Swine Senior Study guide.docx

**Health** - Temperature: 101-104 degrees Fahrenheit - Respiratory rate: 15-30 breaths per minute - Heart rate: 59-86 beats per minute **Nutrition** **All feeds include six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids,** **minerals, vitamins and water**. **Protein** o Pro...

**Health** - Temperature: 101-104 degrees Fahrenheit - Respiratory rate: 15-30 breaths per minute - Heart rate: 59-86 beats per minute **Nutrition** **All feeds include six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids,** **minerals, vitamins and water**. **Protein** o Provides essential amino acids. o Are essential in livestock feeding because they are needed throughout life for growth and repair. o Helps to form the greater part of muscles, internal organs, skin, hair, wool, feathers, hoofs and horns. o Contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) (in common with fats and carbohydrates) but also contains a fairly constant percentage of nitrogen (N) (about 16 %). **Carbohydrates** are used as energy to enhance movement for body functions, growth, fattening, reproduction, etc. o Represent the largest part of an animal\'s feed supply. o Usually the fibrous part of the diet. o Include sugars, starch and cellulose. o Composed of carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H). **Fats are a concentrated source of energy, up to 2.25 times as much energy per unit** of weight, as do carbohydrates. o Form cholesterol, steroids (including some hormones) and other body compounds. o Found in every cell in the body. o When absent from the diet, affects (among others) the condition of the skin and hair. o Composed of carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), but contain much larger proportions of carbon and hydrogen than do carbohydrates. o Other functions: - Energy reserves - Protection for vital organs - Insulate the body **Minerals** are needed in nearly all parts of the body but are found primarily in bones and teeth. o Make up important parts of many organic materials including blood. o Affect heartbeat, which depends upon mineral balance to maintain its regularity. o Involved in nerve transmission. o Divided into two groups based on amounts needed by the body: 1. Macro minerals 2. Micro minerals (or trace minerals) **Vitamins** are required for health, development, and metabolic reactions. o Needed only in small amounts but are essential for life and health o Divided into two groups: 1\. Fat-soluble **Water** is the most important nutrient. Accounts for 70% or more of the composition of most plants and animals. o Functions of water in the body are: - Controls body temperature. - Enables living plants and animals to hold their shape. - Is involved in the transport of nutrients and waste throughout the body. - Helps in the digestion of feeds. - Is a major (by volume) part of all body fluids. **Digestive system** In its simplest form, the digestive system is a tube extending from the mouth to the anus with associated organs. o This includes mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, anus and other associated organs like the liver, teeth, pancreas and salivary glands. o Digestive systems vary according to whether the animals are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. **Non-ruminant (Monogastric) Defined** An animal, having a single compartment in its stomach, which swallows its food after chewing and does not regurgitate. o Examples include pigs, humans, bears and dogs. Food is swallowed directly into the single compartment stomach, where it is mixed with the digestive juices. Because there is very little bacterial action, there is no conversion of low-quality protein to high quality protein. Monogastrics are unable to digest large quantities of fiber unless they have an enlarged cecum (examples include horses, rabbits and guinea pigs). o The cecum is a blind pouch or cul-de-sac at the first portion of the large intestine. o While the rumen is the main place for bacterial breakdown in ruminants, it happens in the large intestine and particularly in the cecum of the horse and rabbit. **Signs of a Sick Pig** - Poor Appetite - Weakness - Rapid, noisy breathing - Dry, crusty or runny nose - Lethargic - Limping - Changes in skin or developed abscesses - Diarrhea **Biosecurity** Items of concern that could introduce diseases. o Biosecurity issues (procedures intended to protect animals against disease or harmful biological agents).  Herd additions  Isolation of new animals  People movement  Pig movement o Other biosecurity risks  Disease transmission on-farm  Vermin control  Vehicles  Water and feed **Good Management for Disease Prevention** Be alert for signs of disease and conditions which can cause stress and strain. Provide clean, disinfected quarters, free from draft. Provide adequate ventilation and plenty of sunlight. Provide proper drainage of holding areas, barns, free stalls, etc. to help maintain the driest area possible. Protect them from the sun, rain and wind without overcrowding. Practice rigid sanitation and manure removal procedures. Provide a well-balanced diet. Get accurate diagnosis of health problems immediately so that treatment can be provided. Avoid unnecessary stress and strain. Buy disease-free stock from healthy herds. Isolate new animals for a period (to be sure they are healthy) before introducing them to your herd. Follow a set vaccination program. Be cautious of visitors from other operations as they may carry disease pathogens on shoes and clothing. Dispose of dead animals immediately. **Reproduction** Estrous: 21 days Gestation: 114 days Nursing: 3 weeks Growing: 9 weeks Finishing: 9 weeks Processing: 1 month Conception to plate: about 10.5 months **Litter Management** Maintain body temperature (prevent cold stress) and protect from injury. Disinfect navels Clip needle teeth Provide supplemental iron Tail docking (the intentional removal of part of an animal\'s tail) Castration Identification o Ear notching o Tattoo o Ear tag **MEAT** o Quality Grades -- two considerations in quality grading swine carcasses are:  Quality of lean meat  Belly thickness o Grades for carcasses that have acceptable lean quality are listed below. The different grades are determined by backfat thickness, carcass length as well as yield of lean cuts. o Carcasses having unacceptable lean or bellies that are too thin are graded U.S. Utility. Sows also fit this category. o Carcasses from boars or stags have a strong \"sex\" odor and are not passed for use as human food. Dressing percentage is the percentage yield of chilled carcass in relation to the weight of the live animal.  U.S. No.1 -- 70%  U.S. No.2 -- 71%  U.S. No.3 -- 72%  U.S. No.4 -- 73%  Utility -- 69% o Poorer yield grades have higher percentages. This is because the fatter hogs will produce a heavier carcass in relation to their live weight. Hogs may be dressed in two ways: o Packer style -- with head, kidneys and leaf fat removed. o Shipper style -- with head, kidneys and leaf fat left these hogs dress 4 to 8% higher since there is more weight. **[Grading Exceptions]** - Carcasses with thin muscling cannot grade US 1. A lean carcass, with less than 1.0 inch of back fat, exhibiting thin muscling will grade US 2. - Carcasses with last rib back fat greater than 1.75 inch must grade US 4, regardless of muscling. - Carcasses with unacceptable quality must grade US Utility. **[PSE: Pale Soft Exudative Pork]** This condition causes meat to be a very light gray color. The muscle is very soft in texture, lacks the ability to hold water and exhibits separation between muscles. Although PSE pork has acceptable nutritive value and taste, some protein and vitamin loss occurs.  **[\ ]**