Animal science

• Today's pig industry has been influenced by 6000 years of history.
• Mature pigs are susceptible to hot conditions and seek shade and wallow in mud or water.
• Young pigs are sensitive to cold and huddle with littermates.
• Mature pigs are more active at night.
• Mature pigs build nests to provide shelter from environmental extremes.
• Pigs are the 4th most intelligent animal on earth behind cetaceans, primates, and humans.
• Pigs are omnivorous, but water is their most important resource overall.
• Pigs do not have sweat glands.
• Pigs will wallow in mud or water if too hot, or as a last resort, their waste.
• The appropriate temperature for growth in fattening pigs is 17–23 °C, and the optimal humidity is 65–70%.
• A gilt arrives onto a farm at 180 days, is served with AI at 230 days, scanned at 21 days post service, and then farrows at 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days.
• Proper airflow rate, which is when air is properly moved through the building, on average is 23 to 28 cubic metre per minute.
• Pigs need protection from extreme weather conditions, enough room to feed, stand, lie down and stretch out, ventilation and fresh air, a roof to protect from the sun, and an area that is dry.
• Yorkshire pigs originate from England and are white with erect ears.
• The areas to evaluate on a Yorkshire pig are the muscle (forearm, shoulder, top, loin, rump, ham), fat cover (jowls, behind the shoulder, over the top, rear and fore flanks and underline), soundness (pig should grow, develop, and move correctly), and general appearance (pig should appear balanced).
• Pigs in buildings with no natural light should have at least 40 lux of additional light for a minimum period of eight hours per day.
• Yorkshire pigs are muscular with a high proportion of lean meat.
• Yorkshire pigs are known as the "mother breed" due to their large litters and excellent milking and mothering ability.
• Yorkshire pigs have a lifecycle that includes staying on their mums for 28 days, being weaned off and moved into different accommodation, and then being re-served and the cycle starting again.
• Pigs are prolific; sows can birth 8-12 live piglets.
• Some pigs are genetic carriers of a porcine stress gene (PSS), which can cause increased excitability and nervousness.
• The social organization established when unacquainted pigs are initially mixed together is known as the social hierarchy.
• The hierarchy is typically established within 24 hours and aggression drops dramatically after about one hour.
• Free-Range pig farming is a type of intensive pig farming that allows pigs to roam freely outdoors.
• Extreme temperatures can affect a pig's appetite and feed intake.
• Extreme temperatures can lead to increased mortality in pigs, particularly in young piglets and older pigs.
• Pigs are sensitive to temperature changes and have a narrow range of thermal comfort.
• High temperatures can also affect the reproduction of sows, leading to reduced fertility, smaller litter, and increased farrowing problems.
• High temperatures can cause heat stress in pigs, which can lead to decreased growth, reduced feed intake, and even death.
• Pigs work well in integrated farming systems and can often use feed wastes or marginal products.
• Genetics and experience determine how an animal behaves.
• “Rooting” is a natural behavior where the pig tucks its head and uses its snout to push up whatever it comes in contact with.
• Pigs have a limited ability to dissipate heat, and they will pant, sweat, and seek out shaded areas to cool down when they are experiencing heat stress.
• Pigs can be raised on marginal areas of property or woodlands.
• The original research on which this was based stated that 40 to 80 lux is sufficient to allow pigs to see objects, visual signs and distinguish between night and day.
• Terminology: Sow - Female pig, Boar - Male pig, Barrow - castrated male, Gilt - Female pig which has never had any piglets, Shoat - a young pig, Weaner - Piglet after being taken off its mother at 28 days, Finisher - Pig which is getting fattened ready for slaughter, Feeder: weaned barrow or gilt between 18 -36 kg, Grower: market pig between weaning and or sale to breeding herd, Farrowing - Act of giving birth, Wean - To get the female pregnant, AI - Artificial insemination, Weaner - Take the piglets off the mum.
• Boar - A male of breeding age, Berkshire, Sow - A mature female that has produced young., Hampshire, Gilt - An immature female, Spots, Barrow - A castrated male, Poland China, Farrow - Act of giving birth, Yorkshire, Feeder Pig - A weaned pig ready to finish for slaughter, Pietrain, Needle teeth - Set of 8 very sharp teeth in swine that are usually removed from days old piglets to prevent injury to other piglets and sow’s udder., PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) - Meat characterized by its pale color, lack of firmness, and fluid (exudate) dripping from its cut surfaces.