SWINE MANAGEMENT

                         SWINE MANAGEMENT

       •   It is the management practice which involves breeding, farrowing and marketing pigs for human consumption and other purposes. 

        •   It is an under developed industry in India especially, due to religious taboos. 

        •  It is been done mostly by the economically weak people. 

            

COMMON TERMINOLOGIES :

          SWINE          -  Pigs / pig

          PORK            - Meat of pig

          LITTER          - Birth of multiple at one time in pig

         SOW                - A female pig that has had it's first litter. ( Adult female) 

         BOAR               - Adult male pig

         GILT                 - A female pig that has not yet produced a litter. ( Female young) 

         BOARLING       - Young male pig

         HOG                  - A casterated male pig

         SPAYED            - A casterated female pig

         PIGLET             - New born pig 

         FOSTER SOW  - Piglets are being nursed by another mother sow

         BAND                - Group of pigs

         COUPLING       - Act of mating

         FARROWING    - Act of delivery

         SOUND             - Grunting

         WEANING         - The stage after lactation period, in which the piglets are taken away from their dam and allowed to eat solid food and water. 

         DRESSING

         PERCENTAGE  - Ratio of dead / carcass weight to the live weight of an animal. 

                 DP = Weight of carcass            x   100

                           Weight of live animal

PIG - HUMAN FOOD

         * Pigs are mainly for meat purpose. 

         * Meat of pig - PORK. 

         * Hence , it contains high nutritive value. 

         * It is the good source of Amino acids and some amount of minerals and vitamins. 

         * Essential fatty acids are also present.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION

            In fresh pork cuts, 

                 Proteins   -  17%

                 Fat            -  20%

                 Moisture  -  62%

                 Ash           -  1%

             Contains 250 cal / 100 gm

            In lean muscle,  

                 Proteins   -  20%

                 Fat            -  9%

                 Moisture  -  70%

                 Ash           -  1 %

             Contains 160 cal / 100 gm

MERITS OF SWINE MANAGEMENT

            1. Swine are prolific producers. 

            2. Gestation period is very less. 

            3. Shorter generation intervals. 

            4. Quick marketing of piglets ( 6 months). 

            5. Better feed efficiency. 

            6. Gives 1 kg of pork with 3 - 3.5 kg of feed. 

            7. It provides pork, lard ( Semi - solid white fat obtained from fatty tissue of pig). 

            8. Used in medical research. 

            9. They convert inedible food like garbage, garden waste etc., into nutritive meat. 

            10. Skin is also consumed. 

            11. Less investment, less labour cost and quick returns due to short span of life. 

             12. Pigs are self feeders. 

DEMERITS OF SWINE MANAGEMENT

              1. Religious taboo. 

              2. Pigs compete with human beings for food. 

              3. Sensitive to unfavorable feed.

              4. Highly prone to diseases and parasites. 

              5. Utmost care to be taken at the time of farrowing  to avoid the loss of piglets. 

              6. Established no. of farms in our country is very less. 

              7. Consuming pork is considered as " low to dignity ".

              8. Rearing non descript pigs are not much profitable, so it is better to cross breed with exotic breeds to get maximum profit. 

BREEDS

        *    There is no distinct breeds. 

        *    The characteristics vary with topography and climate. 

EXOTIC BREEDS OF PIGS

     1. Large white yorkshire

         •    Origin : Yorkshire, UK. 

         •    Popular english bacon breed. 

         •    White, occasionally black spots.

         •    Erect ears and dished fore head.

         •    Long and deep body .

         •    Snout length is medium . 

         •    They farrow and raise large litters. 

         •    Sows are good mothers as well as good milkers. 

         •     Body weight - 300 - 320 kg

       2. Middle white Yorkshire, Berkshire, Tamworth

         

        •    Origin : England

        •    Developed from crossing Small and Large White Yorkshire . 

        •    But not prolific as that of Large white Yorkshire. 

        •    Body weight - 250 - 270 kg

       3. Landrace

        •    Origin : Denmark. 

        •    White with blackspot, Long snout . 

        •    Body weight - 270 - 300 kg

       4. Hampshire, Duroc, Chester white and Hereford

        •    Origin : USA. 

 

       5. Poland China

        •    Origin : China. 

BREED MANAGEMENT

      • Age of puberty                            :    6-7 months

      • Breeding age of gilts                  :    8 months

      • Breeding age of boar                  :    9 months

      • Number of sows per boar          :    10 per week

      • Estrus cycle                                 :    19-23 days

                                                                 (Average 21                                                                                  days) 

      • Estrus period                               :    2-3 days  

      • Mating time 

                  Gilt                                       :    first day

                  Sow                                      :    second                                                              day of onset of heat

       • Gestation period                         :    114 days

                                                                 ( 3 months, 3                                                                weeks, 3 days) 

       • Suckling period                          :   56 days

       • Average litter size at birth        :   10-14                                                                               Piglets

       • Average litter size at weaning  :   8-10 piglets

       • Market age of fattening pigs    :   6 months

       • Market weight at 6 months       :   70-75 kg 

       • Dressing percentage                  :   65 - 80 %

ECONOMIC TRAITS

        * Production traits in animals such as milk yield, body weight, total fat, carcass weight, fat content of the meat are called as economic traits. 

