Pork ProductionOperation Types

Operation Types

• Farrow• Weaner• Finisher• Farrow to Wean• Farrow to Finish

Farrowing Operation

• Housing of Sows and Gilts

• Breeding Sows and Gilts (A.I. or Natural)

• Gestation Crates used to ensure pregnancy

• Group Housing after 4 weeks

• Farrowing Crates prior to farrow

Why are Gestation Crates Used?

• Pigs can be aggressive animals when housed in pens as a group

• Dominance results in severe bites and no access to food

• Gestation stalls provide protection from dominant pigs and ensure equal feed distribution

Individual Computerised Feeding ID tag identified by sensors in feeder

Group feedingusing floors or troughs

Feeding pens with individual stalls pigs enter one at a time to access feed

Gestation Stalls are now banned in the UK

Alternatives to Gestation Crates

Why are Farrowing Crates used?

• Crate systems consistently gave higher numbers of piglets weaned per sow per litter

• Prevention of sow overlay (when a sow lays on piglets)

• Better pen hygiene therefore less disease

• Easier access to piglets and sow

Alternatives to Farrowing Crates

Husbandry for Piglets

• Iron injection– 200 mg/ml Iron Dextran Injectable– Housed outdoors, piglets may acquire sufficient

supply of iron from soil

• Teeth Trimming and Tail docking– Prevents sow injury and cannibalistic behaviour

later on

• Castration– Prevents young males from acquiring male

characteristics, ex. Boar taint

Tooth nipper

syringes

Scalpel and blades

Castration

• 4 days• Male pigs (boars) can fight causing

injury to one another• Castrated pigs are quieter and easier to

handle• Castrated pig puts on more fat and the

meat does not have a strong piggy smell (boar taint)

After weaning….Vaccination and

Re-breeding of Sows

• Heat can be detected 4-7 days after weaning– Bred by Boar or A.I.

• Sows placed in gestation stalls • Placed in group pens after

pregnancy is confirmed (6 weeks)

Weaner Operation

• Weaned between 16 - 30 days – E.U. minimum 4 weeks

• Trend is going towards later wean age:– Heavier weaned pigs finish better– More time for sow to heal before being re-bred– Split weaning can be beneficial, with heavier

pigs removed, smaller pigs can gain faster

ISO-Weaner Barn

Isolation – weaner barn

16 feet

20 feet

80-90 piglets per room

Vaccination

Hypodermic syringe

Needles

Common needles gauges range from 7 (largest) to 33 (smallest)

Gauge refers to diameter of needle

Identification

• Replacement Gilts are identified using ear notches

• Market hogs are identified using shoulder slap tattoo

• Tattoo will be the premises identification number

• 5 digits, with the last digit corresponding to province

• Black food grade tattooing ink

Finished Hogs