Modern Trends in Swine Production (1961)

it is thanks to the hundreds of hog farmers throughout the country that modern American markets are able to offer pork products with confidence and in ever increasing quantities on the satisfaction of the consumer rests the future of the hog farmer you and modern swine production three factors determine success breeding feeding and management let's talk first about breeding at our farm here in Waterloo we select for replacements two ways certification and swine evaluation station data this boar is well muscled and has adequate scale he was selected on breach certification information to be from a certified litter the animals must be from a litter of eight raised which meet production registry standards in certification to litter mates are slaughtered with these there must be less than 1 and 6 10 inches of back fat body linked in excess of 29 inches and 4 square inches of loin I muscle this swine evaluation station is one of many across the country here in the most modern facilities are all breeds go on test at 60 pounds come off at two hundred and are judged on their daily gain feed efficiency and carcass merit of their Barrow brothers they should weigh 230 pounds or more at a hundred and eighty Days with a for probe of less than 1.1 inches of backpack this fellow has 0 point 83 inches Danny gain is one point nine seven and feed efficiency 2.78 his littermates met certification standards boars should be well cared for in sturdily constructed houses with both sides open to provide adequate ventilation in the summer in winter the side should be dropped and good bedding provided now about the gills these animals weigh 230 pounds at 180 days and have less and 1.35 back bath thickness have 12 good other sections are from a litter of eight or more raised and have acceptable confirmation a guilt should not be bred until it is eight months of age and during this time it should be fed a good growing ration when the guilts are old enough they made on pasture but many producers get good results on dry lot during the gestation period rations vary in different localities do two seasons and conditions the guilt should be fatty ration prescribed by your state extension specialist or the feed manufacturer portable steel shelters provide shade in the summer and warm housing in the winter prior to throwing the sow ought to be thoroughly scrubbed with detergent and water rinsed with a weak lending solution to ensure a clean animal entering the fouling house to avoid contamination everyone has to pass through a foot bath of disinfectant on entering or leaving the throwing house blind with a nun porous material our fouling house is thoroughly clean and sanitized topside and forth and allowed to drive for two weeks before fairly well insulated and ventilated it is kept dry and warm during and after fouling the stalls are made of steel and set in concrete with a front slope to prevent waste water from the drinking cup draining under the animals and a rear slope and dispose of all the liquid waste steel guards on each side of the stall prevent to solve from crunching her litter any guard plate enables the pig to move freely around the mother at all times clean dry bedding on the floor of each can add comfort and protection for the new day room temperature should be thermostatically maintained at 65 degrees however a floor temperature of 75 degrees is best for baby cakes and can be achieved through the use of heat lamps above each litters shortly after birth the navels are disinfected and the wolf teeth are blunted to avoid damage to the South other during cheese and ears are not for positive identification after four days iron shots are given to cut the work of feeding and cleaning the sow should be let out of the throwing stall for one or two hours morning and evening a good lactating ration should be provided in a Cell feeder this ration should be high in energy and properly balanced to stimulate maximum milk production the baby pigs melter out the Seng the danger of infection these important management techniques properly used during throwing will ensure strong healthy fast doing pigs and after approximately a week the litter will be ready to move to a less elaborate facility we take them to a nursery and growing area where they nurse for five or six weeks until they are weaned male pigs are best castrated during the second week and at this time the pig should also be given a good sleep starter ration and plenty of fresh water during cold weather supplemental heat ought to be provided for the first three weeks some successful producers like the Hamilton brothers that I will falls very the growing method using different equipment and arrangements they have combined fouling and growing in this single unit first this stall prevents crushing of the pigs then after 10 days or so the bars are folded back to provide a creep area easy clean is built into this installation with a mechanical barn cleaner carrying all manure to the end of the building a number of farmers will fare out twice a year spring and fall others to get the best use out of labor and equipment Farrell four times December februari June and August so far we've looked at the fairing and nursery stages in confinement there is also the pasture system bird collins at korean iowa prefers to move the sow and her litter out to a good legume pasture after five days portable hug houses provide the necessary shelter basic requirements of the pasture system should be clean ground fenced hog tight with adequate shade hogs raised in this manner have no anemia and present no manure handling problems throwing during the summer in the same portable shades has also proved successful here this thousand gallon water tank serves four separate South pastures while this line feeder handles two passengers in each of these systems the producers have raised a healthy forty pound pig to the use of sound management principles now in the last stage of the life cycle our pigs are moved to the specially designed finishing house here the concrete floor has a half inch to the foot slope to the front a gutter or slab catches all the liquids and solid manure with no drainage through the Pens gate should have at least one and a half inches of clearance off the concrete to provide free flow of manure and water fifty pigs of approximately the same weight are put into each pin in sides form a tight wall in the winter and permit good ventilation and shade in the summer for additional summer comfort this fogging device is used when the temperature reaches 80 degrees or more adequate space in the finishing house is vital pigs between 40 and 120 pounds should be allowed 9 square feet each [Music] from 120 pounds to market wait 12 square feet should be given each animal because they are round these cell feeders accommodate a full quarter of animals we figure 14 2 feet of space to every four pigs sturdily built of corrosion resistance heavy gauge steel they withstand the rough treatment of growing and finishing on they save labor and are adjustable to prevent feed waste and are easily filled directly from the feed dealers bulk trucks in winter the drinking water should be kept at 40 degrees and to prevent drain back watering cups are raised four inches off the concrete this solves most freezing problems if a pressure system is used there should be one foot of water space allowed for every 50 pics the gravity flow system this should be increased water should be flush several times a week nor is removed two or three times per week in some confinement feeding operation the manure goes to early GU with a bacteria break to manure down lagune should always be fenced in for complete safety [Music] others collect this waste in a pit before it's all the way in a liquid form there are some other finishing operations i have seen which are well worth mentioning the francis clark farm at frankford indiana is a good example of a completely automated swine finishing operation feed is automatically mixed and ordered [Music] water is under pressure nor in mechanically removed at the Clarence king farm near Alwine Iowa they foul in this fouling house and moves of pigs to the field after weaning they finish their hearts on the ghum pasture using portable steel shelters here the feeders are easily filled from a self unloading wagon in this operation water is piped to the Hogs in the feed in pasture operations Wallace provides summer comfort dear ones are durable easily moved and easily drain some areas hugs clean corn fields after harvest and follow cattle sixty percent of a farmer's corn harvesting losses can be recovered by letting hogs and cattle glean the corn fields these hogs have been sorted and weigh 200 to 225 they should be loaded carefully to prevent bruises and death loss and move quickly toy market or packing plants by showing you some of the operations of other successful producers we've tried to highlight for you the modern trends in swine production the job you do in breeding fair owing feeding and management is reflected in the tonnage and quality of pork you market [Music]