• Setting Goals For Profitable Pork Production...
• Assisting The Sow At Farrowing...
• Caring For Newborn Pigs...
• Giving Iron To Pigs...
• Docking A Pigs Tail...
• Clipping A Pig's Needle Teeth...
• Ear Notching Pig Litter Mates...
• Castrating A Pig...
• Determining Backfat Thickness of Swine...

SETTING GOALS FOR PROFITABLE PORK PRODUCTION

Important Fact

To be successful in a modern swine operation today, a pork producer must meet minimum standards in certain production traits. To accomplish this, it is necessary to establish goals for an operation in the economically important traits.

Questions to Ask

Q. What would you consider to be the single most important trait in determining how profitable an operation is?

A. Litter size at weaning.

Q. Compared to litter size, how economically important an operation are feed efficiency, rate of gain, Backfat, and loin eye?

A. ½, 1/4, 1/5, and 1/16.

Q. What might be some reasons why two producers may have different results?

A. Different nutrition, buildings, equipment, management skills, health practice, etc.

Q. What goals would you try to work to achieve if you managed a swine operation?

Q. How would you manage your operation in order to achieve your goals?

Q. What are generally considered to be realistic goals to attain?

A. 155 days to 230 lbs.; 18-20 pigs weaned/sow/year; 3 lbs./feed/lb. pork; 0.9" Backfat thickness at 230 lbs. and 85% USDA #1.

ASSISTING THE SOW AT FARROWING

Important Fact:

A small percentage of sows that farrow may have difficulties in the birth process due to pigs lodging in the birth canal. If this occurs and the sow does not farrow a pig over a long period of time it will become necessary to assist the sow, otherwise she may injure herself and often lose the remaining pigs born. A producer who knows what to do will often be able to save pigs.

Questions to Ask

Q. To the point that you know your sow is in trouble, what's the first thing you should do?

A. Immediately contact the local veterinarian and point out the problem that you are having with the sow. He may suggest some things for you to do while he is on his way.

Q. If you are going to help or assist the sow in farrowing her next pig yourself while the veterinarian is on the way to your farm, how would you prepare yourself?

A. Thoroughly scrub your hand and arm clean up to the shoulder with a mild soap or detergent. Rinse this off and apply a lubricant over your hand and arm up your shoulder. The farmer could choose to use a rubber sleeve glove to put on before entering the sow in this case a lubricant would be put over the entire glove, hand, and arm up to the shoulder region.

Q. How would you prepare the cow before assisting her?

A. Take a disinfectant or warm water and clean the area around the vulva region. Also disinfect this area with a mild disinfectant such as a tincture of iodine.

Q. What are some of the possible problems that the sow may be having in order to deliver the pigs?

A. Baby pigs could be born head or hind legs first. Some of the principle problems are:

1) Two pigs being lodged in the birth canal or two pigs trying to be born at the same time and the opening is not large enough to pass both of them through.

2) You may have a pig that is being presented sideways and; therefore, the opening is not large enough to pass both of them through.

Q. Knowing some of the problems that cause difficulties in delivering of the pigs, what is your next step?

A. You are ready to go in. You would gently insert your hand into the vulva region and extend it as far as you should until the cervix opening. At this point you explore gently with your fingers. If you feel two pigs in the birth canal region gently force one pig back and assist the other pig forward. If you feel on pig lodged in the birth canal sideways try to maneuver the pig around so that you get either the head first or the hind legs first entering the birth canal and gently pull forward. It is not necessary to pull the pig entirely out, just simply free it from being lodged in the birth canal.

Q. When would you give the sow oxytocin?

A. After you have dislodged the baby pig for 15-20 minute period of time and does not appear to be laboring, producers will administer 1-2 cc of oxytocin which will force the sow to continue on her birth process. This should never be administered until you are certain that there is not pig lodged in the birth canal.

Q. What is the action of oxytocin in the farrowing process?

A. Oxytocin causes the contraction of smooth muscle and this will cause the sow to contract her uterus forcing the pig down out of the reproductive tract. Oxytocin also causes contraction of the smooth muscles in the mammory tissue causing let-down or milk flow.

