Swine Notes

Leading states in hog production:

Iowa - #1 Illinois Minnesota Indiana Nebraska Missouri North Carolina

Ohio Kansas South Dakota

People prefer to raise hogs because?

Faster turnover in money - breeding to marketing offspring is only 9-

10 months Hogs eat large amounts of grain-more efficient in converting feed Hogs give birth more than once per year Hogs produce more young per birth than

any other animal Labor is low Hogs are profitable 9 out of 10 years

4 prime cuts of meat:

Picnic shoulder Loin Boston shoulder ham

Factors for selecting a herd boar:

Reproductive soundness (testicles) Type and quality (length, loin-eye, back fat

thickness) Performance testing results Pedigree (ancestry) Health (brucellosis, leptospirosis,

pseudorabies) Age (don’t breed before 9 months old) Show ring performance

Selecting sows:

Soundness (sexual and structure) Conformation Gain and feed efficiency Litter size health

Sow Productivity Index:

# pigs born alive # pigs weaned Litter weight at 21 days of age # litters per sow per year

Feeder pig selection:

Health Type Size (35-80 lbs.) Uniformity

Feeding Swine

Corn – basic energy feed used in hog rations

-lacks several amino acids necessary (lysine and tryptophan)

-must be supplemented with protein, minerals, and vitamins

Feeding Swine

Barley: substitute for corn-higher fiber and less digestible

energy than corn-check barley for scabs (disease in

barley)-must be supplemented also

Feeding Swine:

Milo (grain sorgum)-ground in the south-Higher protein than corn-substitute for corn-add supplements also

Breeding Facts:

Gilts should be 8 months before they are bred (weigh 250lbs)

Boars should be 9 months old before they are bred

Breed gilts twice at 12 hour intervals Breed sows twice at 24 hour intervals Put in farrowing crate 1 day before they

should give birth Keep newborns at 90-95 degrees

Clip needle teeth and naval cord right away

Dock tails of pigs and give iron shots

Castrate young Wean 5-8 weeks old and at least 12

lbs. Ear notch

Kinds of swine markets:

1. Direct marketing:-selling to packing plants, order, buyers, or country

buying stations-76% of hogs are sold this way-producer deals with the buyer2. Terminal markets:-hogs are cosigned to a commission firm-the firm deals with the buyer-12% of hogs are sold this way-buyers compete and can raise the profit more than

in the direct market

3. Auction markets:-8% in US sold this way-cost to market the swine are

commissions, insurance, yardage, and feed costs

4. Group marketing:-groups pull together in a co-op to

fight for better market prices

Pricing methods:

Sold on weight at market Sold on weight and grade groups at

market standards (standards are set by the buyer)

Grade and yield-determine price after slaughter-in an error is made, no possible way

to re-grade the animal

Market Classes and Grades:

Determine classification by: Sex Use (slaughter or feeder) Their grade

Barrows and gilts’ grades are based on carcass quality and the yield of the 4 lean cuts

5 USDA grades

US No1 US No2 US No3 US No4 US Utility

To determine official grade, estimate: Backfat thickness Muscle scoreEquation:(4.0 x backfat thickness over last rib,

in inches)-(1.0 x muscling score)

Muscle Scores:

Thin = 1 Average = 2 Thick (superior) = 3

Exp: backfat = 1.05 inches and superior muscling

Answer = 1.2 (US No 1 Grade)

Preliminary Grades:

<1.00 in = US No 1 1.0 – 1.24 in = US No 2 1.25 – 1.49 in = US No 3 1.5 -> in = US No 4

Shrinkage:

Hogs lose weight when shipped You’ll always have at least 2%

shrinkage no matter the distance