chapter 19

Chapter 19: Swine Breed Identification and Production Management

Chapter 19 Objectives

  • Define common veterinary terms pertaining to swine.
  • Explain swine biology.
  • Identify common breeds of swine.
  • Discuss the nutritional needs of swine.
  • Discuss normal swine behavior.
  • Explain how to practice proper swine restraint methods and handling safety.
  • Discuss the vaccine program of swine.
  • Discuss swine reproduction factors and methods.
  • Describe common health problems and diseases of swine.
  • Discuss the swine production industry and methods.
  • Discuss swine selection factors.
  • Discuss swine body types.
  • Discuss common health practices used in the swine industry.

Veterinary Terminology

  • Porcine: Related to pigs, hogs, and swine.
  • Sow: Adult female pig of reproductive age.
  • Boar: Adult male pig of reproductive age.
  • Barrow: Young castrated male pig.
  • Gilt: Young female pig that has not been bred.
  • Farrowing: Describes the labor process in pigs.
  • Piglet: A newborn pig.
  • Dressing or Dressed: The amount of meat produced by one hog carcass.

Swine Biology

  • Digestive System: Monogastric.
  • Hoof Structure: Cloven hooved.
  • Meat Production: Young hogs are primarily used for meat, with hogs in meat production systems dressing 65-80% of their live body weight.
  • Flavor: Boar meat is often undesirable due to its strong flavor.
  • Weight: Most breeds typically weigh 220-240 lbs.
  • Gestation: Length is 113 days (3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days), with sows usually farrowing 7-14 piglets per litter.

Anatomy of Swine

  • Tail
  • Ham
  • Stifle
  • Hock
  • Dewclaw
  • Hoof
  • Rump
  • Loin
  • Shoulder
  • Jowl
  • Elbow
  • Knee
  • Snout

Breed Selection

  • Types of Hogs:
    • Meat Type Hog: Raised primarily for ham, characterized by a muscular and lean carcass with profitable cuts such as:
    • Ham (leg and shank)
    • Loin (whole or chops)
    • Roasts (shoulder and loin).
    • Bacon Type Hog: Raised for bacon, characterized by a fattier carcass with profitable cuts including:
    • Belly or side (from which bacon is cut)
    • Sausage (smaller cuts of meat and trimmings).
  • Production Requirements:
    • Overall appearance and profitability matter, including type of hog and the ratio of lean muscle to fat.
    • Genetics and breeding programs guide ideal production.

Sow Selection

  • Ability to farrow large litters.
  • Superior genetics.
  • Back fat measurement of less than 1.2 inches.
  • Sows re-evaluated at 150-200 lbs to ensure growth potential and eligibility for breeding programs.

Boar Selection

  • Key Factors:
    • Temperament.
    • Body structure (medium to large with 1 inch of back fat).
    • Growth, reaching adult size by 155 days of age with an ideal weight gain of 2 lbs per day.

Nutrition

  • Dietary Balance: Commercial feeds are tailored for the pig's life stage, including:
    • Market and breeding stages requiring high-energy diets (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats).
    • Common ingredients such as soybean meal, corn meal, barley, and wheat.
  • Mineral Requirements: Swine typically suffer from mineral deficiencies; important minerals include:
    • Increased salt, calcium, and phosphorus.
    • Trace minerals: copper, iodine, iron, zinc, and selenium.
    • Vitamins: A, D, E, and B12 are supplemented in commercial diets.
  • Water Intake: ⅓ gallon of water per pound of dry food per day.

Diet Composition

  • Growth Diet: 16-18% protein.
  • Finishing Diet: 12-16% protein.
  • Boar Breeding Diet: 13-16% protein.
  • Gestation Diet: 4-5 lbs of feed per day, 13-16% protein, typically ad lib during last 2 weeks of gestation.
  • Lactation Diet: 10-12 lbs of feed per day to maximize milk production.

Feed Additives

  • Porcine Somatotropin (pST): Increases protein synthesis and feed efficiency by 20-30%, resulting in a muscle mass increase of 10-15%.
  • Withdrawal Time: Duration before slaughter when additives and medications are removed; varies by product.

