INTRODUCTION TO LIVESTOK AND POULTRY PRODUCTION (ANSCI 43A)

NAME: Rejayne S. Juyad_____________________________________________________ SECTION: BSA2D_____

LAB SCHEDULE: W 10:00-1:00pm_____________________________________________ DATE: Dec-02-2021_____

SWINE PRODUCTION: Production and Management

Exercise No. 3

Introduction:

Management is the core of production and elicits better productivity. Consequently, efficient
management is able to maximize outputs out of the available resources such as hog stocks, feeds,
facilities and equipment, medicines and biologics. Thus, farm helper’s technical know-how,
commitment, and cooperation significantly affect production results. Moreover, experienced
managers and owners always point out and eye areas for improvement in consonance with
objectives and target performance and setting. Nevertheless, given right priorities, each section of
the farm operation such as breeding boar or sows and gilts, farrowing and rearing or fattening can
benefit from a well-studied approach. It should be borne in mind that sows are productive
machines that need ample care since they yield market hogs. On the other hand, boars must be
taken in consideration due to their contribution to the quality of market hogs produced. Thus,
understanding the reproductive phenomenon in relation to feeding and nutrition, care and
management, housing, health program, recording, etc. are the key to successful swine raising.

Objective/s:

 Discuss the basic principles and practices involve in boar management.

 Discuss the basic principles and practices involve for sows and gilt management.
 Discuss the basic care and management of piglets prior to weaning.
 Discuss the basic health management practices involve in swine production.
 Determine the importance of record keeping.

Instruction/s: Answer the following questions concisely. Be specific and direct to the point.

Questions:

A. BOAR MANAGEMENT:

1. Discuss the nutritional, environmental and physiological considerations in managing boars.

Pigs require a number of essential nutrients to meet their needs for maintenance, growth,
reproduction, lactation, and other functions.
It shoul also provides estimates of the amounts of these nutrients for various classes of
swine under average conditions. However, factors such as genetic variation, environment,
availability of nutrients in feedstuffs, disease levels, and other stressors may increase the
needed level of some nutrients for optimal performance and reproduction.

It is now well-established that the climatic environment has a major influence on the
growth and development of an animal. It influences the rate and efficiency with which
dietary nutrients are utilised for the many metabolic processes within the body. The

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 objective should be to keep animals within their zone of thermal neutrality, since within this
range of temperatures, heat production is minimal and the energy available for production
is maximal. Under free-living conditions, animals may compensate for variations in their
climatic environment by altering their rate and pattern of feed intake, by changes in
behavior and physical activity and by seeking protection.

2. Explain reproductive problems associated with the boar. How do you overcome these?

Clinical signs
The most important clinical sign to indicate infertility in boars able to mate is the return of
the sow to oestrus at around 21 days as it confirms that a mating has been unsuccessful.
Where infection of the genital tract is responsible, vulval discharge may have occurred in
the sow. There may be swelling or atrophy of the testes which suggest that semen
production could be impaired. Ejaculate obtained in an artificial vagina may be grossly or
microscopically abnormal and contain blood or pus or be yellowish if it contains urine.

Postmortem lesions
Where there is inability to serve, the presence of arthritis can be identified. In Brucella suis
infection, there may be lesions in the spine and in the testes

Treatment and prevention

Boars may be treated for lameness, illness and for physical injuries which prevent service.
Libido may be improved in young boars by close supervision to overcome fear or
incompetence. The effects of high environmental temperature on libido can be reduced by
wallows, water sprays, shade and by serving in the early morning. Overuse can be
prevented by allowing no more than two services per week. Where poor semen quality is
present, priority must be given to maintaining services. Affected boars should be replaced
by normal animals. If too few boars are available, artificial insemination (AI) can
supplement or replace natural service. Boards which cannot serve may recover after
treatment or rest but should be culled if they do not. Semen quality is more difficult to
improve. Bacterial infections f the genital tract may be treated with antimicrobials. The
effects of high environmental temperature or fever on semen quality take up to six weeks to
develop, and are not immediately reversible. Boar infertility may be prevented by careful
examination at selection, use when mature, careful training of young boars, prompt
treatment of infection, provision of cool but not cold accommodation, attention to flooring
to reduce lameness and supervision of service. Sufficient boars should be available to
ensure continued natural service or the supply of good quality semen for all.

B. SOWS AND GILTS MANAGEMENT:

1. Discuss the nutritional, environmental and physiological considerations in managing sows

and gilts.
2. Explain the reproductive and health problems associated during breeding time, pregnancy,
farrowing and weaning. How are they handled?