        * They are controlled by multiple genes. 

        * They are affected by environment to varying degrees. 

 

EXAMPLES OF ECONOMIC TRAITS

1. Litter size at birth

            Number of piglets born in single farrowing. 

2. Litter size born alive

            Number of piglets born alive in single farrowing. 

3. Litter size at weaning

            Number of piglets at weaning. 

4. Birth weight

            Weight at day 1.

5. Litter weight at birth

            Total weight of all piglets born in single farrowing on day 1.

6. Weight at weaning

            Weight of Piglet on weaning day. 

7. Little Weight at weaning

8. Wait at market age

            Total weight of all piglets born in single farrowing on day 1 of weaning. 

9. Growth rate 

=   ( present Weight   -    initial weight)    x    100

                  Initial weight   

10. Feed efficiency    

                  =  feed consumed in kg

                       Weight gained in kg

11. Mortality percentage

        =  number of pigs dead    x  100

                    Total number of Pigs

DETECTION OF ESTRUS IN PIGS

         I. Vulval swelling and reddening. 

        II. Vaginal discharge is noticed. 

       III. The animal will be restless and the activity level will be increased. 

       IV. A typical grunt indicates that the pig is in heat. 

        V. Estrus gilts frequently mount on other sows and allow them to mount on it. 

       VI. Standing heat reflex is exhibited. 

It includes, 

                  a. Immobilization

                  b. Arching back

      VII. Standing heat test or back pressure test Or riding test

             -  The sow remains inmobile with erected ear when normal pressure is applied to Lumbo sacral region. 

     VIII.  Reduced appetite, frequent urination, mounting and standing for mounting are the other signs. 

CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SOW AT FARROWING

 

 -    Farrowing time is a critical period and requires adequate care and Management. 

 -    The sow should be transferred to farrowing pen one week before to expected date of farrowing. 

 -    Before moving the sow to the farrowing pen the sow should be cleaned and scrubbed with soap and water( warm) especially at the sides and under the surface. 

 -   The farrowing pen should be cleaned thoroughly with phenyl and washed with water. 

 -   The mother should be provided with adequate bedding. 

 -   The chopped clean straw is a good bedding material. 

 -   The sow in the farrowing pen should be provided with Ad - lib clean fresh water. 

 -   Two changes should be made in the sows feed. 

          a.  The feed should be made bulky by substituting one third of the regular feed with wheat barn. 

          b.  The amount of ration fed should also be reduced by one third. 

 -   The farrowing pen should be fitted with Guard rails or farrowing crate to protect the young piglets from crushing by the mother. 

 -   The rails should be 9 inches from the floor and 12 inches from the wall. 

 -   The temperature regulatory mechanism is ill -developed in newborn piglets. 

 -   The baby piglet's body temperature falls very rapidly when environmental temperature falls. 

 -   Normally, they have subnormal body temperature during the first 30 minutes and it returns to normal during the next 48 hours. 

 -   The pen should be maintained at 24 -  28 °C until the piglets are 3 - 4 days old. 

 -   Temperature can be provided by artificial lighting using electric bulb or infrared bulbs. 

 -   To prevent the loss of piglets at the time of farrowing and attendant should be there for caring. 

 -   The placenta drops the Piglets one after the other within 2 hours. 

 -   Piglets suckle after birth and a suckle 8 - 10 times in 24 hours initially. 

CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SUCKLING PIGLETS

      *    The piglet's start adapting to the surrounding within few minutes after their birth. 

      *    They start finding the nipple and begins to to suckle. 

      *    The average nursing interval is less than 1 hour. 

      *    Piglets receive more than 24 feeding daily. 

      *    The naval cord should be tired off to stop the loss of blood and to prevent the " navel ill ". 

      *    It should be cut at the distance of 3 - 5 cm from the ligation. 

      *    This portion should be dipped in a solution of 2 % iodine and 70 % ethyl alcohol. 

      *    The newborn piglets will have four pairs of sharp teeth on each jaw called as needle teeth or wolf teeth. 

      *    That teeth should be clipped off as they may cause damage to the sow's udder during suckling and also injure other piglets while playing or fighting. 

      *    It should be clipped off within 10 days. 

      *    The piglets should be tattooed at ear immediately after birth. 

      *    And ear punched at 6 weeks of age. 

      *    Male piglets are casterated a week or 10 days before weaning as they are not used for breeding and to prevent random breeding and for easy management. 

      *    If the pigs are being raised in the total confined manner, it is advisable to cut off the tails which is to be done at the time of cutting the needle teeth with the help of cutting pliers. 

      *    Orphan pigs : when the sow dies after farrowing or mastitis,  lactation failure or large litter size as the sow cannot raise, the piglets are being adopted. 

     *     At this time, adoption of piglets by the foster sow or raising by using cow's milk or another sow's milk are the two ways to manage the Orphan piglets.