Equipment and Housing Needs

  • Herd Management: Swine are typically kept in large groups within controlled environments for temperature and moisture.
  • Production Facilities:
    • Gestation Facility: Houses sows for breeding and gestation with access to individual pens.
    • Farrowing Facility: Dedicated to housing sows for farrowing.
    • Growing Facility: For pigs from weaning to 100 lbs.
    • Finishing Facility: For pigs from 100 lbs to desired market weight.

Swine Behavior

  • Characteristics include intelligence, stubbornness, vocal tendencies, and poor eyesight, which makes them easily scared.
  • Aggressive behavior can occur if threatened, including charging and biting.
  • Handling Caution: Approach pigs slowly and calmly, especially sows with young piglets who are very protective.

Restraint and Handling

  • Restraint methods depend on size and age:
    • Under 50 lbs: Lift by rear legs, restrain head against handler's legs for examinations and vaccinations.
  • Restraint Equipment:
    • Hurdle or Hog Board: Solid material that covers handler's legs.
    • Paddle: Long-handled board used to guide swine.
    • Hog Snare: Long pipe with a loop for blood collection and injections.

Grooming

  • Routine grooming is not required for pigs in production; they are naturally clean, bathing themselves using available water and mud.
  • Show pigs may require regular bathing for hygiene and presentation.

Basic Healthcare and Maintenance

  • Controlled Environment: Confinement housing offers a disease-free setting.
  • Specific-Pathogen Free (SPF): Certification indicates a herd that is disease-free.
  • Pathogen Definition: Specific causative agents of disease, which can be bacterial or viral.

Common Healthcare Practices

  • Tail Docking: For sanitation and prevention of tail biting, performed shortly after birth.
  • Ear Notching: Uses a V-notcher for identification; notches on the left ear for individual identification, right for litter number.
  • Castration: Performed on males before weaning for meat production.
  • Trimming Needle Teeth: Sharp teeth of newborn pigs are trimmed to prevent injury to the sow's mammary tissue.

Vaccination Requirements

  • Vaccination programs depend on location and disease prevalence, targeting:
    • Diseases: E. coli, pneumonia, rhinitis, flu, salmonella, leptospirosis, pseudorabies, brucellosis, parvovirus.
  • Vaccination Schedule:
    • Neonatal Pigs: E. coli vaccine and iron injection within the first 12 hours.
    • 2-3 Weeks of Age: Vaccines for pneumonia, salmonella, and flu.
    • Breeding Sows: Vaccinated 4-6 weeks prior, and 2 weeks before and after farrowing.

Reproduction and Breeding

  • Puberty: Swine reach puberty between 4-8 months.
  • Breeding Timing: Gilts are typically bred around 11-12 months.
  • Signs of Estrus in Sows: Include restlessness, vocalization, urination changes, vaginal swelling/discharge, and mounting behaviors.
  • Breeding Methods: Include artificial insemination and live cover.

Swine Production Industry

  • Overview: Second-largest livestock production industry in North America; major states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and North Carolina.
  • Production Contracts: Many producers contract with large companies that process their meat, which ensures profitability through high feed efficiency.
  • Production Factors: High fertility rates, low labor requirements, and confinement systems reduce land needs.

Profitability Factors

  • Affected by:
    • Disease susceptibility.
    • High costs of feed and feed additives.
    • Increased labor during farrowing.
    • Waste management regulations.
    • Economic conditions.

Production Methods and Systems

  • Contracted Producers: Agreements that specify production terms, including biosecurity and breeding systems.
  • Disease Prevention Practices: Such as foot baths and specialized clothing.

Feeder Pig Production System

  • Focused on breeding and as a meat market source;
  • Breeds and farrows a herd of sows, typically using artificial insemination;
  • Piglets are raised from birth to weaning, around 40 lbs.

Finishing System

  • Objective is to grow feeder pigs to desired market size and weight (typically 200-240 lbs);
  • Focused on achieving maximum growth at minimal costs.

Farrow to Finish System

  • A less specialized system where the entire cycle from breeding to market weight occurs on the same farm;
  • Requires multiple housing setups for breeding, farrowing, and feeding operations.