3.2

Applied Animal Science: Pigs Lecture Notes

Introduction

  • Lectured by Tori Patel on Friday, 10th October.

  • Aim to make the lecture content accessible though some complex images and external resources may not be.

  • Accessibility concerns encouraged to be raised by students.

Review of Previous Session

  • Discussed previous post-session tasks and inputs on Moodle board.

  • Identified key challenges in pig production to explore:

    • Sustainability:

    • Use of soya in feed: high protein demand.

    • Investigation into plant protein or alternative protein sources as substitutes.

    • Positive implications for animal welfare through alternative usage.

    • Management Issues:

    • Challenges include worms, predation, range disease, and impacts of outdoor living conditions.

    • Issues like Salmonella, Avian Influenza, Campylobacter, feather pecking-induced diseases, and Red Mite.

    • Environmental Factors:

    • Concerns over heat stress and ammonia levels.

    • Exploring climate change impacts and preventive measures for poultry units affecting the environment.

    • Disease and Biosecurity:

    • Understand metabolic demands and related health issues like osteoporosis and leg joint development problems in broilers.

Learning Outcomes

  • By end of this session, students should be able to:

    1. Discuss pork demand, consumption trends, and production impacts.

    2. Describe the pig production cycle in the UK and the influence of genetics.

    3. Analyze KPI data for pigs, identify focus life stages, and understand terminology.

    4. Utilize problem-solving skills on class scenarios focusing on pig production complexities.

Pig Production Overview

Farm Structure

  • Stages of pig growth:

    • Sows/gilts – breeding and weaning.

    • Piglets: 0-7 kg (4 weeks).

    • Growers: 30-80 kg (4-20 weeks).

    • Finishers: 80-100 kg (approximately 23 weeks).

  • Finishing Options:

    1. Breed-Finish

    2. Breeding

    3. Grow and finish

Pig Domestication

  • Domestication began around 10,500 BP (Before Present), with significant developments around 8500 BP in the Near East and later in Europe.

  • Interbreeding occurred with local wild boar after domestication.

  • Characteristics that made pigs easier to domesticate include:

    • Large litters

    • Omnivorous diet

    • Social behavior encouraging quick growth and reproduction.

  • Source: Frantz et al. (2019).

Trends in Global Pork Consumption

  • Data on meat consumption and pork consumption trends:

    • Projections in kilograms per capita for 2024 across various global regions:

    • Examples:

      • Korea: 35 kg

      • China: 25 kg

      • Europe: 20 kg

      • United States: 20 kg

UK Pig Numbers

  • Total Pig Herd: Declined from 7,000 thousand head in 2001 to fluctuating numbers over the years, expected around 6,000 by June 2024.

  • Number of Holdings: Fluctuated, reaching approximately 14,000 holdings.

  • Source: AHDB (2025).

Genetics in Pig Breeding

  • Dominated by specialist companies such as PIC, formed in 1962.

  • Key elite breeding focuses include:

    • Lean meat percentage

    • Meat quality

    • Growth efficiency

    • Vitality

  • Historical billing of breeding criteria highlights a trend of evolving objectives over time.

Breeding Pig Selection Criteria

  1. Sow performance:

    • Numbers born alive, mothering ability, and litter size.

  2. Pig robustness:

    • Mortality rates and developmental defects.

  3. Growth performance:

    • Daily feed intake and weight gain.

  4. Carcase quality:

    • Back-fat depth and loin measures.

  5. Meat quality:

    • Intramuscular fat levels and overall product uniformity.

Pig Production Systems

  • Systems: Note the distinctions:

    1. Indoor bred: Rearing indoors for their entire life.

    2. Outdoor bred: Born outside and raised outdoors until weaning (7kg at 28 days of age).

    3. Outdoor reared: Raised outdoors for about half their life.

    4. Free range: Born and raised outside until slaughter.

    • Statistics indicating the percentages of breeding sows:

    • 40% bred outdoors

    • 12% of pig and processed meat claims link to outdoor breeding.

Pig Production Cycle

  • Key Schedule Indicators: Timelines include

    • First breeding at 140 kg, 1st litter occurs at approximately 200 days.

    • Timeframes for all pigs destined for meat and female pigs destined for breeding provided, including key weights and durations.

Sow Management Essentials

  • For successful parities, key factors include:

    • Good conformation (legs and teats)

    • Proper bodyweight and body condition

    • Effective nutrition and health status of sows

  • Basic gestation lasts 115 days followed by lactation (21-42 days).

Pre-weaning Piglet Survivability

  • Pre-weaning Mortality significant issue highlighted, top challenges being:

    • Stillbirths

    • Crushing by the sow

  • Total mortality must ideally remain below 12%.

Health Scenarios in Pigs

Scenario 1: Housing Conditions

  • Details of indoor units with damp bedding, poor ventilation leading to reduced feed intake and activity.

Scenario 2: Biosecurity Issues

  • Details concerning outdoor breeding units affected by inadequate biosecurity measures creating stress in pigs.

Scenario 3: Feed Intake Puzzle

  • Observations of reduced feed intake over a two-week period in grower-finisher units linked to trough conditions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI's)

  • KPI metrics for indoor breeding include:

    • Average pigs weaned per sow per year, farrowing rates, sow and gilt mortality percentages, etc.

    • Source: AHDB (2024).

Feed & Finisher Pigs Management

  • Management tasks include proper feeding, watering, and shelter.

  • Challenges related to feed costs, typically comprising about 70% of the finisher phase costs.

Nutrition in Pig Production

Gestation Nutrition

  • Aims to maintain body reserves, provide nutrients to the litter, and promote mammary development during lactation.

Future for Pork Industry

  • Challenges and opportunities in the pork industry highlighted including:

    • Environmental sustainability issues with soya usage

    • Disease impacts on global production like swine fever.

    • Demand for alternative proteins to meet dietary needs globally as dictated by climatic impacts.

Summary

  • Recap on outcomes presented, focusing on pork demand, global consumption trends, and recognizing the importance of effective sow management.

  • Further Reading:

    1. Frantz, L.A.F. et al. (2019)

    2. James, D. (2019)

    3. Padoan, D. (2021)

    4. Blavi, L. et al. (2021)