Swine

Product
ion

Kim Nicole
Lopez

Introductio
n
Ako si Kim Nicole Lopez,
ang awtor ng manwal na
ito. Sinisigurado kong
marami kayong
matututunan sa aking
manwal.

SWINE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

1. Sow Herd Enterprises
A. Feeder pig production operations:
Low-investment
High-investment
B. Farrow to finish operations:
One-litter pasture system
Two-litter pasture system
Low-investment confinement system
High-investment confinement system
2. Feeder Pig Finishing Operations
Low-investment system
High-investment system
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
1. Feeder Pig Production
B Production of pigs for the finishing operation.
B A typical market weight has been 40 to 60 lb, but there
has been some changes in
recent years!
A. Fits best on the farm where:
1) Not producing enough grain(s) to finish pigs, but has
an adequate labor for sow herd
management & some facilities.
2) Examples:
(1) A part-time farmer.
(2) A small farm in grain-surplus areas with available
market (i.e., finishers).
(3) Step-up for a new enterprise.
B. Advantages:
1) Requires relatively small capital inputs.
2) Possible to generate a relatively consistent income.
3) Requires less feed & also less manure-handling.

C. Disadvantages:
1) Disease & management problems such as the
conception rate, embryonic survival, preand
post-weaning survival rates, sow's feed intake, milk
production, etc.
2) Requires greater management skills and labor to
handle potential problems.
3) Variations in the price of feeder pigs, i.e., year to year,
season to season, producer to
producer, and sale to sale.

FEEDER PIG MANAGEMENT

1. Feeder Pig Industry
A. > 20% of market hogs slaughtered in the U.S. are
purchased as feeder pigs!
B. In the major pig production states, feeder pigs may
represent 30 to 35% of finished pigs. L Thus, the feeder
pig production represents a significant segment of overall
swine industry in the U.S.! 2. Marketing Feeder Pigs
A. Feeder pig market?
1) Sell directly to a finishing operation,
2) sell to a dealer,
3) market through a Co-op,
4) sell at Feeder Pig Fair or Feeder Pig Expo,
5) market via regular auctions,
6) market via Tele-Auction,
7) production of feeder pigs under the contract, etc.
B. Marketing of feeder pigs:

1) Majority of feeder pigs are transported, possibly a long

distance, and co-mingled with other pigs . . . Very
stressful for pigs!
< Shrink?
(1) Purchased at the auction market & transported a long
distance (> 600 miles) - 10-11% or 4-5 lb!? (2) Purchased
locally - Still 1 to 2 lb bnecause of stress associated with
loading, unloading & transport.
2) Majority of finishing operations are purchasing pigs of
unknown sources, facing a risk of introducing new
disease organisms to the farm, as well as unknown
potential of purchased pigs!
3. Purchasing Feeder Pigs
A. Type of pigs or ideal pigs to purchase?
1) Weigh 35 to 40 lb by 8 weeks of age
, 2) Healthy, vigorous and alert,
3) Castrated and healed,
4) Internal and external parasites under control, and
5) Tails are docked.

BREEDING AND GENETICS

1. Traditional Common Breeds in the U.S.
A. Berkshire - Originated in Berkshire, South Central
England.
1) Introduced into the U.S. in 1823.
2) Black color with six white points (feet, nose and tail),
and has
erect ears & short nose.
3) Work well in the enclosed facility, and are noted for
their siring
ability.
B Chester White - Originated in Chester County in Penn .
1800.

1) Foundation stocks are various white breeds from

England
(Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire & Bedfordshire).
2) White color with medium sized droopy ears.
3) Prolific, milking well, and excellent dams.
C. Duroc - Originated from old Duroc of New York and
Jersey Red of
New Jersey during 1822-1877.
1) Red color & the shade varies from golden to very dark,
and has
droopy ears.
2) Noted for their meaty carcasses, fast growth and good
feed
efficiency.
2. General Use of Various Breeds
A. Five dark breeds, Berkshire, Duroc, Hampshire, Poland
China and Spotted, are used for
their siring ability & the durability & leanness/meatiness.
B. Three white breeds, Chester White, Landrace and
Yorkshire, are used for their reproductive traits &
mothering ability.

REPRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT
1. Boars

L In any breeding herd, boars are outnumbered by sows,

but do not underestimate their
contributions! They do contribute 50% of the genetic
makeup of every pig sired.
Thus, their levels of libido, mating ability, and fertility
influence farrowing rate and
litter size greatly.
A. Testes - Have two primary functions: 1) to produce
sperm (% germ cells) & 2) to produce
testosterone (% sex hormone). The size of testes can be
related to boar's sperm
production capability, and testes for 7 to 8 month-old
boar should be at least 6-7" in
height & 6-6" in width (paired testes).
B. Scrotum - Supports and protects testes, and helps
maintain testes at the optimum
temperature for sperm production (generally, . 4-5F
below the body temperature):
1) Draw testes close to the body in the cold environment
& relax muscles, fall away
from the body, in the hot environment.
2) Extreme temperatures [i.e., > 85F or the low
temperature that can cause
frostbite/infection] can result in the low fertility rate
because of inability to maintain
the optimum body temperature!
C. Epididymis - Exterior of testes and involved in: 1)
sperm maturation, 2) sperm
concentration, 3) sperm storage and 4) passing sperm
(passageway).
D. Vas deferens - Connects the epididymis to the urethra
and acts as a passageway for
spermatozoa.

E. Accessary glands - Seminal vesicles secrete a large

volume of fluid, prostate gland
contributes to the fluid volume, and bulbourethral gland
(Cowper's gland) secretes pelleted
gel materials (referred to as a cervical plug).
F. Penis conveys sperm to the sow's cervix.
G. Ejaculation:
1) Begins when the spiral tip of the glans penis becomes
interlocked in the cervix.
2) Consists of four fractions - a) pre-sperm (10-25 ml of
clear accessory gland fluid), b)
sperm-rich (30-60 ml; contains 80-90% of sperm), c) postsperm (70-130 ml; clear,
watery fluid), and d) gelatinous (secreted throughout the
process, but a major portion
at the end).
3) Total volume ranges from under 100 to over 400 ml,
and differences are due to age,
breed, period of sexual rest, etc.
4) The process usually takes 4 to 7 minutes.
2. Gilts and Sows
A. Ovary - Primary organ of the & (homologous to testes
of the %, and has three functions:
production of eggs or ova, secretion of estrogen, and
secretion of progesterone.
1) Ova: Produced in structures called follicles (usually
16-18 are produced, but not
rare to produce 20), and released from ovaries upon
ovulation. Usually fertilized
Swine Production Handbook Section 11: Reproductive
Management Page 118
Copyright 2004 by Lee I. Chiba
within the first 6 hr after ovulation, and greatly 9 chance
of fertilization and normal

embryonic development if not fertilized < 12 hr.

2) Estrogen: The concentration is usually low except
during the estrus period, and has
several functions: a) causes the animal to come into heat
(induces a gonadotropin
surge), b) involved in the development of the genital
system, and c) assists
development of mammary glands.
3) Progesterone: Follicles begin formation of corpus
luteum (CL) soon after ovulation,
which produces progesterone, which 8 during the 1st 14
or 15 days of the cycle &
then 9 within 2 days, and remains low for 4 or 5 days until
the next ovulation.

REFERENCES
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/sw02productionsystems.pdf
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/sw07feederpigs.pdf
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/sw09breedinggenetics.pdf

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/sw11reproduction.pdf
http://www.ag.auburn.edu/~chibale/swineproduction.html