Syllabus Information

5.1. Methodological overview

Learning process designed for this particullar subject (Integration in Pigs) is based on lectures, practical training and autonomous work.

- Sixty six lectures will be given in the classroom asigned by the establishment. Students of the subject wwill be divided into two groups.

- Thirty four hours of practical training will be offered in different locations: experimental farm of the Veterinary Faculty, commercial farms, necropsy room, labs of different departments (infectious diseases, parasitology, reproduction) and computer room.

- Every student must perform an individual work about a particular aspect of pig health and production. Such individual work must be delivered to the teachers not late than May 30 (June call) or before the September examination.

5.3. Syllabus

LECTURES SCHEDULE

Sixty eight lectures of 50 minutes time each of them:

- Lesson 1. PIGMEAT SECTOR STRUCTURE (1). World, european and national relevance of the pigmeat farming and industry. Pork foreign trade. Pork consumption. Main production indexes. Main reproductive indicators: litter size, piglets weanedd, number of farrowings per sow and year,...

- Lesson 2. PIGMEAT SECTOR STRUCTURE (2). organization and spread of the genetic improveement. Selection, multiplication and production farms. Business organization. Types of integration. Farm size. Forecast for future structures.

- Lesson 3. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF PIG FARMS. Economic indicators. Fixed and variable costs. Production costs of several products: weaned piglet, 2-months piglet and finished pig.

- Lesson 4. BIOSECURITY IN PIG FARMS. How a disease can be introduced in pig farms. Biological isolation. Animal intake and movement controls. Biosecurity actions. Cleaning and disinfection. Insemination centers biosecurity.

- Lesson 5. WASTE MANAGEMENT IN PIG FARMS. Rules. Slurry management. Animal carcasses management. Gas emissions.

- Lesson 6. SELECTION CRITERIA IN PIG GENETIC IMPROVEMENT. Pig genetic characters of interest. Heredability and genetic and environmental correlations. Economic value of the different characters. 

- Lesson 7. PIG IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES. Selection, crossing and heeterosis. Control of blood relationship.

- Lesson 8. GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF THE MATERNAL LINES. Genetic basis. Genetic improvement of reproductive traits. Genetic improvement of survival and longevity. Genetic management. Genetic evaluations assessment.

- Lesson 9. GENETIC IMPROVEMENTOF THE PATERNAL LINES. Genetic basis. Genetic improvement of production and carcass traits. Genetic improvement of meat quality. Genetic management. Genetic evaluations assessment.

- Lesson 10. GENETIC BIOTECHNOLOGY. Genes of intrest in porcine genetic improvement. Genome improvement.  Other biotechnological aplications of genetics in pigs.

- Lesson 11. PRIMIPAROUS SOWS. Puberty. Sexual cycle. Pregnancy. Farrowing. Lactation and weaning. MULTIPAROUS SOWS.

- Lesson 12. THE BOAR. Puberty. Hormonal cycle. Spermatogenesis. Training and semen recovery procedures. 

- Lesson 13. REPRODUCTIVE CONTROL IN PIGS. Management and hormonal techniques. Pathological consequences of an incorrect control.

- Lesson 14. REPRODUCTIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY. Semen recovery and evaluation. Semen preservation. Heat detection. Mating. AI. Pregnancy diagnosis. FIV techniques. Embryo transfer.

- Lesson 15. FARROWING. Types of farrowing. Obstetric care techniques in sows.

- Lesson 16. THE NEWBORN PIGLET. Farrowing care. Newborn pathology: Congenital abnormalities, weakness, iron deficiency anaemia,... 

- Lesson 17. PIG HOUSING. General criteria. Environmental standards in piglets, sows and boars. 

- Lesson 18. HOUSING OF DRY AND PREGNANT SOWS. European Directive of welfare. Individual stalls and group housing systems. Ad libitum feeding. Free access stalls. Short stalls. Electronic sow feeding system. 

- Lesson 19. HOUSING OF SOWS DURING FARROWING AND LACTATION. General criteria. The farrowing crate. Types. The farrowing pen. Possibilities of providing heat to piglets. Infrared lamps and heated floor.

- Lesson 20. HOUSING OF WEANED PIGLETS. European welfare legislation. General criteria. Group size. General design and materials. Feeders and drinkers. Heating systems. Open facilities.

