swine production

order of production phases

breeding → gestation → farrowing → weaning → nursery/feeder → finishing
*replacements

weight at birth (farrowing)

2-3 lb

when are piglets weaned & target weight

21 days, ~13 lbs

how long are pigs in the feeder phase & how much should they gain

42-56 days, 50-60 lbs

how long are pigs in the finishing phase & finishing weight

~130 days & 260-320 lb

processing piglets

• irons injection

• castration → removes testicles surgically

• tail docking → reduce tail biting

• clipping needle teeth

• ear notching

notching

right ear → litter number (same within litter)

left ear → pig number (each individual piglet in a litter has a different one)

temperature preferences of lactating sows

54-65 °F

temperature preferences for piglets

85-90 °F

micro vs macro environments (temperature)

macro → the whole barn, set for sow

*including cooling pads and sprinkler systems in each pen for sow

micro → controlled for each litter with heat lamps/heated pads on piglets side

TNZ

thermal neutral zone

effective environmental temperature (EET)

temperature measured by a thermometer and increased or decreased by other factors in the environment

things that effect thermoregulation

• air speed

• humidity

• group size

• building materials, design, surface temperature (insulation)

• weight of pig

why do we control the barn environment?

winter: remove extra moisture and noxious gases generated by pigs, manure, and combustion from unvented heaters

summer: remove heat generated by the pigs to maintain the comfortable indoor temperature; provide elevated airspeed to increase cooling

production life cycle - breeding gilt

gilt = female that has nto farrowed

bred at 170-220 days

gestation & heat cycle of pigs

gestation: 114 days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days)

heat cycle: ~21 days (same as cows)

production life cycle - sows

sow = female that has farrowed a litter of pigs

litter size = 12-14 piglets

production life cycle - males

boars: intact male for breeding (natural or collected for AI)

barrow: castrated males

lordosis

standing heat

when does breeding occur?

any time of year

how does breeding occur?

natural vs AI (fresh semen, pooled semen)

terminal crossing

pig directly to market

how are pigs bred via AI?

a bag of semen is held with a tube into the pig’s vagina and the pig pulls the semen in with the help of gravity

*bag is not squeezed

advantages of wean→finish

• decrease transport expenses

• less power washing

→ decreased labor

• health, AIAO by site

disadvantage of wean→finish

• lots of investment (need multiple barns, farrowing crates, etc)

• increased operating costs (heating/cooling, ventilation, etc)

• equipment wear and tear (equipment is used more frequently)

change of environment

can increase stress, often decreases production (usually for short term)

production pyramind

nucleus herds = pure breeds (duroc, berkshire; landrance, yorkshire)

multiplier herds = first cross, increasing heterosis

production herds = babies from multiplier, terminal cross