By: Wilfred D. Campado L.Agri.

SWINE
PRODUCTION
Overview of Swine Industry
Swine production provides red meat
for the human diet, uses less feed than
is required to produce beef or lamb,
and is also a source of hides and
cooking fat. Swine are also scavengers
and can make productive use of many
materials that would otherwise be
wasted.
Pigs (young swine of either sex
weighing less than 120 pounds), were
domesticated in China as early as 4900
B.C. Biblical writings mention them as
early as 1500 B.C., and there are
references to the keeping of swine in
Great Britain in 800 B.C.
Facts about the Philippine
Swine Industry
• Php 191 Billion in industry.
• The largest among the animal industries
• Second largest contributor to the country's
agriculture coming in second to rice.
Philippine Scales of
Production

Backyard farms
-less than 10 sows per
household

Commercial farms
Small commercial: <100 sows
Medium-scale farms: 100-300 sows
Large-scale farms : >300 sows
 Swine Production Terms
Anestrus – the period during which a female does not come into heat (estrus) and
so will not allow herself to bred.
Atresia ani – a defect involving a closed rectum.
Barrow - a male swine, castrated (testicles removed), before it reaches sexual
maturity.
Boar – uncastrated male swine usually kept for breeding.
Creep – a separate area of a farrowing pen accessible only the young, unweaned
animals and not their dams. High protein, palatable feeds for the little pigs up to
weaning is provided in the creep area.
Crossbred – a group of animals produced by interbreeding two pure breed but
different breed of strains.
Cryptorchidism – a defect involving the failure of one or both testicles to descend
to the scrotal sac.
Dam – female parent, mother of an animal
 Swine Production Terms
Docking – removal of the portion of the tail by cutting to minimize tail biting among
pigs.
Dry sow – sow which is not milking, an unbred or unpregnant female.
Drying-off – ending a sow’s lactation period by weaning her piglets.
Estrus (or heat) – the period of the reproductive cycle during which the female is
sexually responsive to male.
Farrow – to give birth to young pigs.
Farrowing – act of giving birth to young pigs.
Farrowing crate – a metal stall used to confine the movement of the sow during
farrowing.
Farrowing or interval litter – refers to the period of birth of one litter to the birth of
the succeeding litter.
Finishing – the final stage of growth of hog prior to slaughter. A finisher pig starts
the period at 50kg and final reaches a market of 90 kg.
 Swine Production Terms
Flushing – increasing the daily feed intake of gilts for 14 days prior to breeding.
Flushing can increase the number of eggs ovulated and therefore the of ova
fertilized.
Gestation – pregnancy
Gilt – a young female swine usually kept for breeding and one that has not giving
birth.
Hand mating – a mating system in which females in heat are brought individually to
a boar for mating.
Hogs – refers to domesticated swine of either sex specially weighing more than 50
kg.
Hybrid vigor – improved performance in growth rate and reproduction seen in
crossbred individuals as compared to their straightbred parents.
Inbreeding – the interbreeding of closely related individuals to preserve and fix
