Swine Production and Herd Management

What is swine
production and herd
management?
•swine management like breeding,
feeding, housing, health
management and pork production
technology.
TERM DESCRIPITON
Abattoir A slaughterhouse
AI artificial insemination. The process of breeding a sow by using semen extracted
from a boar instead of natural mating. This is a good way to add better genetics
to a herd without raising multiple boars.
Anthelmintic A drug treatment used to expel parasitic worms. An example of a typical
anthelmintic is Ivomectin.
Barrow male pig castrated before reaching sexual maturity.
Blind Teat An irregular teat that is sometimes removed to prevent piglets from attempting to
nurse on a useless teat
Boar male hog or pig with intact testicles.
Body Capacity This term describes the shape of a pig in relation to growth, health, feed
conversion, and the quality potential of the carcass.
Bone This describes the diameter of the bone in the legs, jaw and the width of the
head. Good bone is important for determining how well the pig will carry it’s
weight.
Bulk Refers to a pigs diet. Bulk is the fiber added either separately or mixed in the
pigs feed
Breeding Herd Consists of gilts, sows, and boars. Including replacement gilts that are used
maintain a herd of pigs
Butcher Hog A butcher hog, also known as a market hog, is a pig that weighs between 220
and 260 pounds, is approximately 6 months old, and was raised to for slaughter.
Carcass the carcass is the body of a pig after it has been dressed out(butchered)
Castrate remove testicles by surgery.
Chitterlings The small intestines of a pig. Can be prepared for consumption.
Colostrum first milk produced by the sow; it provides immunity to the baby pigs for the
first few weeks
Cracklings cracklings are the by product of rendering lard. They are pieces of skin and meat that were
browned. Also referred to as pork rinds.
Creep Feed creep feed is a starter ration for for piglets. It is high in protein, usually from sugar and milk
proteins for high energy.
Creep feeder area accessible to small pigs but not their dams, in which a high protein
supplement is provided.
Cross Breeding cross breeding is a method used to maximize the quality traits of different breeds into a faster
growing market hog.
Cull sow full-grown female sold for slaughter. Usually showing poor physical
characteristics that make her undesirable for breeding.
Culling This is the process of removing any undesirable animals from the herd normally for
health or performance issues.
Dressing percent percentage of the butchered carcass that is usable, compared to live
weight.
Drove A herd or group
Electrolytes electrolytes are mineral salts that get absorbed into the body to repair problems associated with dehydration, diarrhea, and fever

Embryo This is a piglet in the very early stages og growth in the sows uterus.
Estrus also known as “going into heat” or “in heat”, is the period when the sow or
gilt is sexually receptive. Usually every 21 days, with gilts starting
their first estrus between 5 and 8 months depending on the breed of pig.
F1 F1 is the first offspring from the crossbreeding of two pure-bred pigs from different breeds
Farrow to give birth to piglets.
Farrow to Finish this means you raise the pig from birth to butchering size.
Feed Efficiency The amount of feed needed for a pig to gain one pound of weight. This is an important factor when choosing pigs for farrow to
finish.
Feeder Pig These are young pigs, usually 6 – 10 weeks old that are produced by one farm then purchased and finished on another farm. It also
refers to any piglet that is being raised for pork.
Finish Hog a pig that has been raised to market weight and is ready for butchering.
Finishing feeding a pig out to reach market weight.
Fitting Getting a pig ready for a show or exhibit.
Following “This is a practice we do not use. And another why we’re glad we raise our own food.” Following is used by feed lots and cattle
ranches. They turn pigs out to basically clean up any left overs found in the feed lots after the cows have been moved. Pigs feed on
the excrement and loosen up the soil that the cattle had been using.