ARING FOR NEWBORNS

Important Fact:

On the average, approximately 10 pigs are born per litter. However, only about 7 pigs are weaned per litter. The emphasis of this lesson is to help producers save more baby pigs to weaning, in other words, to improve the survival rate of baby pigs.

Questions to ask

Q. In what condition should the facilities be prior to farrowing?

A. The facilities should be extremely clean to as clean as possible-this means they should have been washed down thoroughly and disinfected.

Q. How should the sow be prepared for farrowing?

A. Usually most producers will bring the sow into the farrowing stall several days in advance of her giving birth to the litter. At that time she will be cleaned and scrubbed down thoroughly to remove any dirt, debris , worm eggs, and other materials.

Q. What type of facility should the sow be farrowed in?

A. Sows farrow in many different types of facilities. However, in order to prevent loss of baby pigs from being laid on or stepped on it is preferred the sow farrowing standard farrowing crate.

Q. What is the recommended temperature for farrowing?

A. Baby pigs have no means of controlling their thermal environment. Consequently, additional heat will need to be provided . Generally this is provided through the use of heat lamps of the supplemental heat devices. The temperature around the baby pig should be kept in the area of 90-95 for the first 3-5 days after birth. Solid side wall between farrowing stalls should also be used to prevent or cut down drafts on the baby pigs.

Q. How can you tell what the temperature is in farrowing stalls?

A. Before the sow farrows or before you farrow out your group of sows, you should test the temperature on the floor surface be using a thermometer and suspending the heat lamp at various heights.

Q. Once the pig has arrived what would you do?

A. Right after a baby pig is born, if the umbilical cord id caught in the uterus of the sow, gently pull on the cord until it frees itself. Once you have done this take a dry rag and clean and dry off the baby pig. Remove any mucus from the nostrils of the pig. At this point you could take a disinfectant, generally a tincture of iodine, and disinfect the navel cord. I f you notice any excessive bleeding from the navel cord you could take a piece of string and tie off the navel cord approximately 2 inches from the body wall.

Q. Once the pig has been cleaned and the navel cord disinfected, what is the next step?

A. Many producers will rake each pig and put it in a big basket over which a heat lamp is suspended. They will keep the pigs in the basket until the entire litter is farrowed. They then would return the entire litter to the sow. This is important because when the entire litter is presented to the sow at one time, each pig has an equal chance of taking in an equal amount of colostrum milk. This is the first milk produced by the sow and provides antibody protection to the baby pigs.

Q. How long does it usually take for a sow to farrow?

A. Generally if a sow is without problem she will farrow a pig every 15 minutes. Consequently, the farrowing process would run somewhere between 2-3 ½ hours. If there is a long intermission between each pig, not more than an hour, you should know that the sow in having problems. Particularly is she is straining excessively at this point, call your agriculture agent or veterinarian.

Q. What's the maximum length of time that the baby pigs should be kept away from the sow before they are given to the sow?

A. Generally the litter should not be kept away from the sow any longer the 3 ½-4 hours.

Q. How can you tell when the sow is finished farrowing?

A. In most cases when the sow is through farrowing she will expel the afterbirth or the placenta. This material should be picked up and removed from the farrowing facilities.

GIVING IRON TO YOUR PIG

Important Fact:

One of the critical periods a producer will experience is during the first few days following the farrowing of the sow. Producers who learn how to provide supplemental iron to their new litter will save time and money.

Questions to Ask

Q. Why would you want to provide supplemental iron to baby?

A. To prevent iron anemia in the baby pig. The pig is born with very little iron stores and obtains virtually no iron from the sow's milk.

Q. When wouldn't iron necessarily be needed for baby pigs?

A. When baby pigs are farrowed and raised outside they access o soil. In this situation the baby pig can obtain enough iron from this soil and supplying additional iron would not be necessary.

Q. What happens if the baby pigs don't receive any additional iron?

A. When baby pigs are deficient in iron, they become lethargic and anemic. They become less resistant toward bacterial invasion, less resistant toward the shock of chilling, and consequently are easily stressed by other factors. The net result would be a very weak pig, which would most likely die.

