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Selecting Swine. 3121 Adam Nash. The Incredible Pig. Did you know? Fat from the pig was used to make nitroglycerine for War explosives After war, consumers were diet conscience and quit eating pig. See the difference?. Selection has changed over time In the past, short fat lard types.
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Selecting Swine 3121 Adam Nash
The Incredible Pig • Did you know? • Fat from the pig was used to make nitroglycerine for War explosives • After war, consumers were diet conscience and quit eating pig
See the difference? • Selection has changed over timeIn the past, short fat lard types. • Now: an extremely thick-muscled, long bodied, stress prone type • Why? http://www.boarsemen.com/boarpen/ppigs.htm
Selection of breeding animals: Overview • Look for an animal who is: • Structurally sound, • Healthy, • Big volume, • Thick muscled and • Efficient • Be able to explain in your words.
Selection based on: • I. Visual appraisal • II. Production testing • III. Pedigree evaluation
Visual Appraisal 1. Look at confirmation 2. Structural soundness of feet and legs- NPPC scoring system 3. Size and scale- weigh 200 at 6months, 4. Health and vigor
Visual Appraisal • NPPC scoring system • Unsound- Obvious restriction of movement • Intermediate- Structural condition is not serious enough to create risk in movement • Sound- free of major or minor structural weakness
II. Swine Performance data • Based on: • Sow productivity, • growth rate, • feed efficiency and • carcass merit
Heriability: • % rate that a trait/characteristic will be passed on to offspring • Low heritability means it is unlikely that trait will be passed on • High Heritability means that trait is easily passed on to each generation • Why do we care?
Fertility # weaned Wt. At weaning Rate of gain Efficiency of gain Fat over loin Loin-eye area % of lean cuts 0-15% 10-15% 15-20% 25-30% 30-35% 45-50% 45-50% 30-40% Heritability
A sow is productive if? Prolific- min 8/9 offspring 2.5 to 4 lb birth wt. 21 day litter wt= milking ability Sow index- how good she is compared to her peers
Lets do the math L= # piglets born alive l= avg. # piglets born alive for comparable group W= 21 day weight for individual w= 21 day weight for comparable group Sow index:= 100+6.5(L-l)+1.0(W-w)
Lets do the mathSow index:= 100+6.5(L-l)+1.0(W-w) • Betsy had 9 piglets • Her comparable groups had an avg. of 7 • Betsy’s piglets avg. 105 lbs. • Her comparable group avg. 110 lbs. • What do we know?
Performance data: Sow index • Index can be used for a number of traits • You just have to find out the coefficient
B. Growth weight • Number of days required to reach a specific weight • Usually 230 pounds
C. Feed efficiency • Amount of weight gained per amount of food eaten
More math: • Pig is fed 6 pounds of food per day.Pig is gaining 2 pounds per day.What is this pigs feed conversion? • Takes 3 pounds of feed to gain 1 pound3:1
Try this • Pig needs to weigh 245 in 2 weeksToday he weighs 200 poundsHe currently gets 6 lbs of food a dayHis feed conversion is 2:1How much does he gain a day?Will he make weight?
Math Problem • Gain: 3 pounds a dayIn 14 days he will weigh 242What to do?
d. Carcass merit • What are the types of Hogs?Primary Lean Cuts = hams, loins, picnics, Boston ButtsMeat Type Hog: more than half the weight of a Number 1 animal is Primary Lean Cuts(PLC) • Bacon Type Hog: less than 1/2 is PLC– large litter size– little value in U.S. except to increase litter size
d. Carcass merit • USDA grades 1,2,3,4, UtilityBased on yield of lean cuts: Backfat over last rib Muscling1 is good and Utility is undesirable
What it comes down to: • Hog Selection • U 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 • U Minimum Litter Size = 9 • U First Litter should have a combined pig wt at 21 days of 95 lbs or more • – 110 lbs for a mature sow