Breeding pigs for profit.

Pigs   are mono gastric animals usually bred for commercial purposes. The raising of pigs is for reproduction, fattening and sale. Pigs properly managed and housed in a clean environment reproduce at a fast rate and bring about good return on investment.
 
                                       Breeds of pigs.
   There are various breeds of pigs available such as land race,large white,Duroc and Hampshire. The indigenous breeds available have been crossed over time with exotic breeds such that some of their traits are passed down.

   The cross with indigenous breeds ensures that the pigs are hardy and are stable in this environment. Pigs must be chosen for high productivity, sexual soundness, rapid growth,good mothering ability and excellent health and breeding soundness.

                                         Selection of stock. 
 When setting up a farm, your stock must be chosen from proven sources with excellent health and breeding records.
 Boars, to be chosen must be from a sow with high reproductive capacity at least 8 -10 piglets/litter. The boar must be active with 10-12 rudimentary teat. The boar must be from a disease-free stock, with no record of lameness .
 The boar must have well developed feet with uniform curve at the back and must be long in length. The boar must be selected from stock with well developed sex organs.
 The boar must be at least 8 months to be suitable for service.

                                                           Gilts. 
 These are virgin females, they must be selected from fast growing weaners. The gilts must have good body conformation, strong legs and feet. The gilts are selected from sows with good mothering abilities and high farrowing rate of 9-11 piglets/litter.
 The gilts must not have any defects such as inverted teats,or fat deposited at the base of their teats. 

                                                          Housing.
 A piece of land of about 120×60 ft can house about 400 full grown pigs.    The land should be fenced to keep out predators.
There must be a borehole to supply water on the farm . The pens are solid structures with dwarf walls that have metal gates,the floors are cemented but roughened to prevent falling of pigs. Houses should have in built feeding troughs and feeding troughs.

                                                               Feeding.
 Pigs are to be fed a balanced ration for optimal growth, development and reproduction. The ration should not be fatty to prevent the pigs from depositing fat to produce fatty pork instead of lean meat. Feed can be sourced locally or commercial feed can be purchased. Feed ingredients are as follows,maize,p.k.c, wheat bran, brewers waste,full fat soya,vegetables, fishmeal, with salt and minerals.

                                                             Breeding. 
Boars are put to work at about 9 months of age when they are sexually matured. Gilts are mated at about 8 months, the gilts are growing and also feeding their fetuses, thus the nutrition must be such to cater for the growth and development of the fetuses, the gilts are flushed 3 weeks to the mating by increasing feed intake.
     When the gilt is on heat and ready for mating stands to pressure and allows the boar.The mating is down twice at 24hr interval.The gestation period is113 days,the sow is moved to farrowing pen 2 days to expected delivery. The farrowing house must be warm and have extra floor covering to prevent damage to knees and feet of piglets.

The piglets are exposed to colostrum immediately after birth.The sow milk does not contain enough iron so iron injection must be given to the the piglets.

                                                    Management of piglets. 

They should be started on creep feed at about 9 days, this is high in protein and stimulates rapid growth. The piglets have 2 teeth on the upper and lower jaw, that have needle points that can damage the udder, this must be clipped
   .Boars that are to be fattened must be castrated to remove the smell taint from the pork when sold.Tail tip is cut to prevent tail biting..  Deworming and antibiotic treatment are given at stipulated times.

3 strategies for successful piglet creep feeding.

