Essential Guide to Swine Production and Management

PRACTICES
IN SWINE
PRODUCTION
Animal Science 345
MANAGEMENT
Presentor

BASICSWINEPRODUCTIONANDMANAGEMENT
PART1.FINDINGTHERIGHTBREED
Different breeds to choose from
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 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 and also for converting its food well
into its weight.

Similar to the Landrace is the Large White. It is
also white in color but has ears that are slightly
erect as compared to that of the landrace. This
breed can also convert its food well to weight
and has a good mothering ability.
“Large Whites can easily adapt to its
environment as long as they’re well cared for in
terms of housing. If they’re in not so good
conditions, this could negatively affect their
performance,” Paulican said.

The Hampshire pig breed is black but has a white or
pink ‘belt’ that runs from its neck to its front feet. It also
has erect ears and slightly small feet. Like the first two
breeds, it also has good mothering abilities and is
suitable for meat production even though its capacity
to appropriate the food it eats into its weight is only
average.
Paulican added that the Hampshire breed can adapt to
any environment or living conditions without affecting
its performance especially during its fattening stage.

Meanwhile, the Duroc is distinguished by its
reddish to dark brown color. As opposed to
the other types of pigs, this breed is
commonly used for reproductive purposes
since it can improve the offspring from other
breeds if it mates with it.

The Pietrain is a pig breed that is known for its
black spots scattered around its white or pink
body. It’s best used for meat production since
it has a higher percentage of meat rather
than fat. Pietrains also adapt well to its
environment and can also be used as a boar
for breeding purposes.

Paulican said that the best breeds to use as sows
are gilts are the landrace, large white, and
Hampshire. As for the boars, the Duroc and
pietrain are good options.
“Those interested in swine production should not
only be familiar with the different breeds that they
can use but also their characteristics so the pigs
can match the purpose of breeding, meat
production, and such,” Paulican added.

PART2.BREEDING
Hybrids vs. pure breeds and the breeding processes
“One common question among pig raisers is the difference between
hybrids and pure breed.

PART2.BREEDING
Pure breeds, are baseline breeds or breeds that are used to create
better offspring when partnered with another kind. Examples of this
include the Large White and Landrace.
The offspring of pure breeds are known as hybrids and they possess
the characteristics from either the sow or the boar or both.

PART2.BREEDING
When it comes to breeding, there are four processes that swine raisers
can engage in. These are pure breeding, cross breeding, in-
breeding, and upgrading.

PART2.BREEDING
First is in-breeding. This process involves breeding two closely-
related animals together such as fathers with daughters,
sons with mothers, or brothers and sisters. The effects of this
process include a decreased number of offspring, reduced strength
and vigor in piglets, and decreased birth and weaning weight among
others.

BASICSWINEPRODUCTION ANDMANAGEMENT
PART2.BREEDING
The second process is pure breeding. This takes two
unrelated animals of the same kind and is usually done to
maintain the breed stock.

PART2.BREEDING
third process known as cross-breeding is the opposite of pure-
breeding. By taking two animals from different breeds and
partnering them, their offspring, which are now known as hybrids,
have a big chance of retaining the good qualities of their parents.

PART2.BREEDING
last breeding process known as upgrading, this takes the Philippine native
pig and breeding it with purebred foreign breeds to upgrade the
characteristics that the native breed already has.

PART2.PIGFARMOPERATIONS
One is the sow-weaner operation where sows are bred and farrowed,
or cared for until they give birth, to produce weaner piglets or those that
have just recently stopped breastfeeding that are to be sold to a finisher
operation.
Weaners weigh around 20 to 25 kilograms and can be sold when they are
about seven to eight weeks.
“This process has a quick turnover because the cycle lasts around 160 to 170
days before it can turn a profit.

Next is the finisher operation. As mentioned, it purchases 20 to 25
kilogram weaners and feeds them until they reach the desired market
weight. In comparison to a sow-weaner operation, this has a faster
turnover since it lasts only around 100 to 120 days. Plus, it requires less
capital for buildings and equipment.

A combination of these two is the farrow-finish operation where the farm
engages in breeding and farrowing sows, as well as raising the offspring until it
reaches the desired market weight.
This model is more viable based on the market’s stability and the pig raiser has better
control on the breeding program. However, this operation may require a larger capital
for the buildings and operating expenses.

Another possible operation for a pig farm is the breeder operation where the
goal is to create parent stocks. This operation has a slight advantage since the
price of stocks are usually unregulated except by market demand.
“Farmers can earn a good amount from this operation especially with the rising
numbers of people who are interested in venturing into pig raising.

