1. Mr. Engel Animal Agriculture
Swine Management
Mr. Engel
Animal Agriculture

2. Breeding the Gilt
Gilts are exposed to the boars to breed. In other operations, gilts are A.I.
Click Picture for Fair Oaks Dairy Update

3. Pre-Farrowing Steps Deworm Sows Prepare farrowing area Feeding
3 weeks and 1 week before farrowing
Prepare farrowing area
Clean Area
Leave unused for 5-7 days
Feeding
Feed laxative ration
Temperature
In comfort range (55-75 F)

4. When Will My Sow Farrow? Records No Records? No problem!
Breeding dates calculate farrowing dates
No Records? No problem!
Enlarged Abdomen
Swollen Vulva
Filled Teats
Presence of Milk= Will farrow within 24 hours
Sows may become restless
How long is the gestation period in Swine? 3 Months 3 Weeks 3 Days or approx. 115 days

5. Do I Need to be Present? Yes! Attend to Sows during farrowing
Free pigs from membrane
Clear mucus from mouth
Place pigs under a heat source
85-95 F
Click Picture for a 4 minute video on farrowing

6. Do I Need to be Present? Reduces the numbers of still births
Still Born
Died during farrowing, may have been dead for minutes or hours
Mummies
Have been dead long enough for reabsorption of soft tissue, but not the skeleton.

7. Causes of Death
Cannibalism- More sow is nervous and trauma experience/ nutritional unbalance.

8. Difficult Labor May require manual assistance
Use a well-lubricated gloved hand and arm
Insert into the reproductive tract until you reach a pig
Grasp gently, but firmly pull to assist delivery
May increase occurrence of mastitis and infection
Use antibacterial solution to prevent
Piglets may be born head first or hind feet first.

9. Prolonged Labor Give Oxytocin
Speeds delivery time by causing smooth muscles to contract
Give 30 minutes after 1st pig is born, if no other pigs born or no after birth is expelled
Do NOT use until after the birth of one or more pigs
Do NOT use if pig appears to be blocking birth canal
Why do we not want to give oxytocin right away??

10. Assisting with First Nursing
Colostrum
Sows first milk
Contains large amounts of antibodies
Baby pig is born with little resistance
Increases as piglets absorbs antibodies from sows milk
Ability to absorb antibodies decreases rapidly from birth
Colostrum provides ONLY natural disease protection until the pig matures

11. Equalizing Litter Size
Sows may not have enough teat/milk for large litters
Move larger pigs to sow that can accommodate more pigs
Teat order usually established within 48 hours
Be sure pigs have received colostrum and are ear notched before transferring

12. Baby Pig Management Birth to 3 Days
Cut needle teeth-8 teeth
Prevent injury to sow’s udder and from face lacerations of littermates
Use small side-cutting pliers or toenail clippers
Remove ½ of each tooth
Be careful NOT to cut lips, tongue, gums, side of mouth
Disinfect pliers between each pig

13. Cut naval cord Cut cord 3-4 in from body Use Crushing Action Pliers
If still wet, treat with iodine
Naval is a good path for bacteria to enter body

14. Ear Notching

15. Why do I ear notch my pig? Permanent ID
Track pigs in finishing and farrowing
Find problem pigs
Tell ages of pigs
Needed to register
Shows require notching

16. 9 9 81 3 3 1 1 Right Ear Left Ear Litter Number Pig Number
Assigned value for each notch in the five locations (Universal Ear Notching System) 27 9 9 81 3 3 1 1
Right Ear
Litter Number
Left Ear
Pig Number

17. Except for the 81 notch, there can be two notches at each of the four locations9 9 27 9 81 27 9 3 3 3 3 1 1 1 1
Right Ear
Litter Number
Left Ear
Pig Number

18. What are the identification numbers for this pig
What are the identification numbers for this pig? Litter: _______ Pig: _______

19. What are the identification numbers for a pig with these notches
What are the identification numbers for a pig with these notches? Litter: _______ Pig: _______

20. Where are the notches made for a pig with this identification number
Where are the notches made for a pig with this identification number? Litter: _______ Pig: _______

21. Baby Pig Management 3 Days to 3 Weeks
Iron Sheets
Protect against anemia
Shortage of iron, which is needed to form hemoglobin in blood to transport oxygen
Milk meets all nutritional need except iron
Give 1 cc shot of iron on day 3 or 4
Repeat at 2 weeks if needed
Give shot in the neck, NOT in the ham

22. Tail Docking and Castration

23. Tail Docking Acceptable practice among producers
Purebred stock is usually NOT docked
Protects pigs from being bitten
Cut tails 1-2 inches from body with side-cutting pliers or other blunt instrument
Crushing action prevents bleeding
Disinfect tail stump and instrument

24. Castration Needs to be done early in life More money for barrows
Meat more desirable

25. Baby Pig Management After 3 Weeks
Start on feed rations
Creep Feed
Starter Pig Feed Mix
Promotes gut and digestive enzyme development
Enables the piglet to digest nutrients from food sources other than that of milk. 
Weaning
Usually done after 21 days

26. What happens next?