3 strategies for successful piglet creep feeding.Understanding when creep feeding is working and when it is not can create savings or performance potential on any pig farm. 1) Creep feeding and weaning age. The first of such condition is the weaning age of the piglets. For piglets to fully benefit from creep feeding, they must have sufficient time to consume about 500 grams of feed before weaning. When pigs are weaned at 15-18 days of age, creep feed intake is rarely over 100 grams per pig. Thus, the only benefit that can be claimed is that pigs at least realize pellets or dry meal as a form of nourishment. But there is one big problem following such limited and early exposure to dry feed, in that the gastrointestinal system might be prematurely triggered to a delayed hypersensitivity reaction if the feed contains any source of soybeans. This usually manifests itself in the form of profuse diarrhea after weaning when pigs start consuming larger quantities of feed while any protective effect of mother’s milk is removed. Thus, for very early-weaned pigs, it is best not to offer any creep feed at all. In contrast, when weaning weights must be boosted, it is strongly advised to offer them a milk re-placers. In contrast, when pigs are weaned at approximately 25 days of age, creep feed intake approaches the limit of 500 grams of pigs, bypassing the danger of delayed hypersensitivity reaction. In this case, pigs not only become rapidly accustomed to consuming dry feed, but they are also weaned markedly heavier. Based on research and experience, it can be said that creep feeding can be associated with as much as an extra kilogram body weight as weaning age approaches 28 days of age. Therefore, with later weaning ages, as currently practiced throughout Europe, creep feeding must be a common feature in all piglet feeding programs. When pigs are weaned at 35 days of age, creep feeding is so successful that it is often advisable to discontinue offering the initial feed after one week and replace it with a less dense/complex diet to prevent pigs from scouring from overfeeding. 2) Management is key Now, the next logical question is "How is it done?" The secret, if there is such a thing, is in the old but wise advice of little and often. Yes, it is labor intensive, and yes, it is not fun after the first few times, but pigs are biological organisms and that’s the way they work. Given spoiled or stale feed they simply refuse to eat it, or even explore it, as long as they have access to mother’s warm milk. Hardly possible to blame them! So, start with a small quantity of fresh creep feed (~50 g) from a newly-opened bag and offer it on an open plate or spread it on their sleeping mat. Preferably do so between sow feeding times because pigs know they are going to get a good milk meal right after the sow eats. Next time around the farrowing barn, clean up any leftovers and replenish with another portion of creep feed, even though some litters did not consume their share. To this end, it’s best for the creep feed to be kept outside the farrowing barn so that it does not pick up the smells pigs are used to. Once piglets consume their allotted portion, it is probably a good time to switch to a less expensive product, or even wean them. And, one final remark: Pigs eating creep feed must also drink fresh water. So, make sure they have access to it all the time and that they know how to use the drinking devices. 3 strategies for successful piglet creep feeding.

Plant extracts in pig diets to combat PRRS and E. coli.

The University of Illinois explored the potential benefits of selected plant extracts to fight important pig diseases.The researchers conducted two experiments to test the beneficial effects of garlic botanical extracted from garlic, turmeric oleoresin extracted from ginger, and capsicum oleoresin from pepper on PRRS and E. coli in pigs. The pigs in the study challenged with E. coli that had been fed any of the three plant extracts had a lower frequency of diarrhoea (20%) than the pigs fed the control diet (40%). The pigs fed plant extracts were more efficient (40%) in feed use than the pigs fed the control diet in the E. coli-challenged group, and challenged pigs fed plant extracts had sounder gut morphology compared with the challenged pigs fed the control diet. After feeding the pigs challenged with the PRRS virus the three plant extracts, the researchers observed that the pigs were more efficient in week 1 (55%) and week 2 (40%) than the pigs fed the control diet. The pigs that were challenged with the PRRES virus and fed plant extracts also had a lower blood viral load (13%) and lower concentrations of inflammatory mediators than pigs fed the control diet. These observations also suggest that feeding plant extracts could suppress ongoing inflammation and prevent secondary infections. The researchers believe the benefits resulted from the effects on the pigs' immune systems because feeding plant extracts reduced the inflammation caused by E. coli and the PRRS virus. Source;NaturalBlaze.com

Pigs susceptible to virulent ebolavirus can transmit the virus to other animals.

Canadian investigators have shown that a species of ebolavirus from Zaire that is highly virulent in humans can replicate in pigs, cause disease, and be transmitted to animals previously unexposed to the virus. The findings are published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases A species of ebolavirus from Zaire that is highly virulent in humans can replicate in pigs, cause disease, and be transmitted to animals previously unexposed to the virus. To prevent human outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever, it is important to identify animal species that replicate and transmit the virus to other animals and, potentially, people. Zaire ebola virus, one of several species of the virus, has a fatality rate as high as 90 percent in humans. Antibodies to another species not associated with human disease, known as Reston ebolavirus, have been found in pig farmers in the Philippines, suggesting pigs may be able to transmit virulent ebolavirus to humans as well. Following mucosal exposure to Zaire ebolavirus, the pigs replicated the virus in high amounts, mainly in the respiratory tract. Shedding of the virus from nasal mucosa was detected for up to 14 days post-infection, and severe lung disease was observed. The study also showed that the virus was transmitted to all previously unexposed pigs co-habiting with the infected animals. The study authors suggest that domesticated pigs are susceptible to Zaire ebolavirus through mucosal infection and that the pigs' accompanying severe respiratory disease is associated with shedding of high viral loads into the environment, exposing uninfected pigs to the infection. In contrast to the systemic syndrome affecting multiple organs that often leads to shock and death in primates, they noted, the respiratory syndrome that develops in pigs could be mistaken for other porcine respiratory diseases. Source ;sciencedaily.

PIG'S GENETIC CODE ALTERED TO TACKLE AFRICAN SWINE FEVER.