C. PIGLETS FROM BIRTH TO WEANING:

1. Discuss the steps and importance of the following management practices:

 piglet ideal temperature.

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 Piglets require environmental temperatures of 34°C or more for the single neonate, or
25-30°C or more for the piglet able to huddle in order to maintain body temperature

 cutting umbilical cord

After piglets are born, it is the best umbilical time when umbilical artery is no longer
beating, generally about 20 to 23 minutes after birth, cut the umbilical cord into 3 to 5
cm long, with ligation thread that soaked in disinfectant tied tightly, umbilical head
with disinfectant.
 needle teeth
Pigs have 8 canine teeth often referred to as needle teeth or wolf teeth. It is a good
management practice to clip these teeth within the first day after birth. If left
unclipped these teeth may cause injuries to littermates and the sow’s udder.
 tail docking
Tail-docking – carried out without anesthetic when the piglet is three to four days old
– is intended to prevent the severe injuries that can occur when pigs bite each others'
tails.
 colostrum feeding
Colostrum should be fed directly with a syringe without needle or teat into the mouth
of the piglet. Two to three doses of 15-20 ml during the first hours after delivery are
highly desirable.
 piglets identification
Pigs can be permanently identified by notching or tattooing their ears. Numbered ear
tags are also used but are not usually suitable for pigs penned together as the tags can
be lost.
anemia prevention
 The easiest method is to give the piglet an injection of 150- 200mg of iron dextran in
either a 1 or 2ml dose.
 Iron is best given from 3 to 5 days of age and not at birth. A 2ml dose at birth causes
considerable trauma to the muscles.
 The sites of injection are either into the muscles of the hind leg or into the neck. Use a
21 gauge (5/8 inch) needle.
 Iron can also be given orally but this method is time consuming and the pig must be
treated on 2 or 3 occasions at 7, 10 and 15 days of age.
 Oral pastes available ad lib have been used but the uptake within any litter is variable
and a few piglets remain anemic.

 creep feeding
Creep feeding is the practice of introducing solid feeds to pigs before they are weaned.
The primary reasons for creep feeding pigs are: To supplement pre-weaned piglets
with a solid diet while they are suckling. To create eaters at weaning.

 orphan rearing
An orphan pig is one that is prematurely weaned from his mother, usually under the age of
two months. By far the most orphan pigs, when thus deprived of a mother's beneficent
suckling and fostering influence, range from a day to a few weeks in age.

 Castration
Castration of male piglets is a common practice in many countries and the vast
majority of male piglets in the United States are castrated. Castration is performed to

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 avoid boar taint in the meat of sexually mature male pigs and to reduce aggression
toward other pigs and caretakers.

D. HEALTH MANAGEMENT:

1. Cite at least 5 major disease of swine. What are the medication programs and practices
applied for these diseases?

1.Exudative dermatitis (greasy pig)

The symptoms of this disease are skin lesions caused by an infection of the bacteria Staphlococcus
hyicus.

Prevention:
The disease may be controlled by clipping the teeth of litters at risk where allowed, but providing
soft bedding, e.g. chaffed straw and removing sharp wood shavings if present may also be helpful.
Hygiene, washing of sows into farrowing houses and local treatment of lesions on sows may all
reduce infection.

2 Coccidiosis
This disease is very common in suckling piglets and is caused by three types of the intracellular
parasite coccidia.

Prevention:
 Once the oocysts have become established in an environment the sow plays only a minor
role. The oocysts contaminate the environment by other means such as flies, dried faeces,
dust and faeces contaminated surfaces. Hygiene and insect control are important.
 Remove sow and piglet faeces daily.
 Improve the hygiene in farrowing houses, in particular farrowing pen floors and prevent the
movement of faeces from one pen to another.
 Ensure as far as possible that slurry channels are completely emptied between farrowings.
 Thoroughly wash and disinfect the farrowing houses with OO-CIDE (Antec) or other
substances that are active against oocysts.
 If farrowing crate floor surfaces are made of concrete and pitted, brush these over with lime
wash and allow it to dry before the next sow comes into farrow. See chapter 15.
 Keep pens as dry as possible and in particular those areas of the floor where the piglets
defecate. An effective method is to cover the wet areas with shavings and remove them
daily.
 If creep is fed on the floor stop creep feeding until piglets are at least 21 days old.