- Lesson 21. HOUSING OF GROWING AND FINISHING PIGS. European welfare legislation. General criteria. Group size. General design and materials. Feeders and drinkers. Wean to Finish system.

- Lesson 22.  FARM PLANNING (I). Batch management farrowing system. Pros and cons. Farrowing every week vs every 3 and 5 weeks comparison. 

- Lesson 23. FARM PLANNING (II). Dimension and design of facilities for pigs. Practical examples.

- Lesson 24. PIG FEEDING. Legislation. Labelling. Crossing contamination of medicated compound feeds.

- Lesson 25. PIG FEEDING. Conventional and no conventional feedstuffs. Feed distribution. Liquid feeding.

- Lesson 26. WEANED PIGLET FEEDING. Physiological characteristics. Aditives. Starter feeds. Nutrition and pathology. Feed management.

- Lesson 27. GROWING AND FINISHING PIG FEEDING. Sex, genetics and environment interactions. Protein retention. Energy consumption. Fat pig feeding.

- Lesson 28. SOW FEEDING. Feeding management od replacement sows. Pregnant sows. Flushing. Effect of nutrition on fertility.

- Lesson 29. SOW AND BOAR FEEEDING. Feeding of sow during farrowing and lactation. Body fat reserves mobilization. Lactating piglet growth. Boar feeding. 

- Lesson 30. PIG FEEDING. Environmental impact. N and P contamination. Trace elements.

- Lesson 31. HYGIENE AND MANAGEMENT OF SOWS (I). Culling causes analysis in pig farms. Culling rate. Replacement sows management. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing fertility.

- Lesson 32. HYGIENE AND MANAGEMENT OF SOWS (II). Lactating sow management. Milk production. Weaning and onset of oestrus. Live weight of piglets at farrowing. Factors of variation. Fostering. Piglet mortality before weaning.

- Lesson 33. HYGIENE END MANAGEMENT OF GROWING ANDD FINISHING PIGS. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing growth, conversion index and other production traits. Casualties causes. Animals to and from management.

- Lesson 34. CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY IN PIGS. Commercial types. Carcass dressing percentage and quality. Tissue composition. Basic criteria in pork quality. Carcass classification. Legal rules.

- Lesson 35. OUTDOOR PIG PRODUCTION. Camping system. Aims, pros and cons. Management and financial analysis. Organic pig production.

- Lesson 36. IBERIAN PIG PRODUCTION SYSTEM. Genetic basis. Ecosystem analysis. Traditional breeding system of the Iberian Pig. The "dehesa". Sows and growing pigs management. The "montanera" fattening system. Intensive breeding systems adapted to the Iberian pig. Feeding of the Iberian pig in both intensive and traditional systems.

- Lesson 37. DIGESTIVE PATHOLOGY. Main gastroenteritis process in the lactation and growing processes.

- Lesson 38. Rhinitis and pig atrophic rhinitis.

- Lesson 39. Salmonellosis.

- Lesson 40. Proliferative enteropathy.

- Lesson 41. Gastroenteritis transmissible. Porcine epidemic diarrhoea

- Lesson 42. Coccidiosis.

- Lesson 43. Ascariasis and other parasitis diseases by nematodes.

- Lesson 44. OTHER DIGESTIVE PATHOLOGIES. Gastric ulcers, gastritis, rectal prolapse, rectal herniae, peritonitis, liver damages.

- Lesson 45. RESPIRATORY PATHOLOGY. Bronchopneumonia, pleurisy.

- Lesson 46. Rhinitis and porcine atrophic rhinitis.

- Lesson 47. Porcine enzootic pneumonia.

- Lesson 48. Porcine pleuroneumonia and pasteurelosis.

- Lesson 49. Glasser disease.

- Lesson 50. Porcine influenza.

- Lesson 51. Metastrongylosis.

- Lesson 52. Skin pathology. Scabies and ticks. Staphyloderma. porcine parakeratosis, porcine erysipela.

- Lesson 53. Urinary system pathology. Congenital cysts, nephritis, pyelonephritis. polycystic kidneys. Nervous system pathology. Muscle pathology. Bone pathology.

- Lesson 54. Foot-and-mouth disease, vesicular disease, necrobacilosis.

