Pig & Poultry Behaviour, Welfare, Industries

Front 1

List 11 advantages of keeping layer hens in cages compared to keep them in barn or free-range systems.

Back 1

1) Less predation risk
2) Less flight accidents
3) Less fighting and cannabalism
4) Less dust in air from dust bathing
5) Less labour
6) Better bird hygeine - cleaner birds
7) Better food safety - cleaner eggs
8) Eggs are cheaper
9) Most efficient use of feed
10) Easier bird inspection
11) Less land needed

Front 2

List 11 disadvantages of keeping layer hens in cages compared to keep them in barn or free-range systems.

Back 2

1) Cannot fly
2) Cannot run
3) Cannot stretch wings
4) Very crowded
5) Cannot dust bathe
6) Cannot forage
7) Weaker bones due to less exercise
8) Farmer recieves lower prices for eggs
9) Barren environment (stereotypy)
10) No nesting
11) Less comfortable floor

Front 3

List 10 advantages of keeping sows in stalls for extended periods compared to keeping them outdoors in groups.

Back 3

1) Prevents tail and vulva biting
2) Easier access for health care
3) Efficient feeding
4) Better hygiene
5) Prevents fighting injuries
6) Worker safety
7) Less land required
8) Minimise exposure to weather extremes
9) Less labour
10) Better control of individual food intake

Front 4

List 10 disadvantages of keeping sows in stalls for extended periods compared to keeping them outdoors in groups.

Back 4

1) Cant turn around
2) Cant walk around
3) Less social interaction between sows
4) Less physically fit
5) Less muscle weight and bone strength
6) Increases onset of stereotypic behaviour
7) Foot, leg, back problems
8) More skin sores
9) Heat stress
10) Cannot forage or root

Front 5

Discuss broadly how you would be able to determine if a lamb died from starvation exposure or dystocia.

Back 5

1) Dystocia death – lung not formed properly
2) exposure – haven’t walked so hooved still have cover
3) Starvation have walked but not fed so stomach empty

Front 6

Write notes on the importance of proper 'brooding' For day old chicks

Back 6

Brooding period - immediately after hatching when special care and attention must be given.

Hard to recover from poor start, brooding is a sensitive time in development, can’t control body temp. Thus need to keep clean, dry, comfortable to ensure survival.

Front 7

List 10 welfare issues in layer production.

Back 7

1) End of lay management
2) Male chicks killed
3) Cannabalism
4) Disease
5) Beak trimming
6) Feather plucking
7) Forced moulting
8) Disease
9) Cage confinement
10) Broken bones

Front 8

List 6 problems faced by the chicken meat industry in NZ.

Back 8

1) Rate of growth too fast
2) Constantly kept hungry to prevent growing too large to the point where they can't support own weight
3) Diseases - campylobacteriosis
4) Slaughter
5) Myth about using hormones - not true!
6) Use of in-feed antibiotics - transfer of antibiotic resistance to humans and residues in meat

Front 9

Discuss the major problems faced by the NZ poultry industry.

Back 9

1) We don’t import eggs or meat so rely on ourselves.
2) Disease like coccolydia can spread fast.
3) Government controls industry - based on predicted costs of eggs and meat
4) High market competition.
5) Carbon footprint of broiler meat
6) Food safety like

Front 10

Compare and contrast the structure of the chicken meat and layer industries in NZ.

Back 10

Layer industries are run via horizontal integration where individual farmers market separately under a common brand.

Chicken meat industries operate via vertical integration where each company has full control over the production stages. Very efficient in terms of marketing, purchasing etc.
Such companies include Inghams Ltd, PH Van Den Brink, Teagel

Front 11

Briefly discuss how the pig production industry has changed over generations.

Back 11

'Hut and run' system, pigs were secondary function to dairying (turned unusable skim and whey into money) >>Reduced number of pig farms, become more larger and specialised units, Reliance on cereal based feeds (more expensive) >> Continued reduction of pig farm numbers, Importation of pig meat commenced

Front 12

Order these pig producing areas in order from most significant to least:
Manawatu/Hawkes Bay, Auckland/Waikato, Canterbury

Back 12

Canterbury > Auckland/Waikato > Manuwatu/Hawkes Bay

Front 13

List 5 pig production trends/issues occuring in NZ.

Back 13

1) Pigs are getting heavier although NZ produces lighter carcasses than overseas.
2) Pig kill is trending downwards resulting in importation instead.
3) Only 7 licensed abattoirs in NZ due to transport times/distance and capacity limitations.
4) Availabilty of grain is decreasing due to dairy farms using more supp. feed. Thus price increasing.
5) Growing demand for pig meat

Front 14

Give 2 reasons of why sow productivity has increased in NZ regarding farming systems.

Back 14

Improved farm performance, exit of smaller/older farms that are not as efficient.

