ANIMAL SCIENCE 22

Exercise No. 6
Care and Management of Swine
1. Why is castration performed on piglets not intended for breeding purposes? (5 points)
 Since not all male pigs are meant for breeding, only few male piglets remain uncastrated to
become potential breeders to prevent boar taint or odor problems in their meat when they
reach the right maturity for slaughter. Boar taint is a term used to describe the unpleasant
odor and flavor qualities seen in cooked pork from intact males. Androstenone and skatole,
two chemicals generated in the live animal, are linked to boar taint in pork. Androstenone is a
steroid generated in the testes and concentrated in the salivary glands, where it is transformed
into a pheromone that is used to induce sexual activity in gilts and sows during mating.
Androstenone is accumulated in adipose tissue and can be released in reaction to heat during
cooking, adding to the taint of boar meat. Skatole is a substance generated by bacteria in the
boar's hindgut. It is taken into the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, processed by the
liver, and may be expelled or absorbed into adipose tissue, causing boar taint. [ CITATION
Han07 \l 13321 ]
2. Enumerate the advantages and disadvantages of castration. (10 points)
Advantages:
 Higher steer carcass price
 Prevention of Boar taint
 Reduces male aggression
 Reduces unwanted matings
Disadvantages:

 Animal Welfare
 Risk of infection
3. Why is tail docking performed? What are the benefits of such a practice? (10 points)
 Tail docking is done to prevent piglets from harming each other like tail biting at an early
age. According to to Dr. Pierpaolo Di Giminiani “The tail is full of neuro-anatomical
structures responsible for the pain response. It is comparable to our human skin.” Unlike in
many other animals, the pig’s tail may not have a wide range of functions. At best it serves to
chase insects away and when in a curl, it gives an indication of the animal’s health. Still,
when something happens to that tail, whether this be being docked or bitten, this body part
responds like any other.”
4. Why is record keeping important, especially to sows? (5 points)
 No matter how big or small the swine herd, record keeping is important because this is a way
of monitoring the pigs. With this, it also serves as a guide to the farmer regarding what to
check regularly and keep track of whatever is going on in the farm and with the swine
especially. In this way, it is also effective for long term monitoring, to easily trace them.
5. How can identification (ear tagging, tattooing, ear notching) of swine help assess their production
performance? (5 points)
 This method of identification makes it easier to identify and keep track of the fast growing,
leaner pigs as breeder replacement.
 6. What is the importance of knowing the health condition of hogs concerning medication and
application of proper management as a whole? (5 points)
 All decisions on pig farm health care are influenced by economic factors. Health management
and disease prevention initiatives are frequently chosen primarily on financial return,
however animal welfare, food safety, and risk management are all significant concerns. Pigs
are omnivores who excel at converting low-cost feedstuffs (which frequently include waste
items) into meat. As years go by, new diseases may rise and mutate, and it is becoming more
complex to raise healthy pigs. Furthermore, health issues are consuming a rising portion of
the pig production cost, thereby reducing our export competitiveness.
7. Why do we need to perform needle teeth cutting in piglets? (5 points)
 Pigs have eight needle teeth when they are born. The major purpose for cutting needle teeth is
to avoid any injury to the sow's underline, which might cause the sow to refuse to nurse. It
can also protect littermates' faces from facial injury when they struggle for teats.
8. How was artificial insemination hasten the breeding process? (5 points)
 It increases the potential for genetic selection. Therefore, only few males with the best breeds
can be selected to become parents. Since male animals grow to be larger than females and can
consume more food, they consume more feed. Male animals are also more powerful,
aggressive, and prone to misbehaving, so they need specific housing and handling equipment.
With AI the expenses decreases, and the safety of pigs increases due to lesser aggressive pigs
in the herd. It also decreases the transmission of diseases that happens through natural mating.
9. Why do we need to expose sows to boars during artificial insemination? (5 points)
 The initial increase in oxytocin concentrations in peripheral blood plasma occurs in response
to the presence of a boar and lasts for around 10 minutes (Langendijk et al., 2003).
10. Discuss the importance of following the proper procedure in transporting and keeping semen in a
cool container. (10 points)

 Proper procedure in handling semen is important to preserve viability and maximize its shelf
life. Semen should be kept at a constant temperature of 17°C2°C because it is very
temperature sensitive: at temperatures above 20°C, shelf life is decreased, while temperatures
below 15°C are likely to impair sperm viability. To avoid damage from harsh handling, sperm
dosages should always be handled with care and kept out of direct sunlight. It will boost
reproductive success if semen is stored and handled appropriately at all times.

References
Hanna Mila, A. M. (2007). Large Animal Clinics. 2.

What are the effects of tail docking on piglets? (2016, August 8). PigProgress.
https://www.pigprogress.net/Piglets/Articles/2016/8/What-are-the-effects-of-tail-docking-on-piglets-
2849988W/#:~:text=The%20practice%20of%20tail%20docking,later%20problem%20of%20tail
%20biting.&text=The%20tail%20is%20full%20of,a%20wide%20range%20of%20functions.

Identification for on farm management. (2017). Qld.gov.au. https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-

MSD Veterinary Manual. (2021). Managing Relationships With Your Producers. Veterinary Manual.
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/health-management-interaction-
pigs/health-management-interaction-pigs
Principles of Health Management. (2021, June 23). Thepigsite.com.
https://www.thepigsite.com/articles/principles-of-health-management

National Pork Board. (2015, September 15). How To Process Piglets - Pork Information Gateway. Pork
Information Gateway. https://porkgateway.org/resource/how-to-process-piglets/

‌ Joint FAO/IAEA Programme. (2017). Technical & Learning Resources, Animal Production and Health,
APH - NAFA. Iaea.org. http://www-naweb.iaea.org/nafa/aph/resources/technology-ai.html

Semen Storage and Handling. (2021, June 23). Thepigsite.com.