Frame The skeletal system of a pig. Large frames are desirable in pigs. Also relevant to bone.
Flush feed increase feed to stimulate ovulation in females.
Full Feed (self feed)- animals are allowed to eat as much as they will clean up; feed is
available at all times.
Genotype the genotype represents the genetic makeup. This is very useful and increasingly important
as many more farms are using artificial insemination.
Gestation pregnancy, lasting about 114 days in swine. Also known to some as 3 months, 3
weeks, and 3 days.
Gilt A gilt or gilts are young females that have not yet produced a litter.
Grading This is a system of sorting pigs according to the quality of the carcass. The U.S.D.A. has a
standard grading system.
Grower Pig (finishing pig)- animal weighing between 40 and 220 lbs. that is being fed for
slaughter.
Hand Mating while you may think this refers to artificial insemination, it refers
to the practice of placing a boar in a pen with only one sow or gilt.
Heterosis also known as hybrid vigor. This refers to the superior quality from crossbreeding.
Hog A pig that weighs at least 120 pounds.
Hogging Down Letting pigs into a crop field to clean up or harvest the crop.
Hot Wire an electric fence
Hurdle A gate or solid board used to direct the pigs when they are being moved.
Inbreeding This is the mating of two animals that are closely related in order to bring out the good traits.
This doesn’t always work as hoped. Farmers call it Line breeding when it works and
Inbreeding when it doesn’t.
In Pig when a sow is pregnant she is in pig.
Lactation this is the time when a sow is producing milk and feeding piglets.
Lard lard is rendered pork fat. There are many uses for lard besides cooking.
Libido When a sow is ready for breeding she will show sexual interest.
Limit Feeding This is simply restricting the feed of sows and boars alike to avoid obesity and lengthen the time they pigs will be able to produce.

Line A specific bloodline that can be traced to a specific animal or family group.
Line Breeding repeatedly breeding a specific pig to generate offspring with specific traits. Breeding sibling to sibling or parent to offspring. Also
called inbreeding.
Litter all the offspring from a single farrowing.
Market Hog see Butcher Hog
Mash feed that has been ground. Usually fed to young pigs and sick pigs.
Meal feed ground to a fine texture. Think cornmeal.
Mummy A piglet that is born dead, but hasn't fully developed. The piglet died too late in the pregnancy for the sows body to reabsorb it.

Natural Immunity This is the ability an animal has to fight disease that it has gained over time. Some natural immunities are passed through a sows
colostrum to the piglets.
Needle Teeth These are the two teeth on either side of the jaw that look like canine teeth. They are extremely sharp and can damage a sows teats.
Many commercial farms clip the needle teeth at birth. They are also called eye teeth or wolf teeth.
Offal often referred to as animal waste, offal are actually the internal organs of a butchered pig. There are many uses for the organs but or
modern society rarely uses them
Open this term refers to a gilt or sow that did not conceive at breeding or may have absorbed the pregnancy.
Overlaying when a sow crushes and kills her piglets by laying on them which results in crushing. This is quite common and results in many losses
for pig farmers.
Oxytocin a drug used to cause uterine contractions in sows and/or stimulate milk production.
Pathogen a disease causing agent most commonly known as infectious organisms.
Phenotype the physical characteristics displayed by a pig, including hair color, height, weight, and well, you get the picture.
Pig a young swine. See “hog”
Pig Boards if you’ve been a fair and seen the swine show you have seen a pig board. They are made from plastic and plywood, between 30 and
40 inches high and have hand holes cut in them. Pig boards are used to guide pigs when they are being moved. See also “hurdle”

Placenta this is the sack within a sow that houses the piglets during pregnancy. After all the piglets have been farrowed, the placenta is passed.

Premix this is a mineral pack that feed producers use to create a balanced diet in swine feed.
Prepotent the tendency of a boar to pass on specific traits to his offspring, such as large hams, big bones, etc.
Primal Cuts this refers to large cuts during butchering such as half a pig or a quarter of the carcass.
Probiotics these are beneficial organisms used to aid sick or recovering animals. Probiotics are also used to help stimulate nutrient absorption.

Prolificacy refers to the number of piglets produced by a sow or boar. Boars and sows that are not prolific, are culled.
Purebred Pigs that have been bred to members of their own breed and usually have pedigrees to prove their lineage.
Render cooking down the fat remove impurities and moisture prior to storing.
Ring placing a metal ring in a hogs snout to keep them from rooting.
Rotational Grazing the practice of moving pigs from one pasture to another to maximize feeding, minimize parasites, and/or hog down a pasture

Runt small or weak pig in a litter. Runts should be culled

out of the herd.
Scours Diarrhea. Severe scours can cause death.
Scrotum the sac on a boar that contains the testicles. The scrotum expands and contracts to maintain
temperature and preserve semen.
Service the introduction of semen into the uterus of a sow or gilt. This can be natural( done by
a boar) or by artificial insemination.
Settle after a sow or gilt has taken to a pregnancy she is considered settled.
Shoat a young pig that has not yet reached 120 pounds
Shrink weight loss, usually temporary.
Snare a device that is put around a pigs snout to restrain the pig.
Soft Pork butchered pork that remains oily, flabby, and soft even after chilling. This meat is considered
undesirable
Sow female which has farrowed at least once.
Stag a boar that has been castrated after he was used as a stud or service boar.
Standing Heat is when a sow or gilt is ready to be serviced. She will aquire an rigid
posture when pressure is applied on her back
Swine a general term used for all pigs.
Terminal A boar that is used to create F1 crossbreeds(first generation cross) but not used to breed the
resultant offspring as they are used for market hogs.
Top Dress manually adding supplements to a hogs feed.
Underline commonly used to describe the underside or belly of a sow. This term is used to
evaluate teat placement on the underline for adequate milk production and ability
to feed piglets. It is also used to evaluate the penis placement and sheath of a boar.

