How Many Babies Can a Pig Have Malegiladon

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Chapter four: The pig

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Unit 26: Handling and restraining pigs
Unit 27: Teeth clipping in young pigs
Unit 28: Internal parasites of pigs
Unit of measurement 29: Skin infections of pigs
Unit 30: Heat (oestrus) in the sow
Unit 31: Pregnancy and farrowing (giving birth)
Unit of measurement 32: Intendance of the sow and piglet
Unit 33: Castrating piglets
Unit of measurement 34: Feeding pigs
Unit of measurement 35: Housing for pigs
Unit 36: Ear tagging or notching (identification)

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Unit 26: Treatment and restraining pigs

By the fourth dimension they are weaned young pigs are too big to be hands lifted. Older pigs tin be moved from place to identify using hog boards.

Pigs are very clever and quick to learn. They can be dangerous.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit yous should be able to:

1 Safely handle young pigs.
ii Handle older pigs.
3 Restrain the pig.

Handling the young sus scrofa

Piglets can be caught from backside and held by grasping the hind leg just above the hock. The small piglet can then exist lifted past placing the other paw under the chest and lifting the animal. When holding the piglet ever back up its weight confronting y'all. By the time the piglet is weaned it will exist too heavy to lift.

Treatment the young hog

Treatment the older pig

Pigs will naturally head for a gap (or opening) when you arroyo them or try to catch them. You lot can use this addiction to brand the pig go where yous want it to If two squealer boards (wooden boards 0.8m foursquare) are placed either side of the squealer'due south head it will move forrard in the direction the handlers desire it to go. As the animal gets older it can exist trained to motion under the control of ane handler who uses a board and a wooden bat nigh 1 m long.

The handler e'er keeps the squealer board betwixt himself and the hog. If several people try to drive a pig it can turn and charge betwixt them.

Restraining a grunter

You can restrain a pig by holding it with ropes confronting a wall or fence. Big pigs can be easily restrained with a rope or wire loop effectually the snout.

Restraining a pig

Unit of measurement 27: Teeth clipping in immature pigs

The teeth of the young hog are clipped every bit presently as possible after nascency. The piglet is born with 8 teeth.

If the teeth are not clipped the sow'southward (mother) udder may be injured by the suckling piglets. Removal of the teeth likewise prevents the young pigs injuring themselves while fighting or playing.

Learning objectives

Later on studying this unit of measurement y'all should be able to:

ane Empathize why the teeth of young pigs are clipped.
2 Carry out teeth clipping on the piglet as soon as possible after its birth.
three Handle the sow and her young with equally little stress as possible to both.

Why are the teeth of piglets clipped?

Piglets seize with teeth the sow (mother) in their fight to get hold of one of her teats and suckle. The pain caused by this disturbs the sow causing her to get upward and prevents her immature from feeding. The cuts to the sow'due south udder likewise allow germs to infect the udder. In their fight to grasp the teat and suckle piglets volition besides seize with teeth and injure i another. The uncomplicated exercise of clipping the teeth every bit soon every bit possible after nativity prevents these problems.

When to prune the teeth

The piglet'due south teeth should be cut as presently every bit possible subsequently its birth. The teeth can be cut when the pig is only fifteen minutes old. The sow and her young should exist separated for every bit curt a time equally possible. In order to prune the teeth you volition need either a pair of molar clippers, or pliers or forceps.

You will need someone to assistance yous split up the sow and her young. You lot will also need a box containing bedding and a clean empty pen.

Clipping the teeth

· If the sow is not tied up carve up her from her young and place her in another pen. Accept care every bit the sow with a litter can be unsafe.

· Corner the young pigs and keep them together or place them in a box.

· Concur the head and printing the corner of the piglet's mouth so that the jaws open.

· Place the clippers on either side of one pair of teeth making sure that the natural language is not in the manner. Tilt the caput so that the pieces of the teeth will autumn out of the oral fissure.

· Cut the teeth as close equally possible to the gums.

