SLO FFA Swine Showmanship Questions
HANDOUT #1:
Terminology:
Boar: Adult male, uncastrated.
Sow: Adult female, has had piglets.
Barrow: Adult male, castrated.
Gilt: A female pig that has not had a litter yet.
Piglet: a newborn pig
Gestation Period: Time from conception to birth. 3 mo. 3 weeks. 3 days.
Weanling: Just removed from sow.
Parity: Number of times she has given birth.
Farrowing: Giving birth for swine.
Shoat: Young male feeder pig between the weight of 45 and 75 lbs.
Stag: a male pig castrated after maturity.
Herd: a group of pigs.
Prolific: has large numbers of babies in her litter.
Average Daily Gain: Average amount of gain per day based on amount of feed.
Parturition: Giving birth
Breeds: Be able to name all these
1. Berkshire – Black with white feed, some white on face and white switch on tail. Erect ears.
2. Chester White - White with short floppy ears.
3. Duroc – Brown with droopy years.
4. Hampshire - Black with white belt.
5. Poland China – Black with 6 white points, blazed
white face, and white tip of tail.
6. Spotted Poland China - White with black spots / or
vice versa. Droopy ears.
7. Tamworth- Red with shades a varying from light to
red
8. Hereford – red body color with white face, underline of legs, and switch of tail.
9. Landrace – white with very droopy ears to nose.
10. OIC (Ohio Improved Chester) – white with slightly droopy ears
11. Yorkshire – white with erect ears
*What is a ‘Blue Butt?’ A cross between a Hampshire and a Yorkshire pig
Questions:
A. What is the difference between the Starter, Grower, and Finisher feed? % Fat and % Protein
B. How much $ does a bag of pig feed cost on average? $20 to $25
C. How many pounds of feed to you feed to gain a pound? 3:1
D. What do pigs gain on average per day? 2 lbs.
Fed: 6 lbs.
E. How often to you worm your pig? When you got them (March/April) and in the end of June
F. When was your pig born? Most February
G. How many days from birth to “Market Weight?” About 180 (6mo) depending on when they were b orn.
H. What does “Market Ready” mean? That the animal has enough fat and meat on it to be harvested
I. How many teats does a sow have? From 12-14
What is the average litter size? 8-12
J. The pigs right ear tells you what? Litter Number
K. The pig’s left ear tells you what? Individual Pig number
What is your pig’s ear notch #?
L. How many of the same notch can you have in the same section of an ear? 2
M. Why do we dock tails? To prevent cannibalism in confinement
N. What is the heat cycle of pigs? Sows come in to heat every 3 weeks.
O. Why do we clip needle teeth? To decrease injuries due to fighting and to make nursing easier on the sow.
P. What shot do piglets get when they have the above done? Iron
Q. What does NSR stand for? National Swine Registry
R. What is your pig’s date of birth? Most should be in February
S. What are the ingredients of your feed? Main = Corn
T. What should backfat levels be? It is usually .5 to .8 inches of backfat. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see hogs
with over an inch of backfat. Within the past few years, several fairs have instituted a .5 backfat rule in a carcass
show; any hog that has lower than that is either disqualified or downgraded. There are TWO ways to measure
back fat. Ultrasound and cuts. Ultrasound is the LIVE way to measure backfat. The most exact way is directly
from the carcass at the 12th and 13th ribs.
U. What does LEA stand for? Loin Eye Area
V. What two things should you have in your
back pocket during showmanship? A small
brush and a rag to wipe poop.
W. What should a loin eye be? Usually it is a
minimum of 6 inches. Some of the heavier
muscled pigs carry 8-10in loins. This is
where pork chops come from.
X. What kind of digestive system do pigs
have? Monogastric
Y. When are most pigs weaned? Usually
occurs at 18-28 days.
Z. What are some of the common antibiotics
we give your pigs for pneumonia?
Nuflor Gold, Baytril 100, Lincomix, Draxin,
Penicillin (for infection)
AA. What is a Withdrawel Time? It is the time it takes for a drug to be out of your pigs system before they can be
butchered and the meat is safe to eat.
BB. Why do we give them shots in the neck? It provides a good place for muscle that is not in one of the prime cuts
of meat.
CC. What gets rid of Mite rashes? Ivermectin shot and Permectin powder / spray.
DD. What is the ideal market weight for hogs? 250 to 300lbs.
EE. Are pigs ruminant or non-ruminant animals? NON ruminant animals. They have one stomach and are similar to
humans. Ruminants are animals that are cud-chewing animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, deer, camels etc..
FF. What is the carcass length on a hog? (when on the carcass rail?) 30.5 to 33 inches
GG. What is the typical yield on a hog? 70-78% yield
HH. Where does bacon come from? The belly and ribs / side.
II. Have hogs been cloned? Yes, boar studs have cloned boars.
JJ. What are some GOOD and BAD points of your pig?
KK. How much $ did your pig cost? Where did it come from? What Breeder?
Average Daily Gain Problem:
You weigh a pig on Sunday June 23rd and it weighs 193lbs. You weigh it again on Sunday June
30th and it weighs 206.3lbs. What is its average daily gain? _________________ What will it
weigh at the fair (weigh in is July 22nd) if it continues to gain this average?
___________________________