Vulva the exposed portion of a sows genitals. Changes in the vulva are useful in
determining heat or preparation for farrowing in a sow or gilt.
Wallow water-filled depression or container large enough for pigs to lay in to cool off
during warm weather.
Weaning removing young from their mother. Weaning can take place anywhere from
3 to 8 weeks depending on the farmers growing system. Little Pig Farm
recommends leaving the piglets to nurse for a minimum of 6 weeks.

Weanling A piglet recently removed from the sow ans typically weighing between 25 and 40
pounds.
Yield percentage of the carcass in the four lean cuts: ham, loin, picnic and Boston butt.
What is a
PIG??
•The pig, often called swine, hog, or domestic pig when
distinguishing from other members of the genus Sus, is an
omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal.
•Different breeds of pigs
•Presently, there are six available pig breeds that can be
raised in the country. These are the Landrace, Large White,
Pietrain, Duroc, Hampshire, and the Philippine native pig.
•The Landrace found in most countries in central and
eastern Europe, with local varieties in Denmark, Germany,
the Netherlands, and Sweden. this breed is white or pink in
color and has small, droopy ears. It is also tall in stature but
slender as compared to the other breeds. It is known for its
mothering ability, they are prolific sows that farrow large
pigs and which are exceptionally heavy milkers and also for
converting its food well into its weight. 
•Large Whites are distinguished by their
picturesque bearing, erect ears, slightly dished
faces, white color, pink skins, and long deep
sides. They have been valued for their bacon
production since the inception of the breed.
As their name suggests, they are characterized
by large size.
•Large Whites are known for large litters,
heavy milk production and for having excellent
maternal instincts. They are not only lean and
active, but are also quite sound in feet and
legs. They carry their considerable length with
ease and grace. Their extra height, or length of
leg, helps them to remain active and have long
useful lives in the breeding pen.
•Hampshire pigs are known for excellent lean meat unlike other breeds
that produce fatty meat.
•Hampshire’s sows produce piglets that require less nurturing because
they are born healthy.
•This makes them very good breeds for your pig farming business.
•Hampshire pigs commonly have medium sized heads that appear straight
up and slim when observed from a specific angle. 
•Their eyes are usually small and it gives them a limited vision.
•While other breeds may have floppy ears, hampshire is a rare type that
has its ears sticking straight up.
•Hampshire pigs have very unique coloring. 
•While their bodies are almost all black, a belt exists around their middle
that covers their front legs down to their hooves.
•The belt is most likely white or ginger coloured depending on which
breed they were crossbred with.
•Pietrain crosses are able to convert feed
better than most traditional breeds. They also
maximize the hybrid vigor of the piglets, with
favorable health status and viability often
reported. In Germany purebred animals are
specifically reared for the low fat carcasses
they produce.
•In addition to pork quality problems, animals
with the PSS gene tend to grow slower than
littermates without the gene and may have a
more nervous temperament. If a pig happens
to get two copies of the PSS gene, it will be
highly excitable or nervous and is likely to die
if stressed at market weight.
•The Duroc is a large-framed, late-maturing
type, excellent for heavy-carcase production.
The forequarters, particularly the head and
neck, are light and it has small lop ears. The
skin is a solid reddish colour, varying from gold
to a deep, brick red. They have a medium
length and slight dish of the face.
•The Philippine Native pig is either black or black
with a white belly. Varieties include Ilocos and
Jalajala. The Berkjala, Diani, Kaman, Koronadel
and Libtong breeds were all developed from this
breed. The Philippine Native is now thought to be
extinct.
•Breeds developed from the breed have a well-
built body, with a coarse, thick, black colour coat
with a dispersion of silvery white colour hairs on
their sides. Elongated, firm hairs form a top,
running down the central point of the back, which
is chiefly noticeable in male pigs during their
breeding season when it forms a famous mane
over their neck and head crest. The average-
length tail has a bunch of elongated, black colour
hairs at the tail tip, which is used to drive away
the flies and to indicate their mood.
•The Philippine Native Pig breeds occur as two
presently recognized subspecies; the Sus
philippensis philippinesis, and the Sus philippensis
mindanensis. The Sus philippensis philippinesis
can be largely seen on the northern islands of
Polillo, Luzon, Marinduque and Catanduanes,
whereas the Sus philippensis mindanensis pigs are
largely found on the east-central islands of Bohol,
Biliran, Samar, Leyte, and on the southern islands
of Mindanao, Camiguin Sul, and Basilan. These
breeds are very prolific; in average the gilts could
exhibit signs of sexual maturity as young as 4 to 5
months. The average litter size is four to five
piglets, but as many as eight piglets may also be
born in one litter. The sows nurse their piglets for
three to five weeks. They have a low feed
conversion ratio, growing swine reach 60 kilos
takes 6 to 8 months fattening period.
•Selection General
Recommendations in Selecting
Pigs for Breeding:
•The breed of sow has a vital role in the
successful rearing of piglets and the selection of
a good female is paramount. Breed from a
hybrid or multiple breed female that through
her mothering ability exhibits good hybrid
vigour and one that is supported by historical
data from the genetic base. This should show
good milking ability, number of pigs reared and
low mortality. The larger the sow the more
difficult it becomes for her to rear pigs,
maintenance costs increase and there is a
relationship between girth size and piglet
mortality. A large girth results in bad teat
placements at farrowing and inadequate or
delayed intake of colostrum in individual pigs.
Increased body size may also produce sows too
large for existing farrowing crates.
Selection of BOAR
•Selecting boars to use within a swine herd
is one of the most important decisions a
producer must make. This decision is vital to
the long-term performance of the herd and
should be based on the true genetic merit
of the boar, rather than just the eye appeal
of the animal.
Summary:
•General Recommendations in Selecting Pigs for Breeding:
•Select pigs based on reliable production records.
•Start selecting/evaluating potential breeding animals when
these are 2-3 months old.
•Bases of Selection:
•Physical Selection (e.g., strong legs,
long body, good body conformation,
etc.)
•Performance (e.g., mothering ability,
average daily gain, backfat thickness,
etc.)
•Selecting Boars
•Show and ADG of not less than 800g
(28-90 kg LW) and a feed conversion
efficiency of more than 2.5.
•Selecting Replacement Gilts
• At least six pairs of prominent,
well-spaced
•teats.
•Strong legs and pasterns.
•Backfat of about 2 cm at 90 kg.
•Culling Gilts
• Do not settle after 2 repeated matings
to a proven sire
•Do not come into heat after 10 months
of age.

