AGB 211: Livestock and Poultry Breeding (2+1)

MEASUREMENT OF ECONOMIC TRAITS OF SWINE

Pigs convert inedible feeds, forages, certain grain byproducts obtained from mills, meat by products, damaged feeds and garbage into valuable nutritious meat. Most of these feeds are either not edible or not very palatable to human beings. Pig grows fast and is a prolific breeder, farrowing 10 to 12 piglets at a time. It is capable of producing two litters per year under optimal management conditions. The carcass return is quite high i.e., 60-80 per cent of live body weight. With a small investment on building and equipment, proper feeding and sound disease control programme the farmer can profitably utilize his time and labour in this subsidiary occupation. The faeces of pigs is used as a manure to maintain soil fertility. The following economical traits are taken in to account for profitable pig farming.

• Litter size at birth : Number of piglets born in a litter.
• Litter size born alive : Number of piglets born alive in a litter.
• Litter size at weaning : Number of piglets weaned per litter at 56^th day.
• Birth weight : Weight of a piglet in kg at birth.
• Litter weight at birth : Weight of all piglets of a litter in kg at birth.
• Weaning weight : Weight of a piglet in kg at 56 days of age (weaning).
• Litter weight at weaning : Weight of all piglets of a litter in kg at weaning.
• Weight at market age : Weight of a piglet in kg at the market age of 154 or 210 days.
• Growth rate
• Pre-weaning growth rate : Daily weight gain in kg from the date of birth to date of weaning.

(Weaning weight (56^th day) – Birth weight) / 56

• Post-weaning growth rate : Daily weight gain in kg from the date of weaning to date of marketing

(Weight at market (154 or 210 days) – Weaning weight ) / (Age at market (154 or 210 days) – 56 )

• Feed efficiency
• Weaning to 154 days : Weight of feed consumed in kg for producing one kg of live weight from weaning to 154 days.
• Weaning to 210 days : Weight of feed consumed in kg for producing one kg of live weight from weaning to 210 days.
• Mortality percentage
• Pre-weaning mortality : Number of piglets died from birth to 56th day (weaning) to the total number of piglets born alive.
• Post-weaning mortality : Number of piglets died from weaning to 154 or 210 days to the total number of piglets weaned.
• Adult mortality : Number of adult pigs died during the year to the number at the beginning of the year.