ANS 41 Midterm 1 Study Guide
How many dairy cows are there in the US?
9 million
__% of the nation's nuts are farmed in the Central Valley
90
Improved reproduction leads to...
A decrease in the number of animals required per kg of product
Why is ventilation in pork production important?
A good thermal environment and air quality improve animal health.
Farrow-to-Wean
A swine facility that includes breeding stock and newborn pigs that are not yet weaned. The weaned pigs are generally sold to other producers to raise until they are sold for feeder pigs.
Farrow-to-Feeder
A swine facility that includes breeding stock and pigs randing from newborn to feeder pig size.
Farrow-to-Finish
A swine facility that includes breeding stock pigs that are raised from birth until they are sold for slaughter
Finishing Facility
A swine facility that includes market hogs, but not breeding stock, that are fed until they are sold for slaughter
What are the standard agricultural practices done on piglets?
Castration, clipping needle teeth, ear notching, tail docking.
Where is a vast majority of dairy production?
Central Valley of CA
Pork production has ________ since 1965
tripled
The human population will have _______ throughout one lifetime, but there will not be ___x the amount of natural resources to feed the population.
tripled, 3x
What region/country has the highest carbon footprint?
China
__________ is growing rapidly in developing countries which is driven by ______.
Consumption, income.
Was crushing an issue with outdoor housing in pork production?
Crushing was not a big issue because there was an area in the hut where the piglets could disappear
How can farmers improve pig health?
Decreasing morbidity and mortality
There has been a ________ in farms with pigs, but the number of pigs on a farm has been __________.
decrease, increasing
What results in more litters per sow per year?
Shorter lactation length
How many small pig farms are there in the US?
There are 4x fewer pig farms today.
In the United States, how many farmers feed us with 2/3 of all the food we eat today?
80,000
Most California pork production systems are...
"farrow to finish"
Standard agricultural practices done on pigs is called __________ and takes how long?
"processing", about 1 minute per piglet
Great Central Valley of California
#1 area in the US for agriculture. There is no other place in the country (or the world) that has more active agricultural production than the central valley.
Sanitation in pork production improves what 3 things?
1. Air quality 2. Microbial numbers 3. Pig health
List the different stages and types of pork production.
1. Farrow to finish 2. Farrow to feeder 3. Feeder pig to finish 4. Wean to finish 5. Breeding, gestation, farrowing/lactation, nursery, growing/finishing
What are the characteristics of a finishing pig production compared to a feeder facility?
1. Simpler system (less death loss) 2. High capital investment in feed and feeder pigs. 3. Lower investment in buildings and equipment 4. Lower labor needs 5. Higher risk - market fluctuations
What are some forms of environmental management in pork production?
1. Thermal environment and ventilation 2. Air quality 3. Noise 4. Lighting 5. Manure management 6. Environmental enrichment
Approximately how many pigs are born per litter in the US?
10 pigs per litter
How many days for a pig to go from birth to slaughter?
100 days
How long will a pig be in the finishing stage?
128 days
How long will a pig be in the farrowing stage?
17 days
__% of dairy products are produced in the Central Valley.
20
Production cycles are based on a __-__ week cycle.
20-21
__ groups of sows would be on a weekly schedule. What does this mean?
20. This mean that each week one group farrows, another is weaned, and another is bred.
When the pig is 4-5 kg, the piglet will eat...
25 kg of food while in the nursery
When the pig is 20-23 kg, the pig will eat...
275 kg of food resulting in a total of 300 kg of food consumed in is lifetime
How many days for a pig to go from conception to processing?
305 days
How long will a pig be in a nursery?
40 days
Describe the weight change in pigs when they are at a finishing production?
40-45 lbs initially, they will then be 190-220 lbs. This process will take about 115 days.
How many specialty crops are grown in the Central Valley?
400
__% of all vegetables and fruits that are consumed in the US are grown in the Central Valley.
50
How many days for a pig to be moved to a nursery after birth?
60 days
What is the typical age of an American farmer?
60 years old
What gases are produced in a pork facility?
Ammonia (irritates the eyes and nose), hydrogen sulfide (smells like rotten eggs). and a high humidity rate (leads to water condensation).
Roughly how many dairy facilities are there in the Central Valley of CA?
About 1,300 all of which are fairly large
Approximately how many heads of cattle are there in the US today?
About 90 million head
What disease broke out in China during 2019 that devastated the pork production there?
African Swine Fever
An alternative to indoor pork production is an outdoor production system. Describe how farmers can set this up.
An outdoor system with a central hub and pastures radiating out. Each sow has 1 acre of space with a hut. Each paddock contains a watering hole.
Approximately how much money can a farmer make per pig?
Approximately $4-6 per pig
What is a key driver for industrial feed and food demand?
Asian urbanization
What is a big concern with outdoor housing in pork production?
Biosecurity, how can we keep these pigs from getting sick from wildlife?