· Make clean the clippers before using them on another piglet. Operate on the rest of the litter and when yous have finished put the piglets back with their mother immediately. Keep young piglets warm.

Clipping the teeth

Unit 28: Internal parasites of pigs

Pigs can be infected with a number of different roundworms. These can result in poor weight gain in adults. In young pigs infection with roundworms tin can cause diarrhoea, weight loss, lung problems and death.

Worms from pigs can crusade affliction in man.

Learning objectives

Afterward studying this unit of measurement you should know:

one The bug caused past roundworms in pigs.
2 How to treat and control roundworm infections of the pig.
three Issues caused in human by grunter parasites.

Roundworm infections of the pig

Pigs tin be infected with a number of unlike roundworms. People who keep pigs tin can detect large roundworms, 25 - 40 cm long in the animals' dung. In pigs two to 5 months one-time the worms cause diarrhoea, weight loss and lung problems. The young worm lives in the liver and lungs before passing into the intestine. The damage to the lungs can permit germs to assault and crusade cough and lung infections. The immature pig tin can die.

The worm in the liver of immature and adult pigs causes white spots (milk spot) to develop. Such a liver should not be eaten by humans.

Treatment and control of roundworms

Infected pigs are easily treated by dosing with a suitable treatment, east.g. piperazine (see R13 Annex 1). The pregnant sow should be treated earlier giving birth or she volition pass on infection to her litter. 1 female person worm volition produce a million eggs a solar day which laissez passer out in the dung. These eggs infect new hosts and tin stay in the basis or the hole for upwards to 5 years.

The pigsty, shelter or pen should be cleaned out and the walls and floor treated with caustic soda which is left for 2 - 3 days before washing it off. If infected pigs have been kept out in a field the land should be ploughed and used for a ingather, or equally grazing for other animals, earlier pigs are put back on it.

Problems caused by pig parasites in humans

Pigs tin can be infected with a parasitic worm called Trichinella. The adult worm lives in the intestine while young worms are found in the muscles (meat). Information technology does not appear to exist a problem to the pig. Any brute which eats the pig meat can be infected with the worm.

Pigs tin can exist infected with Trichinella from eating rats which have the infection. Pigs will also be infected from contaminated meat so all meat fed to the animals (e.g. in swill) should be thoroughly cooked. Thorough cooking of pork will too kill the worm. If humans eat undercooked pig meat from an animate being infected with this parasite they will become infected also.

If a grunter is left to wander around it may swallow plants contaminated with man faeces. In this style the sus scrofa meat can get infected with a tapeworm from humans. If the meat of that pig is not properly cooked people who swallow it can become infected with the pork tapeworm.

Practise not allow pigs to wander effectually complimentary.

Unit 29: Peel infections of pigs

Pigs can be infected with lice and mange mites. Mange can crusade wounds which can become infected and can effect in the hide becoming of no apply for leather production. Humans can also catch the mange infection.

The grunter can also be attacked past ticks.

Pigs can suffer from erysipelas (diamond skin disease) which causes diamond shaped discolouration of the skin.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit you should be able to:

one Recognise mange and lice infections of pigs.
2 Know how to control and treat mange and lice infections of the hog.
3 Recognise erysipelas in pigs.
4 Know how to control and care for tick infections of pigs.

Mange in pigs

Mange is caused by infection with mites (see Unit xvi) and results in thickening and crusting of the skin. The action of the mites burrowing into the peel makes the pig scratch and the wounds acquired tin can become infected with germs. Mange occurs around the head, ears, legs and tail but will spread over the trunk if not treated.

Mange is controlled by spraying, dipping or painting the infected areas with a suitable grooming (see R15 Addendum 1). The pen and shelter should besides exist thoroughly cleaned out and washed down. Handling should exist repeated afterwards 2 weeks.

Later working with mangey pigs wash your hands thoroughly and wash clothing also.

If y'all have a mange problem in your customs which you cannot finish you will need to ask for veterinary communication. To identify the mite causing the problem the veterinary volition need skin scrapings from infected animals. Identifying the mite will allow him to decide what treatment you lot should use.