The last operation is the boar operation. Here, boars are the only
ones maintained for either natural breeding services or artificial
insemination. However, this may need a large capital because it
requires a laboratory and laboratory equipment for semen storage
and processing.

“When it comes to choosing the right operation, the type and size of
the enterprise must depend on economic viability, available capital,
as well as the expertise and capability to do the job,

SWINEPRODUCTIONANDMANAGEMENT
PART3.BASICREQUIREMENTS
Venturing into pig farming can be a profitable business due to the high
demand of pork in the market. Yet it requires the right know-how along with
the necessities in terms of housing, food, and such to make the operation
work.

The basics on housing
One of the first things that should be secured in a
pig farm is its housing.
The housing should be designed to facilitate the
freedom and individual comfort of pigs, labor
saving, herd health and sanitation, bedding
conservation, and manure disposal.

Farmers should give consideration to the cost and durability of the materials
used to secure the housing.
In addition to the housing, the site selection of the farm is also important
as it should be accessible, within proximity of essential services like
water and electricity yet within a reasonable distance from other
farms. Moreover, the site of a pig farm or the pig’s housing should also
have suitable surroundings, biosecurity, and in possession of the
proper permits for operation.

Once the appropriate site has been located, it’s time to think about the
building’s orientation. It is best to follow an east-west orientation. This
would give the pigs the right amount of sunlight and the direction of the wind can
help lessen the smell that would come off from the farm.

The next concern that pig farmers or aspiring ones should focus on next is
providing the right nutrition for the pigs.
One ingredient is water since the pigs’ body weight is made up of 70 to 80 percent
of water.
Next is protein. This is essential for the growth and maintenance of muscle organs
and tissues. It also helps in the formation of enzymes, hormones, and antibodies.
Some sources of protein can come from animal by-products such as fish meal, bone
meal, and blood meal, as well as legumes like azolla, alugbati, and madre de agua.

Another nutrient requirement is carbohydrates because it serves as the largest
energy source in the pig’s diet (around 60 to 75 percent). It also helps in the regulation
of body temperature.
“Good sources of carbohydrates include corn bran and rice bran which are available in
the market. Sorghum and wheat meal are also possible choices.
She added that carbohydrates are low in protein which is why they need to be
augmented with ingredients that are rich in the latter.

Pigs also need crude fiber (CF) to facilitate better digestion as well as water retention.
Piglets can be given a maximum of five percent while adults require 12 percent of CF.
Furthermore, pigs also need fats in their meals since these nutrients provide the most
concentrated source of energy to the body. On a weight basis, it supplies 2.25 more energy
than carbohydrates. Plus, fats make feeds more palatable and less dusty.
The nutrient can be sourced from oils such as vegetable oil, coconut or palm oil, corn oil,
and fish oil.

Vitamins are another requirement in the nutrition of pigs. These serve
essential functions in maintaining normal growth and reproduction among
pigs. Vitamins are usually given in small quantities.
Lastly, minerals should also be included in the feeds because these aid in
the formation of bones and teeth, along with other bodily functions.

“Aside from the food and its contents, other factors that affect pigs’ nutrition
include its environment, facilities, and management.

PART3.BUILDINGHOGHOUSES,EQUIPMENTAND
FACILITIES
No matter what the system of operation, hog houses must be constructed
properly to ensure maximum swine performance and growth. A good hog house
may not necessarily improve the health conditions of the animals, but a poor one will
certainly encourage the development of more problems due to disease.

PART3.BUILDINGHOGHOUSES,EQUIPMENTANDFACILITIES
factors when building hog houses:
Small or backyard operations can use cheap and locally available
materials like bamboo and nipa.
• Hog houses should be constructed on a slightly sloping and well-
drained area so that it will not become too muddy; a muddy hog
house is inconvenient to work in.

PART3.BUILDINGHOGHOUSES,EQUIPMENTANDFACILITIES
Permanent hog houses should have concrete floors for easy cleaning,
and to minimize the occurrence of parasites and diseases. Concrete floors,
however, must not be too rough as this may cause foot and leg problems in
the swine; neither should they be so smooth that they become slippery when
wet.