desirable characteristics and to prevent undesirable characteristic from stocks.
 Swine Production Terms
Lactation – milk production in sows following farrowing and lasting until the piglets
are weaned.
Litter – a group of pigs belonging to one gestating; refers to the offspring at birth
of a multiparous swine.
Litter Interval – refers to the period from the birth of one litter to the birth of the
succeeding litter. This sometimes referred as farrowing interval.
Litter size – refers to the number of pigs farrowed or weaned form one gestation.
Litter weight – refers to collective weight usually at birth and at weaning of the
piglets belonging to one gestation.
Parity - refers to the number of times a sow has given birth.
Pig – a broad term which usually refers to young swine not yet sexually mature.
Pork – refers to fresh meat as flesh of swine.
Porker – a young pig fattened for table use as fresh pork.
 Swine Production Terms
Purebred – a group of animals bred from members of a recognized breed, strain, or
kind without a mixture of other breadlines many penetrations, and possess
distinctive characteristics.
Primiparous sow – a female which has farrowed only once. It is sometimes referred
to as a young sow.
Rectal prolapsed – refers to the falling or slipping of the portion of the rectum from
its original position.
Scours - a yellow-white, watery diarrhea in piglets normally cause by E. coli
bacteria. Dehydrated piglets will die in a matter of hours if not treated promptly
with antibiotics.
Selection – the process of choosing a replacement animal for the herd based on
their genetic potential to improve herd performance.
Service – the breeding or mating process.
Shoat – a young hog usually less than one-year-old and weighing less than 60 kg.
 Swine Production Terms
Sow – an adult female usually kept for breeding and has farrowed at least once.
Stillbirth – refers to a dead fetus at birth.
Sty – a pen-enclosed housing for swine of light materials.
Suckling – a young pig under the care of a dam.
Swine – a term used collectively for a stout-bodied, short-legged, omnivorous
mammal (family Suidae) with a long mobile snout.
pig of approximately 8 to 10 weeks of age weighing between 15 to 20 kg.
 Swine Production Terms
Terminal sire - in the three-way crossbreeding system, the boar is used last in the
rotation. All pigs bred by terminal sire are sent to market.
Uterine prolapsed – refers to the falling or slipping of the portion of the uterus
from its original position.
Ventral hernia – an inherited defect occurring between abnormally arranged or
weak muscles of the abdomen.
Weaner – a weaned pig of approximately 8 to 10 weeks of age weighing between
15 to 20 kg.
Weanling – refers to a young pig of either sex that has been separated from its
mother at the end of lactation.
Farrowing Crate and Pen
Sow
Boar
Suckling
Creep
Breeds of Swine,
Origin and
Characteristics
BREED OF SWINE
There are many imported breeds in the country today and its
sometimes difficult to determine the best breed most suited
to our conditions. Here is a guide to help you select the
breed to raise depending on your purpose, money, and
experience.
Breed Origin Characteristics (Known as)