Q. How do you provide iron t baby pigs?

A. Iron can be provided in several ways: In the soil, through the feed or water, or the most recommended method, injection into the muscle tissue.

Q. When is the recommended time to inject the baby pig?

A. Any time shortly after birth, preferably between the first and third day.

Q. How do you hold the baby pig to inject it with iron?

A. Producers may find it necessary to have someone else hold the pig upright so that they can inject iron into the neck tissue. If they are by themselves they can hold the pig in their left hand with the left thumb over the pig's neck and the fingers between the pig's forelegs. This allows the hind legs to droop down where they can be pinched against the body, using your right elbow.

Q. How do you inject iron into a baby pig?

A. Generally iron is injected with an 18-20 gauge needle.

Q. Where is the recommended injection site?

A. The recommended injection site is the muscle tissue along the side of the neck. Some inject iron into the ha muscle. However, there is a greater risk of injuring the nerve in the hind leg of the pig.

Q. How deep should the needle be injected into the muscle?

A. Generally if you have an 18-20 gauge needle, the needle will be 3/4" in length.

Q. What type of injection is this called?

A. An intramascular injection.

Q. How much iron should be injected into the baby pig?

A. PLAY IT SAFE! Read the label on the bottle and understand the concentration per cc. Often 2 cc's are recommended to be injected. How ever, safer recommendation is to inject 150 to 200 MILLIGRAMS of iron into a pig one to three days of age.

Q. Is any antiseptic necessary after the injection?

A. This would not be necessary if the needle is kept clean at all time.

Q. How do you keep the needle clean?

A. The needle could be dipped into an alcohol solution after every litter or in some cases after each pig.

Q. Should the needle ever be changed?

A. Yes. The needle should be changed, particularly if it is dropped, bent, or someone gets a bard on it.

DOCKING A PIGS TAIL

Important Fact:

Many swine producers today raise their pigs in total confinement. When pigs are raised under these conditions, there is often a high incidence of tail biting which leads to cannibalism and extreme economic loss to the producer. The major management technique used to prevent this is tail biting and eventual cannibalism is the removal of the pigs' tail at a very young age.

Questions to Ask

Q. Why is it important to remove the tails on baby pigs?

A. To prevent tail biting when pigs are raised under confined conditions.

Q. Why do pigs want to bite tails under confined conditions?

A. When pigs are crowed and stresses, they become anxious, nervous, and irritable, consequently taking out their aggression on their fellow pigs' tail.

Q. When is the best time to remove the tails of baby pigs?

A. Between the first and third day, or as soon as possible after the pig's birth. There is less shock and stress on the baby pig when the tail is removed early.

Q. What equipment is used to dock baby pigs' tails?

A. Generally, a side cutter is used. This is the same equipment one would use to clip the needle teeth of baby pigs. The instrument has relatively sharp blades but not as sharp as a razor blade. Thus when pinched together, the tails is removed. During that process, the vessels are also pinched which results in little bleeding.

Q. How do you hold a baby pig to cut off the tail?

A. The pig is held feet down in the left hand, with the thumb and fingers holding the rear legs while the pigs' head is held between your left elbow and body with the tail setting upward. The tail can then easily be clipped and the pig gently set down.

Q. How would you dock a baby pig's tail?

A. Use the side cutter and cur the trail off 3/8" -1/2" from the body.

Q. Is disinfectant necessary after the tails are removed?

A. Yes, for two reasons. 1) Disinfectant will help dry up the cut and 2) it will disinfect the area. Keep in mind that once you have made a cut in the tail, you left an opening for infection to enter.

Q. What type of disinfectant is recommended?

A. Generally a tincture of iodine is considered the better product because it does not evaporate as fast and it sticks to the wound.

Q. Is there ever a time when docking of baby pig's tail is not necessary?

A. Generally one would not have to dock the tail of baby pigs if only a few pigs are penned together or if pigs are raised outdoors in a pasture situation.

Q. Is docking a baby pig's tail considered to be a painful process for the baby pig?

A. No. When baby pig's tails are docked, you see very little evidence of pin in the in terms of flinching or squealing. This is particularly true if the tail is docked at a very early age of one to three days.

