Pigs

Question 1

What is minimum lactation time?

Answer 1

21 days

Question 2

How long is gestation of a pig?

Answer 2

16 weeks

Question 3

How long does it take to grow a pig?

Answer 3

6 months

Question 4

For which weeks of the year does daylight influence farrowing rate?

Answer 4

Weeks 1 - 16

Question 5

What is average pig FCE?

Answer 5

3.77

Question 6

What 5 factors can influence FCE in pigs?

Answer 6

Genetics
Post wean mortality
Feed wastage
Time spent outside thermoneutral zone
Immune system activation

Question 7

What is the maximum desirable number of non-productive days for a sow?

Answer 7

45

Question 8

What can contribute to non-productive days for a sow?

Answer 8

Entry to first service/heat time
Wean to first service time
Conception failure
Pregnancy loss

Question 9

How many litters per sow per year do we want?

Answer 9

Over than or equal to 2.3

Question 10

How many pigs weaned/sow/year do we want?

Answer 10

Over than or equal to 25

Question 11

How many pigs weaned/litter do we want?

Answer 11

Over than or equal to 10.5

Question 12

What contributes to reduced pigs weaned per litter?

Answer 12

Preweaning deaths
Mummies and stillbirths
Totalborn per litter

Question 13

What is the max percent for preweaning deaths?

Answer 13

10%

Question 14

What is the max percent for mummies or stillbirths?

Answer 14

8%

Question 15

What is desirable for totalborn per litter?

Answer 15

At least 13

Question 16

What is desirable for born alive per litter?

Answer 16

At least 12

Question 17

What two periods constitute the ‘productive days’?

Answer 17

Lactation and Gestation

Question 18

What can you use to reduce gestation length? is this common practice?

Answer 18

Prostaglandins

No - reduces pre weaning survival of piglets

Question 19

When do most gilts reach sexual maturity?

Answer 19

24 - 27 weeks

Question 20

What factors can influence the entry to first service interval?

Answer 20

Boar exposure
Nutrition
Stocking rate and stress
Season if early in year
Temperature - too hot, wont cycle

Question 21

What two pig breeds are terminal-pig-producing gilts?

Answer 21

Large white X landracer

Question 22

What is a terminal boar breed?

Answer 22

Duroc

Question 23

How can you encourage gilts to cycle for the first time?

Answer 23

Flush feed with ad Lib nutrition

Question 24

Do you usually mate at first gilt oestrous

Answer 24

No - second. At ~30 week

Question 25

How heavy should gilts be at first service?

Answer 25

130 kg at least

Question 26

What is the ideal wean to first service interval?

Answer 26

5 days

Question 27

What can you do to achieve a 5 day wean to first service interval?

Answer 27

High plane of nutrition during lactation, provide enough water Allow 21 day lactation Keep SR low Provide some boar contact Ensure appropriate thermal environment and ventilation Good heat detection and highly trained staff

Question 28

What is optimal flow rate and temperature for water supply?

Answer 28

2L/min | 22 degrees C

Question 29

When does 'signal 1' occur?

Answer 29

12 - 14d

Question 30

When does 'signal 2' occur?

Answer 30

16 - 20d

Question 31

When does skeletal calcification occur?

Answer 31

Around 35 d

Question 32

What is the max desirable repeat service percent?

Answer 32

5%

Question 33

What are four possible sources of conception failure?

Answer 33

Mating management - unsupervised, poor quality AI, not in heat Boar - poor fertility especially if < 10 months old Sow - poor fertility Housing - housing together post mating = stress, high SR = stress

Question 34

When do most deaths/culls occur?

Answer 34

Farrowing

Question 35

What are some possible causes of low total born?

Answer 35

Low ovulation rate (poor BCS, stress, time of year) or implantation rate (poor BCS, time of year) Poor mating technique (timing with heat, AI method) Semen quality Parity of sow (reduces with increasing age)

Question 36

What is the main reason for stillborns?

Answer 36

Death due to prolonged farrowing

Question 37

How can you reduce risk of excessive stillborns?

Answer 37

Not overfeeding during gestation | Observe sows farrowing, intervene if necessary (> 35 min delay)

Question 38

Name three potential infectious causes of reproductive failure.

Answer 38

Parvovirus (most common) Erysipelas Leptospirosis

Question 39

What is an appropriate breeding sow vaccination protocol?

Answer 39

22 - 24 weeks old - erysipelas - lepto - parvo 4 weeks later - erysipelas - lepto - parvo @ 35 - 37 weeks old - e.coli 2 - 3 weeks before farrowing - erysipelas - lepto - e.coli

Question 40

How much milk do sows produce per day?

Answer 40

Around 12L

Question 41

What percentage of piglet mortality is related to overlays?

Answer 41

40-55%

Question 42

What is the dressing percent for pigs?

Answer 42

75%

Question 43

What are some sources of airbourne contaminants?

Answer 43

Manure - ammonia, dust and bacteria Rice hulls - dust Mouldy hay - endotoxin, fungal spores, dust

Question 44

How do you calculate FCE?

Answer 44

Feed distributed in kg / carcass weight in kg

Question 45

what kind of boar exposure is required to encourage cycling in gilts and sows in summer?

Answer 45

5 days per week, 20 minutes per day

Question 46

How would you calculate pre weaning death %?

Answer 46

( Pigs born alive - pigs weaned )/ pigs born alive x 100%

Question 47

How would you calculate stillborn percent?

Answer 47

(Total born - stillborn)/ totalborn x 100%

Question 48

What is farrowing rate?

Answer 48

Number of sows farrowed / Number of Sows and gilts mated

Question 49

How to calculate postweaning death %?

Answer 49

(pigs weaned - pigs sold) / pigs weaned x 100%

Question 50

How to calculate growth rate?

Answer 50

(Birth weight - sale weight) / age in days

Question 51

What are three possible causes of postweaning deaths?

Answer 51

1. Stress due to moving into grower shed, changing social groups and diet 2. Loss of maternal antibody source challenging the immune system 3. Loss of warmth and shelter of the creep - have to adapt to better thermoregulation ... Poor husbandry e.g poor cleaning and sanitation, poor plane of nutrition, poor thermoregulation