color of a Duroc pig?

The hair is red, varying in color from golden to a dark reddish-brown.

Why is it often more efficient for producers to buy replacement gilts from breeding companies?

Producers get a significant boost in productivity due to superior genetics without needing expertise in genetic selection.

What is the industry goal for the number of live piglets born per litter?

The goal is to have 11-12 live piglets born per litter, ideally uniform in size.

What is a potential negative consequence of pushing for larger litter sizes in pigs?

It can lead to more variety in piglet size and lower piglet survival rates.

A young female pig that has not yet farrowed (given birth).

Gilt

At approximately what age do gilts typically reach puberty?

Around 210 days.

At which heat cycle are gilts generally bred for the first time?

They are generally bred at their second cycle, around 255 days of age.

How soon after weaning a litter is a sow typically re-bred?

Re-breeding usually occurs 4-7 days after weaning.

What percentage of pig breeding is done using Artificial Insemination?

Approximately 85%.

Why is fresh, chilled semen used for Artificial insemination in pigs instead of frozen semen?

The technology to reliably freeze pig semen without negatively impacting litter size has not been figured out.

What is a known benefit of mixing semen from more than one boar for Artificial insemination?

It can increase the litter size by about one piglet.

What is the average number of reproductive cycles a sow will have in her lifetime?

The average is 5 reproductive cycles.

Pig production cycle

Includes life stages of pigs: Nurser, Weaner, Grower, Finisher, and Market hog.

Gestation period

The process that lasts 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days) for pigs.

Artificial Insemination (A.I.)

Technique used in pig breeding that utilizes fresh, chilled semen and is widely adopted.

Gilts

Young female pigs that reach puberty at about 210 days.

Phase feeding

The practice of adjusting pig diets according to their growth phases to optimize feed efficiency.

Farrowing crates

Restricted enclosures designed for sows to give birth and nurse while protecting piglets.

Sow housing

Methods of housing sows, including gestation stalls and open housing designs.

Liquid feed

A feed form that allows for wet ingredients, offering a variety of nutritional sources.

Challenges in pig production

Includes issues like anthropomorphizing of animals, fighting leading to injuries, and welfare concerns.

Producer profitability

Depends significantly on market conditions, feed costs, and selling prices.

Global competition

The competitive landscape where processing plants sell pork based on market demand.

What part of the pig, which used to be the most valuable, is now often among the cheapest cuts?

The loin.

What are the two largest components of a pig's diet by percentage?

Energy sources (60-80%) and protein sources (15-35%).

What are the two largest components of a pig's diet by percentage?

Energy sources (60-80%) and protein sources (15-35%).

what are common energy sources used in pig feed.

Corn, barley, wheat, or DDGS.

Name two common protein sources used in pig feed.

Soybean meal, canola meal, or DDGS.

In pig nutrition, the industry puts _____ on the pig at the end, after their muscles have already been grown.

fat

What is 'phase feeding' in pig production?

It is the practice of changing the diet to match the specific nutritional needs of the pig at each phase of its growth.

What is the primary benefit of phase feeding for pig producers?

It increases efficiency by reducing feed costs while maintaining animal growth performance.

What is the primary purpose of a farrowing crate in a pig production system?

It restricts the movement of the sow to protect her piglets from being crushed.

What is the primary purpose of a gestation stall in a pig production system?

It holds an individual sow to prevent her from fighting with other sows.

What is a major challenge for producers in a free market system for pork?

They can face fluctuating prices and competition from the global market.

How does the perspective of a processing plant differ from that of a producer regarding a pig?

Producers think of the pig as a whole unit, while processing plants think in terms of tonnes of specific parts (e.g., bellies, shoulders).

What is liquid feeding for pigs?

It's a method that allows for more wet feeding ingredients to be used, providing a greater variety in the diet.

What are Dry Distillery Grains (DDGS)?

A co-product of alcohol production, it is the fermented grain waste with carbs removed, leaving protein and fibre.

What is considered the biggest challenge of using unconventional feed ingredients for commercial pigs?

Getting a steady supply of a quality product.

What is considered the biggest challenge of using unconventional feed ingredients for commercial pigs?

Getting a steady supply of a quality product.

Besides preventing fighting, what was another key advantage of gestation stalls when they were popular from the 1960s to 1980s?

They allowed producers to feed sows individually according to their specific requirements.

What are the main welfare concerns associated with gestation stalls for sows?

The limited mobility can impact health, and the stalls limit the ability for sows to perform social behaviors.

What technology made individual feeding possible in open or group housing systems for sows?

Electronic feeding systems that use an ear tag to read a microchip and dispense a specific amount of food.

Why is consistency important when managing groups of pigs?

Changing the composition of a group of pigs often leads to fighting.

Why is fighting particularly problematic for white-skinned pig breeds?

Bruises, scratches, and scrapes are more visible on their skin, especially on the shoulder and hind end.

Milk production was not traditionally selected for in sows because it was considered less expensive to feed the _____ directly.

piglet

Global pig production

pigs are mainly produced in asia, europe and the americas

what provinces produce the most pork?

Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario