We Keep the Pig in the Parlor by Suzanne Bloom Guided Reading Level
Chapter 4: The squealer
Unit 26: Handling and restraining pigs
Unit 27: Teeth clipping in young pigs
Unit of measurement 28: Internal parasites of pigs
Unit of measurement 29: Skin infections of pigs
Unit thirty: Estrus (oestrus) in the sow
Unit of measurement 31: Pregnancy and farrowing (giving nascence)
Unit 32: Care of the sow and piglet
Unit 33: Castrating piglets
Unit of measurement 34: Feeding pigs
Unit 35: Housing for pigs
Unit 36: Ear tagging or notching (identification)
Unit 26: Handling and restraining pigs
By the time they are weaned young pigs are too large to be hands lifted. Older pigs tin can be moved from place to place 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.
two Handle older pigs.
iii Restrain the pig.
Handling the immature pig
Piglets tin be caught from behind and held past grasping the hind leg just above the hock. The small piglet tin can and then be lifted by placing the other mitt under the chest and lifting the animal. When belongings the piglet e'er support its weight against y'all. Past the time the piglet is weaned it will be also heavy to lift.
Handling the young pig
Handling the older grunter
Pigs will naturally head for a gap (or opening) when you approach them or try to catch them. You can utilize this habit to make the hog go where you want it to If two sus scrofa boards (wooden boards 0.8m foursquare) are placed either side of the sus scrofa's caput information technology volition movement frontward in the direction the handlers want it to become. As the animal gets older it can be trained to motion under the control of i handler who uses a board and a wooden bat nigh 1 m long.
The handler always keeps the sus scrofa board between himself and the squealer. If several people try to drive a pig it tin turn and charge between them.
Restraining a pig
You tin can restrain a pig by property it with ropes against a wall or argue. Large pigs tin can exist hands restrained with a rope or wire loop around the snout.
Restraining a pig
Unit 27: Teeth clipping in young pigs
The teeth of the young pig are clipped equally soon as possible after nascency. The piglet is born with 8 teeth.
If the teeth are not clipped the sow'south (mother) udder may be injured by the suckling piglets. Removal of the teeth also prevents the young pigs injuring themselves while fighting or playing.
Learning objectives
Afterwards studying this unit you should be able to:
1 Understand why the teeth of immature pigs are clipped.
two Conduct out teeth clipping on the piglet as presently equally possible after its nascence.
iii Handle the sow and her young with as piddling stress as possible to both.
Why are the teeth of piglets clipped?
Piglets bite the sow (mother) in their fight to become hold of ane of her teats and suckle. The pain acquired past this disturbs the sow causing her to get up and prevents her young from feeding. The cuts to the sow's udder also allow germs to infect the udder. In their fight to grasp the teat and suckle piglets volition also bite and injure one another. The simple practice of clipping the teeth every bit before long as possible later nascence prevents these problems.
When to clip the teeth
The piglet'southward teeth should exist cut as soon equally possible after its nascency. The teeth tin exist cut when the pig is merely xv minutes old. The sow and her young should be separated for as curt a time as possible. In guild to prune the teeth you will need either a pair of tooth clippers, or pliers or forceps.
Yous will need someone to assist you carve up the sow and her immature. You 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 immature and place her in another pen. Accept care every bit the sow with a litter can be dangerous.· Corner the young pigs and keep them together or place them in a box.
· Hold the head and printing the corner of the piglet'south mouth then that the jaws open.
· Place the clippers on either side of ane pair of teeth making sure that the tongue is not in the mode. Tilt the head so that the pieces of the teeth will autumn out of the mouth.
· Cutting the teeth as shut as possible to the gums.
· Make clean the clippers earlier using them on another piglet. Operate on the residuum of the litter and when you take finished put the piglets back with their mother immediately. Proceed young piglets warm.