Lice and tick infections

Pigs can endure from infection with dark coloured lice which can exist seen on the animate being's body. The lice feed on the skin and irritate the pig which will scratch and can cause wounds which go infected. Treatment involves spraying with coumaphos (see R15 Annex 1) and cleaning the areas where the animals are kept.

Pigs can exist attacked past some ticks which take claret. The ticks may acquit other infections to the animals. Treatment can be carried out past spraying with a suitable compound (see R15 Annex 1) or past removing the ticks past hand or by touching them with kerosene or a lighted cigarette. Afflicted pens should be thoroughly cleaned.

Erysipelas (diamond skin illness)

Erysipelas or diamond skin disease of pigs tin kill the animals. This is an infection of the pig'south torso which produces recognisable discolouration on the grunter'due south torso. These are reddish diamond-shaped areas on the skin or the beast may have a purplish color to the head and ears. Pigs with erysipelas take a high temperature and do not feed; they squeal if touched. The animal tin can die from an astute infection or in chronic cases the animal survives merely suffers from swollen joints and lameness.

Erysipelas is treated past using the antibiotic penicillin (see R seven Annex 1). Animals tin can be vaccinated confronting the illness.

Unit xxx: Estrus (heat) in the sow

The female pig (sow) is set to breed (reaches puberty) at 5 months of age and will show signs of being in heat. Some slow growing types and animals which are underfed will be older when they reach puberty.

The sow volition come into rut every 3 weeks throughout the year if she is not mated.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit y'all should know:

1 When a female hog is ready for convenance.
2 How often the pig comes into heat.
3 The signs of heat in the sus scrofa.
4 How to make the sus scrofa come up into heat.

When is the sow set for breeding?

Nearly breeds of grunter attain puberty at v months of age simply some, e.thousand. the Chinese pig, come into estrus for the first time at three months of age when they have enough adept feed and water.

The grunter should not be used for breeding when she comes into oestrus for the start time. It is wiser to let her to grow for another calendar month before using her for breeding. She will then be meliorate able to carry and suckle a expert litter of young. But sows with 14 teats should be used for breeding so that all her litter can feed.

If the pig is not mated she will come up into oestrus every 21 days, providing she has enough feed and water.

Signs of heat

The female squealer coming into heat is restless and may non eat. The vulva becomes pink and swollen. When the squealer is pressed hard with the hands on either side of her back she will stand nevertheless, showing she is ready to accept the male person.

Signs of oestrus

The sow volition be in rut for 8 to 36 hours.

How to bring the sow into heat

Healthy, well fed sows can be brought into heat so that breeding can be controlled.

Putting a sow which is in heat in with those which are not in rut volition make some of the latter come into heat. A better method is to pen sows next to a boa and then that they can see and smell him. The sows will come into heat especially if the boar is onetime and smelly.

Remember that failure to come up into rut can be the event of poor or too little feed or a wellness problem in the sow.

Unit 31: Pregnancy and farrowing (giving nascency)

Pregnancy lasts for 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days.

A well fed sow volition produce at least x piglets (litter) from each pregnancy and may have 2 litters each twelvemonth.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit you should be able to:

one Intendance for the pregnant sow.
two Recognise when the sow is about to farrow (give nativity).
3 Recognise normal farrowing.
four Recognise when the sow has problems and be able to assist.

Care of the pregnant sow

If the sow shows no sign of existence in rut iii weeks later mating she is pregnant. The pregnancy will last about three months 3 weeks and iii days. During the pregnancy the sow volition need enough of feed high in nutrients and will specially need more feed towards the cease of the pregnancy. She should exist given some feed high in nutrients e.grand. grain and greenstuffs every day. Giving the sow access to clean soil or grass with roots from country where no pigs have been kept will permit her to get the minerals she needs.

Requite the sow plenty of clean bedding when nascency is close.

Signs that the pig is prepare to farrow

The sow becomes restless and starts to make a nest within 24 hours of giving birth. The teat will produce milk when gently squeezed.

