1. Chapter 8
Hog raising

2. SELECTING HOGS FOR RAISING’S CRITERIA
The gilt should have well-developed udder with minimum of six pairs of properly spaced functions set.
Must have sound and well- placed feet and legs
Female breeders should come from a litter of eight or more good sized piglets with high survivality.

3. Do not keep gilts that come from sows in which agalactia (failure to secrete milk) have been observe.
Masculinity, both in appearance in action, should predominate in the make up of any boar.
The primary sex organ should be clearly visible and be well developed.

4. FACTORS TO CONSIDER IN RAISING HOGS
Water – a pig will drink 24 gallons of water a day.
Management –pigs will stay clean if you let them. They will designate an area for eating, sleeping and elimination of waste
Housing –pigs need enough space to move comfortably

5. MOST COMMON BREEDS OF HOGS RECOMMENDED FOR RAISING
Y0RKSHIRE – the mother breed.
DUROC –they grow on you.
HAMPSHIRE –the belt-mark of a meat hog.
LANDRACE –the universal breed.
POLAND CHINA – more durability.
SPOTTED –they’ll deliver
BERKSHIRE –the confinement factor
CHESTER WHITE –the maternal muscle quality breed

6. WAYS ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF HOGS
Keep buildings, run-ways, pen and equipment clean always.
Sanitize and disinfect them regularly
Quarantine or isolate animals recently brought from other source.

7. CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SOW
Deworm sows and gilts against internal parasites and treat external parasites 14 days before expected date of farrowing.
To avoid constipation, provide healthy but a laxative ration.

8. CARE OF THE BOAR
In commercial operations, as a new board should always be checked for fertility and diseases associated with abortion and birth of dead pigs.

9. Recommended breeding load of boars at different ages
Ages, month=no. Of services per week
7 or less= none
8-10=1 or ever 5-10 days
11=1 or every 4 days
12=2 or every 3 days
18 and over=3-7 or every other day

10. METHODS ON MARKETING
Is the last job done on growing –finishing pigs. Choosing a market is one of the important decisions a hog producer must make before sale of slaughter hogs. The market selected may affect income and profitability.

11. COMMON DISEASES OF HOGS
Salt poisoning
Mercury poisoning
Head poisoning
Mould poisoning
Lameness and paralysis
Heat stroke
Sunburn

12. Constipation
Mastitis
Metritis
Infertility and abortion
Agalactia
Anaemia
White scours
Para keratosis

13. NON-CONTAGIOUS DISEASES
External parasites
Hog louse
Mange mites
2. Internal parasites
Large intestinal roundworms
Nodular worms
Whip worm
Red stomach worm

14. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES Viral Hog cholera Foot and mouth diseases
Transmissible gastroenteritis
Rabies
Swine pox
Pig influenza

15. 2.Bacterial diseases Brucellosis Salmonellosis Antrax Pasteurellosis
Swine erysipelas
Leptospirosis
Swine dysentery
Tuberculosis

16. 3.Protozoan diseases
Balantidiosis

17. PREVENTION OF SWINE DISEASES
-Prevention is definitely better than cure and it is perhaps the only remedy available to pig farmers. -It is possible to prevent most of the non-contagious diseases. -Contagious diseases can be prevented to a certain extent through following timely preventive measures.

18. 4 STEPS REMOVING CAUSE DISEASES
1.Preventing the introduction of new diseases. 2.Removing the existing source of infection to break the diseases cycle. 3.Cleaning and disinfecting to reduce the number of disease organism. 4.Practicing good management to reduce the effect off stress and eliminate carrier animals.