AS 16-2July 2002

Swine Project GuideSwine Project Guide

The Texas 4-H Swine Project Guide was developed by the Texas 4-H Swine Project Team ofTexas Cooperative Extension.

Chairman: Bob Robinson, District Extension Director for Agriculture

4-H faculty liaison: Angela Burkham, Extension 4-H Specialist

Primary author: Jodi Sterle, Assistant Professor and Extension Swine Specialist

Contributing author: Bruce Lawhorn, Professor and Extension Swine Veterinarian

AcknowledgmentsThis guide is based on an original manuscript by T. D. Tanksley, Professor Emeritus, TexasA&M University Department of Animal Science.

ReviewersDarrel Knabe, Professor of Animal Science, Texas A&M University

Chuck Real, Real Swine Farm, Marion, Texas

Chris Boleman, Graduate Assistant, Texas 4-H Office

Dirk Aaron, County Extension Agent–Agriculture

Cody Gladney, Texas 4-H Swine Project Team youth member

Photo models: Ben Bowman and Sakett HowardPhotos by: Austin Moore, Assistant Video Producer and Extension CommunicationsSpecialist

Thanks to Marilyn Frenzel, Administrative Secretary, Texas 4-H office, for manuscript typing and editing.

any 4-H’ers who have swine projectshope to raise champions. While onlyone entrant in a show is named champi-

on, all exhibitors can benefit from the proj-ect. You will learn about the swine industryand how to produce a safe, wholesomeproduct. You will also learn to assumeresponsibility and build life-long friend-ships with people all over Texas. The swineproject is the largest livestock project in thestate. About 26,000 youth exhibit pigs eachyear.

Raising and showing a champion pigrequires dedication, hard work and a littleluck. Selecting a good animal, providinggood facilities, developing a sound feedingand health program, learning showmanshipand paying attention to details every dayare all important. Overlooking any one ofthese areas can prevent you and your pigfrom making it to the first pen.

Selecting a good animalIt is extremely helpful to know and

understand the rules of the show in whichyour pig will be exhibited before you pur-chase your animal. The rules vary fromshow to show and change each year. Manyfactors, such as weight limits, will dictatethe type of pig you will want to purchase.You will probably want to look at severalyoung animals before making your choice.It would be helpful to have a parent, projectleader, 4-H Master Swine Volunteer or coun-ty Extension agent go with you and helpyou make your decision.

Whether or not gilts (female pigs thathave not had litters) are allowed to showmay limit your selection. The date of own-ership and validation procedures (such asear tagging and ear tattooing) used to estab-lish ownership by a certain date are impor-tant considerations. And, of course, thebreed you choose is important as well.Understanding the rules of each show willprevent you from being disqualified because

your pig does not meet the criteria set bythe show.

If you are showing your pig in a breedinggilt show, you will likely be required toshow the registration papers for the animalthat come from the breed association.Registration papers include a numberassigned to the animal, the animal’s date ofbirth, and the parents’ registration informa-tion. The breeder is responsible for transfer-ring the papers from his or her name toyours. The deadline to have papersprocessed for most shows is December 1.Read and follow the rules for the show care-fully. You may have to allow a few weeks ofturnaround time for the breed associationto process the paperwork.

The importance of selection cannot beoveremphasized. An animal’s genetics large-ly determine its growth, muscling and lean-ness. Youth exhibitors usually select theiranimals when the pigs are 8 to 10 weeks oldand weigh 40 to 80 pounds. The challenge isto try to predict what a 50- to 70-poundfeeder pig will look like at market weight,which is about 260 pounds or 6 months ofage. If you are able to wait until the pig iscloser to 70 pounds before purchasing it,you will have a better chance of predictinghow the animal will turn out. However, ifyou wait too long before buying your pigthe selection may be slimmer.

Each exhibitor is looking for the “ideal”pig, but the criteria for “ideal” will dependon the preferences of the exhibitor, the rulesfor the particular show, the judge’s opinion,the amount of time until the show, the sea-son of the year and other factors. Before yougo to the farm or sale to purchase your pig,decide what your “ideal” pig should be.

Whether you buy your pig at a sale ordirectly from a farm, you should buy from abreeder you trust.

Buying animals directly from a farm hassome advantages. The animals are generallynot exposed to other pigs where they couldpick up diseases. You can often see pigs that

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4-H Swine Project Guide

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are related to yours (such as littermates andparents) at different stages of growth. Thatcan help in predicting how your animal willperform in the future. The producer cangive one-on-one attention to you as a cus-tomer and offer suggestions about feedingand raising your animal. It is likely that heor she will also have experience in finishingpigs. Finishing refers to the time periodwhen the animal’s growth slows and fatbegins to deposit within and around themuscle.

