Prepared by: Dr. Aljolyn P.

Pineda
 In Asian countries particularly Cambodia, Laos,
Vietnam and Philippines, animal production has
been increasing rapidly.
 Pig production shares 2- 2.8% of the total value
of national GDP.
 In the Philippines, the swine industry is the
second largest contributor to the country’s
agriculture coming in second to rice.
 Seventy one percent of the total population still
remains in the backyard and 29 percent are
raised commercially.
 The top producing regions include:
 CALABARZON (13.13%)
 Western Visayas (11.56%)
 Central Luzon (10.66%)
 Bicol Region (7.84%) and
 Eastern Visayas (7.30%)
 The most notable decrease in stocks was caused
by the numerous losses incurred by farms mainly
in Luzon due to diseases like hog cholera, PRRS,
Pseudorabies, Swine Flu and Circovirus.
 The swine sector is the second largest
economic activity in the Philippines’
agricultural sector.
 Domestic pig production has been rising in
both backyard and modern commercial
farms.
 Pork is a very important livestock commodity of
the Philippines
 It is Filipinos’ most preferred meat product
 Represented > 35% of the total daily animal
meat consumption.
 It tops all other local livestock industries in terms
of production and its contribution to the
national economy
 Modernization of pork production system and
marketing and distribution of inputs and
products are being initiated
 Total volume of pork available is derived from
local production and importation
 Total supply of pork is generally utilized as
fresh meat for domestic consumption
 Importation of pork is done to fill the gap
between local production and domestic
demand
 There is an increasing trend on the volume of
pork produced
1. Preference for lean meat with less fat
2. Preference for pork with minimal antibiotic
residues
3. Preference for fresh and fresh chilled pork
4. Preference for parts (ham, belly, picnic, porkchop
etc)
5. Emergence of small enterprises type of swine
production system. It is a modified cheaper version
of commercial farms but technologically equipped
 Strength
 large, stable and continuously increasing pig production
 large and increasing local market for pork
 high utilization of pork relative to other animal meat
products
 well organized private industry players
 easy access to good genetics and state of the art
technologies on swine production, feed milling and other
related activities
 technically equipped entrepreneurs, farm managers and
practitioners


 Weakness
 generally low purchasing power of consumers
 high cost of feed and other production inputs
 heavy dependence on imported feed ingredients
 inadequate national program for disease
prevention and control
 inefficient and inadequate technical and market
information services
 high overhead costs both in swine production
and feed milling
 presence of FMD in some major swine producing
regions of the Philippines
 Opportunities
 growing domestic market, increasing demand to
meet increasing per capita consumption of a
continuously growing population
 export of live hogs and pork carcasses to other
ASEAN countries
 availability of certified breeder pigs
 continuously improving swine productivity and
production efficiency
 improved feed efficiency and dressing
percentage by increasing slaughter weight