Blood stained fluid may be passed from the vagina 1 to ii hours before birth begins and if small greenish pellets appear the start piglet will appear within an hr.

Gently rubbing the udder will make the sow relax and lie on her side in the position to give nascence.

Normal farrowing

Farrowing is a natural process and the sow will unremarkably need no help. Once the commencement piglet is born the others, and the afterbirth, will quickly follow. Farrowing should exist completed within 2 to three hours. The navel string will interruption (you lot do not need to cut it) and the piglet will immediately search for a teat and milk. If the belly button bleeds, tie it tightly with a clean string or cord.

When and how to help in farrowing

If the sow shows all the signs of farrowing but she has not produced a piglet and is pawing with a hind leg, or if 45 minutes has passed since the start piglet appeared and there is no sign of the second you volition have to help the sow.

· Launder your hands and arms with warm water and soap and scrub under your fingernails.

· Wash the region of the vulva.

· Brand your hands soapy or put olive or sunflower oil on your hands.

· Put your mitt into the vagina and experience for the piglet or matter causing the blockage and attempt to remove information technology.

Clear the piglet's mouth and nose of mucous and if it is not breathing you can slap it to encourage it to breath. Gently rub the piglet dry and put its oral fissure on a teat.

Unit 32: Care of the sow and piglet

A good for you well-fed sow will be able to rear at least twenty piglets each twelvemonth.

If the sow has besides many piglets to feed, or if a sow dies, the young can exist fostered or hand reared.

Learning objectives

Later on studying this unit y'all should:

1 Know if the sow is a adept mother.
2 Judge if the piglets are feeding well.
3 Know how to foster piglets.
4 Know how to hand-rear piglets.

How good a female parent is the sow?

A sow should have at least 14 teats which should be long and thin enough for the piglet to grasp. Each piglet suckles from its own teat feeding every hour. The offset built-in and stronger piglets employ the teats nearest the sow's head which produce most milk. As a sow gets older and has more lifters the teats can get large making it hard for the piglet to suckle. Sometimes the dorsum teats do not produce much milk. A sow may be unable to feed all her immature and is no longer fit for convenance.

A sow can suffer from mastitis which may develop as a result of damage to the teats caused by the piglets teeth. Clipping the teeth of the piglet (run into Unit of measurement 27) prevents cuts to the teats.

Are the young feeding well?

Not all of the piglets will grow at the aforementioned rate, some will exist born smaller than the others. They fight for feed and the smaller piglets volition abound at a slower rate and even die. You can expect to encounter a departure in weight proceeds and growth between the members of whatsoever litter, but if all of the piglets practice non grow well and there are no obvious signs of illness you should suspect poor milk production by the mother. This is oftentimes the case with old sows.

Information technology tin can become necessary to foster the piglets, i.e. put them with a different sow for feeding.

Fostering piglets

Information technology is essential for all piglets to have colostrum from the female parent. They will take the first feed within 1 hour of beingness born.

If a sow dies during farrowing her lifter can be fostered to another. The orphans should be mixed in with the sow'south ain litter and then that she will have them. However the foster female parent volition non exist able to feed both lifters at the same time and it will be necessary to use several foster mothers to feed the orphans.

Hand rearing piglets

A sow may die and there is no foster mother available. The litter can be reared by hand feeding. To hand rear a litter the following will be needed:

· Feeding bottles and teats (nipples) which are thoroughly cleaned between each feeding.

· A clean dry box containing clean bedding for the newborn piglets which can be kept in a warm place.

· Regular feeds must be given at intervals of 1 to two hours.

· Moo-cow's colostrum is the all-time substitute for the sow'south colostrum and afterward 3 to 4 days the piglets can exist given milk.

Unit 33: Castrating piglets

Castration, or the removal of the testicles, is carried out on the male squealer which is not needed for breeding.

If the blood vessel to the testicle is cut straight through, or pulled heavy haemorrhage can occur. Bleeding is reduced by scraping the twisted blood vessel with a knife until information technology is cut through.

Castrated animals are quieter and piece of cake to handle.