Most market swine are exhibited at about6 months of age. Pigs younger than 6

months may have trouble making the mini-mum show weight. Pigs much older than 6months may have to have their feed limitedto stay under the maximum weight. Pigsthat are “held” (given reduced feed) for along period may appear drawn and stale andwill not look their best on show day.

On the other hand, you would probablyfind a larger selection of animals at a salewhere many breeders bring pigs to sell, espe-cially if you are looking for a specific breedand weight. At a pig sale you can comparepigs from different breeders and save timedriving from farm to farm comparing ani-mals.

One of the most common mistakesexhibitors make when selecting a pig is notplacing enough emphasis on feet and legsoundness. Soundness is an animal’s abilityto walk smoothly with body weight evenlysupported on the feet and legs. Show pigswill become very muscular and large-framed, and if they have structural defectsof their feet or legs they can become lame.Muscle tendons can attach only to bone,and extreme muscling places stress on theskeleton, causing lameness.

To help prevent lameness, select a pigwith an adequate width of bone and angu-lation to the joints. Feet and leg problems infeeder (young) pigs will usually worsen asmore weight and stress are added. Whenyou are examining a prospective animal,step back from the pen or pig about 10 to 20 feet and watch the animal walk andmove. Pigs should take long strides andappear to be comfortable while walking.Many show pigs “goose step” or swing theirfeet in front of them before placing themon the ground. This is definitely somethingto avoid. Any problems that are apparentwhen a pig weighs 50 pounds will probablyget worse by the time the animal reaches250 to 270 pounds.

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1. Nose or snout2. Face3. Ear4. Poll5. Neck6. Jowl7. Knee8. Pastern9. Fore flank

10. Shoulder11. Back12. Loin

13. Rump14. Ham15. Side16. Belly or underline17. Sheath18. Hock19. Rear flank20. Foot or toe21. Stifle22. Dew claw23. Tail

Desirable

Undesirable

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Illustrations courtesy of the American Yorkshire Club.

As with other animals, pigs don’t begin tofatten much until the end of their growingperiod, so the feeder pigs from which youwill select your project animal will not andshould not have much noticeable fat. Younganimals usually look muscular because theydo not have much fat on them. Young pigsshould be lean. If an animal is heavily mus-cled in the top or loin area, it will likely beheavily muscled throughout the rest of thebody. Places on the pig’s body to look formuscle include the shoulder, the loin or topand the ham.

As a pig ages, it will begin developing fat.Animals fatten from the front to the rear ofthe body. The first place you may noticeyour pig laying down fat is in the jowl orchin area. Then fat develops in the shoulderarea, down the top loin edges, the lowerthird of the body (underline area), the seamof the ham, and finally the pones, or aroundthe tailhead. A pig won’t drastically changeits overall shape during the growing period;it will just change its dimensions and getbigger. For example, if the pig is short-bod-ied at 50 pounds, it will probably be short-bodied at market weight.

One criterion you should consider whenselecting your pig is the presence or absenceof the porcine stress gene. Ask if the breederknows whether the boars or sows he or sheused are stress-free. The stress gene causes apig to be more muscular and lean but havelower quality meat. It may also cause theanimal to be so excitable that stress can killit. The swine industry is attempting to elim-inate this gene from hogs. Most purebredswine associations now require a negativeresult on a DNA test of all animals applyingfor pedigrees or artificial insemination cer-tificates. Although the stress gene is seldomfound in commercial hogs, it is common inshow pigs. Today, genetic practices can pro-duce muscling and leanness without thisdetrimental gene.

FacilitiesThere is no one “right” facility for raising

your pigs. The important factors to considerare:

� Will the facility protect your pig fromthe weather?

� Is it affordable?� Is it easily cleaned and disinfected?

An animal that is not stressed by its envi-ronment (too hot or too cold) grows betterand tends to be healthier. The primary goalis to provide an environment that allowsthe animal to fulfill its genetic potential tothe greatest extent. In Texas, heat stress is aconcern. Shade is extremely important,especially for white pigs that sunburn. Fans,misters and common sense can provideyour pig with a suitable environment.Facilities do not have to cost a lot of money.For example, you can make a mister by pok-ing small holes in a garden hose. In Texas,misters are not generally required duringthe winter. In fact, exhibitors should be cau-tious because pigs will not gain weight aswell when they are cold and wet and mayalso be more susceptible to illness.

The pen should be long and rectangularin shape and open to the south, out of thenorth wind. In most situations, animalsneed access to a covered or enclosed area aswell as an outside pen. Most pens have morethan enough space, many being at least 6feet wide and 12 feet long, although thisvaries a great deal. The more space you have,the more pigs you can put into the pen.Some type of bedding (straw, sand, shavings)should be used to keep the pigs warm, espe-cially during the winter. It also helps keepthem cleaner.