CLIPPING A PIG'S NEEDLE TEETH

Important Fact:

Young pigs will have a tendency to fight each other and may cause injury to their litter mates and/or the sow's udder when nursing. The main technique to prevent these injuries is to remove the pig's needle teeth within 24 hours of birth.

Questions to Ask

Q. Why do you clip a baby pig's needle teeth?

A. To prevent litter mates from injuring each other and from cutting the sow's udder.

Q. When should needle teeth be clipped?

A. Needle teeth should be clipped within 24 hours after birth.

Q. What equipment is used to clip a baby pig's needle teeth?

A. You may either use a side cuter which is the same equipment you would use to dock a pig's tail or a large toenail clipper.

Q. What other practices may be performed at the same time as clipping needle teeth?

A. You may also dock tails and ear notch when clipping needle teeth to avoid handling the pigs several times.

Q. Should you use and disinfectant when clipping needle teeth?

A. Yes. A disinfectant ( alcohol solution) should be used to clean the side cutter or toenail clipper before starting to clip the needle teeth of a particular litter. You may want to disinfect the side cutter ( not absolutely necessary) after docking a tail if you are clipping teeth and docking tails at the same time, you should clip the teeth first, then dock the tail.

Q. How many pairs of needle teeth does a pig have?

A. They have four pairs of needle teeth for a total of eight needle teeth.

Q. Do pigs have a needle teeth on th top jaw, lower jaw, or both?

A. Baby pigs have one pair of needle teeth on the upper jaw and one on the lower jaw on each side.

Q. How do you hold a baby pig to clip needle teeth?

A. If right handed hold baby pig under left arm. Then you may place your left index finger in mouth--will behind needle teeth to hold mouth open. If left handed, hold baby pig under right arm.

Q. How would you clip a baby pig's needle teeth?

A. Clip needle teeth nearly flush with the gum but do not cut into the gum so that infection may set in.

EAR NOTCHING PIG LITTER MATES

Important Fact:

Identification of litter mates is important to help swine producers determine if the is the dam and sire are producing fasts gaining meat type hogs. It also allows for a producer to cull if there appear to be problems in a particular litter, and to identify outstanding litters.

Questions to Ask

Q. Why should you identify litter mates?

A. This will help you identify outstanding litters in your herd, to determine if the dam and sire are doing the job your would like them to, and to be able to cull litter mates of pigs that have defects that may be hereditary.

Q. What ways may you use to identify litter mates?

A. Ear tags, ear tattoos, or ear notching.

Q. Is ear notching or ear tattooing easier to read at a distance?

A. Ear notching in easier to read to a reasonable distance, especially on dark colored pigs and pigs with down ears such as Landrance, Chesters, Spots and Ducrocs. It is impossible to read ear tattoos at a distance.

Q. Should you make the ear notches as large as the equipment will allow you to or make small notches?

A. Make notches as large as possible.

Q. Is it practical to disinfect the ear after notching ?

A. No.

Q. When should you notch baby pig's ears?

A. Bay pig's ear should be notched shortly after birth. It may be done at the same time you clip needle teeth and dock tails.

Q. Which ear is used for litter identification and which ear is used for the individual pig identification?

A. The right ear is used to identify the litter ad the left ear is used to identify the pig.

CASTIGATE A PIG

Important Fact:

A producer should learn the important management practice of castrating pigs. A boar pig produces a sex odor when it reaches maturity. This objectionable odor can then be detected in the meat consumed be the consumer.

Questions to Ask

Q. Why castrate boar pigs?

A. In is general to prevent the boar from passing on sex odor into the muscle tissue. It also make him more gentle and easier to handle as he grows older.

Q. When should you castrate boar pigs?

A. It is generally recommended that boar pigs be castrated between two and three weeks of age. Occasionally, they would be castrated at even a younger age. This will allow the pig to heal faster with less stress. They are also much easier to handle at this age.

Q. What are the two recommended ways of castrating a boar pig?

A. 1) A pig can be laid upon its side, its hind legs drawn forward and castrated from behind. Using this method, good graining of the wound is not realized. 2) The second and preferred methods is to hold the pig upright by his hind legs, his belly pointing toward you. In this way the pigs are castrated from the belly side.

