Pork Production - Review Questions

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Administration of growth hormone (somatotrophin) to growing animals can influence performance by:
a) depressing feed consumption
b) improving feed conversion
c) reducing muscle to fat ratio
d) decreasing basal metabolic rate
e) doing all of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Which of the following would be least useful in a confinement unit that specialized in raising pigs from weaning age to market weight:
a) a farrowing crate
b) a ventilation system
c) an automated feeding system
d) slatted floors that allow manure to fall through into a collecting pit
e) a deep well providing ample, clean water

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
If approved for use in growing pigs, recombinantly-derived porcine growth hormone would not present any potential health hazard for humans because:
a) it is a protein molecule with biological activity that is species specific
b) it would assist in development of superior basketball players
c) only a very minute quantity could pass from the pig's circulation into the muscle and most of this would be broken down during digestion
d) all of the above
e) none of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
A unique characteristic of all monogastric animals is that:
a) they possess a multicompartment stomach
b) they can digest only animal tissues
c) they lactate
d) all of the above are true
e) none of the above are true

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
When the environmental temperature rises above the upper critical temperature, animals:
a) increase basal metabolic rate
b) consume more feed
c) are outside their comfort zone but still within the zone of thermal neutrality
d) reduce basal metabolic rate
e) look for ways to increase heat loss

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
When offspring perform better than would be expected from comparing average productivity of their unrelated parents, this is attributed to:
a) homozygosity
b) hybrid vigour
c) homeostasis
d) hysteria
e) hyperglycaemia

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
PSE pork causes:
a) early conversion of fat to poly-unsaturated metal but still edible meat
b) too much free starch in the bones
c) feeding before slaughter
d) reduced quality of the meat
e) higher price setting at the international level

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
As a function of growth and development, the body composition of a well fed pig changes:
a) from little or no fat when very young to substantial fat when mature
b) from a high proportion of bone and skin to muscle when very young to a much lower proportion when sexually mature
c) from almost all inorganic components at birth to mainly organic components at maturity
d) both a) and b)
e) none of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Feed efficiency can be improved through:
a) increasing the amount of muscle produced from each kg of feed provided
b) selecting for higher maintenance requirements
c) castrating males
d) all of the above
e) none of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
When various tissues, organs or body parts increase in size at different rates the resulting growth is termed:
a) hybrid vigour
b) hypertrophy
c) asynchronous
d) hyperplasia
e) both b) and d)

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Pig farmers engaged in Farrow to Finish operations
a) never have anything to do with weaning piglets
b) market pigs that have completed the entire growing and finishing process as their only revenue generating output
c) could keep pregnant females on pasture for much of the gestation period
d) must have an isolation facility
e) should keep about one boar for every five or six females since they must rely entirely on natural mating

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Outstanding growth rate, feed efficiency and carcass quality, achieved in generation after generation, results from
a) good feeding and housing
b) a successful herd health program
c) suitable genotype
d) competent management
e) all of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Which of the following would be the least desirable method for keeping sows during gestestion
a) in group pens with other sows
b) alone in a pen
c) in an individual sow crate
d) on pasture with huts for shelter
e) in a farrowing crate

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Pork producers can introduce new genetic material into their herds through
a) operating a within-herd AI program
b) purchasing boars from other breeders
c) using a commercial AI service
d) all of the above
e) some of the above

Chose the most appropriate phrase to complete the following statement.
Which of the following would be least important in deciding on how much space that individual pigs should have
a) age of the animals
b) sex of the animals
c) type of feeding system used
d) ambient temperature
e) weight of the animals

Chose the appropriate answer: A if only i, ii and iii are correct; B if only i and ii are correct; C if only ii and iv are correct; D if only one is correct; E if all or none are correct.
Pork producers in US or Canada do not use any recombinant porcine somatotrophin at the present time because
i) it is not cost effective
ii) it does little to improve carcass quality
iii) it must be injected
iv) some other reason

Chose the appropriate answer: A if only i, ii and iii are correct; B if only i and ii are correct; C if only ii and iv are correct; D if only one is correct; E if all or none are correct.
An accurate identification and recording system plus effective and current summarization of performance data should
i) determine if litter size is acceptable
ii) detect infertile boars
iii) note changes in the weaning to remating interval
iv) precisely define any problems and indicate their specific causes.

Chose the appropriate answer: A if only i, ii and iii are correct; B if only i and ii are correct; C if only ii and iv are correct; D if only one is correct; E if all or none are correct.
Quantitative genetic traits like the amount of milk produced by a cow during a lactation or litter size in sows are
i) regulated by a single or very few pairs of genes
ii) an example of phenotypic traits that are not continuous in expression
iii) "all-or-none" in expression
iv) influenced to only a very minor extent by environment

Chose the appropriate answer: A if only i, ii and iii are correct; B if only i and ii are correct; C if only ii and iv are correct; D if only one is correct; E if all or none are correct.
When comparing specialized dairy and pig farms it is appropriate to say that
i) dairy farms have more marketing options than pig farms
ii) pig farms use more forage in the diets
iii) both dairy and pig farms have alternatives that can replace chemical fertilizers
iv) pig farms use considerably more labour saving devices

Chose the appropriate answer: A if only i, ii and iii are correct; B if only i and ii are correct; C if only ii and iv are correct; D if only one is correct; E if all or none are correct.
Very young piglets obtain antibodies that help protect against diarrhetic disease (scours) from
i) sows' serum via the placental transport mechanism just prior to birth
ii) colostrum
iii) milk
iv) their own immune systems

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