3.pneumonia

Prevention:

 Usually pneumonia in the sow involves a mixed infection of viruses and secondary bacteria.
Broad spectrum antibiotics such as OTC, penicillin streptomycin or amoxycillin are
indicated.
 Inject individual cases daily for 3 to 4 days.
 For influenza with secondary bacteria:

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  Combine CTC or OTC in the water at the onset together with in-feed medication at a level of
600g/tonne. - Antibiotic cover is required for at least 14 to 21 days

4 Swine dysentery
Animals with this disease suffer from diarrhea, with or without the presence of blood.

Prevention:

It becomes more and more difficult to cure swine dysentery and therefore this disease should be
prevented rather than cured. A modern pig farm surely already implements a large number of
external and internal hygiene measures. Since carrier pigs and their manure are the main sources of
infection, a systematic cleaning and disinfection of the houses is a must.
Knowing that disinfectants are not active in the presence of organic material, a thorough cleaning
is indispensible before an effective disinfection is carried out. Brachyspira prefers a humid
environment therefore it is very important to dry after disinfection to accomplish the most
complete removal of the Brachyspira bacteria. With finishing herds there is the possibility to empty
the houses for cleaning and disinfection, for sow farms or closed farms this approach is in most
cases not an option. For these farms, a correct use of the quarantine facility is essential. When
animals entering the farm are not unquestionably Brachyspira-free, examination of their faeces can
give more certainty.
Finally, it is also important to clean, disinfect and dry the vehicles, clothing, shoes and equipment
since these can be a constant source of (re)contamination. Also an effective pest control (rats, mice,
insects) is essential in a preventive approach to swine dysentery.

5 Mastitis
Reduced milk production, loss of appetite and a higher body temperature are symptoms of mastitis
in sows.

 Give long-acting injections of either penicillin, oxytetracycline or amoxycillin on the day of

weaning.
 Clean and disinfect weaning accommodation regularly.
 Address hygiene issues.
 If a klebsiella infection is the cause of a herd outbreak it may be necessary to clean out the
watering system.
 If floor surfaces are poor these can be improved by brushing them with lime wash
containing approximately 1oz to the gallon of a phenolic disinfectant. This should be
allowed to dry for 48 hours or so before the sow enters the crate to farrow.
 The udder can be sprayed daily with an iodine based dairy teat dip, commencing 24 hours
before expected farrowing. This spraying should continue once a day for the first two days
post-farrowing.
 If a specific organism is identified and its antibiotic sensitivity is known, the sows feed can
be top-dressed from day of entry into the farrowing houses until three days post-farrowing
with the appropriate in-feed antibiotic or injections of appropriate long-acting antibiotics at
farrowing.
 Cull chronic infected sows.
2. What are the major causes of swine diseases and parasites? How were they prevented?

Causes of disease are considered here under nine main headings

Infectious agents

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 Viruses
Bacteria including; Chlamydia, Anaplasma and Mycoplasma
Fungi
Parasites

Non infectious agents

Trauma
Hereditary and congenital defects (developmental abnormalities)
Nutritional deficiencies and excesses
Toxic agents (poisons)
Stress

Biosecurity a set of prevention measures designed to stop the introduction or spread of

disease into a pig farm. It is a combination of:

 Good herd management practices

 Careful observation
 Quarantining
 Healthy pig feed
 Maintaining health and hygiene
 Providing a clean environment for the animals.
3. Cite at least 5 natural herbal medicines used locally in treating swine diseases and parasites,
indicate its effect?

1. Tea-tree oil.
This comes from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, a plant native to Australia. It has long
been used as a wound-healer by the Aborigines, and its value as an antiseptic is recognized
worldwide. The two active chemicals in tea tree, terpenes and cineole, are well known for
their ability to destroy most bacteria, fungi and yeast, and the oil is of great value in treating
skin diseases and parasitic infestations.

2. Aloe vera.
The Aloe vera plant contains more than 200 naturally occurring nutritional substances and
possesses a number of health benefits. Aloe-vera gel applied locally encourages skin
regeneration and can be used directly on wounds, sunburn and insect bites.

E. RECORD MANAGEMENT:

1. What is the importance of record keeping in swine production?

Importance of recording keeping.

It gives a clear picture of the type of operations, so that the exact degree of success can be
measured. Act as aids to management and financial control.

They are used to assess the strength and weakness of a farm and to plan for future
activities. Records tell a pig producer what has been achieved.

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 They provide valuable information for decision making in order to increase productivity
and profitability of your farm. They are helpful in health programs eg monitoring
treatments and vaccination.

2. In engaging swine production, what are the common records that must be taken?

Records should provide two types of information, end data which identifies what is being
achieved, and epidemiological data which gives the detailed components that have been
responsible for this achievement.

“For the Lord giveth wisdom ; out of His mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding. –Proverbs 2:6”

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