Philippine native pig Small and mostly solid black

Landrace Denmark Longest breed of swine,

droopy ears
Berkshire South Central England Black with six points

Yorkshire/Large White England (Yorkshire) Mother breed, standing

ears
Duroc United States (Jersey) Red power (mahogany)

Pietrain Belgium (Pietrain) Spotted black and white

Hampshire Southern England White belt around shoulder

Poland China Ohio Black with six points

 PHILIPPINE NATIVE PIGS

There are six developed genetic groups of Philippine native pigs – namely Q-
Black (Quezon), Markaduke (Marinduque), Sinirangan (Eastern Samar), ISUbela
(Isabela), Benguet (Benguet), and Yookah (Kalinga). All animals under these
groups have a straight hair type, a plain black coat, and smooth skin. However,
Yookah has the unique characteristic of having a black coat with white socks. Q-
Black and Markaduke pigs are generally the heaviest, which range between 30–
40 kg, and are usually weaned at 42–45 d (DOST-PCAARRD 2022).
 LANDRACE
The Landrace breed was developed in
Denmark by crossing the native pig with the
Large White. This cross was then improved
on during years of testing and breeding
under strict government control. The Danes
refused to export live pigs until World War II,
when the best specimens of the breed were
exported to Sweden
 BERKSHIRE
Berkshires are black with six white points -
four white feet, some white in the face and
tail. The ears are erect and inclined forward
as the animal grows older. They are known
for their style, meatiness and good
adaptability to rugged conditions. They have
desirable length, depth and balance of body
but lack good growth and efficiency in
converting feed to weigh gain. The sows are
not as prolific as the other breeds.
 YORKSHlRE OR
LARGEWHITE
Yorkshires are entirely white with medium,
erect ears. Sows have superior mothering
ability, farrow and wean large litters and are
excellent milkers. They adapt well to
confinement but not to rugged conditions.
 DUROC
The Duroc color is of varying shades of red.
The sows are prolific and are good mothers.
They produce pigs that are superior in
growth rate, feed conversion, and "their
performance under rugged conditions is
better than any of the white breeds.
 PIETRAIN
The Pietrain is a very meaty type of pig with
spotted black and white color. It has well-
shaped hams, loin and shoulders. Ears are
erect, The carcass has a high lean meat
percentage, but it has a poor body
constitution. Feed efficiency is not really
good and they are a little bit slow grower.
This breed is also highly susceptible to
stress. Thus, Pietrain is only worthwhile in
crosses but not as purebreeds
 HAMPSHIRE
Hampshires are black with a white belt
around the shoulder and body. They are
generally short legged and lack body
thickness. The sows have a reputation for
weaning a high percentage of the pigs
farrowed and are able to adapt to very
rugged conditions. The growth rate,
however, has generally been average or
below.
POLAND CHINA
Poland China usually displays the coloration of
Berkshire: solid black, with white points on the
nose, tail, and feet. It is a large pig, heavy-jowled,
lop-eared and short-legged. It is among the
heaviest of pig breeds: sows average some 240 kg,
boars about 50 kg more. The Poland China is an
American breed of domestic pig. It was first bred in
Warren County in Ohio, in the American Midwest.
Its origins lie in a small number of pigs of Chinese
type bought in 1816, which were cross-bred with a
variety of breeds of European origin including the
Berkshire. It was bred as a lard pig and is among
the largest of all pig breeds.
 SELECTION OF BOARS
❑Strong legs conformation and smooth
shoulders
❑True to breed/ good pedigree
❑Properly shaped testicles and large testicles
❑No sign of injury, old or new, near the genitals
❑Proper age between 1-2 years
❑Not over-fat condition
❑Masculine appearance
❑Sound health and performance record
❑Boar must have good general conformation and
willingness to breed (good libido)
 BOAR MANAGEMENT
❑Feed to keep fit, not fat, usually receive sow gestating
diet;
❑If purchased, isolate for 3-6 weeks, allow 3-4 weeks to
settle in;
❑Can use to breed at 6-7 months of age - occasional
service;
❑Ensure that first mating is successful. Use a small, quiet
sow or gilt in good estrus.
❑Mating in boar's pen may be the best location since the
male is not distracted by new surroundings.
❑Wait until 7-8 months of age before regular use, 2-4
times per week until one year of age.
❑Mature boars can perform 6-10 services per week.
 Boar to Sow-Gilt Ratios
❑Natural service - 1 boar for every 20 females
❑AI + natural - 1 boar for every 20-30 females
❑All AI - 1 boar for every 40-50 females. Larger herds
require fewer boar's
IDEAL BODY TYPE OF SOW FOR
BREEDING
 Culling of stocks
Sow culling rates have a direct correlation to the economic
efficiency of a breeding herd. A good culling policy with a
sound understanding of when to cull is an integral part of
herd management. It maintains a steady flow, replacing the
less productive sows on a regular basis, without disrupting
the overall performance of the breeding herd.
 Culling of stocks
Targets
❑To understand the reasons why individual sows are culled
❑To monitor and recognise the importance of maintaining an optimal parity
profile
❑To aim for an average herd parity no greater than 2.8.
Income from cull sows should not be a major factor in determining the culling
policy as it should only account for around two per cent of total sales income.
When the culling policy is not adhered to for whatever reason it results in an
increasing number of old sows being retained in the herd, often resulting in
decreased herd productivity.
Common Reasons for Culling
Voluntary culling (selected)
This is carried out to manage the parity profile; decide what your target
maximum parity is for each animal and stick to this. Voluntary culling is also
carried out to remove any sows identified as having sub-optimal performance;
these sows may have shown:

❑farrowing difficulties
❑poor litter size
❑poor lactation and rearing ability
❑poor maternal behaviour
❑decreased productivity compared to the herd average.
Common Reasons for Culling
Involuntary culling (forced)
Some units may find that too many sows are culled due to involuntary reasons,
especially from the first two parities; this can lead to poor morale among staff
and can also be an indicator of reduced sow welfare. Typical reasons for
involuntary culling are:

❑Anoestrus or sexual inactivity

❑failure to conceive (recommended culling after two failed attempts)
❑abortion
❑lameness
❑disease.
 Breeding or mating systems
are the approach taken to pairing a boar and a gilt or sow for
breeding in order to incorporate or maintain desired traits. Because
the genetics of a pig plays an important role in its performance and
meat quality, all pig producers should be familiar with breeding
systems for pigs. This factsheet provides an introduction to pig
breeding systems and heterosis. Practical swine breeding systems
for small and beginning pig farmers are also discussed.
Types of breeding system
❑Pure-breeding
❑Out breeding
❑In breeding
❑Cross breeding
 Pure-breeding
Mating purebred individuals of the
same breed. The progeny has the
same genetic makeup. The major
objective of pure-breeding is to
identify and propagate superior
genes for use in commercial
production primarily in
crossbreeding programs as well as
to propagate and identify superior
females for maintaining valuable
genetic material.
 Out breeding
Mating individuals of the same
breed but who are less closely
related than the average of the
breed. There should not be a
common ancestor for at least four
generation back in the pedigree of
the boar and the females with
which he is mated. It is a useful
mating system in purebred
individuals.
 Out breeding
Mating between individuals of the
same breed but who are more
closely related than the average of
the breed. This could be between
as close individuals as full sibs or
sire–daughter, mother-son. Pure
breeding is a special kind of in-
breeding. The effect of inbreeding
is the concentration of common
genes in the offspring.
 Effect of In-Breeding
• Sow with newly borne litters about 12 piglets.
• Male and Female piglets taken by another farmers to his home.
• Breeding between the same siblings.
• Female giving birth about 9 piglets
• About 25 % less no of smaller and weak piglets are born as
compared with first sow and some of them were borne dead
• Male and Female piglet taken by another farmers to his home
• Breeding between the same siblings about six piglets.
• About 50 % less no of vey smaller and weak piglets born as
compared with the first sow, some of them were borne dead
 Cross breeding
Mating two individuals from
different breeds thus introducing
into the progeny a gene
combination that is different from
that existing in either parent or in
the breed of either parent. Cross
breeding can involve two or more
breeds, depending on the desired
result. The sole purpose of cross
breeding is to take advantage of
the observed improvement in
performance of the progeny above
that of either parent- hybrid vigour
or heterosis.
 Effect of Cross Breeding
• Local sow with her piglets
• Exotic sow with her piglets
• Female piglet from local sow and Male piglet from exotic sow are taken
by a farmer to his home for breeding propose
• Breeding between these male and female pig
• Healthy and bigger body size piglets are born from the local sow
• All male piglets are sold and few selected crossed bread female are kept
for breeding
• Another exotic male which is not in relation with the herd introduced for
breeding.
• Breeding between them
• Very healthy, strong, active and fast growing piglets are born
Heat detection - Common signs of heat
1st stage: Early heat signs
• General restlessness
• Vulva turns red and is swollen
• White mucus discharge
2nd stage: Service period signs
• Real Oestrus lasts for 40 - 60 hours
• Vulva becomes less red and swollen
• Slimy mucus discharge
• Tendency to mount and be mounted by others.
• The sow or gilt will stand still when pressure is applied to her back (can accept
a man's weight sitting on her. Thus the right stage to send her to the boar).
Heat detection - Common signs of heat
3rd stage: Post-oestrus-period signs
• The sow/gilt will not stand still when
pressure is applied to her back.
• The swelling of the vulva disappears.