An advance in the fight against a deadly virus that affects pigs has been made by researchers who used advanced genetic techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to African Swine Fever -a highly contagious disease that kills up to two-thirds of infected animals. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute have used gene-editing techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to African Swine Fever. The team have changed five letters of the animals' DNA code to give them a variant of a gene that is usually carried by warthogs. It is the first time researchers have successfully swapped alleles in an animal's genetic code using gene editing. African Swine Fever is spread by ticks. When standard farmed pigs are infected, they quickly become ill and die, but warthogs and bush pigs show no disease symptoms when infected.The team used advanced genetic techniques to produce pigs that are potentially resilient to African Swine Fever -- a highly contagious disease that kills up to two-thirds of infected animals.The new pigs carry a version of a gene that is usually found in warthogs and bush pigs, which researchers believe may stop them from becoming ill from the infection. The research is focused on one of the pig genes associated with African Swine Fever Virus infection called RELA. The gene causes the immune system to overreact with devastating effects.Warthogs and bush pigs carry a different version of the RELA gene from that found in farmed pigs. Scientists believe that this variant -- known as an allele -- may dampen their immune response and explain why they are more resilient to African Swine Fever. This latest study marks the first time researchers have successfully swapped alleles in an animal's genetic code using gene editing. Source; University of Edinburgh.

BIOTECH AND PRRSV RESISTANT PIGS.

A research involving scientists have bred Pigs resistant to a PRRSV, Using CRISPR ;(CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing method—to breed pigs resistant to infection). Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) emerged in the 1980s, and the syndrome now afflicts these hoofed animals worldwide, causing illness, death and miscarriage. It has been designated the most economically significant disease for swine, costing livestock producers in North America $600 million annually from deaths and medical treatments. Vaccinations have mostly failed to prevent the syndrome's spread, but a new approach by biologists at the University of Missouri may mark a turning point. They are one of the first teams to develop a commercial agricultural application for the revolutionary CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing method—to breed pigs resistant to infection. CRISPR/Cas9 is a gene-manipulation tool that allows scientists to make changes to DNA with razor-sharp accuracy. The tool has generated excitement in the research community because it allows rapid modification of gene function, replacing older and less efficient methods. For porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, Missouri's Randall Prather, Kristen Whitworth and Kevin Wells turned to the technique to breed three piglets that lacked a protein on cells that acts as a doorway for the virus. The edited piglets were grouped together in a pen with seven normal piglets, and then they all were inoculated with PRRSV. About five days later the normal pigs grew feverish and ill, but the genetically edited pigs did not. Despite sharing close quarters with their sick pen mates, they remained in top health throughout the 35-day study period. Blood testing also revealed that the edited animals did not produce antibodies against the virus—further evidence that they evaded infection entirely. “I expected the pigs would get the virus but not get as sick,” Prather says. “But it is just night and day. The pigs are running around with the other pigs coughing on them, but they are just fine.” This work and other recent experiments demonstrate the promise of CRISPR/Cas9 for the care of domestic animals. Late last year geneticists at the University of California, Davis, employed the new technique to breed dairy cows that do not grow horns. The study is published in the Nature Biotechnology.

Researchers highlight link between feral pigs , vampire bats and rabies.

Researchers highlight alarming link between feral pigs and vampire bats,according to results of a study published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The number of vampire bats, which transmit rabies and are a concern for livestock breeders, may be increasing in Brazil and the Americas along with growth in the populations of invasive feral pigs and wild boars (Sus scrofa). The researchers recently reported an alarming rise in the numbers and distribution of S. scrofa, as well as showing that the common vampire bat Desmodus rotundus is now feeding on the blood of these animals. As numbers of invasive feral pigs increase, so does the damage to crops and native fauna, among other problems. S. scrofa is also a growing source of blood for vampire bats, so the population of D. rotundus is also likely to increase. Only three of the approximately 1,200 known bat species feed exclusively on blood, and all three are found only in the Americas. D. rotundus is the most widely distributed, inhabiting a territory that ranges from Mexico to Argentina. This species feeds mostly on livestock and poultry, but it has also been documented to prey on mammals such as tapirs and deer. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest biome, about 1.4% of vampire bats are infected with rabies. The proportion may be as high as 10% in the Peruvian Amazon. Transmission of rabies by vampire bats is a major concern for ranchers in Brazil, even in areas where cattle are routinely vaccinated. Wild animals, including feral pigs, are not vaccinated and may therefore pose a serious threat by spreading this disease. The researchers have used camera traps to monitor mammals in the Brazilian Pantanal and Atlantic Forest for the past 12 years. These are remotely activated infrared cameras that film at night when triggered by sensors that detect the presence of an animal. After checking 10,529 photos and videos with several examples of vampire bats feeding on feral pigs, cattle, tapirs, and red brocket deer (Mazama americana), the researchers selected 158 independent events in the Pantanal (101 with feral pigs, 38 with deer, and 19 with tapirs), and 87 events in the Atlantic Forest (35 with feral pigs, 29 with deer, and 23 with tapirs). Based on these events, they estimated that the probability of vampire bat attacks on feral pigs was as high as 10% for nights in which recordings were made.

