Lesson 10

1. Lesson 10 Good Production Practice #10 Provide proper swine care to improve swine well-being.

2. Objectives This lesson will help you to: • Explain the importance of recordkeeping • Understand the role that observation and interaction have in providing proper swine care • Explain the role of proper ventilation, space and facility maintenance • Understand why intentional acts of neglect or abuse are unacceptable Good Production Practice 10

3. Recordkeeping • Veterinarian/Client/Patient Relationship (VCPR) • Medication and treatment records • Caretaker training program • Euthanasia • Swine handling • Husbandry Good Production Practice 10

4. Recordkeeping • PQA Plus Certification • Daily Observation Record • Euthanasia Plan Good Production Practice 10

5. Emergency Backup Support • Written emergency action plan • Covers various emergencies – fire, weather, power outage, etc. • Telephone numbers for owner, veterinarian, fire and police • Emergency detection system • Used on many commercial operations • Alarms for power failure, drastic temperature changes • Facility location may allow for visualdetection • Emergency backup system • Manual or automatic interventions in theevent of a mechanical ventilation failure Good Production Practice 10

6. Daily Observation • Routine observation • Helps ensure prompt reaction to any needs • Keep records of observations Good Production Practice 10

7. Animal Evaluation Production Performance • Average Daily Gain • Amount a pig gains per day • Feed Efficiency • Pounds of weight gained per pound of feed consumed Good Production Practice 10

8. Animal Evaluation Physical Evaluation • Lameness • Cannot bear full weight on all four legs • Skin Lesions, Abscesses and Wounds • Signs of injury to an animal • Disease • Symptoms of disease Good Production Practice 10

9. Animal Evaluation • Body Condition Score (BCS) • Useful to assess nutrition program Good Production Practice 10

10. Animal Evaluation • Swine Behavior • Pigs that have experienced unpleasant human interaction will show fear in the presence of humans Good Production Practice 10

11. Body Space • Body Space - A pig must be able to: • Easily lie down fully on its side without having to lay on another pig, and be able to easily stand back up • Lie down without the head having to rest on a raised feeder • Additionally, a sow housed in a stall must be able to: • Lie down fully on its side without the head having to rest on a raised feeder and the rear quarters coming in contact with the back of the stall at the same time Good Production Practice 10

12. Euthanasia • Written euthanasia plan that considers: • Human safety • Pig well-being • Practicality and technical skills • Cost • Aesthetics • Limitations • Timely euthanasia • Minimizes animal pain or distress • Functional equipment available Good Production Practice 10

13. Facilities • A well maintained facility will help prevent injury to your animal Good Production Practice 10

14. Animal Movement • Animal movement may be stressful to pigs if not done in a calm quiet manner • Eliminate visual distractions from path of movement • Move six pigs or less at a time • A sorting board is the most effective tool for movement Good Production Practice 10

15. Transportation • Transporting pigs can cause stress • If transporting when it is hot, provide: • Shade • Wet straw or shavings • Air flow • Water • If transporting when it is cold, provide: • Straw or other bedding • Water Good Production Practice 10

16. Ventilation • Temperature • Facility temperature should be appropriate for the age of the pigs • Pig behavior is a good indicator of the thermal environment • Air Quality • Air quality can be controlled through ventilation Good Production Practice 10

17. Willful Acts of Abuse • Willful acts of abuse are unacceptable on any farm or operation. If you observe willful acts of abuse, you should immediately stop the situation. STOP Good Production Practice 10

18. Take-Home Message • Keep necessary records • Evaluate your facilities and animals • Identify potential hazards to your animals’ health and well-being Good Production Practice 10

19. Summary • Keep accurate records • Observe your animals daily • Evaluate your animals and facilities • Avoid willful acts of abuse Good Production Practice 10

20. Youth Pork Quality Assurance Plus Good Production Practice 10