Farrowing
Farrowing facilities range from pasture systems with
small, individual sow huts to enclosed farrowing
houses, which are part of either partial or totally
controlled-environment operations.
Farrowing houses
contain individual farrowing
pens or stalls designed to provide a place for the sow
to farrow and to protect both newborn pigs and workers.
These facilities protect newborn pigs from being crushed
by sows that sometimes accidentally lay on them, and
prevent injury to the pigs or the workers if the sow’s
protective instincts cause aggressive behavior.
Farrowing buildings are thoroughly cleaned before sows
enter and farrowing pastures are rotated in order to
control disease.
Farrowings average 9-10 pigs per litter (with a
practical range of 6 to 13). In 2004, the average number
of pigs saved per litter in the U.S. was about 9.0. Baby
pigs are carefully observed to keep mortality to a
minimum and to ensure rapid early growth and
development.
The highest losses of the entire pork production
process occur within three or four days of birth, and
these losses are costly. It may cost a producer $380 -
$400 a year to keep a sow. If she raises 16 pigs during
that year, the cost per pig is $23-$25. However, if she
raises 20 pigs, the cost per pig falls to $19-$20.
With this in mind, producers follow many steps to
ensure the survival of each pig. Newborn piglets need
special attention because they are born with little
stored energy, have little ability to regulate their own
body temperature and can easily be injured by the sow.
After birth, several procedures may be performed on
piglets to improve their survival chances and/or to
prevent future problems. These procedures may include
disinfecting navels to prevent infections, clipping
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needle teeth to
prevent injuries to other pigs or the sow,
giving supplemental iron to improve the blood’s oxygen
carrying capacity, docking tails to prevent future injury
and castrating boars to prevent off-flavored meat.
Nursery
Pigs are generally weaned at 2-4 weeks of age when
they weigh 10-15 pounds. At this time, they are moved
to either a nursery, a grower, or, in a new development
in pork production technology, directly to a finishing
building modified to meet the needs of young pigs.
These are called wean-finish
buildings.
Most housing for newly weaned pigs has totally
slatted floors that allow the pigs’ wastes to fall through
into a holding pit or gutter. This keeps floors drier and
cleaner, making it easier to provide the correct
environment to keep pigs comfortable and productive.
The slotted floors are made of easily cleaned and easily
maintained materials.
Complex diets consisting of grain, plant proteins,
milk products and animal proteins are fed to newly
weaned pigs. As many as five unique diets may be fed
to a pig before it is moved out of the nursery facility at
8-10 weeks of age and 40-60 pounds. Pigs that were
originally moved to wean-market buildings are simply
changed to growing diets at this point.
Growing and Finishing
Growing and finishing
were once thought of as distinct
phases in the pork production process. The difference
in terminology dates back to the time when fat was
more valuable and “finishing” pigs meant feeding them
to a sufficient degree of fatness. In fact, separate pens
and even separate buildings were used for growing pigs
(up to 120 pounds) and finishing pigs (120 pounds to
market weight).
Today, pigs are seldom moved at 120 pounds, and the
“grow-finish” phase
comprises two to nine phases in
which unique diets are fed to closely match the pigs’
nutritional requirements. Also, barrows and gilts are
frequently fed separately during the grow-finish phase
because their nutritional requirements are significantly
different. “Split-sex” feeding
results in leaner, meatier animals from fewer pounds of
feed.
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