Front 15

Pig producers are paid on a matrix of ____________and _____________

Back 15

back fat, carcass weight

Front 16

Order these typical farm costs from most significant to least:
Stock purchase, feed costs, animal health, marketing

Back 16

Feed costs > Stock purchase > Animal health > Marketing

Front 17

How much of farm costs goes toward feed costs on a pig farm?

Back 17

74%

Front 18

When are pigs weaned? What happens after weaning?

Back 18

4 weeks

Front 19

How long is the growth phase for pigs, thus when do they reach carcass weight?

Back 19

16 weeks growth phase thus, 20-21 weeks reach carcass weight

Front 20

In the North island, pig farms are integrated with _________ systems while in the South Island, they are integrated with __________ systems.

Back 20

Dairy, cropping

Front 21

Due to high biosecurity standards, NZ has the healthiest herd in the world. However, briefly describe 2 diseases that have been or can be transmitted within the herd.

Back 21

1) Post-weaning multi-systemic wasting disease - long condition very fast. 60% NZ herd was affected, 20% lost. Vaccination in 2007 reduced loses to 5%.

2) Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome: transferred through uncooked pig meat fed to pigs. Once infected, can travel as an airborne virus

Front 22

What are the 3 objectives regarding productivity of sows?

Back 22

1) More piglets per sow
2) Faster growing pigs to higher weight,
3) Using less feed to achieve these

Front 23

Performance of a sow depends on 4 things, what are they?

Back 23

1) Animal welfare
2) Animal health
3) Genetics
4) Feeding

Front 24

Briefly describe the process of a sow's nest building behaviour.

Back 24

1) Sow isolates herself 2-3 days before birth.
2) Select nest site
3) Collect vegetation
4) Arrange material by rooting and pawing while turning around in nest

Front 25

Research has reported production benefits to promoting nesting behaviour via providing sows with straw or burlap sacks. List 5.

Back 25

1) Less stillborn pigs per litter
2) Shorter farrowing duration/shorter birth interval between piglets
3) Lower risk of farrowing related diseases
4) Piglets are dried off faster
5) Lowered piglet motility

Front 26

What is the evolutionary strategy of pigs regarding reproduction?

Back 26

Produce a large number of offspring to allow for replacements. Early mortality of weakest piglet is promoted so that it helps survival of other piglets.

Front 27

List 5 outcomes of a large litter size in pigs.

Back 27

1) Higher piglet mortality
2) Longer farrowing time
3) Lower average live weight
4) Greater piglet variability
5) High competition at udder

Front 28

What are sows selected for?

Back 28

Large litters and rapid, lean growth.

Front 29

Briefly describe deep litter bedding housing for sows.

Back 29

Sawdust system - Allows sows to manipulate material, exploratory behaviours, warm and comfortable

Front 30

List 8 ways to reduce sow aggression in group housing.

Back 30

1) Sows should be matched according to size.
2) Provide plenty of space
3) Provide physical and visual barriers that can be used by bullied sows
4) Spread feed on the floor when sows are first mixed
5) High feed level after being mixed to minimise feeding related aggression.
6) Regularly check sows and remove injured/bullied
7) Once group is established, do not remove or add any sows
8) Non-slip floor

Front 31

How can feeding aggression be mitigated by design of the feeding system?

Back 31

Having not enough room so sows have to line up being eat other (vulva biting).

Having two troughs where one is filled after the other. Causes intense competition for first lot.

Front 32

What material can be used as enrichment and why is it used?

Back 32

Popular materials are straw, ropes, wood, rubber.

Prevents tail biting and other stereotypies.

Front 33

What is teeth reduction and what is the aim of the procedure?

Back 33

Removing sharp needle teeth in piglets by grinding or clipping them.
Aim: Prevent facial injuries to littermates, teat and udder damage, vulva damage later

Front 34

What is nose ringing? And what area of the nose is more sensitive to pain?

Back 34

Insertion of a piece of metal into the nose of the pig, either in septum or the disc.
Disc is more painful.

Front 35

What does nose ringing prevent?

Back 35

Prevent sows from rooting and digging, destruction of pasture, by causing pain when this is attempted.

Front 36

List 3 causes of stone chewing and how would you reduce the likelihood of it occuring?

Back 36

Lack of satiety, anticipation of food, lack of suitable manipulable environment

Front 37

What does 'free range' indicate in pigs?

Back 37

Pigs can run around outside for their entire life. Shelter must be provided which can be easily accessible. 1% of farms

Front 38

What does 'free farmed' indicate in pigs?

Back 38

Sows farmed on paddocks, with shelter from elements and huts for farrowing. NO sow stalls or farrowing crates are used.
Pigs are finished under shelter.

Front 39

List 4 types of management systems for egg laying hends.

Back 39

1) Enrichment cages
2) Battery cages
3) Free range
4) Sheds

Front 40

What is the Feed conversion ratio (FCR) of NZ meat chickens?


Back 40

1.40 kg of feed to put on one kilo. This is very good.

NZ is very efficient – no diseases, do not vaccinate, growth bigger