Facts about African Swine Fever.

The emergence of cases of African swine fever identified within the pork producing countries,shows it is important to maintain high standards of biosecurity.

The knowledge about the signs of the disease, and equally most important is to know how to curtail the spread. The pig and its close relatives, boars and hogs are the only natural host of the double-stranded, Asfarviridae family of viruses, meaning the virus does not cause harm to humans or other animals. This does not mean that humans and other animals cannot spread the virus as carriers;


 African Swine Fever (ASF) is commonly carried by arthropods, such as the soft-bodied tick, through uptake of blood from infected pigs.

 Contamination generally occurs via direct contact with tissue and bodily fluids from infected or carrier pigs, including discharges from the nose, mouth, urine and feces or infected semen.

   It also spreads through transport and consumption of contaminated pork products, and some cases have originated from failure to comply with biosecurity standards by feeding waste food to domestic pigs..

   The virus in wild boar and hogs does not manifest any signs of the disease but it remains highly contagious across all swine species and can survive in pigs for long periods of time even post-slaughter and even in frozen carcasses.  It is also important to note that curing and smoking pork products does not destroy the virus.

 The common signs are as follows: 1). High fever 40-42°C.
 2) Loss of appetite.

 3) Depression.

 4)Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
.
5) In White skinned pigs: extremities (nose, ears, tail and lower legs) become cyanotic (blue-purple color).

 6) Discrete hemorrhages appear in the skin particularly on the ears and flanks.
 7) Group will huddle together and are usually shivering.

8) Abnormal breathing.

 9) Heavy discharge from eyes and/or nose.

10) Lethargic- sometimes refusal to stand or move.

11) Very unsteady when forced to stand up.

 12) Comatose state and death within a few days.

    Pregnant sows commonly undergo miscarriage or deliver stillborn piglets that are malformed. Piglets can be tested for the virus.

Mortality rate in infected groups of pigs is high and there is no vaccination proven to prevent or cure infection.

Prevention is key,here are some steps to follow

 Ensure strict biosecurity rules. Do not take pig meat onto farms, and restrict all food (and consumption of food) to a canteen.

All staff on farm should be inducted onto a strict programme of hand and equipment sanitation before and after contact with pigs.

 - Follow rules and regulations on disposal of food waste at ferry ports and airports.

 - Provide the means for staff and visitors to thoroughly sanitize their hands and equipment.

 - Ensure that wild boar, warthogs and wild pigs, and materials potentially contaminated by such wild species do not come into contact with domestic pigs.

 - Check infected regions before importation of goods that could potentially be contaminated. - Advise and educate people on the risks of bringing back pork products from infected regions.

HOW TO HANDLE HEAT STRESS IN PIGS.

Heat stress affects the pig industry in tropical climates as well as temperate regions. Losses due to heat stress include nonproductive days for sows and economic losses in growing-finishing pigs. Even in mild climate conditions such as the Netherlands pigs have problems in the summer with performance losses due heat stress .This problem can be dealt with by improved nutrition. Pigs are much more sensitive to hot weather than other livestock animals – largely due to the fact that pigs hardly sweat and their lungs are relatively small compared to their body size. When pigs are exposed to heat stress, their respiration rate increases, pulse rate falls, they start panting heavily and they stop eating because this contributes to further heat production. The fact that bigger pigs are more sensitive to heat stress can be clearly seen in growth performance. Investigation of different weight classes (75, 80 and 28 kg body weight) showed a direct negative correlation on average daily gain (ADG) with increasing room temperature. While 75 kg pigs start to decrease their ADG at around 23°C, pigs weighing 25 kg can compensate up to 27°C (Langridge, Western Australia, 2014). A commonly accepted temperature range for sows in the farrowing house typically spans between 21°C and 25°C - though this is too big of a range. Nursery sows begin to show signs of heat stress starting at 22°C . The feed intake drops almost 0.5 kg/day as temperature increases to 25°C. Technical solutions to reduce heat stress are often time 
consuming and can be highly expensive, e.g. building cooled stables. A nutritional approach can prove more adaptable and quicker to implement. Based on current knowledge there are some measures we can take to improve the swine productivity during periods of heat stress. The nutritional intervention include; 1) Smaller, more frequent meals per day and/or night feeding. 2)A sufficient supply of fresh, clean water. 3)Wet the feed with water. 4)Use pelleted feed instead of mash. 5)Lower crude protein. 6) Replace starch with fat as an energy source. 7) Use less fiber. Story from materials from pig progress.

