A3o—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, January 3,1981
LANCASTER - When this
little piggy went to market,
it earned an FM radio.
Its heart beat faster and
faster as it climbed the
loading chute to begin it’s
trip to the feeder pig auction
As its heart rate passed 210
beats per minute, it began to
lose some of its muscular
coordination If this kept up
much longer, the pig would
surely collapse.
Blit the stressed pig
showed its good common
South Central Pork
Producers to hold sale
3Y MARY MYERS
Staff Correspondent
GETTYSBURG - The
South Central Pork
Producers Association met
recently at the Adams
County Extension Office
Members present were from
Adams, Cumberland, and
Franklin Counties
Ken Ketterer, Newville,
president of the group,
conducted the business
meeting.
The possibility of holding
another feeder pig sale was a
major discussion topic. The
decision was made to
organize the second annual
sale. The sale will be con
ducted at the Shippensburg
Fairgrounds m early April
Other details are to be
handled by a committee and
announced at a later date.
Representatives were
elected to serve on the
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♦ Phone 717-354*4341
♦ Daily market Report - Phone 717-354-7288
I Abe Diffenbach, Manager
Stressed pig shows good common sense
sense by slowing down, then
standing still and finally
lying down until its heart
rate dropped to 200.
In fact, the scientist
monitoring the stressed pig
said once it was lying down,
“it just plain ignored any
stimulus to make it move.”
The scientist had taped a
miniature FM radio tran
smitter to the pig’s back to
record heart rate and to get
Pennsylvania Pork Council.
They are Ken Ketterer,
Newville; Dave Remecker,
York Springs; Clyde Strock,
Mechamcsburg.
Clyde Strock and Ed
Hildebrand, Littlestown,
reviewed the results of the
Slaughter Check Program.
It was noted that nine
producers participated in
October.
This innovative program
was the first of its kind to be
instituted in the state. The
Pennsylvania Pork
Producers Council spon
sored the event m the tn
county region.
The Slaughter Check
Program is designed to
assist the producer by
examining and testing
several slaughtered hogs for
various undesirable con
ditions.
•<**•«} y
information aooui tne stress
that feeder pigs undergo
during each step of the
marketing routine.
“We’re trying to gam
insights on chances in
market facility design and
handling procedures that
could minimize stress,” said
agricultural engineer
Herman F. Mayes of USDA’s
Science and Education
Administration
Agricultural Research
Each producer is sent a
report on the findings. If any
problems are found,
recommendations for
controlling the existing
conditions are provided
along with the fmal report.
The members provided the
Council with suggestions
concerning the Slaughter
Check Program. The group
felt the program was a
worthwhile venture and
should be continued. Con
tinuance should be on a
regular schedule so more
producers could participate.
Also suggested was the
idea that participation in the
program be at least once a
year to be of benefit to the
producer.
Laura Watts, extension
agent from Cumberland
County, showed the group a
slide presentation entitled
“Pork Industry
Programmed for Profit”
and a short consumer
oriented movie, “Fork More
Pork.”
The next meeting will be
held in March Members will
be notified.
The board members will
meet on Thursday, February
5 at the Cumberland County
Extension Office in Carlisle.
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When the rates exceed 110,
muscular movements m
pigs’ hearts lose some of -
their coordination. That
makes blood flow slower
than it should, and body
temperatures rise.
Prolonged pressuring for
physical exertion ' could,
cause the pigs to collapse,
said Mayes, but the 35 to 85
pound pigs in his study took
every opportunity to adjust
their activity to reduce those
heart rates.
Mayes observed no great
differences in the average
heart rate as pigs stood, ate,
drank or walked. But dif
ferences were significant in
pigs running, lying down
alert and lying down asleep.
As the study continues,
Mayes will observe pigs in
all of the stressful situations
Herman F. Mayes, USDA agricultural engineer, holds a miniature radio trans
mitter he tapes to feeder pigs to pick up heart beats and thus pleasures the pigs’
stress as it goes through the marketing process.
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Mayes work is part of a
larger project in the
University of Missoan-
Columbia’s animal
husbandry department. The
project includes a follow-up
study of effects on diet and
medication on the stressed
Pig-
“We’re studying weight
losses associated with
handling and transporting
and subsequent weight
gaining performance of the
pigs,” said Mayes.
The studies show that
sleeping pigs’ heart rates
usually remain between 100
and 160 beats per minute.
When the porkers are
forced to climb a loading
chute to begin their trip to a
feeder pig auction, heart
rates may jump to 250 to 260
beats per minute. .
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in which they find them
selves.
For example, he said,
feeder pigs are often
stressed when they are
sorted, graded, weighed and
penned with pigs that are
strangers to them.
At some markets no feed
and water is provided. And
after the sale, the pigs may
remain at the market
facilities from one to 15
hours awaiting tran
sportation, which may take
another one to 20 hours
Hermay F. Mayes, USDA
agricultural engineer, holds
a miniature radio tran
smitter he tapes to feeder
pigs to pick up heart beats
and thus measures the pigs’
stress as it goes through the
marketing process.