This document provides information on piglet processing procedures including umbilical cord cutting, tooth clipping, tail docking, ear tagging, weighing, and castration. It discusses the learning outcomes of understanding these processes and identifying healthy piglet characteristics. The document outlines the piglet processing steps and describes techniques for each one. It also covers drug administration routes, signs of piglet and sow health, normal vital signs, and a worksheet.

1. DYESEBEL D. ANDAYA, DVM
Municipal Agricultural Officer
Lobo, Batangas
Piglet Processing

2. Learning Outcome
Here’s what you’ are expected to gain from this activity:
1. To identify the activities involved in piglet processing
2. To have better understanding on the processes involved in piglet
processing.
3. To identify the characteristics of a healthy piglet
4. To acquire knowledge on assessment of health condition of piglets

3. 1. Cutting of Umbilical Cord
2. Tooth Clipping
3. Tail Docking
4. Ear Tagging
5. Weighing of Piglets
6. Castration
Outline of Presentation

4. 7. Routes of Drug Administration
a. Intra-muscular
b. Subcutaneous
c. Intraperitoneal
d. Intradermal
e. intravenous
8. Judging Health Condition of Sow
& Piglets
Outline of Presentation

5. Cutting of Umbilical Cord
Disposable umbilical
cord clamp
Using cable tie

6. Tooth clipping
• The piglet’s incissors/ sharp
teeth are cut with sharp
clippers
• Likely to cause severe pain and
damaged teeth are prone to
infection & may lead to
abscesses and long-term pain

7. Tail cutting
• Is a common industry practice
in pork production to reduce
tail biting in pigs

8. Tail docking
Tail cutting
scissors
Ordinary
Scissors
Electric Tail
Cutter (*)

9. Eartagging
I’m piglet 123A!
Male & Female components of tags

10. Eartagging
I’m piglet 123A!
Ensure pigs are safely cradled under the
arm, tagging is done in one swift motion.

11. Eartagging
I’m piglet 123A!
All piglets should be tagged in the left ear
for easier identification and to help with
retention in abattoir

12. Eartagging & Weighing
I’m piglet 123A!
check the ear tag number once tagged, weigh the
piglet, and record ear tag number and its weight

13. Iron Injection
• Iron acts as a carrier of oxygen in
the body
• Iron prevents nutritional anemia
The piglet requires about 7 mg of
iron per day during the first week
and about 10 mg at 3 weeks. From
the sow’s milk, the piglet gets only
1 – 2 mg of iron.

14. Clinical signs of anemia

15. Iron can be given or supplied in a
number of ways:
Iron injection
Oral administration of Iron
• Sod (top soil)
• Iron paste/solution

16. Piglet Castration
• Removal of the testicle
• Simple operation
• Complications are
uncommon
Oh no!

17. 1. Piglets should be healthy
2. Postpone castratijon in case of
illness
3. Check whether there are piglets with
hernia to avoid complications
4. Clean the pen properly before castration
5. Do not transfer the piglets before or after
castration, this will cause extra stress
Piglet Castration
What are the
reminders
before doing
castration?

18. Advantages... Disadvantages...
● Reduces boar taint
● Qualifies meat for export
● Castrated boars are easier to
handle, more docile
What are we
to do?
What will
happen!
● Grow slower, low FCR
● Boars have better slaughter quality
● Stress and slower growth just after
castration
● Time consuming, rough job

19. Castration Procedure

20. Commonly Used
Routes of Drug
Administration

21. 1. Intramuscular
(IM)
«the aim is to put the drug deep
into the muscle area, usually the
neck and thigh muscles.
Ex. Antibiotics, vitamis, vaccines

22. 2. Subcutaneous
(SC)
«the drug is placed in between
the skin and muscle area
«Usual sites are the skin fold of
the neck and ears and skin fold at
arm pit
Ex. Hormones, vaccines and
arsenicals

23. 3. Intraperitoneal
(IP)
«the target site of drug is the
peritoneal cavity
Ex. Serum and electrolytes

24. 4. Intradermal
(ID)
«employs a high pressure jet of
air to place the dose in the
surface of the skin
Ex. Few vaccines

25. 5. Intravenous
(IV)
«the drug is to be placed in the
blood through the vein
«In pigs we commonly use the
ear vein

26. «different routes of drug
adminstration

27. Judging Health Condition
of Sows & Piglets
In judging health condition, the following should be noted:
1. General Information
2. Piglets characteristics and physical condition
3. Sows characteristics and physical condition
4. Environmental observation
5. Normal Vital Signs

28. For sows, other factors that should be
given attention are:
1. #piglets or litter size (born alive, born
dead, piglets weaned)
1. Possible signs of diseases/abnormalities
2. parasitism
YOUNG SOW OLD SOW
Excellent 10 or more 12 or more
Good 9 or more 10-11
Moderate 9 9
Bad/Poor 7 or less 8 or less

29. What should be noted in piglets?
piglets younger than 3 weeks old
are pinkish red or reddish pink;
piglets more than 3 weeks old
may be light pink; pale color of
the skin might indicate illness,
eg. Iron deficiency
Color

30. What should be noted in piglets?
Thick hairs, very smooth & lying
backwards
Hair coat
Activity Should react to
noises / movements
in the pen`, lively
Uniformity Smallest/biggest actual
weight; average

31. What should be noted in piglets?
Solid, color depends on the feed;
Abnormal dung means diarrhea,
constipation
Dung
General
Physical
Condition
Meatiness, good
body conformation,
good appetite,
definite curl in tail

32. Growth of piglets according to age
AGE of PIGLET WEIGHT (kg)
Wt at birth 1.3 kg
Wt at 1 week 2.6 kg
Wt at 2 week 4.0 kg
Wt at 3 week 5.5 kg
Wt at 4 week 7.0 kg
Wt at 5 week 9.0 kg
Wt at 6 week 11.5 kg
Wt at 7 week 14.5 kg
Wt at 8 week 18.0 kg

33. Temperature in pen/surroundings
of sows & piglets
18-200C
Pen /
surroundings
30-320C
Nest T0 for
newborn
220C
Nest T0 for 4-
wk old piglets
18-200C
Nest T0 for 8-
wk old piglets

34. Normal Vital Signs
55-85/minute
2
8-18/min
3
39-40oC
1
Rectal To Heart Rate Breathing Rate

35. WORKSHEET

36. WORKSHEET

37. WORKSHEET

38. WORKSHEET

39. CREDITS: This presentation template was created
by Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and
infographics & images by Freepik
Thanks!
dndandaya@gmail.com
09171030339
Jhing Andaya
Do you have any questions?
Please keep this slide for attribution