- Lesson 55. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

- Lesson 56. Porcine circovirus.

- Lesson 57. Aujezsky disease.

- Lesson 58. Classical swine fever and African swine fever.

- Lesson 59. Swine erysipela.

- Lesson 60. Trichinellosis, cysticeercosis, toxoplasmosis.

- Lesson 61. Action protocol with notifiable animal diseases.

- Lesson 62. Preventive treatments and vaccines schedule in pig farms.

- Lesson 63. REPRODUCTIVE PATHOLOGY IN SOWS. Anestrus, silent estrus, estrus repetition. Pregnancy pathology, Seasonal, casual and toxic abortions. Farrowing pathology.

- Lesson 64. INFECTIOUS ABORTIONS. Parvovirus, leptospira, brucellosis.

- Lesson 65. POSTPARTUM PATHOLOGY. Postpartum metritis. Dirty sow syndrome.

- Lesson 66. LACTATION PATHOLOGY. Mastitis. Postpartum dysgalaxia syndrome. Mastitis-metritis-agalactia syndrome.

- Lesson 67. BOAR REPRODUCTIVE PATHOLOGY. Libido, erection and eyaculate abnormalitie. Brucellosis.

- Lesson 68. IN-FARM ANESTHESIA AND SURGERY TECHNIQUES. Castration, cesarean section, vasectomy, prolapses, reproductive biotechnology.

PRACTICAL TRAINING SCHEDULE

Fourteen practical sesssions. Ttal: 33.15 hours of practical training per student.

- Practical session 1. PIG COMMERCIAL FARM. Study of genetic basis, batch organization and feeding. Management of farrowing, IA, weaning and finishing. 1 teacher: 4 h x 36 groups of students.

- Practical session 2. COMPUTER SIMULATION OF GENETIC CONTROL OF A SELECTION PORCINE POPULATION. Maternal and paternal lines. Selection and crossing. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

- Practical session 3. PIG REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY. 1. PIG TEACHING FARM OF THE VETERINARY FACULTY. Sow choice. Gilt reproductive examination. Body condition assessment. Heat detection. AI. 1 teacher: 3 h x 24 groups of students.

- Practical session 4. PIG REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY. 2.  PIG TEACHING FARM OF THE VETERINARY FACULTY. Boar examination. Semen recovery. Reproductive examination of the pregnant sow. pregnancy diagnosis. Farrowing preparation. 1 teacher: 2.75 h x 24 groups of students.

- Practical session 5. SEMINAL DOSIS PREPARATION IN LAB FOR AI. Spermiogram, dilution, preservation. Computer management of seminal dosis. Semen refrigeration and freezing. 1 teacher: 2 h x 24 groups of students.

- Practical session 6. BUILDING MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL IN PIG FARMS. EXPERIMENTAL FARM OF THE VETERINARY FACULTY. Building materials and building techniques. Practical ventilation. Thermal isolation.  1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

- Practical session 7. COMPUTER PROGGRAM OF TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT OF PIG FARMS. COMPUTER ROOM. Output analysis.Technical indexes analysis. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

-  Practical session 8. FEEDING (1). COMPUTER ROOM.  Diet formulation for sows. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

- Practical session 9. FEEDING (2). COMPUTER ROOM. Diet formulation for growing pigs. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

- Practical session 10. MEAT AND CARCASS QUALITYY. MEAT LAB. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

- Practical session 11. MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION OF SEMINAL DOSIS. REPRODUCTION LAB. 1 teacher: 1.5 h x 24 groups of students.

- Practical session 12. PARASITOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS IN LAB. Intestinal, tisular and cutaneous parasites. 1 teacher: 2 h x 24 groups.

- Practical session 13. NECROPSY ROOM. Clinical cases necropsy. 2 teachers: 3 h x 12 groups.

- Practical session 14. CLINICAL CASES OF PATHOLOGY STUDY:

      - 14a. Clinical cases of notifiable pig diseases. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students.

      - 14b. Clinical cases in growing and adult pigs. 1 teacher: 2 h x 12 groups of students. 

5.4. Course planning and calendar

Dates and scheduling of lectures and practical training of the subject can be found in the web page of the Veterinary Faculty at the beginning of each academic year.

5.5. Bibliography and recommended resources

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

See Spanish version of this teaching guide.