PART3.FACILITIESANDEQUIPMENTFORSWINEHOUSING
Provide the pig house with proper equipment such as feeders,
thermometers, weighing scales, and a nipple drinker or drinking
troughs. Feeders and water troughs are best made of concrete,
although other materials may be used. Some hog raisers use
discarded automobile or truck tires that are cut in half.
• For bigger operations, farrowing (or birthing) stalls are important for
reducing piglet mortality due to crushing

• Heat lamps or electric brooders are needed for the survival of
newborn pigs. In places where the use of heat lamps is not possible,
a box lined with old sacks or thickly bedded straw, rice hull, or saw
dust can keep the pigs warm and comfortable.

Elvie A. Regaspi, an animal nutritionist with the UNAHCO, recommends that
Apralyte be given to newborn pigs to prevent diarrhea. On the third day
after Apralyte is given, Regaspi said the piglets should be injected with Jectran
Premium with zinc to prevent anemia; this will also boost their growth and
resistance against infections.

PART3.CAREOFTHESOWDURINGFARROWINGANDLACTATION
Proper care of the sow during gestation, farrowing, and
lactation is a means to reach a goal—a large litter of healthy
pigs at birth that will remain healthy and grow rapidly. Care
during this time must also prepare the sow for a successful
repeat performance at the earliest time within the system of
weaning and rebreeding used.

Preparing the Farrowing Unit.
If possible, the total farrowing unit should be cleaned completely of organic matter,
disinfected, and left unused for 5-7 days before a new group of sows is placed in the
unit. When this is not practical, at least the individual pen, stall, or crate should be
completely cleaned of organic matter and disinfected before a new sow is placed in
the unit. Disinfectants are ineffective unless the cleaning job is complete. There are
many good disinfectants available, including the quaternary ammonium
compounds, iodoform compounds and others such as lye, to use when the cleaning
job is done well. Some disinfectants such as those that contain coal tars or lye
should be thoroughly rinsed off after several hours, especially from surfaces having
direct contact with pigs.

Washing the Sow. Before the sow is placed in the farrowing pen, wash the
teats and belly with mild soap and warm water. This will eliminate soil and
fecal material that may contain numerous bacteria that are potential
diarrhea-producing agents for the nursing pigs. This procedure will also
eliminate ascaris (roundworm) eggs that would serve as a source of
infection to the nursing pig.

Feeding the Sow. During prefarrow in the facility, sows can be fed as they have been
during gestation, that is limit fed 4-6lb./day depending on weather and housing
conditions. Better results are often reported by producers, however, from feeding a
laxative ration prefarrowing to prevent constipation. Constipation can be prevented or
corrected by changing to a bulky diet, by addition of 20lb./ton of epsom salts or 15lb./ton
of potassium chloride, by use of linseed meal as part of the protein in the ration, or by
use of other laxative ingredients. Oats or wheat bran may be used as 25% of the grain to
create a bulky ration; in some areas, other fibrous feeds such as alfalfa meal or beet pulp
may be preferred. Remove bulky ingredients from the sow ration soon after farrowing.
Water should be freely available, but spillage that could cause wetness of the pen should
be prevented.

Farrowing and Lactation
Environmental Requirements. Temperature in the sow area should be in the sow
comfort range of 55-75°F; at the higher temperatures of this range sow appetite
and performance may be depressed. On solid or slotted floors without bedding,
baby pig areas should be kept at 90-95°F for the first few days, and then in the 70-
80° F range until weaning at 3-6 weeks of age.
Provide adequate ventilation at all times. Cooling the sow may be beneficial during
hot weather.

Knowing When a Sow Will Farrow. The sow must be at the right place at the
right time for farrowing, according to the management system used.
Recorded breeding dates, calculated farrowing dates, and close observation
are essential for proper farrowing management. Signs during late pregnancy
help to ensure that sows do not farrow at the wrong place and without
proper attention.
If farrowing is to take place in a crate or pen, the sow should be in that place no later than
the 110th day of gestation. This avoids loss of litters farrowed on the short end of a normal
gestation period (111-115 days) and permits time for dams to become accustomed to the
facility and routine of daily care before onset of birth. If breeding dates are not recorded,
each sow should be carefully observed daily during obvious late pregnancy for enlarged
abdomen area, swollen vulva, and filled teats as basis for estimating the farrowing date.

Presence of milk usually indicates that farrowing will occur within 24 hours. The milk
may be grayish in its earliest stage but becomes white as time of farrowing
approaches. Sows may become restless or nervous, may try to escape the crate,
chew on anything available, urinate frequently, and attempt to build a nest or bed. If
milk is present, the sow should be prepared and moved immediately to the
farrowing facility. If farrowing facility space is available, move questionable sows to
the facility early rather than waiting “one more day.” Farrowing can be induced by an
injectable product, prostaglandin, (available on prescription of a veterinarian only) to
induce farrowing to facilitate scheduling, building use, and other production
management practices; however, if it is used, definite breeding dates must be
known.