 Threat
 flooding/ dumping of cheap pork and other
meat products from other countries
 increasing control of traders and butchers on
pricing of slaughter hogs
 irrational implementation and urbanization of
current swine-producing areas.
• Sow- mature female pig
• Boar- a mature male pig
• Gilts- a young female pig under 1yo
• Shoat- a young pig of either sex weighing approx.
60kg
• Barrow- a male pig castrated before secondary
sex character develop
• Weaner – A young swine at and during the point
of weaning.
• Feeder – A young swine usually between 40 and
70 pounds live weight that is being sold, bought,
or held to be fed out to market weight.
• Finisher – An older swine, usually over about
150lbs live weight; one that is in the finishing
stage of its growth, nearing market weight.
• Farrowing –used to describe as an act of giving
birth.
Pig Performance is influenced by two factors:
1. Environment (70%)
 Nutrition
 Feeding
 Housing
 Health
2. Genetic Potential (30%)
BREED
 Group of animals that has specific traits or
characteristics in common.
 Swine breeds are differentiated through the
following characteristics:
 Color
 Size of ears
 Position of ears
 Length and shape of snout
 Shape of the face
 Body length
 Backline
 Small, solid black or black and white with
small ears, sway back, weak pasterns, good
mothering ability, prolific and resistant to
adverse condition.
 White, most widespread of
the modern pigs
 Good mothering ability and
large litter size
 Medium sized, erect ears
 Curved back inclining
forward
 Short and straight snout
 Superior in growth rates in
all other types
 Top crossing sire
 White in color, some have
bluish-black spots
 Long body, large drooping
ears
 Known for producing a high
percentage of carcass weight
 Known for its good mothering
ability and prolificacy
 Has weak feet pasterns and
legs
 Golden brown to very dark red
 Small forward ears 2/3 erect 1/3 hanging
 Good body constitution, strong legs and very
robust
 Fast growing and can thrive to simple
farming systems
 Top crossing sire
 Resistant to stress
 An old British breed
 Black dual type pig with six white points
 Dish shape face, short snout, and medium
sized erect ears
 Excellent quality carcass
 Piebald in color from Belgium
 Erect ears, small and stocky and with large
ham and loin muscles
 Top crossing sire
 Black, white belted body from
shoulder to front legs
 Erect ears with strong short
legs
 Prolific, good mothering
ability, adapted to rugged
condition
 Known for being heavy
muscled, lean, aggressive
hogs with large loin eye areas,
and possess less back fat.
 Originated in Ohio
 Noted for low back fat and
large loin eye
 Quiet dispositions
 Black with six white points
 Dropped ears
• From China, black, slow
growing pigs
• One of the most prolific
breeds, with an average
litter size of 14 piglets
• Slow growing and fat, but
have a very good taste.
• Considered to be resistant
to some diseases
• Has a wrinkled face and skin
 Most hybrids introduced into the country do
not have distinguishing physical
characteristics, which may differentiate them
from other breeds.
 Most of these hybrids are white with good
muscle development.
 Some hybrid pigs available in the country are
Hypor, Nieuw Dalland, Seghers, Camborough,
JSR and Topigs.
 Hybrid sows are claimed to be:
 prolific;
 have better fertility;
 have bigger and more uniform litter; and
 have heavier piglets at birth.
 Slaughter hybrid pigs are claimed to be:
 outstanding in terms of growth rate, feed
conversion efficiency and carcass quality.
1. Natural Breeding
 A boar is used to serve the gilts/sow that are in heat

a. Hand or Controlled Mating – the boar is brought to the sow

or the sow to the boar

 Advantages:
 The farmer is certain whether the sow or gilt was bred or not.
 Farrowing can be scheduled.
 Use of the boar is controlled.
 The farmer can keep track of the boar
and sow record.
 The farmer can determine which
animals to cull.
b. Pen or pasture mating - the boar is mixed
with a number of females during the breeding
season.
 This is less laborious and involves fewer costs
in housing and equipment.
 The lack of recording and over-usage of boars
are possible disadvantages of this method.
2.Artificial Insemination (AI) – it is a method of
breeding wherein the semen of the boar is
deposited into the gilt/sow by the use of artificial
penis or catheter. The main objective is to increase
the use of good boars.