Mange in pigs.

The importance of external parasites in pig production varies greatly among regions because of differences in climate and systems used to raise pigs. Sarcoptic mange caused by Sarcoptes scabiei var suis is the most important external parasite of pigs worldwide.

 Other external parasites include demodectic mites, lice, fungi and ticks. External parasites produce a range of clinical signs in pigs including rubbing, scratching, and skin lesions. Some parasites also cause significant economic effects due to reduced growth rate, reduced feed efficiency, and loss of carcass value at slaughter.

 Sarcoptic Mange. Two clinical forms of the disease are recognized: a hyperkeratotic form that most commonly affects multiparous sows and a pruritic or hypersensitive form that primarily affects growing pigs.

 The sarcoptes mite is a small, greyish-white, circular parasite about 0.5mm in length and just visible to the naked eye when placed on a dark background.

 Hyperkeratotic encrustations in the ears of multiparous sows are the main reservoir of mites within a herd. The boar helps to maintain infection in the herd because he is constantly in direct skin contact with breeding females and he remains a chronic carrier.

If pigs are housed in groups, there is increased opportunity for spread. Piglets become infested during suckling. Environmental spread is less important but exposure for as little as 24 hours to pens that have been immediately vacated by previously infected pigs can result in infestation.

 The mite dies quickly away from the pig; under most farm conditions in less than five days. This is an important factor in control. If a herd is free from mange, it is one of the easiest diseases to keep out because it can only be introduced by carrier pigs.

However, once it is introduced, it tends to become permanently endemic unless control measures are taken. In the acute disease,there is severe hypersensitive (allergic) mange in a sow.

New virus associated with polio-like symptoms in pigs.

A new virus associated with polio-like symptoms in pigs has been discovered by US researchers . This is a novel virus in the central nervous tissues of young pigs with polio-like weakness in their hind legs.Farms dealing with the disease may lose 1-2% of pigs, making it a concern for individual producers The Iowa State University reported that Paulo Arruda, an assistant professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, led a team of diagnosticians from Iowa State, the University of Minnesota and Kansas State University. They investigated samples from 11-week-old pigs that couldn’t walk due to a mysterious weakness in their hind legs. The report shows that the diagnostic team found microscopic lesions in the pigs’ central nervous tissues containing a novel sapelovirus that researchers hadn’t previously encountered. Sapeloviruses belong to a family of viruses commonly found in pigs, but this particular strain was different from all other sapeloviruses previously described. Reporting findings suggests, a lack of scientific evidence regarding the virus means it’s impossible to know just how widely it may spread, but the epidemiology of other viruses within its family leads the team to believe this particular strain may be fairly common on US hog farms. However, only a small percentage of pigs with the virus likely will display symptoms, and there is no evidence now that suggests pork is unsafe to eat.more

How to reduce aggression in pigs.

When new ,unfamiliar pigs are grouped together they fight to establish dominance relationships. This natural behavior can, under farm conditions, escalate to the extent where health and productivity are affected. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. Researchers at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC, formerly SAC) in Edinburgh, UK have been working on pig aggression for over 15 years and recently, an information leaflet on aggression has been made available for farmers. The effect of aggression on productivity, aggression between newly mixed pigs lasts for around 24 hours, after which it reduces but remains high for up to three weeks. Aggression results in skin lesions which mostly fade after one or two days. Aggression increases stress, causes skin lesions and can result in injury and reduced immunity and growth. In sows it can lead to abortion. The time spent on fighting comes directly at the cost of the time spent on feeding. Growth rate is therefore most often reduced on the first days after regrouping. How to reduce aggression in pigs 1) re grouping: If needed, then regroup pigs as young as possible. The older and heavier pigs are, the more likely that growth will be reduced and injuries occur. Endeavor to keep the number of unfamiliar pigs per pen as low as possible. The higher the familiarity, the fewer the fights. Caution: Do not put one or two unfamiliar pigs in an established group. more

SIAMPIGS NETWORK.: IMPROVING ASIAN PIGS GENETIC LINES.