The Birth Process. Attending sows at farrowing decreases the number of “stillborn” pigs that die
during birth or within the first few hours afterwards; pigs can be freed from membranes, weak
pigs revived, and care can be given that reduces other deaths in the first few days after farrowing.
Duration of labor ranges from 30 minutes to more than 5 hours. Pigs may be born either-head
first or rear feet first; either is normal. Fetal membranes or afterbirth may be expelled several
times during delivery, but afterbirth generally occurs in a larger amount near the end of farrowing.
Occasionally, if a pig is enclosed in the afterbirth material remove it immediately or the pig will
quickly suffocate. “Stillborn” pigs are those that have died during farrowing; dead pigs may have
been dead for only a few days or for an extended time; “mummies” are pigs that have been dead
long enough for much reabsorption of the soft tissues, but not of the skeleton, to have taken
place.

The average interval between birth of pigs is approximately 15 minutes but can vary from
simultaneous to several hours in individual cases. Use of oxytocin to speed up rate of delivery is
helpful if correctly done and if farrowing is proceeding slowly but otherwise normally. A rule of
thumb, not universally recommended but widely followed, is to administer oxytocin when the first
interval of 30 minutes after birth of the previous pigs has occurred without birth of another pig or
without expelling membranes that indicate farrowing is completed. Oxytocin should not be used
until birth of one or more pigs has occurred. Oxytocin should not be used if symptoms, such as
straining without delivery, indicate that a pig is blocking the birth canal.

Prolonged labor, especially that which is associated with difficult birth, and litters
produced by large, older sows, are often accompanied by increased numbers of
stillbirths and added death losses in the first few days after farrowing. Sows that
have been overfed during gestation are more subject to prolonged labor, and
some individuals seem to be genetically prone to this problem. Proper feeding
can prevent overweight, or thin sows and selection and culling may eliminate
animals that are prone to difficult births.

Assisting Difficult Births. At times, manual assistance is necessary to accomplish
delivery but should not be used until obviously needed. Continued strong labor for
an extended period without birth of pigs indicates need for such assistance. Keep
some organisms from gaining entrance to the reproductive tract by careful washing
of the external genitalia with a mild soap solution, using a clean container for fresh
clean water. A well-lubricated, clean gloved hand and arm should be inserted into
the reproductive tract as far as needed to encounter a pig “in place” for birth; the
pig should be grasped and gently but firmly pulled to assist delivery.

Nervous and Hysterical Sows. Some sows may become temporarily ‘’hysterical” and
vicious; these are likely to trample or lie on several of their pigs or kill them by biting;
some producers cull these sows on temperament. Such sows must be attended to
prevent loss of newborn pigs; loss can be prevented or minimized by removing pigs to a
warm place until farrowing is completed. The hysteria generally subsides in a few hours.
Test the sow by placing only one pig with her and watching her reaction.

Nutrition of Newborn Pigs. It is highly important that each pig receive colostrum to
provide immediate and temporary protection against common bacterial infections. Pigs
are born into a hostile bacterial environment. Antibodies in the sow’s milk are the best
protection against these bacteria. Proper nutrition of the sow, including a laxative ration
prior to and following farrowing; maintaining proper environmental temperature; and
freedom from contagious disease organisms all help to ensure normal milk production.

Feeding the Sow During Lactation. Sows need not be fed for 12-24 hours after
farrowing, but water should be continuously available. Two or three lb. of a laxative
feed may be fed at the first post-farrow feeding; amount of feed should be gradually
increased until the maximal feed level is reached as soon as possible after farrowing.
Full feeding from the day of farrowing can be successfully used. Sows that are thin at
farrow may benefit from generous feeding in the early post-farrow.

Feeding the Pig During Lactation. Sows’ milk does not contain enough iron for baby pigs. Iron
must be given to pigs within their first 3 or 4 days to prevent anemia. Pigs can be supplied with
iron by giving them clean sod (not from a hog lot), iron injections (iron dextran in the ham or
heavy neck muscle), or iron compounds mixed with other minerals which pigs can eat. When
pigs are about 1 week old, start feeding them a prestarter (about 20% protein) or starter feed
in a shallow pan.

THANK YOU!
Create a profitable business with
little initial investment, and watch it
expand quickly.

Essential Guide to Swine Production and Management

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