Animal
Welfare
Provide proper swine care to improve
swine well-being.
Objectives
This lesson will help you to:
• Explain the importance of recordkeeping
• Understand the role that observation and interaction have in
providing proper swine care
• Explain the role of proper ventilation, space and facility maintenance
• Understand why intentional acts of neglect or abuse are
unacceptable
Good Production Practice 10
2
Recordkeeping
• Veterinarian/Client/Patient Relationship (VCPR)
• Medication and treatment records
• Caretaker training program
– Euthanasia
– Swine handling
– Husbandry
Good Production Practice 10
3
Recordkeeping
• PQA Plus Certification
• Daily Observation Record
• Euthanasia Plan
Good Production Practice 10
4
Emergency Backup Support
• Written emergency action plan
– Covers various emergencies – fire, weather, power
outage, etc.
– Telephone numbers for owner, veterinarian, fire and police
• Emergency detection system
– Used on many commercial operations
– Alarms for power failure, drastic
temperature changes
– Facility location may allow for visual
detection
• Emergency backup system
– Manual or automatic interventions in the
event of a mechanical ventilation failure
Good Production Practice 10
5
Daily Observation
• Routine observation
– Helps ensure prompt
reaction to any needs
– Keep records of
observations
Good Production Practice 10
6
Animal Evaluation
Production Performance
• Average Daily Gain
– Amount a pig gains per day
• Feed Efficiency
– Pounds of weight gained per pound
of feed consumed
Good Production Practice 10
7
Animal Evaluation
Physical Evaluation
• Lameness
– Cannot bear full weight on all four legs
• Skin Lesions, Abscesses and Wounds
– Signs of injury to an animal
• Disease
– Symptoms of disease
Good Production Practice 10
8
Animal Evaluation
• Body Condition Score (BCS)
– Useful to assess nutrition program
Body Condition Score
1
2
3
4
5
Good Production Practice 10
9
Animal Evaluation
• Swine Behavior
– Pigs that have
experienced
unpleasant human
interaction will show
fear in the presence of
humans
Good Production Practice 10
10
Body Space
• Body Space - A pig must be able to:
– Easily lie down fully on its side without
having to lay on another pig, and be able to
easily stand back up
– Lie down without the head having to rest on
a raised feeder
• Additionally, a sow housed in a stall
must be able to:
– Lie down fully on its side without the head
having to rest on a raised feeder and the
rear quarters coming in contact with the
back of the stall at the same time
Good Production Practice 10
11
Euthanasia
• Written euthanasia plan that considers:
–
–
–
–
–
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Human safety
Pig well-being
Practicality and technical skills
Cost
Aesthetics
Limitations
• Timely euthanasia
– Minimizes animal pain or distress
– Functional equipment available
Good Production Practice 10
12
Facilities
• A well maintained facility will
help prevent injury to your
animal
Good Production Practice 10
13
Animal Movement
• Animal movement may be stressful
to pigs if not done in a calm quiet
manner
– Eliminate visual distractions from path
of movement
– Move six pigs or less at a time
– A sorting board is the most effective
tool for movement
Good Production Practice 10
14
Transportation
• Transporting pigs can cause stress
– If transporting when it is hot, provide:
 Shade
 Wet straw or shavings
 Air flow
 Water
– If transporting when it is cold, provide:
 Straw or other bedding
 Water
Good Production Practice 10
15
Ventilation
• Temperature
– Facility temperature should be appropriate
for the age of the pigs
– Pig behavior is a good indicator of the
thermal environment
• Air Quality
– Air quality can be controlled
through ventilation
Good Production Practice 10
16
Willful Acts of Abuse
• Willful acts of abuse are unacceptable on any farm or
operation. If you observe willful acts of abuse, you
should immediately stop the situation.
STOP
Good Production Practice 10
17
Take-Home Message
• Keep necessary records
• Evaluate your facilities and animals
• Identify potential hazards to your animals’ health
and well-being
Good Production Practice 10
18
Summary
• Keep accurate records
• Observe your animals daily
• Evaluate your animals and
facilities
• Avoid willful acts of abuse
Good Production Practice 10
19
Youth Pork Quality Assurance
Plus
Good Production Practice 10
20