SiamPigs' goal is not only to improve production performance, but also to solve endemic and chronic herd health problems. In Asia, some pig producers buy breeding stock from Europe and the US with the expectation that the imported genetics will result in a giant leap forward for their breeding programmes. In doing so, they often make false assumptions when comparing their current performance and projected farm performance. They expect to see a lift in performance, but performance figures are not straightforward phenomena. SiamPigs, established in Thailand, is a network of pig producers using improved genetics, disease tolerant and disease resistant pigs as a tool. This network works on 3 principles; 1) Disease resistance and tolerance; Under real commercial operating conditions, when animals are intensively reared and disease is a limiting factor, natural selection is allowed to do its work. Unlike animals from European or the US genetic farms that have never faced disease challenges, animals selected by SiamPigs are disease tolerant or have resistant traits, and come from its own network across Thailand. Animals that have successfully adapted and continue to be productive are recruited as seed stock for further development and use within the network. Pigs in the SiamPigs network are resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) and E. coli. The network can select disease tolerant or resistant animals that even experienced diseases but can nevertheless provide a good productivity to be used in breeding schemes . The experience in Thailand is that progeny from imported breeding stock appeared more susceptible to disease than progeny of SiamPigs. As a result, the network’s pigs need fewer drugs or antibiotics, leading to less residue in pork, hence an enhanced food safety. 2)One nucleus one farm (ON-OFF) model:The conventional model also called one nucleus-multiple farms(ON-MF), uses disease resistant pigs in combination with a closed herd system, reducing the risk of problems. The ON-OF model is a closed herd designed to replace great grandparent (GGP) breeding stock by all SiamPigs breeds. The one nucleus, multiple farms model (ON-MF), where breeding stock is imported for replacement, , despite many strategic management advantages, like within-herd gilt multiplication, good bio security measures and proper vaccination, disease outbreaks are still likely. Often it is believed that quarantine reduces the risk of disease introduction with newly imported breeding stock. Nevertheless, quarantine could also be seen as a strategic mistake which can result in increasing the potential of pathogens to reach recombination or heterosis beyond the levels that vaccination could cover. Especially when a nucleus herd continuously distributes parent stock gilts to multiplication herds and then executes quarantine measures before transferring breeding stock or parent stock gilts into the farm, such quarantine allows endemic pathogens to enhance their heterosis and thus the epidemic diseases to occur. Based on production efficiency, the ON-OF model yields an optimum performance with consistent results. It is apparent that differences in production efficiency are generally the result of disease. The more animals that are brought into the farm, the greater the contagious risk becomes, especially if the animals are brought in from various sources. The ON-OF model minimizes the frequency and number of animals brought into the farm,thus Selection is based on environment, nutrition, housing and management. This results in uniformity, the overall performance of farms within the SiamPigs network is consistent and competitive. 3)High lean sire and dam lines (GGR model) :To create a lean meat focus in both the sire as well as the dam breeding line. Breeding objectives in Europe and the US are often to focus on their market needs, i.e. to the culture of red meat and fat consumption. For example, the industrial sausage manufacturing requires lots of fat mixture rather than lean meat only. This usually happens in combination with selective breeding, focusing on achieving a high number of piglets per sow per year (PSY). The negative genetic correlation between PSY and lean meat percentage makes the end product (the pigs) suboptimal for the needs of countries importing breeding stock, e.g. those of Thailand. Often, illegally salbutamol is used in several Asian countries in an attempt to 'correct' this, as meat with a higher lean meat percentage is what is desired. The selection of terminal sires is usually not enough to effectively drive the parent stock to produce finishing pigs containing as much red meat, meeting market satisfaction. Therefore, in order to solve this problem the selective breeding of the dam line is to be targeted at 'high lean sow', which SiamPigs also has defined as selective breeding goal from the beginning. The pig production system yielding a higher red meat percentage, corresponding to Thai market needs is called the 'GGR model', in which 'G' refers to growth and and 'R' to reproduction. Pig breeds have not always been developed to be resistant to endemic pathogens – in the case of SiamPigs, those in Asia. For that reason, this network chose to focus on the selection of disease tolerant or resistant pigs and create its own network of disease prevention. The ON-OF model not only prevents infection introduced with imported breeding stock and replacement gilts but also makes disease pressure in the herd minimal. This ensures that, not only nucleus farms will have a high health, but all farms will. In addition, since the production that meets the market needs in each country on each continent are different, the swine selection goal of each country is to be determined differently and appropriately to each region's market needs as well. story culled from( pig progress.)

Pig Pens: A Look at Mirrors and Mats.

