Swine
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
d2x4yXxrJD0
Swine Breeds
 Objectives:
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Identify several swine breeds and their uses.
Describe parts of a swine.
Utilize proper terminology.
Landrace
 Originated in
Denmark
 Drooped ears
 Known for their
maternal instincts
 White
 Long body
Berkshire
 Originated in England
 Black with white legs,
snout and switch
 Once kept at
Buckingham Palace
 Known for producing
high quality meats
 Erect ears
Chester White
 Originated in Chester
County, Pennsylvania
 White with drooped
ears
 Mothering breed
 Known to produce
large litters
Duroc
 Originated in the
United States
 Solid red
 Drooped ears
 Excellent meat type
hog
Hampshire
 Originated in the
United States
 Probably the oldest
American breed
 Black with a white
belt
 Small, erect ears
 Well-known meat
breed
Hereford
 Originated in Missouri
 Developed from
crossing Berkshires
and Durocs
 Red with white face,
legs and underline
 Medium-sized,
drooping ear
 Long neck
Poland China
 Originated in the US
 Noted for ability to
easily gain weight
 Quiet dispositions
 Black with white
snouts, legs and switch
 Generally poor
mothers
 Drooped ears
Spots
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Developed in Indiana
Black and white spots
Efficient feeders
Noted for rapid weight
gain
Tamworth
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Originated in Ireland
Red in color
A noted bacon breed
Deep-sided
Well-arched back
Erect ears
Good mothers
Yorkshire
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Originated in England
White
Large, erect ears
Known as “The
Mother Breed”
 Produces large litters
 Bacon-type hog
Feeding Swine
 Need more protein & vitamins than
ruminants
 lots of water - susceptible to heat stress
 Feeders need lots of protein
 Finishing needs lots of energy
Feeding
 Antibiotics are often added to feed to
prevent disease, make pigs grow faster
 Full Feeding: animals get all the feed that
they want (self feeder)
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usually not done with breeding stock, if sows
are too fat, they won’t get pregnant
 Hand Feeding: animals are fed rations
during the day
Quick Vocab
 Feeder- a piglet around 6 to 8 weeks of age
that is sold to be finished for slaughter
 Finishing- growing and fattening before
slaughter
 Crude Protein- total protein in feed, not all
is used by the animal
 Digestible Protein- amount of protein that
the animal can actually use
Ear Notching
 Let’s notch a pig!
 Take your paper
and cut out a pigshaped head
Make the Notches
 The numbers indicate
the pig’s identity
 For the class, notch
your pig’s right ear
with one in the 1’s
quadrant, two in the
3’s, and one in the 9’s
Add yours
 Make notches on the pig’s left ear however
you’d like.
 Make sure you notch within the quadrants!
•The right (litter) ear is equal to
9+3+3+1=16
•The left (pig) ear is equal to 3
•This is the 16-3 pig.
Breeding and Reproduction
1 + 1= 10!
Breeding
 Flush sows before breeding
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increasing level of nutrition
 4 days before farrowing, put sows in
farrowing crate (disinfect pen & sow)
 Heat lamp on babies
 Exercise sow daily
 3 Days old- clip needle teeth
Swine Reproduction
Estrus
The period of time a
sow is receptive to
the male for breeding
purposes
Comes every 21 days
Last for 3 days
Ovulation (egg
production) occurs at
this time
Swine Reproduction
Fertilization
The period of
time in which
the sperm
actually unites
with the eggs
Multifertilization
which causes
multi-pig
litters
Swine Reproduction
Gestation
The time between
fertilization and
giving birth
(parturition)
114 days or
3 months, 3 weeks,
and 3 days
More Dirty Jobs!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgSaQH
weJOo&feature=related
Raising
 10 days old - begin creep feeding (feed for
the babies only)
 1 month - vaccinate & castrate males
 2 months (30 lbs) – wean from mother
Terminology
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Boar- a mature male hog
Sow- a mature female hog
Farrowing- the act of giving birth
Barrow- a castrated male hog
Gilt- an immature female pig which has not
had a litter
 Flushing- usually a supercharged
supplement given before breeding pigs
Pig Personality Test
 Draw a pig on your paper.
 Seriously… just draw a pig.
 It doesn’t have to be perfect or even half
bad, just draw a pig!
Results
 1. Where is the pig located on your paper?
a. If the pig is at the top of the paper, you are an
optimist.
b. If the pig is at the bottom, you are a pessimist.
c. In the middle means that you are a realist.
 2. Which direction is the pig facing?
a. If your pig is facing right, you are innovative.
b. If your pig faces left, you are traditional.
c. If your pig faces the front, you enjoy arguing
with others, and creating drama.
Results
 3. Does your pig have many details, or few?
a. If your pig has few details, it means that you
might be emotional and naïve, and a bit of a risk
taker.
b. If your pig has many details, it means that you
are more likely cautious, and do not trust others
easily.
Results
 4. How many legs does your pig have?
a. If your pig has 4 legs showing, it means that
you are secure and stubborn.
b. If your pig has less than 4 legs, it means that
you are insecure, or are going through a major
change in life.
 5. Does your pig have large ears, or small ones?
a. If your pig has large ears, it means that you are
a good listener.
b. If your pig has small ears, it means that you are
not a good listener.
Selection of pigs
And what you do with them…
See the difference?
 Selection has changed
over time
In the past, short fat lard
types.
 Now: an extremely thickmuscled, long bodied,
stress prone type
 Why?
When choosing a pig to breed
 Look for an animal that is:
 Structurally sound
 Healthy
 Big volume
 Thick muscled
 Efficient
Hog Selection
 Feed Conversion Rate: pounds of feed needed to
make a pound of hog
– no more than 4 lbs of feed per 1 lb of hog
 Minimum Litter Size = 9
 First litter should have a combined weight of 95
lbs or more at 21 days
–110 lbs for a mature sow
What are the types of meat?
 Primary Lean Cuts = hams, loins, picnics,
Boston Butts
 Meat Type Hog: more than ½ the weight of a
Number 1 animal is Primary Lean Cuts (PLC)
 Bacon Type Hog: less than ½ is PLC
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large litter size
little value in U.S. except to increase litter size
The anatomy of the pig….
The front one-third
 The front one-third cuts:
 The shoulder (Boston
Butt and the Picnic
Shoulder)
 There is also importance
placed on minor cuts:
 The jowl, feet, and neck
bones.
The middle one-third
 The market
importance of the
middle one-third
consists of:
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The loin and the
spare ribs, most
valuable.
Also the belly is here,
used for bacon.
The rear one-third
 The market importance in
the rear one-third lies
within the following:
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The pork leg, most
important, because this is
where the ham comes
from.
 The minor cuts in this area
include:
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Hind foot, and the tail
The Price is in the end.
 The rear one third has one major, very
valuable cut.
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That is the hams.
• Hams can come in many different forms. Smoked,
canned, sliced, or boneless.
• They can be sold bone in, or bone out, and they can
also be sold as a shank portion.
 Also there are rear cutlets and a top leg
roast. The feet can also be sold as pickled
Pig’s Feet.
Activity
 I want you to list three things that you have
eaten of Pork origin.
 From these three things, I would like for
you to list the third of the pig that they came
from.
 Then I would like for you to list, what the
cut is called, and if it is a major resale cut.
Project
 Remember the beef project? Now it’s time
to play with pork!
 You will choose a section of pork
 Find a recipe online or in a book, print it
out, and bring it in!
 Make sure to write
what part of the pig the
cut came from (front third,
middle, or rear)