The flooring of a pen can be dirt, sand,wood or concrete. There are advantages toeach. Dirt and sand are the cheapest and theeasiest on the feet and legs of an animal, but

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Strongly enforced fencing or livestock panels work best forpens. Facilities should include a covered and an open areawith a wall to shelter animals from the north wind. Three-sided sheds open to the south work well.

it is impossible to completely removemicroorganisms from such floors. To reducepathogens from one year to the next, tillthe soil and expose it to sunlight for at least3 days. Then you can put a new group ofanimals into the pen.

Concrete is the most expensive flooringand the hardest on the feet and legs of a pig.However, it is the easiest to clean and disin-fect. A combination of sand and concrete isoften used to get the advantages of both.Concrete laid in a portion of the pen, suchas around the waterer, prevents mud holesfrom forming. Or you might lay sand on topof a concrete floor to ease the stress on ananimal’s joints. After animals are gone,remove the sand, disinfect the concrete, andlay new sand before the next group of ani-mals arrives.

Nutrition and feedingmanagement

Genetics, nutrition, environment and thehealth of your pig will determine the ani-mal’s growth rate. Ideally you will leave thepig on a self-feeder until the day of theshow. In fact, in commercial production,pigs are encouraged to grow as fast as possi-ble while still keeping them lean. Thisreduces labor and increases average dailyweight gain and profitability.

With show pigs you try to have the pigreach the point when it looks its very beston the day of the show. Because the showmight have weight restrictions, you mayneed to control the pig’s growth rate so thatits best weight occurs at the time of theshow.

It is important to check the self-feedertwice a day to make sure that it has feed init and that the feed is flowing to the bot-tom of the feeder. In humid weather feedmay cake along the sides of the feeder. Thisfeed should be pushed down daily to pre-vent spoilage. Feeders should be allowed torun empty occasionally to keep feed fromspoiling. Adding fresh feed to the top doesnot ensure that the feed on the bottom getseaten first. Of course, to promote maximumgrowth, feeders should not be left empty formore than a few hours.

When a pig reaches about 125 pounds itis time to start monitoring its growth close-ly. Start by weighing the pigs once a week.The pigs should be weighed at the sametime of day and on the same day of theweek (for example, Sunday afternoons orThursday evenings after school), since a pig’sweight will change throughout the day,depending on the amount of feed or waterit has had. Weighing at the same time of daykeeps you from recording large variations inweight that may be due only to waterintake.

It is helpful to use scales that are station-ary. While many clubs or counties sharescales, moving them from one place toanother increases the chance of damagingthem and causing them to become inaccu-rate. A set of scales is a good investment ifthere are several 4-H’ers in the same familywho will be showing for some time. Scalescan almost always be resold for a price closeto what was originally paid for them.

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Pigs should be weighed regularly to deter-mine their rate of gain, especially as showtime approaches.

Record the weight of each pig everyweek. After a few weeks, the average dailygain can be calculated by dividing theweight gain by the number of days betweenweighings. It is important to know howmany days are left in the growing period(how many days until weigh-in at theshow). After noting how your pig is growingfor a few weeks and knowing exactly howmany days until the show, you can startcontrolling the feed intake. That way, youcan control the weight gain so the animalwill be at its optimal weight for the show.

The desired weight is different for eachanimal, and depends on the animal’s framesize and degree of muscling and fat.Depending on the animal’s growth rate andlength of the growing period, you will prob-ably start hand-feeding your pig at somepoint to control how much it eats. Hand-feeding means feeding a known amount offeed to each pig individually. Pigs should befed at least twice a day. If a pig needs to gainweight quickly, feed it more often (it willeat more feed if it is fed more often).

To determine how much a pig will eat onits own, feed a known amount to the ani-mal at the normal feeding time and return

in about an hour. If there is feed still left inthe trough or pan, give a slightly smalleramount at the next feeding until the pigcleans up all of the food within an hour offeeding. This is the approximate amount offeed that the animal would eat until full.Feeding this amount is called limit-feeding.As the pig gets closer to its target weight,adjust the amount of feed you give it toachieve the target weight gain. You shouldnot feed pigs less than 4.5 to 5 pounds offeed each day.

Most diets are formulated for animalsthat are allowed to eat all they want. Whenlimit-feeding, you may need to add vita-mins and minerals to the pig’s diet to pro-vide necessary nutrients. Diets with a higherpercentage of protein are often used whenlimit-feeding.