Clipping the teeth
Unit 28: Internal parasites of pigs
Pigs tin be infected with a number of different roundworms. These tin issue in poor weight proceeds in adults. In young pigs infection with roundworms tin can crusade diarrhoea, weight loss, lung problems and death.
Worms from pigs can cause affliction in human being.
Learning objectives
After studying this unit yous should know:
1 The problems acquired by roundworms in pigs.
2 How to treat and command roundworm infections of the squealer.
iii Problems caused in human by pig parasites.
Roundworm infections of the pig
Pigs tin can be infected with a number of different roundworms. People who keep pigs can discover big roundworms, 25 - forty cm long in the animals' dung. In pigs ii to 5 months old the worms cause diarrhoea, weight loss and lung bug. The young worm lives in the liver and lungs before passing into the intestine. The impairment to the lungs can permit germs to attack and crusade cough and lung infections. The young pig can dice.
The worm in the liver of young and adult pigs causes white spots (milk spot) to develop. Such a liver should not exist eaten past humans.
Treatment and control of roundworms
Infected pigs are easily treated by dosing with a suitable handling, e.g. piperazine (run across R13 Annex ane). The pregnant sow should be treated earlier giving birth or she will laissez passer on infection to her litter. One female worm will produce a million eggs a day which pass out in the dung. These eggs infect new hosts and can stay in the footing or the pigsty for up 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 information technology off. If infected pigs have been kept out in a field the state should be ploughed and used for a crop, or as grazing for other animals, before pigs are put dorsum on information technology.
Problems caused by pig parasites in humans
Pigs tin 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 non appear to be a problem to the squealer. Any animal which eats the squealer meat can exist infected with the worm.
Pigs can be infected with Trichinella from eating rats which take the infection. Pigs volition also be infected from contaminated meat so all meat fed to the animals (due east.yard. in swill) should be thoroughly cooked. Thorough cooking of pork will too kill the worm. If humans consume undercooked pig meat from an brute infected with this parasite they volition become infected also.
If a pig is left to wander around it may consume plants contaminated with human faeces. In this fashion the grunter meat tin go infected with a tapeworm from humans. If the meat of that pig is non properly cooked people who eat it can become infected with the pork tapeworm.
Do not allow pigs to wander around free.
Unit 29: Skin infections of pigs
Pigs can be infected with lice and mange mites. Mange can cause wounds which can become infected and can effect in the hide becoming of no use for leather production. Humans can besides catch the mange infection.
The pig can too be attacked by ticks.
Pigs can suffer from erysipelas (diamond pare affliction) 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.
ii Know how to control and treat mange and lice infections of the pig.
three Recognise erysipelas in pigs.
four Know how to command and care for tick infections of pigs.
Mange in pigs
Mange is caused past infection with mites (see Unit of measurement 16) and results in thickening and crusting of the skin. The action of the mites burrowing into the skin makes the grunter scratch and the wounds caused tin can become infected with germs. Mange occurs around the head, ears, legs and tail just will spread over the trunk if not treated.
Mange is controlled past spraying, dipping or painting the infected areas with a suitable preparation (see R15 Annex 1). The pen and shelter should also exist thoroughly cleaned out and washed downwardly. Handling should be repeated afterwards 2 weeks.
After working with mangey pigs launder your hands thoroughly and wash clothing too.
If you have a mange trouble in your community which you cannot stop you will need to ask for veterinary advice. To identify the mite causing the problem the veterinarian will demand skin scrapings from infected animals. Identifying the mite will allow him to decide what treatment yous should use.
Lice and tick infections
Pigs can suffer from infection with dark coloured lice which tin can be seen on the animal's body. The lice feed on the skin and irritate the squealer which will scratch and can cause wounds which become infected. Treatment involves spraying with coumaphos (see R15 Addendum one) and cleaning the areas where the animals are kept.
