1. Breeding Swine

2. Aspects of Selection
Selecting dams and sires in breeding swine resulting in adequate market offspring.
Reproductive Efficiency: offspring produced in a predictable, regular basis, manner with young being born alive and healthy.
PROFITABILITY: 10 live piglets is better than 4.

3. Structural Soundness in Pigs
Skeletal system and how well the bones support the animals body.
Bone growth, size, and shape can affect animal well being, usefulness, and functionality.
Soreness, stiffness, and pain in moving can affect reproduction.

4. Structurally Correct Toplines
Level topline
Topline: length of top of animal back
Affects their usefulness on concrete

5. Structurally Correct Toplines
Arched topline hogs
Scapula and humerus equals less flexibility and cushion to joints.
Aitch and femur bone (hip and rear leg bones) less parallel to ground.
Bones should act as a hinge

6. Topline

7. Structurally Correct Toplines
Drop behind Shoulders
Weak spine
Weaker structure

8. Pastern Structure
Pasterns (ankle bones) that are too vertical create a jarring affect as the animal walks.
Weak pasterns cause pain to the hog when it stands or walks

9. Bone Diameter & Foot Structure
Should be large in diameter, indicating strength.
Larger boned hogs grow faster and have more capacity for muscling.

10. Bone Diameter & Foot Structure
Toes should be approximately the same size.
Uneven toes indicate structural unsoundness.
Legs should be placed squarely under the animal.

11. Feet and Leg Position Splayfooted – turned out Pigeon Toed – Turned in
Buck Kneed – knees are bowed or bucked out in front.

12. Feet and Leg Position
Rear foot should place where the front feet were placed.
Short choppy steps = structurally unsound, muscle bound, or both.

13. Capacity Width and depth of the animal, or its total volume.
Wide down the top and deep in the side.
Wide Belly = greater capacity to hold feed & gain weight rapidly
Longer Bodied = yield more meat
Wide Chested = proof of muscling and capacity

14. Capacity

15. Reproductive Soundness
Teats
Should be large and well defined

16. Reproductive Soundness
Pin Nipples
Tiny nipples, do not function well
Blind Nipples
Fail to mature and have no opening
Inverted Nipples
Crater in the center and are not functioning

17. Reproductive Soundness

18. Reproductive Soundness
Infantile Vulva
Small, good indication of small reproductive tract

19. Reproductive Soundness
Testicles
Large and well developed
Viable Sperm
Produced from larger testicles
Sheaths
Swollen sheaths can lead to breeding problems.

20. Muscling Adequate muscling to pass onto their offspring.
Too much muscling can lead structurally unsoundness.