Pork, the other white meat Chapter #8

What are the types of Hogs? Primary Lean Cuts = hams, loins, picnics, Boston Butts Meat Type Hog: more than half the weight of a Number 1 animal is Primary Lean Cuts Bacon Type Hog: less than 1/2 is PLC large litter size little value in U.S. except to increase litter size

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 pig wt at 21 days of 95 lbs or more 110 lbs for a mature sow

Hog Management Programs All-in-one: all pigs are at the same stage of development buy feeder pigs, finish, market, repeat no breeding stock income all at once Staggered or Continuous Flow: costantly raise pigs of all ages farrow all year long constant supply of income

Feeding Hogs Need more protein & vitamins than ruminants lots of water - succeptable to heat stress Feeders need lots of protein Finishing needs lots of energy Crude Protein = total protein in feed, not all is used by the animal Digestible Protein = amount of protein that the animal can actually use

Feeding Hogs Antibiotics often added to feed to prevent disease, grow faster Full Feeding: animals get all the feed that they want (self feeder) usually not done with breeding stock, if sows are too fat, they won’t get pregnant Hand Feeding: animals are fed rations at chore time

Hog Management Sanitation is critical facilities should be easy to clean - concrete inspect new pigs clean pens whenever pigs are moved isolate new pigs for 3 weeks Cholera can wipe out an entire herd Chester White needs sun protection sunburn Pens = maximum of 30 pigs / pen

Breeding Flush sows before breeding 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

Breeding 10 days old - begin creep feeding (feed for the babies only) 1 month - vaccinate & castrate males 2 monthes (30 lbs) - wean

Livestock Terms What do you call a mature male hog? Boar What do you call a mature female hog? Sow What do you call the act of giving birth? Farrowing What do you call a castrated male hog? Barrow

Livestock Terms What do you call an young female hog? Gilt What is the gestation for hogs? 114 days or 3 months, 3 weeks, & 3 days

Berkshire

Chester White

Duroc

Hampshire

Landrace

Poland China

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