Pigs can be attacked past some ticks which have claret. The ticks may carry other infections to the animals. Treatment can be carried out past spraying with a suitable compound (see R15 Annex one) or past removing the ticks by manus or by touching them with kerosene or a lighted cigarette. Affected pens should exist thoroughly cleaned.
Erysipelas (diamond skin disease)
Erysipelas or diamond skin illness of pigs can kill the animals. This is an infection of the pig'due south body which produces recognisable discolouration on the pig's trunk. These are blood-red diamond-shaped areas on the peel or the animal may have a purplish colour to the caput and ears. Pigs with erysipelas take a high temperature and do non feed; they squeal if touched. The fauna tin can die from an astute infection or in chronic cases the animal survives but suffers from swollen joints and lameness.
Erysipelas is treated past using the antibiotic penicillin (see R 7 Annex 1). Animals can be vaccinated confronting the affliction.
Unit 30: Rut (oestrus) in the sow
The female person hog (sow) is ready to breed (reaches puberty) at v months of age and will show signs of being in rut. Some boring growing types and animals which are underfed will exist older when they reach puberty.
The sow will come into estrus every 3 weeks throughout the yr if she is not mated.
Learning objectives
Later studying this unit you should know:
1 When a female grunter is set for breeding.
2 How often the sus scrofa comes into rut.
3 The signs of heat in the pig.
4 How to make the pig come into heat.
When is the sow ready for breeding?
Most breeds of pig attain puberty at five months of age simply some, e.yard. the Chinese pig, come into oestrus for the offset time at 3 months of age when they accept enough good feed and h2o.
The pig should not exist used for breeding when she comes into oestrus for the first time. It is wiser to let her to grow for some other month earlier using her for breeding. She volition then be better able to carry and suckle a skilful litter of young. Only sows with 14 teats should be used for convenance so that all her litter tin can feed.
If the hog is not mated she will come into heat every 21 days, providing she has enough feed and h2o.
Signs of rut
The female hog coming into estrus is restless and may not eat. The vulva becomes pink and bloated. When the pig is pressed hard with the easily on either side of her back she volition stand up still, showing she is set to accept the male.
Signs of heat
The sow will exist in oestrus for 8 to 36 hours.
How to bring the sow into heat
Healthy, well fed sows can be brought into heat so that convenance can be controlled.
Putting a sow which is in oestrus in with those which are non in heat volition make some of the latter come into heat. A better method is to pen sows adjacent to a boa so that they tin see and aroma him. The sows volition come into oestrus particularly if the boar is old and evil-smelling.
Remember that failure to come up into heat can exist the result of poor or too little feed or a health problem in the sow.
Unit 31: Pregnancy and farrowing (giving birth)
Pregnancy lasts for 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days.
A well fed sow will produce at least 10 piglets (litter) from each pregnancy and may have two litters each twelvemonth.
Learning objectives
After studying this unit yous should exist able to:
1 Treat the pregnant sow.
ii Recognise when the sow is well-nigh to farrow (give nascency).
3 Recognise normal farrowing.
4 Recognise when the sow has problems and be able to assistance.
Care of the significant sow
If the sow shows no sign of being in heat 3 weeks subsequently mating she is meaning. The pregnancy will last about 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days. During the pregnancy the sow will need enough of feed high in nutrients and will especially need more feed towards the cease of the pregnancy. She should be given some feed loftier in nutrients due east.thou. grain and greenstuffs every solar day. Giving the sow access to clean soil or grass with roots from land where no pigs have been kept will let her to get the minerals she needs.
Give the sow plenty of clean bedding when birth is close.
Signs that the pig is ready to farrow
The sow becomes restless and starts to brand a nest inside 24 hours of giving birth. The teat will produce milk when gently squeezed.
Blood stained fluid may be passed from the vagina i to 2 hours before nascence begins and if pocket-size dark-green pellets announced the offset piglet will announced within an 60 minutes.
Gently rubbing the udder will brand the sow relax and prevarication on her side in the position to give birth.