The castrated animal is fatter and produces meat which does non have a strong smell.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit you lot should know:

i Why male pigs are castrated.
2 When is castration carried out.
iii How to restrain pigs for castration.
4 How to castrate animals.

Why are pigs castrated?

Male person pigs (boars) tin can fight causing injury to ane some other. Castrated pigs are quieter and easier to handle. Castrating the pig makes it put on more fat and the meat does not accept a stiff piggy smell. Young pigs should exist castrated at 2 to 3 weeks of age.

Restraining the grunter for castration

You will need someone to hold the piglet for castration. The hog should exist held by the hind legs with its head downwards and its body should be firmly held between the handler's knees.

Castration cuts

Castrating the sus scrofa

You lot volition need a very sharp, clean knife, scalpel or razor blade. Remove the sow from the litter and if possible put her where she cannot run into or hear them.

· Clean the scrotum with warm water and lather and dry it.

· Move the testicle into the scrotum with your finger and then firmly grip the scrotum beneath the testicle between your thumb and index finger.

· Brand a cut i - 2 cm long in the bottom of the scrotum. The testicle should pop out through the cutting.

· Pull the testicle out of the scrotum and cut through the white cord leaving the cherry claret vessel uncut.

· Pull the testicle out slightly further and twist it effectually several times before cutting the twisted blood vessel by scraping up and down with the knife. This helps to reduce bleeding. Practice not pull to pause the vessel.

· Practise not put your fingers in the scrotum. Apply either tincture of iodine, gentian violet, Dettol or an antibiotic powder (run into R5 Addendum i) or a sulpha powder to the castration wound. Remove the 2d testicle in the same fashion.

Put the piglets and their female parent on clean bedding. Watch piglets for signs of infection in the wound for the adjacent calendar week. Infected castration wounds bang-up, piglets do not want to walk or are lame. See Unit 73 for handling.

Unit 34: Feeding pigs

The hog is omnivorous and tin eat meat and plants. The digestive organization of the sus scrofa tin can as well use bulky feeds containing a lot of roughage.

Pigs must accept plenty of make clean, fresh water every day.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit you should know:

1 What types of feed to give pigs.
ii How often you volition need to feed pigs.
3 How and when to wean piglets.

The types of feed to give to pigs

Pigs will eat annihilation. They will consume grass and all types of plants. They can be kept in a well fenced field where they will eat all of the plants and grass there. The pig not merely eats the light-green parts of plants but will also dig into the ground and eat all the roots. A pig with a nose ring cannot root upwardly plants.

The pig's eating habit can be used past human. If a pig is put in a field it volition clear information technology, plough it and fertilise information technology.

Pig's volition grow and get fatty more quickly if they are fed concentrate feed. Grain which has been well ground into repast is a good feed. Waste matter vegetables and household scraps can also exist given to pigs. Household scraps, especially those containing meat, must be well boiled (sus scrofa swill) before being given to the squealer.

The pig must always be able to drinkable fresh clean water. A sow with young will need 20 - 30 litres of water a day.

The types of feed to give to pigs

How frequently will a grunter demand feeding?

Pigs can be kept in a sty when they will need to exist fed twice a 24-hour interval with ane feed in the morning and ane in the evening. Pigs in the field can be offered meal once a twenty-four hour period or given actress feed, eastward.g. vegetable waste material or swill, when it is bachelor.

Weaning

Piglets bear witness an involvement in solid feed when they are 1 or two weeks erstwhile. They can exist offered a handful of cereal, sugar or powdered milk to start with. Piglets volition take milk from the female parent until they are about vii weeks old. They volition gradually take less milk and eat more solid feed until they are weaned. Piglets in the field will naturally first to eat solid feed but it must be offered to those that are housed. The immature animals need to be gradually given new feed to avoid digestive issues.

Remember that a grunter should blitz to eat its feed. Lack of interest in feed is a sign of ill health and you will need to look at the animal to decide the cause of health problems.

Unit of measurement 35: Housing for pigs

Pigs tin be kept in a field where at that place is a shelter or they can be kept in a pig sty.

