Module 4

Care and Management Practices of the Herd

Lesson No 2 : Weanling and Growing Finishing

At the end of the module, the students should be able to:

a. Prepare piglets for weaning .

b. Prepare and feed Finisher pigs
c. Prepare animals for marketing

Time Frame: 1 Week

 INTRODUCTION

As the feeding and management technologies for the young pig

have improved, many producers have begun weaning pigs at younger
ages. This practice has provided the opportunity for improvements in the
productivity of the sow herd, provided a means of breaking the cycle of
disease transmission from the sow to pigs, and helped to increase the
flow of pigs through facilities. Although it is possible to successfully wean
pigs at 14 to 21 days of age, it is more challenging to keep these young,
newly weaned pigs healthy and growing than pigs weaned at older ages.

Weaning can often be a time associated with a lag in

performance that includes depressed gain and feed intake with increase
disease and mortality. Unless managed properly, this post weaning lag
will be more magnified in pigs weaned at younger ages. This publication
will address the factors that contribute to the post weaning lag and some
technologies that can help alleviate the poor performance often
associated with weaning.

In this module, the students will learn about:

1. Management of sow and litter.

2. Weanling and growing finishing pigs.
3. Boar and replacement.
 Learning Activities
At all stages, pigs should be handled with care, gentleness and patience. An
understanding of the behavioral characteristics of pigs will be helpful for handling,
increasing productivity, improving meat quality and helping to reduce undesirable
stress (Grandin, 2000a). Pigs are very alert and curious when put into a new
situation. Even very small disturbances in the surroundings can frighten them
(https://porkcdn.s3.amazonaws.com)

Activity 1: Compare and Contrast

1. Tell something about the pictures below reflecting the management of
newly weaned pigs and their nutrition. Write your answer in the space
provided. ?

Answer:
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Note: The following answers will be graded based on the set criteria:

Content (5 pts), Relevance and Accuracy (3pts.), Organization of thoughts

(2 pts.) Total of 10pts.
 Analysis

Task 3. Answer the following question and write your answer on your
notebook. (Individual Activity) The answer must be composed of 100 words
and a maximum of 150 words.
2. Explain how will you change the feeding behaviour of the pigs from
creep feeding to shift to starter ration and then to a grower ration ?

Answer:
_______________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________.

Note: The following answers will be graded based on the set criteria:
Content (5 pts), Relevance and Accuracy (3pts.), Organization of thoughts (2 pts.) Total of 10pts.
3. Tell something about the pictures below on how you are going to
maintain the body condition 4. Write your answer in the space
provided.

Answer:
_________________________________________________
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 Abstraction

Weaning is probably the most stressful time in a pig’s life because of the
many changes it must undergo. Before weaning, pigs consume approximately 24
equally spaced meals per day. These meals come in the form of a highly digestible
liquid that contains about 35% fat, 30% protein, and 25% lactose. All pigs are
conditioned to eating at the same time and only when the sow tells them to eat. After
weaning, pigs are expected to adjust to a dry diet with a vastly different composition.
They are also expected to tell themselves when, how much, and hoe often to eat.
Also unlike nursing when there was usually ample space for all pigs to have their
meal together, feeders do not typically provide enough space for simultaneous
feeding.

Care and management practices of finisher pigs:

TEMPERATURE:

A. Pigs have a comfort zone for the environmental temperature that they prefer,
referred to as the thermoneural zone

B. This comfort zone range from approximately 55f on the low end to 75f on the
upper end for finishing pigs

C. Pigs that are house below the lower critical temperature (55f) will consume
more feed to maintain their body temperature

D. If pigs are kept in an environment that is too hot, feed intake will be reduced
by approximately 0.05 to 0.08 lbs above f

E. The impact of temperature is dependent on the weight of the pig. Heavier

pigs are sensitive to high temperatures than younger, lighter pigs, while
smaller pigs are more susceptible to heat loss, therefore, lower temperature
have a greater effect on smaller pigs compares to larger pigs.
 Application

Direction: If you are the Husbandman of the herd, what will be your initial plan
in dealing with the newly arrived weaned piglets? Complete your
answer using the mind map given below.

Before Arrival

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Upon Arrival

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First 36 hoursCommunity
after weaning
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 Reflection

Direction: Below is a reflection figure that looks like a human figure.

Determine what you have learned (the Knowledge that serves as your
foundation to stand and keep); the things you have realized and appreciated
(attitude towards learning) and the things that you discovered (skills that you
will cherish in life). Fill in each part of the reflection figure. (Individual Activity, but
you can share it with your peers)

Things I have learned (Knowledge)

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Things I have realized and appreciated (Attitude)

_______________________________________
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_

Things I have discovered (Skills)

____________________________________
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________.
 Post Assessment

Direction: Below are the questions related to swine production and management.
Read each item carefully and use your notebook to write your answers.Choose only
the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which of the following diets are the most critical for the
future development of a pig.
A. Farrowing C. Lactation
B. Gestation D. Weaning
2. What is the average length of the gestation cycle for the
swine?
A. 110 days C. 150 days
B. 200 days D. 114 days
3. What prevents anemia in baby pigs.
A. Milk C. Leptospirosis
vaccine
B. Iron shots D. Carbohydrates
4. As the pig grows, the levels of what nutrient can be
decreased?
A. Carbohydrates C. Protein
B. Fats D. Minerals
5. The first milk that need to be ingested to newly born pig.
A. Milk C. Colostrum
B. Lactation D. Bearbrand
 Glossary
The following terms used in this module are defined as follows:

Is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which an

individual loses use of the testicles; the male gonad.
Castration Surgical castration is bilateral orchidectomy( castration of
both testes), and chemical castration uses pharmaceutical
drugs to deactivate the testes.
Is the removal of portions of an animal’s tail. While docking
and bobbing are more commonly used to refer to removal of
Docking the tail., the term cropping is used in reference to the ears.
Tail docking occurs in one of two ways.
.is to reduce injuries caused to each other and to their
Clipping mother as piglets nurse.
Helps identify a pigs litter and which one of the litter it is,
Notches giving each pig a unique identity number.

Tagging Allows to identify easily your pigs by sight.

Litter A group of young pigs.

The first milk produced when starting breastfeeding, is the
Colostrum ideal nourishment for a newborn.
Describes the secretion of milk from the mammary glands

Lactation and the period of time that a mother lactates to feed her
young.
The process of carrying or being carried in the womb
Gestation between conception and birth.

Weanling A newly weaned animal.

 References

Blokhuis, H., R.B. Jones, R. Geers, M. Miele and I. Veissier, 2003.

Measuring and Monitoring animal Welfare: Transparancy in the
food product Quality Chain. Anim. Welf 12, A45-457
Blokhuis, H.J., R.B. Jones, I. Veissier and R. Geers, 2006. Cost
Action 846- Meassuring and Monitoring farm animal welfare.
Proceedings of the meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, March 24-
26, 50 pp.
Diericks, Jody. (2006). Introduction to Swine Industry.
Lapus, Z. (2009). Swine Production in the Philippines.
Livestock Research Division (2016). Philippine Pork to the World.
Accessed June 9, 2020. www. DOST-PCAARD S&T Media
Service.
Main, D.CJP Kent, E Wemelsfelder, E. Ofner and F. Tuyttens, 2003.
Applications for Methods for on-farm welfare assessment.
Anim. Welf. 12, 523-529
Philippine Statistics Authority (2019) Philippine Pork Production.
Accessed June 9,2020. www. Pig333.com.