Normal farrowing
Farrowing is a natural process and the sow will usually demand no help. Once the first piglet is born the others, and the afterbirth, will speedily follow. Farrowing should be completed within ii to three hours. The navel string will pause (you do not demand to cutting it) and the piglet will immediately search for a teat and milk. If the umbilicus bleeds, tie it tightly with a clean string or cord.
When and how to aid in farrowing
If the sow shows all the signs of farrowing only she has not produced a piglet and is pawing with a hind leg, or if 45 minutes has passed since the get-go piglet appeared and there is no sign of the second you volition have to assistance the sow.
· Wash your hands and arms with warm h2o and lather and scrub under your fingernails.· Wash the region of the vulva.
· Make your easily soapy or put olive or sunflower oil on your easily.
· Put your hand into the vagina and feel for the piglet or thing causing the blockage and effort to remove it.
Clear the piglet's oral fissure and olfactory organ of mucous and if it is not animate you can slap it to encourage information technology to breath. Gently rub the piglet dry out and put its oral cavity on a teat.
Unit 32: Care of the sow and piglet
A salubrious well-fed sow will exist able to rear at to the lowest degree xx piglets each yr.
If the sow has too many piglets to feed, or if a sow dies, the young can exist fostered or hand reared.
Learning objectives
Later on studying this unit yous should:
1 Know if the sow is a skillful female parent.
2 Judge if the piglets are feeding well.
iii Know how to foster piglets.
four Know how to mitt-rear piglets.
How good a mother is the sow?
A sow should take at least fourteen teats which should be long and thin enough for the piglet to grasp. Each piglet suckles from its own teat feeding every hour. The start born and stronger piglets use the teats nearest the sow'due south head which produce most milk. As a sow gets older and has more than lifters the teats can become big making information technology difficult for the piglet to suckle. Sometimes the back teats do not produce much milk. A sow may be unable to feed all her immature and is no longer fit for breeding.
A sow can suffer from mastitis which may develop as a result of harm to the teats acquired by the piglets teeth. Clipping the teeth of the piglet (see Unit 27) prevents cuts to the teats.
Are the young feeding well?
Non all of the piglets will grow at the aforementioned rate, some volition be born smaller than the others. They fight for feed and the smaller piglets will grow at a slower rate and even die. You can expect to see a difference in weight proceeds and growth between the members of whatever litter, only if all of the piglets practice not grow well and in that location are no obvious signs of disease you should suspect poor milk production past the female parent. This is ofttimes the case with old sows.
It 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 accept colostrum from the mother. They volition accept the first feed within 1 hr of being born.
If a sow dies during farrowing her lifter tin exist fostered to some other. The orphans should be mixed in with the sow's ain litter so that she will accept them. Even so the foster mother will non be able to feed both lifters at the aforementioned fourth dimension and it will be necessary to use several foster mothers to feed the orphans.
Hand rearing piglets
A sow may die and at that place is no foster female parent available. The litter can be reared by manus feeding. To paw rear a litter the following will be needed:
· Feeding bottles and teats (nipples) which are thoroughly cleaned between each feeding.· A make clean dry box containing clean bedding for the newborn piglets which tin can exist kept in a warm place.
· Regular feeds must exist given at intervals of one to 2 hours.
· Moo-cow's colostrum is the best substitute for the sow'due south colostrum and after 3 to 4 days the piglets tin be given milk.
Unit 33: Castrating piglets
Castration, or the removal of the testicles, is carried out on the male pig which is non needed for breeding.
If the blood vessel to the testicle is cut straight through, or pulled heavy bleeding tin occur. Bleeding is reduced by scraping the twisted blood vessel with a pocketknife until it is cut through.
Castrated animals are quieter and easy to handle.
The castrated animal is fatter and produces meat which does non accept a potent olfactory property.