A study has shown how pigs react in various pen models,such as those with rubber mats,mirrors and pens with humans in sight.What a pig sees when it looks into a mirror may help scientists improve livestock housing. The study looked at different types of pig pens. Pigs had access to a standard pen with a metal floor (the "control" pen), one with a rubber mat on the floor, another with a mirror and a fourth with a view of another pig across a passageway. Pigs preferred spending 40 per cent of their time in pens where they could see another pig. They spent 10, 20 and 30 per cent, respectively, in the control, mirror and mat pens. In a second experiment, scientists examined which pens pigs preferred when a person was present. When a person was in sight, pigs spent nearly 90 per cent of their time in either the pen with the mirror or where they could see another pig. The use of mirrors in a commercial production, where pigs are kept in groups, would not be feasible but producers could consider using rubber mats to help improve the pigs' environment, which may help reduce stress and promote health and productivity.

DISEASE RESISTANT PIGS PRODUCED USING GENE EDITING TECHNOLOGY.

A British animal genetics firm, working with U.S. scientists, has bred the world's first pigs resistant to a common viral disease, using the hot new technology of gene editing.Genus, which supplies pig and bull semen to farmers worldwide, said on Tuesday it had worked with the University of Missouri to develop pigs resistant to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSv).The condition, also known as blue-ear disease, can be fatal as it affects the animals' immune system and costs farmers hundreds of millions of dollars a year. There is no cure for this disease resulting in huge loses on affected farms.By using precise gene editing, the team from the University of Missouri was able to breed pigs that do not produce a specific protein necessary for the virus to spread in the animals. Their research was published in journal Nature Biotechnology.Early-stage studies showed the new PRRSv resistant pigs, when exposed to the virus, did not get sick and continued to gain weight normally. Editing the genes of living organisms holds out great promise for treating diseases and improving agricultural crops and animal species. But when applied to humans it could also be used to create "designer babies", prompting critics to call for a global ban on genetic modification of human embryos.The technology allows scientists to edit genes by using biological "scissors" that operate a bit like a word-processing program that can find and replace selected stretches of DNA.It has been put to work in laboratories around the world, even as the ethical and safety issues it raises are fiercely debated. PRRSv affects millions of pigs and costs the swine industry around $700 million a year in the United States and 1.5 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in Europe, according to a 2011 Iowa State University study cited by Genus. read more here; http://www.reuters.com/article/us-science-pigs-genus-idUSKBN0TR1DL20151208#5wsWqylIrSm8pFo7.97

VETERINARY MEDICINE:Poultry, pigs not susceptible to COVID-19.

German researchers: Poultry, pigs not susceptible to COVID-19.Scientists in Germany have confirmed that chickens and pigs are not susceptible to COVID-19. Researchers around the world have been trying to find out whether SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, can infect other species after it was understood to have originated from bats. Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut started infection studies in chickens, pigs, fruit bats and ferrets several weeks ago, inoculating animals nasally with SARS-CoV-2 to mimic the natural route of infection in humans. While early results indicated fruit bats and ferrets are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, pigs and chickens are not.The researchers said they tested chickens and pigs due to the close contact they make with humans. Tests were carried out to discover whether animals become infected, whether the pathogen replicates, and if the animals show symptoms of the disease.“Under experimental conditions, neither chickens nor were found to be susceptible to infection with SARS-CoV-2,” the institute said. “According to the current state of knowledge, they are not affected by the virus and therefore do not pose a potential risk to human health.” The final results are expected at the beginning of May. The German study follows research carried out in China that investigated the susceptibility of ferrets and animals in close contact with humans to COVID-19. Scientists at the Harbin Vet Research Institute found that SARS-CoV-2 replicates poorly in dogs, chickens, pigs, and ducks but efficiently in ferrets and cats. #COVID-19 #coronavirus #veterinarymedicine #onehealth.

Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most widespread disease in the swine industry. In sows, PRRSV causes reproductive problems during gestation, including abnormal litters or abortions. Growing pigs with the disease will have respiratory problems and poor growth. Increased soybean meal concentrations in the diet may help alleviate the effects of PRRSV in infected weanling pigs. PRRSV infected pigs fed high soybean meal concentrations had a more efficient virus elimination compared to PRRSV infected pigs fed the low soybean meal diet. Soybean meal is the primary protein source fed to swine. It also contains isoflavones, compounds that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Soybean meal positively affects pigs with PRRSV.

How to make millions from pig farming.

Pigs are mono gastric animals usually bred for commercial purposes. The raising of pigs is for reproduction, fatten and sale.pigs properly managed and housed in a clean environment reproduce at a fast rate and bring about good return on investment. 

               Breeds of pigs. 

There are various breeds of pigs available such as land race,large white,Duroc and Hampshire. The indigenous breeds available have been crossed over time with exotic breeds such that some of their traits are passed down. 

 The cross with indigenous breeds ensures that the pigs are hardy and are stable in this environment. Pigs must be chosen for high productivity, sexual soundness, rapid growth,good mothering ability and excellent health and breeding soundness. 