Pigs should not be immune to wander near free. In that location will exist no command over what they eat or where they get and disease volition spread.

Learning objectives

After studying this unit yous should know:

1 How to go along pigs in a field.
2 The types of housing (buildings and pens) for pigs.
iii Housing piglets.

Keeping pigs in a field

Wild pigs alive amidst bushes and the roots of tress. When pigs are kept with access to a warm, low area to prevarication and sleep in, as they would in the wild, the pigs do better.

Pigs can be kept in a field where they can feed on grasses and plants. If pigs are kept this manner, the field must exist surrounded past either a strong fence or a wall. Pigs will push their fashion out of a field if the fence is not strong enough. The animals are given shelters called pig arks to sleep in. These can be made of forest or metal sheets and should incorporate bedding. The arks tin can be moved to fresh ground when necessary.

Keeping pigs in a field

Housing and pens for pigs

Pigs can be kept lone or in small groups in a squealer sty, a concrete or solid floored pen with a low shelter.

When building a sty you should cull an surface area which is never flooded in the rainy season. Information technology should not be too well-nigh to houses so that smells and flies are a nuisance. The floor should exist physical and sloping away from the sleeping area so that urine flows out and abroad. The physical floor should exist laid on a good foundation and will need to be 5 - six cm thick. If the concrete is too thin and cracks, the pigs will soon get-go to dig information technology upward. An earthen floor cannot be kept clean and volition pb to problems with parasites and other diseases. The walls of the sty need to be adequately smooth so that they can be kept clean. Cracks in the walls will permit dirt and germs to accumulate.

The animals should be given plenty of bedding in the shelter. Pigs will always dung away from their sleeping and feeding areas. The dung can exist removed every day allowing the pen to be kept clean and avoiding the build up of waste material and smells.

Housing and pens for pigs

Housing for piglets

Convenance sows and their litters can be kept in sties or using the open field arrangement. Plenty of bedding should be given to aid go along the immature animals warm and it must be changed frequently. If a litter is raised in a sty, the sty should be thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed out afterward the litter has been weaned and moved elsewhere. If a litter is raised in the field, the shelter should be moved to a new site for the next litter to avert disease problems, particularly from parasitic worms, developing.

Whatever the housing method used piglets should have access to a warm surface area which the sow cannot reach. This is called a creep and piglets can exist given feed here and tin lie down without the run a risk of the mother lying on top of them. The sow is prevented from entering the pitter-patter by placing a temporary wall of boards or stiff runway across part of the shelter. The lesser rail is about 30 cm from the ground assuasive the small piglets to pass under it.

Housing for piglets

Do non permit pigs to wander gratuitous around the community. This results in the spread of disease among the animals and also between them and people.

Unit of measurement 36: Ear tagging or notching (identification)

Ear tagging or notching allows yous to place your pigs by sight. Notching is piece of cake to do and costs nothing. You tin identify upward to 121 pigs in this manner.

This method can be used to identify other animals, east.g. sheep and goats.

Learning objectives

Afterward studying this unit you should know:

1 Why exercise we identify animals.
ii How to notch the ear.
iii Reading the number of the pig.

Why nosotros demand to place animals

If you have a few pigs or other animals, identifying them is no problem. You will be able to identify them by sight and may well have given them a name. You will need some style to identify a big number of animals especially if you are going to keep records (run across Addendum 5). There are many ways to identify animals including numbered collars, tattoos, and plastic tags. Notching the ear is like shooting fish in a barrel and is the cheapest fashion.

Notching the ear

A 5-shaped notch can exist cut out of the edge of the ear using a pair of clean scissors. Make the notch a few centimetres deep so in hereafter yous will be able to read it from a distance.

The notches on the left ear are for single numbers and on the correct ear the notches are for tens.

Notching the ear

Recording the number of the pig

Expect at the notches on the right and the left ears then add together upwardly the number on each ear to requite the number of the animal.

Recording the number of the grunter

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Source: https://www.fao.org/3/t0690e/t0690e06.htm

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