Selecting Future Gilts

A spreadsheet to assist in gilt selection

You will be required to initially select 130% of your actual gilt requirements – you must be willing to reject gilts
Pig Flow restrictions
	When practicing on farm gilt selection, the grandparent stock may cause significant disruption to pig flow on a slaughter generation farm.
	The grandparent and parent stock should be kept separate from the general farm records and should keep their own records
	In the ideal farm a separate area should be reserved for the future generations. For example, two extra farrowing rooms could be used and the future stock run as a three week batched system with 4 week weaning, or a single farrowing room running a 5 week batch with 3 week weaned pigs. This also will produce larger single groups of gilts from which to select.
	Failure to select and provide sufficient gilts will result in an empty farrowing crate and the loss of 10 x the finished dead weight. In the US this accounts for $300 per gilt loss of cost coverage, without any consideration for any profit margins.
Maternal line characteristics
The future female pigs should only come from excellent maternal sows, in particular ease of getting pregnant and numbers weaned.
	Time from boar exposure to oestrus as a gilt			Not more than 15 days
	Farrowing rates and returns			Not less than 80%
	Total number born			13 total born parity 3
	Number weaned/weight per sow				At least 10.2, 8kg on day 24
	Teat number				14
	Basic conformation – in particular legs and feet				Sound feet and legs
	No incidences of scour or other disease problems
Paternal line characteristics
	Teat line				14
	Leg and feet conformation				Sound feet and legs
	Produce strong weaners				At least 8kg by 24 days
Preparing to be able to select your own replacement stock
	To select gilts the area needs to be very well lit – 300 lux
	Have an accurate weigh scale available – up to 140 kg
	In the older age group, need an examination area of at least 1m^2 so the animal can walk around on solid ground where the feet can be examined in detail
	A back fat measuring scale
	Willing to keep good individual records
	Ability to identify animals correctly
	Willing to reject animals – only 60 to 75% of gilts will be selected.
	Have a group to select	Measure repeatable indicies	Examine the gilt’s feet while clean

Characteristics of the selected gilt
1	Birth to Weaning – First and main selection
	Protect the gilts’ teats with glue or tape in the first three days – teat necrosis
	Try not to cross-foster any potential gilt or even litter
	Do not select any gilt from a litter with:
	Congenital tremors
	Congenital defects, disease problems, unusual legs/feet. Do not select from litters with scours
	Deformed vulvas
	First Selection at weaning:
	Weight of pig – particularly in relation to litter mates. Biggest pig at wean has potential to be biggest at set slaughter date.
	Teat number and basic position
	Anus – atresia ani will not kill a gilt
	Ensure selected gilts are permanently marked – ear notching.
	Teat necrosis – 4 days of age – future breeding ruined		Atresia ani in a mature gilt					Selected gilt must be a good weaners
2	70 days of age
	30kg liveweight
	Re-check teat number and position
	Conformation re legs and muscling
	Check toe conformation
3	60 kg liveweight – growth rate check
	Check leg confirmation
	Examine gilt body in some detail
	Check for any growth deformity – dip shoulders etc
	Basic confirmation				Examine the animal in detail					Dipped shoulder or abnormalities
	Remove from finishing group
	Place onto gilt rearing ration
4	95 kg liveweight – conformation check
	The gilt should now be 190 days of age, her brothers and sisters should or have been slaughtered and their slaughter data should be available to give a genetic assessment of the potential of the gilt
	Vulva shape – upturned and infantile to reject.
				Good Bad Think about how accessible the teats will be to the piglets?							Good Bad Ensure there is good teat placement
	Upturn vulva			Teat layout
	Uterus – check the gilts reproductive anatomy by ultrasound
	Teats: Each gilt must have a minimum of 7 teats per side, uniformly spaced .Gilts with teat defects should be culled.
	Movement: The gilt should be closely observed walking around to ensure that the gilt is not “goose stepping or waddling” and that she is not unduly stiff.
	Conformation: In general all the gilts in the group should be evenly matched – approximately the same height and length – similar ears- and no individual gilt should be excessive or have excessive hams.
Hind legs under abdomen		Toes pointing					Forelegs too straight
	Legs: The legs should be straight and strong - she needs them all her life. If they fail, she fails.
	Are bursae a problem?
	Bursitis are liquid filled protective swellings over joint surfaces. The body responds to the chronic injury by covering the area with thickened skin with underlying liquids, generally from a tenosynovial surfaces. They can lead to unsightly swellings and may lead to rejection of gilts for sale.
	Toes: The gilt should have strong even toes well spaced apart.
	Toes are a key component to sow survival								Avoid uneven toes
	Backfat measurement – the gilt should have 16-18 mm of backfat at P2 at 220 days of age.
5	Post-exposure to the boar – Reproduction Check
	Move gilt to breeding area and Introduce to boar. The gilt in tended to produce future breeding stock herself should have a visible oestrus within 10 days