Learning objectives
Later studying this unit you should know:
1 Why male pigs are castrated.
ii When is castration carried out.
three How to restrain pigs for castration.
iv How to desexualize animals.
Why are pigs castrated?
Male pigs (boars) tin can fight causing injury to one another. Castrated pigs are quieter and easier to handle. Castrating the squealer makes information technology put on more fat and the meat does not have a potent piggy olfactory property. Immature pigs should exist castrated at 2 to iii weeks of age.
Restraining the grunter for castration
Y'all will need someone to agree the piglet for castration. The hog should be held by the hind legs with its head downwardly and its torso should be firmly held between the handler's knees.
Castration cuts
Castrating the squealer
You volition demand a very sharp, clean knife, scalpel or razor blade. Remove the sow from the litter and if possible put her where she cannot see or hear them.
· Make clean the scrotum with warm water and soap and dry it.· Move the testicle into the scrotum with your finger and and then firmly grip the scrotum below the testicle between your thumb and alphabetize finger.
· Make a cut one - 2 cm long in the lesser of the scrotum. The testicle should pop out through the cutting.
· Pull the testicle out of the scrotum and cut through the white string leaving the ruby claret vessel uncut.
· Pull the testicle out slightly further and twist it effectually several times before cutting the twisted claret vessel by scraping up and down with the knife. This helps to reduce bleeding. Exercise not pull to intermission the vessel.
· Do non put your fingers in the scrotum. Employ either tincture of iodine, gentian violet, Dettol or an antibiotic powder (see R5 Annex 1) or a sulpha pulverization 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 next calendar week. Infected castration wounds not bad, piglets do not desire to walk or are lame. See Unit of measurement 73 for handling.
Unit 34: Feeding pigs
The hog is omnivorous and can eat meat and plants. The digestive arrangement of the pig can as well employ bulky feeds containing a lot of roughage.
Pigs must accept plenty of clean, fresh water every twenty-four hour period.
Learning objectives
After studying this unit you should know:
1 What types of feed to give pigs.
2 How ofttimes you lot will demand to feed pigs.
iii How and when to wean piglets.
The types of feed to give to pigs
Pigs will eat anything. They will swallow grass and all types of plants. They can be kept in a well fenced field where they will consume all of the plants and grass there. The sus scrofa not only eats the green parts of plants only will likewise dig into the ground and eat all the roots. A pig with a nose ring cannot root up plants.
The pig'due south eating habit can be used past human. If a squealer is put in a field information technology will clear it, plow it and fertilise it.
Grunter's will grow and go fat more than quickly if they are fed concentrate feed. Grain which has been well ground into meal is a skillful feed. Waste vegetables and household scraps can also be given to pigs. Household scraps, especially those containing meat, must be well boiled (squealer swill) before being given to the squealer.
The grunter must always be able to drinkable fresh make clean water. A sow with immature will demand 20 - 30 litres of water a solar day.
The types of feed to give to pigs
How often volition a hog need feeding?
Pigs tin be kept in a sty when they will need to be fed twice a day with one feed in the morning and i in the evening. Pigs in the field can be offered meal once a day or given extra feed, e.m. vegetable waste or swill, when it is available.
Weaning
Piglets show an interest in solid feed when they are 1 or 2 weeks old. They can be offered a handful of cereal, sugar or powdered milk to outset with. Piglets will take milk from the mother until they are virtually 7 weeks old. They will gradually take less milk and eat more solid feed until they are weaned. Piglets in the field will naturally start to swallow solid feed but it must be offered to those that are housed. The young animals demand to be gradually given new feed to avoid digestive bug.
Call up that a pig should rush to eat its feed. Lack of interest in feed is a sign of sick health and you lot will need to look at the creature to determine the crusade of wellness problems.
Unit 35: Housing for pigs
Pigs tin be kept in a field where in that location is a shelter or they tin can be kept in a grunter sty.
Pigs should not be immune to wander well-nigh free. There volition be no control over what they swallow or where they go and affliction volition spread.