            Selection of stock. 

When setting up a farm, your stock must be chosen from proven sources with excellent health and breeding records. Boars, to be chosen must be from a sow with high reproductive capacity at least 8 -10 piglets/litter. The boar must be active with 10-12 rudimentary teat. The boar must be from a disease-free stock, with no record of lameness .

 The boar must have well developed feet with uniform curve at the back and must be long in length. The boar must be selected from stock with well developed sex organs. The boar must be at least 8 months to be suitable for service. Gilts

SWILL FEEDING AND PIG PRODUCTION CHAIN.

( food waste). Swill refers to cooked food given to pigs.Pigs consume almost anything,and are great feed converters turning feed into muscle fast.Feed costs and efficiency has pushed the stakes high on alternative feed sources that will provide necessary nutrition requirements but also ensure optimum growth.Swill benefits not only farmer’s wallets, but also the environment, as farmers replace grain- and soybean-based feeds with swill, they reduce demand for these land- and greenhouse gas-intensive feeds. Pigs are usually fed a formulated ration in most pig farms,while others provide a combination of various feed components to achieve the same aim of growth at stipulated pace.Pigs are sometimes fed kitchen waste ,which is the common practice in small scale production,but the practice has gained more acceptance now even on large scale production because of the potential to reduce production costs. Swill is currently illegal in the EU,many developing countries still practice this with good feedback.The only caution in the practice is to cook the food properly so as to kill pathogens.The risks of feeding uncooked food waste were demonstrated in 2001 when a UK farmer illegally fed some to pigs, precipitating the 2001 FMD outbreak, which cost the UK economy £8 billion (€ 10.4 billion). In response, swill-feeding was banned in the UK in 2001, with the ban extended across the EU the following year. While the EU saw swill only as a disease risk, other nations saw it as a potential resource. Heat treatment deactivates viruses such as FMD and Classical Swine Fever (hog cholera) and renders food waste safe for animal feed. In the same year that the UK banned the use of swill, the Japanese government launched an initiative to promote the regulated use of food waste in animal feed. Japan and South Korea recycle around 40% of their food waste as feed which is a waste-resource innovation, as swill is seen as a strategic resource. It is a cheap, domestic alternative to the more expensive, volatile grain- and soybean-based feeds. Pigs reared on food waste produce pork of high quality , although swill-fed pigs tend to grow more slowly than when fed conventional, grain-based feed. The swill has a more variable nutritional content thus the costs of slower growth are more than offset by the savings in feed costs.

Common diseases encountered in the breeding stock of pigs.

Common diseases encountered in the breeding stock of pigs. In order for pig producers to be successful, keeping their animals healthy is key. It is essential to know about diseases that may occur in the herd and all staff working with the pigs should be able to spot the symptoms of common diseases and alert the manager or veterinarian, as appropriate. Treating pigs quickly with suitable medication is the next step as prevention is obviously better than cure. There is a need to have a herd health plan will help to minimize disease incidence. #breeding #pigs. In terms of disease prevention, re-occurring themes include hygiene, ventilation and reducing stress. Pig producers need to provide an environment that is optimal for the animal and inhospitable for disease-causing agents. As well as reducing infection pressure, immunity must be promoted by measures such as optimal nutrition and good husbandry. Maintaining good biosecurity through every part of the production cycle will go a long way to preventing disease outbreaks. Managers should also ensure that breeding stock are purchased from high health status herds and suitably quarantined before introduction. #breeding stock Common diseases encountered in the breeding stock of pigs. 1) Mastitis Reduced milk production, loss of appetite and a higher body temperature are symptoms of mastitis in sows. It is caused by a bacterial infection of the mammary glands, where skin discoloration can be seen. Antibiotics, along with anti-inflammatory drugs are effective treatments. Oxytocin may be used to encourage let down of milk and corticosteroids can be prescribed. Hygiene in farrowing housing is important, along with nutrition during late pregnancy to promote immunity. Stress can also be a factor, and it is important to make sure that teats are not being damaged by sow housing facilities. This disease has a significant effect on productivity because of the potential effect of reducing the number of piglets weaned by sows. 2). Porcine parvovirus If pregnant sows become infected with parvovirus (PPV), reproductive disease can occur, but not in all cases. If it does, most commonly in gilts, reproductive performance is significantly affected. Mummification and stillbirths occur, resulting in small litter sizes. Other reproductive diseases have the same symptoms so accurate diagnosis is essential. Unusually, the virus can survive outside the host for several months, making it endemic in most herds. Although it is only during pregnancy that PPV is a problem, other pigs can spread the virus. There are no treatments available; in order to prevent this disease routine vaccination of gilts is advisable.