Disadvantages:
 Lack of trained technicians to adopt the practice.
 Costly laboratory equipment.
 Diseases transmission is possible.
Advantages:
 Fastest way to genetic improvement.
 Usefulness of sire can be extended.
 Boars with physical handicap are dispensed
with.
 Services can be made at long distances.
 Advantages for raisers not raising their own
boars.
 Can be used in cases of incompatibilities.
 Adoption of batch farrowing is very much
applicable
INBREEDING
 This involved mating of individuals that are
closely related to each other by ancestry. Any
form of inbreeding should be avoided. The
adverse effect of inbreeding, generally termed
inbreeding depressions, may include reduction in
litter size and weight at birth and at weaning;
ovulation rate and fertility; and sperm production.
Example:
Father x Daughter
Son x Mother
Brother x Sister
Inbreeding depression can be any of the following:
a) reduction in the strength and vigor of piglets;
b) decreased in the number of piglets born or weaned;
c) decreased in the weight of piglets at birth and weaning;
d) sterility and abortion;
e) retardation and physiologic immaturity; and,
f) occurrence of abnormalities such as hernias and
cryptorchidism
UPGRADING
 Is a system of breeding wherein an inferior
breed is improved by continued crossing. It is
commonly used among native breeds. The
native breeds are usually crossed with exotic
breeds of swine.
Example:
Native breed x Duroc
Native breed x Large White
Native breed x Landrace
PUREBREEDING
 Purebreeding is the mating of two purebred
animals of the same breed. A purebred
animal is defined as a member of breed,
which possesses a common ancestry and
distinctive characteristics, and is either
registered or eligible for registration in that
breed.
 Example:
Landrace x Landrace
CROSSBREEDING
 Crossbreeding is mating of two individuals belonging
to different breeds. This is being practiced to take
advantage of heterosis or hybrid vigor and to elicit the
desirable characteristics of parental breeds.
Crossbreeding is strongly recommended for the
production of market/ slaughter hogs. Its beneficial
effects include increase in the size and weight of
litters at birth and at weaning; increase in the survival
rate of growing-finishing pigs.
Example:
Landrace x Large White
Duroc x Landrace
 Crossing schemes:
a. Single cross (2 way)
b. Three way cross (3 breeds)
c. Four way cross (double cross of 4 breeds)
 This is a modification of three-breed
crossbreeding where a carefully selected
third breed (purebred) is introduced as a
terminal sire on the two two-breed crossbred
sows.
 This is the most practical and popular scheme
for the production of slaughter pigs.
 A crossbred boar (Duroc x Pietrain) may also
be used as a terminal sire for the production
of slaughter pigs.
 For breeds that will constitute the sow line,
select those that are superior in terms of
mothering ability and litter size. (e.g. Large
White and Landrace).
 For breeds intended for the production of
terminals sires, select those which are
superior in terms of growth rate, muscle
development and carcass desirability. (e.g.
Duroc and Duroc x Pietrain cross).
 Selection of breeding animals is one of the
most important aspects in starting a pig farm.
 Selection ensures the choice of the best
animal for reproduction.
 Most of the productive and reproductive
traits are greatly influenced by the kind of
breeding stocks of the herd.
 There is no breed for all conditions.
 A particular breed may be highly productive
in a given place, however, it may not perform
well in another place.
 Moreover, variations in the performance
within a breed in different places may be
expected.
 The following are recommendations in selecting
breeding animal:
 Select a breed/ breed combination or strain that is
most adapted under local conditions.
 It is also easier to find replacement and adopt
accepted practices employed by local swine raisers.
 Select pigs based on reliable production records.
 Always remember that the performance of an
individual is determined by the interactions between
the genetic makeup and the environment.
 Start selecting/ evaluating potential breeding animals,
when these are 2-3 months old. This will allow enough
time for the performance evaluation. Final selection
should be done when the animals are 5-6 months old.
 For slaughter pigs, start preferably with crossbreds or
upgraded animals. These are not as sensitive as the
purebreds in their requirements for feeding, housing,
health care and management.
 Consider the market outlet and the consumers’
preference before starting a pig production business.
Lean pork is given higher value in the market, thus,
the pigs’ quality should be considered.
1. Physical
 Strong legs, long body, good body conformation,
etc.
2. Performance
 Good mothering ability, ADG, less backfat
thickness, etc.
3. Pedigree selection
 selection based on ancestry
Physical Basis:
1. Masculine, well develop testicle
2. Strong constitution, high libido, but controlled
temperament
3. Strong pasterns, back and must have a long body
4. Must have no physical and hereditary defects

Performance basis:
1. Posses good muscle development, avoid those
with excessive back fat
2. Must be an efficient performer having
an ADG of at least 800g and 90kg at 160 days.
1. Good temperament, smooth in
general appearance
2. Must have at least six
prominent pairs well spaced teats
3. Must have a long body
4. Must have strong legs and
pasterns
5. Strong, straight or slightly
arched back
 Economically important traits will guide the
animal husbandman on which traits should
be developed in the farm based on its
objective.
 One can expect longer time in developing
traits with low level of heritability and shorter
time in high levels.
• Litter size
• Number weaned/litter
• 21d litter weight
• Litters/yr.

• Traits are not highly heritable, so management

must select for them, and manage through
feeding and health
• Crossbreeding can help improve productivity
 Growth Rate is 35% heritable
 Can be effectively used in genetic selection
 Measured by # of days to reach 260lbs.
 Lbs. of feed/lb. of gain
 ~30% heritable
 Crucial because feed accounts for 60-70% of cost
of production
 Used to estimate lbs. or % acceptable quality
lean pork (10% fat) in the carcass
 ~48% heritable
 3 traits used to predict carcass
 Fat depth over loin at the tenth rib
 Loin muscle area
 Carcass muscling score
 Can be predicted on live pigs by using
ultrasound on back fat, or a well-trained eye
 Capability of breeding and slaughter animals
to withstand the rigors of confinement and
breeding
 Is somewhat heritable
 Unsound pigs are generally culled
 Cryptorchidism
 Retention of one or both testicles
 Hernias
 Umbilical
 Scrotal
 Inverted nipples
 Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) carcasses
 Porcine Stress Syndrome (PSS)