What state is the agricultural superpower of the US?
California
What state is the backbone of agriculture in the US?
California
What can interfere with nursing behavior in pigs?
Excessive noise
What forms of dust are produced in a pork production facility?
Feed, animal dander, and products of combustion (from the engines of the gas heaters).
Why is Asian urbanization a key driver for industrial feed and food demand?
Fewer and fewer people are growing food (not just in Asia but in the US as well)
List some variations that can be found in indoor pork production systems.
Floor type variations and ventilation variation.
What will have to be more efficient to satisfy the nutritional needs of the growing population?
Food production
Finishing pig production includes...
Growing and finishing hogs (from feeder pigs to market).
List some traits of pork production in China
Half of the world's pigs live in China. The country currently has a 5 year plan that focuses on making farms larger and more efficient. There are approximately 50 million sows: 20 piglets born alive. This leads to an annual production of 1 billion pigs. Pre-weaning mortality causes 400 million pigs to NEVER make it to market. One more pig per sow would mean 1 million tons of feed saved.
How can farmers increase pigs per sow per year?
Increase farrowing or conception rate and increasing litter size.
What is the second agricultural superpower in the US?
Iowa
What are some Feeder pig production requirements?
Low feed requirements, but a higher level of management and labor requirements. High investment in buildings and equipment
What drives pork production?
Lowering the cost, increasing pigs per sow per year, increasing weight gain, and improving animal health.
______ disposal can impact biosecurity.
Manure
List some of the nutrients that are excreted in animal waste.
Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
Was the taste of the meat different in outdoor and indoor pork production facilities?
No, the meat was not different.
What region of the world has the lowest carbon footprint when it comes to milk production?
North America
List some differences in floor-type variations in pork production.
Solid floors with or without bedding, partial or total slats.
What regions of the world have very high numbers of the human population and will likely face food insecurity in the future?
Southeast Asia and Africa
What can be observed to determine whether pigs are comfortable?
Pig behavior
What happened to piglet numbers in an outdoor production setting?
Piglet numbers went down at an alarming rate, predators were picking off the piglets at night time once all the humans were away.
Why do farmers give pigs iron injections?
Piglets are born with a little bit of iron in their bloodstream, but after a few days their iron is depleted. Therefore, an iron injection is needed.
Why would a pork production need to be mechanically ventilated?
Pigs are not the best at regulating their body temperature.
What has been on the rise in pork production?
Pigs saved per litter
Why do farmers castrate pigs?
Prevent boar taint and decrease aggression.
What can be used to reduce pigs from startling?
Radios
What is the objective of winter ventilation in pork production?
Remove animal moisture and gases while maintaining a minimum temperature.
What happens 7-10 days after a piglet is born?
Starter diets are made available to them.
Pigs startle easily, what should be avoided?
Sudden/loud noises.
Swine nursery
Swine facility where weaned pigs are raised until they reach the size of feeder pigs
What mountain ranges cause air pollution remain in the central valley?
The Sierra Nevadas and the coastal mountain ranges
In days 1-3 following farrowing, what is done to piglets?
The clipping of needle teeth and tails, evening up of litters, ear notching for identification, castration of males, and iron injections.
What is the trend of average daily gain in pork production?
The heavier the pig is, the more they gain per day.
What is the objective of summer ventilation in pork production?
The objective is to remove heat and gases, water vapor will follow.
What can be an issue for agriculture in CA in the coming years?
The rising population. Southern California will be too full to house new inhabitants so new residents will move into the Central Valley, encroaching on farming/agriculture.
List some differences in ventilation variations in pork production.
They can be open front, curtain sided, or mechanically ventilated.
Why do farmers dock the tails of pigs?
This is done to prevent tail biting on in life because this can lead to painful infection, morbidity, and mortality.
Describe the castration process for a piglet.
This is typically done within the first week without anesthesia. 1-14 days of age. A small incision is made and the testis are squeezed out.
What is an issue with vegetation with an outdoor pork production system?
Vegetation cannot grow back very well.
Describe the behavior of warm and cold pigs.
Warm pigs spread out and have an increased respiratory rate. Cold pigs huddle or pile together and shiver.
While California has lots of sunlight and good soil, what is it's limitation?
Water!
Manure can be handled ____ or ___.
Wet (liquid manure) or dry (with bedding).
Improved genetics can lead to...
a decrease in the number of animals required per kg of product
Improved health of animals can lead to...
a decrease in the number of animals required per kg of product
Management and facilities should have established ________ areas to permit pigs to keep themselves clean.
dunging
When the pig is 1-2 kg, the piglet will be...
fed by the mother until weaning
Approximately half of all fertilizers that go onto crops in the US are...
from animal manure. The other half are chemical fertilizers.
The nutrients that are excreted in urine and feces are the exact...
proportions that crops need to grow
The areas with the greatest human population increase are the same regions with...
relatively low efficiencies in livestock production and the highest carbon footprint in production