Learning objectives
After studying this unit of measurement you should know:
1 How to continue pigs in a field.
ii The types of housing (buildings and pens) for pigs.
3 Housing piglets.
Keeping pigs in a field
Wild pigs live amongst bushes and the roots of tress. When pigs are kept with admission to a warm, depression area to lie and sleep in, as they would in the wild, the pigs practise amend.
Pigs tin be kept in a field where they tin feed on grasses and plants. If pigs are kept this way, the field must be surrounded by either a strong contend or a wall. Pigs will push button their way out of a field if the fence is non strong plenty. The animals are given shelters called squealer arks to sleep in. These can exist fabricated of wood or metal sheets and should contain bedding. The arks can be moved to fresh ground when necessary.
Keeping pigs in a field
Housing and pens for pigs
Pigs tin can exist kept lone or in small groups in a pig sty, a concrete or solid floored pen with a depression shelter.
When building a sty yous should choose an area which is never flooded in the rainy season. It should not be too near to houses so that smells and flies are a nuisance. The floor should be concrete and sloping away from the sleeping area so that urine flows out and away. The physical floor should be laid on a skilful foundation and will need to be 5 - 6 cm thick. If the physical is as well thin and cracks, the pigs will before long start to dig it upward. An earthen floor cannot be kept clean and will lead to problems with parasites and other diseases. The walls of the sty demand to exist fairly smoothen so that they can be kept clean. Cracks in the walls will allow dirt and germs to accumulate.
The animals should exist given plenty of bedding in the shelter. Pigs will ever dung abroad from their sleeping and feeding areas. The dung can be removed every solar day allowing the pen to exist kept clean and fugitive the build up of waste and smells.
Housing and pens for pigs
Housing for piglets
Breeding sows and their litters can be kept in sties or using the open up field system. Plenty of bedding should exist given to help keep the young animals warm and it must be changed ofttimes. 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 exist moved to a new site for the next litter to avoid disease bug, specially from parasitic worms, developing.
Whatever the housing method used piglets should have access to a warm area which the sow cannot reach. This is called a pitter-patter and piglets tin can exist given feed here and can prevarication down without the risk of the mother lying on top of them. The sow is prevented from inbound the creep past placing a temporary wall of boards or stiff rails across part of the shelter. The bottom rail is about 30 cm from the basis allowing the small piglets to pass under it.
Housing for piglets
Do not let pigs to wander free around the customs. This results in the spread of illness among the animals and also between them and people.
Unit 36: Ear tagging or notching (identification)
Ear tagging or notching allows y'all to place your pigs by sight. Notching is easy to do and costs nothing. You can place up to 121 pigs in this mode.
This method can be used to place other animals, due east.g. sheep and goats.
Learning objectives
Afterwards studying this unit of measurement you should know:
1 Why do we identify animals.
2 How to notch the ear.
3 Reading the number of the squealer.
Why we need to identify animals
If you lot have a few pigs or other animals, identifying them is no problem. Yous will be able to identify them by sight and may well accept given them a name. You will need some manner to place a large number of animals especially if you are going to go on records (come across Annex 5). There are many ways to identify animals including numbered collars, tattoos, and plastic tags. Notching the ear is easy and is the cheapest way.
Notching the ear
A V-shaped notch can be cut out of the edge of the ear using a pair of make clean pair of scissors. Make the notch a few centimetres deep then in future you volition be able to read it from a altitude.
The notches on the left ear are for unmarried numbers and on the right ear the notches are for tens.
Notching the ear
Recording the number of the pig
Look at the notches on the correct and the left ears and so add up the number on each ear to give the number of the animal.
Recording the number of the pig
Source: https://www.fao.org/3/t0690e/t0690e06.htm
0 Response to "We Keep the Pig in the Parlor by Suzanne Bloom Guided Reading Level"
Postar um comentário