•Culling Sows
•Have poor performance in terms of
littersize for two consecutive farrowings.
•Have not been bred 30 days after
weaning their litter.
•Fail to wean at least 8 healthy pigs.
•Breeding System
•1. Purebreeding – mating of two
purebred animals of the same breed.
•Breeding System

•Crossbreeding – mating of two

individuals belonging to different breeds
•Breeding System
•Inbreeding – mating of individuals
that are closely related to each
other by ancestry.
•Reproduction
•Puberty – about 5 months of age
• Gilts should be bred at not less than
225 days old (7 ½ months) weighing
around 120-130 kg and have already
cycled at least twice
What is estrous?
•Estrus:
a recurring period of sexual
receptivity and fertility in many
female mammals; heat.

•Estrus or heat period (Period of

sexual receptivity) last from 2 to 5
days.
video
Techniques in Heat
Detection
•-Back pressure test
•-Riding-the-back test
•-Semen-on-snout test
•-Teaser boar method, and
•-Examination of external signs of
estrus and records
what kind and shape of
placenta does a pig
have?
•Pregnancy or Gestation Period – 110 to 119
days with an average of 114 days (3 months, 3
weeks, 3 days).
Animals in the advance stage of pregnancy show the
following signs:
•-Enlargement, swelling, and reddening of external genitalia,
•-Nervousness and restlessness,
•-Fully distended mammary glands,
•-Presence of milk indicating farrowing within 24 hrs; and
•-Nest building in sows raised in pasture.
•Mating System
•A. Natural Mating (hand mating)
•B. Artificial Insemination
•Training of boar – starts at around 6
½ -7 months of age
•Insemination Time – best time is on
the first 30 hours of the estrus phase.
•Second dose given 12 hours (for
gilts) or 24 hours (for sows) after the
first dose may further improve
conception rate may further improve
conception rate and litter size at
birth.