SWINE FARM

ROLAND DANIEL ARETA

AARON BOMEDIANO

EVALUATION
JUSTIN NIELSON MAGAN
FRANCIS OWEN WINFOTTER
MARTIN ZACHARY
HERD HEALTH

The health status of the swine herd is a

crucial factor. Parameters such as
mortality rate, morbidity rate, disease
prevalence, and vaccination programs
are assessed to determine the overall
health of the herd.
FEED EFFICIENCY

The efficiency with which pigs convert feed into

weight gain is critical for cost-effective production.
Factors such as feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed
cost per unit of gain, and feed wastage are considered
to evaluate the feed efficiency of the farm.
BIOSECURITY

Biosecurity measures play a significant role in preventing

the introduction and spread of diseases. The
implementation of biosecurity protocols, such as
controlled access, quarantine procedures, sanitation
practices, and pest control, are evaluated to ensure the
farm's biosecurity.
ANIMAL WELFARE

The well-being of the animals is an important ethical

aspect. Factors such as housing conditions, space
allowance, access to clean water, ventilation, and
freedom from unnecessary stressors are evaluated to
assess the level of animal welfare on the farm.
ECONOMIC
PERFORMANCE
- The financial viability and profitability of a swine farm are essential considerations. Parameters
such as revenue, production costs, feed costs, labor costs, and return on investment (ROI) are
evaluated to determine the farm's economic performance.

- The productivity and profitability of a swine enterprise can be improved by routine evaluations
conducted by someone not involved in the day-to-day management of the farm. These farm
evaluations allow potential opportunities and problems to be identified and addressed. The steps of
an effective farm evaluation program include problem identification, diagnosis of the cause,
initiation of change, and the monitoring and evaluation of subsequent performance. Service people,
veterinarians, extension personnel, and other farm advisors can readily apply these techniques.
TOOLS AND
TECHNOLOGY USED IN
FARM EVALUATION
SENSING AND
MONITORING
TECHNOLOGIES

ACCELEROMETERS ARE ELECTRONIC

SENSORS THAT ALLOW CONTINUOUS
RECORDING AND CHARACTERIZE
CHANGES IN ACTIVITY DATA BY
MEASURING MOTION PARAMETERS.
THEY ARE RELATIVELY INEXPENSIVE
AND CAN BE FIXED TO DIFFERENT
BODY AREAS SUCH AS THE LEGS,
NECK, AND EARS. SOME
CHALLENGES MAY BE
ENCOUNTERED TO KEEP THEM
MOUNTED ON AN ANIMAL DUE TO
HUSBANDRY CONDITIONS AND THE
PIGS’ EXPLORATORY BEHAVIOR.
ACCELEROMETERS CAN BE USED TO
DETECT EARLY LAMENESS BY
IDENTIFYING CHANGES IN POSTURE
AND STEPPING BEHAVIOR IN SOWS.
DIGITAL VIDEO-BASED
TRACKING SYSTEMS
DIGITAL VIDEO-BASED TRACKING SYSTEMS
ARE INEXPENSIVE, RELIABLE AND
ACCURATE IN MONITORING PERFORMANCE,
HEALTH AND WELFARE INDICATORS IN
PIGS. FOR EXAMPLE, CAMERAS CAN BE
USED TO ACCURATELY ESTIMATE BODY
WEIGHT BY MEASURING DIMENSIONS SUCH
AS HEART GIRTH, LENGTH AND HEIGHT,
AND TO MEASURE THERMAL COMFORT
BASED ON PIGS’ RESTING BEHAVIORAL
PATTERNS SUCH AS SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
OF PIGS WITHIN A PEN BY ASSESSING
HUDDLING BEHAVIOR. CAMERAS HAVE
ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO ASSESSMENT OF
THERMAL COMFORT BY EXTRACTING EAR
BASE TEMPERATURE AUTOMATICALLY
FROM TOP VIEW THERMAL IMAGES IN PIGS,
AND THEY ALLOWED THE TYMPANIC
REGION TO BE IDENTIFIED AS THE BEST
AREA FOR TEMPERATURE MONITORING
WHEN USING AN INFRARED THERMOMETER
AND THE EAR AND LOIN REGION WHEN
USING TEMPERATURE SENSORS.
MICROPHON
ES
Microphones can be used for objective,
non-invasive measurement for stress
recognition and disease surveillance in
various farming environments.
Microphones have been used to detect
stress vocalizations (e.g. screams) and
to identify pig-wasting diseases using
sound data in audio surveillance
systems. They have also been used to
describe acoustic features of cough
sounds caused by lung infection to
develop a real-time cough
classification algorithm based on sound
feature analysis of respiratory disease
and to objectively measure any
deviation from normal respiratory
pattern.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL MACHINE
VISION SYSTEMS

Three-dimensional machine vision systems

can be used to automatically detect tail
posture and provide early warning of tail
biting on farms. Digital images can also
help to precisely identify biter and bitten
pigs during ear-biting outbreaks. Another
on-farm application of cameras is to detect
aggressive behavior by measuring the speed
and the distance between pigs to classify
knocking and chasing behavior. The RFID
systems are already routinely being used in
pig farms to individually identify and track
pigs. Other applications of RFID systems
include recording individual pigs’ feeding
patterns and drinking behavior in a group
housing context, and they could support
long-time continuous health and behavior
monitoring of pigs in the near future.

.
REFERENCES:

Azarpajouh, S. (2021). Smart farming ideas for the swine industry. Pig

Progress. https://www.pigprogress.net/world-of-pigs/smart-farming-ideas-for-the-swine-
industry/

Board, N. P. (2015, September 30). Evaluating performance and management practices in

pork production. Pork Information Gateway. https://porkgateway.org/resource/evaluating-
performance-and-management-practices-in-pork-production/