Q. If castrating from the belly side, the way that is recommended by you, how would this be done?

A. You would apply disinfectant to the site that you are going to cut. After the incision is made, you would take your thumb and come down from the top and push the testicle down as far as you can, until you can see the bugle in the scrotal pocket. Tailing a sharp scalpel, over this bulge, you would make approximately a one-half inch incision-not deep, but deep enough to cut through the skin and break the skin on the testicle sac. Then simply apply more pressure downwards and the testicle will pop out through the incision. This same process would be repeated on the other side. Once this has been completed, the testicles would be gently pulled outward exposing approximately a 2 ½" to 3" cord. At this point, one testicle away from the body or simply snip off the cord close to the body wall. The same process would be done on the other side. Following this again, apply a disinfection solution to the cut sites.

Q. What precaution should be taken?

A. Primarily you are trying to avoid cutting yourself. By using the thumb technique and applying pressure from the above when pushing down on the testicle and then making your incision downward away from your thumb, you prevent the chance of cutting your thumb. If yo would push upward, with your thumb underneath the testicle, you would be pulling a scalpel down toward your increasing your chances of injury.

Q. What size incision is recommended?

A. A ½" will be enough t allow the testicle to pop out in the very young pig. However, if one made a 3/4"-1" size incision, it should be made large enough for the testicle to easily pass out and allow proper drainage.

Q. Why is proper drainage important?

A. It is necessary in the repairing process. Fluids are built up and can drain out. This will allow the incision and the cut area to dry up and heal faster. Pigs castrated from behind would have the incision setting much higher. This does not allow as satisfactory drainage as compared to pigs that carry their incision underneath their hind legs.

DETERMINING BACKFAT THICKNESS OF SWINE

Questions to Ask

Q. Why is it important to take backfat probe measurements on a live animal?

A. Most farmers are not experienced enough to evaluate through eyeball process which pig is leaner or fatter. Making a backfat probe measurement will remove all doubt.

Q. When is the best time to take a backfat probe on the pig?

A. The most desirable time is when the pig weighs between 200-240lbs. Or approximately 5 ½-61/2 months of age.

Q. Where or at what points on the backfat of the pig would you take the backfat measurements?

A. Backfat measurements are taken at three sites along the back of the pig the first site is over the first rib or in the other words over the shoulder. The second site is over the last rib or on the live animal over the lion; and third site is over the last lumber vertebrate, which is over the rump. One should keep in mind that each of the measurements takes in backfat probing are taken about 2" off of the midline.

Q. How do you take the backfat probe?

A. Once you have located the sites to take the measurements, use the scalpel to make a small incision. Then take your backfat ruler and push ir down through the incision through the backfat layer. A layer of connective tissue, often referred to as the false lean often is present about the half-way through the fat layer, particularly over shoulder. Extra pressure will be needed to penetrate this layer. Push the probe sown needed to penetrate this layer. Push the probe down until it will no longer penetrate. This point you look at the gradations to that sit. Gently remove the probe and apply disinfectant to the incision site. Repeat the process at the other two sites. Take the average value of the three measurements.

Q. Is there any harm to the pig in taking a backfat probe?

A. Essentially none. There are very few nerve endings throughout the fatty tissue. The only sensation the pig would experience would be the scratching as you cut the skin layer.

Q. What is a desirable backfat depth to look at in breeding stock?

A. Pigs weighing between 200-240 lbs. should have a desirable backfat probe of somewhere between 0.8" up to slightly over 1.1" of backfat. This would be a very desirable lean pig. Backfat probes between 1.2" and 1.4" would be considered in the average area and pigs with probes over 1.4" would be considered too fat to select for breeding purposes.

Q. How do you restrain the pig for backfat probing?

A. The farmer will have to use a nose snare or snub to restrain the pig. The snare is put in the mouth of the pig and snubbed around the upper jaw and snout or nose. It is important not to put the snare over the entire mouth of the pig and restrain him in the manner. If this is done, the pig's mouth will be snared closed and breathing will be extremely difficult. Simply hold on to the handle of the snare. The pig will force himself back from the snare and will stand in a motionless position.