NutrientsWater is the most essential of all nutri-

ents. If you use nipple waterers, check themoften to make sure the flow rate is right.Nipple waterers for grow-finish pigs (40pounds to market weight) should provide 1quart of water per minute. Fresh, cleanwater should never be withheld from ananimal. Lack of water harms an animal’shealth and also causes muscles to lose shapeand expression, because muscle is made upmostly of water.

Carbohydrates give the animal energyand should make up the majority of its diet.Energy is needed for growth. However, over-

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Weigh feed to be certain you know howmuch your animal is receiving.

Valve waterers or nipple waterers work best for hogs. Thisvalve waterer has a small bowl for water and more isdelivered as the hog presses on the valve with its snout.

feeding carbohydrates can cause an animalto store the excess in the form of fat.

Proteins are made up of amino acids thatare linked together to form long microscop-ic chains. There are 10 amino acids that apig’s body does not produce in adequateamounts and that must be added to thediet. Of these, lysine, threonine, tryptophanand methionine are the most important.Most diets contain grains such as corn andsoybean meal, which are low in theseamino acids.

Most commercial rations are balanced togive an animal what it needs during a cer-tain stage of growth. The diet provides ade-quate amounts of energy, protein, vitaminsand minerals according to the amount theanimal will eat in a single day. These arereferred to as “complete” feeds. It is better touse a complete feed than to overfeed pro-tein, which is expensive and causes the ani-mal to use the excess protein as added ener-gy or store it as fat.

Health maintenance programThe prevention of diseases begins before

pigs are purchased or born. Show pigs thatare farrowed (born) at one location, fed atthat location and never exposed to otherswine until exhibition should be veryhealthy. It is best to buy show pigs directlyfrom a single farm that has a history ofexcellent herd health. Pigs purchased from asingle farm can be housed together unlessthey are fighting too much (a commoncause of lameness) or need to be fed differ-ent rations. You should never buy a sick orlame pig.

If you purchase show pigs directly fromseveral farms, it is best to keep the pigs fromeach farm isolated in separate pens (evenduring transport) and away from fencelinecontact with other pigs for 60 days.Consider these separate isolation pens astotally different farm locations. Wash anddisinfect boots, equipment, etc. before goingfrom one pen to another.

If show pigs are bought at a sale, or if pigsfrom more than one source are mixed whilebeing transported, they may be exposed todisease. The longer the exposure, the greaterthe risk.

If pigs are shown several times during aseason, they should be isolated after eachreturn to the farm so that other swine (suchas breeding stock) on the farm won’t beexposed to the many disease-causing organ-isms animals can pick up at a show or exhi-bition.

Treating sick pigs with antibiotics tocompensate for poor health management isa common practice but only a temporarycure. Highly effective vaccines are not avail-able for all swine diseases, and vaccinesmust be given weeks before exposure to pro-tect animals. It is usually much easier to pre-vent swine diseases with good managementpractices than to successfully treat pigs thathave become sick.

It is important to make sure that the pigsfind the water and start drinking as soon asthey arrive. Some pigs accustomed totrough or bowl-type waterers may not drinkfrom nipple waterers. Temporarily wedge asmall piece of cardboard in the nipple sothat water will drip into a pan and the pigscan find it quickly. If using a trough-typewaterer, make sure it is secured to a solidobject or is heavy enough that it cannot berooted over.

SurgeriesAny surgeries, such as castration, should

be performed using sanitized instrumentsunder clean conditions. Recovering pigsshould be housed in clean areas, such as aclean trailer. It is strongly recommendedthat pigs be castrated as early as possible. Inthe commercial swine industry, pigs are cas-trated 2 to 3 days after birth. The earlier thissurgery is performed, the less stressful it ison both the pigs and the people involved.Recovery is quicker, and there is less chanceof infection.

If surgeries are performed by a veterinari-an, follow his or her post-surgical careinstructions carefully. Many veterinarianswill use a tetanus antitoxin injection inaddition to antibiotics to prevent post-surgi-cal complications. The highest risk fortetanus in pigs is when the castration site isleft open for drainage. It may become con-taminated with dirt that contains tetanusspores (which are everywhere in the envi-

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ronment). Another possible complication isthe formation of an abscess or cyst, whichcreates an obvious skin enlargement at thecastration site after healing. These must usu-ally be removed surgically to allow a barrow(castrated pig) to be exhibited. However,lack of healing time before exhibition isalways a concern after abscess removal.

It is best to use a veterinarian whoadministers anesthesia during castration,practices aseptic surgical techniques, andcloses the castration site to prevent compli-cations such as abscesses. Veterinarians com-monly perform other surgeries that requireanesthesia, such as removal of a retained tes-ticle (cryptorchidism), removal of an infect-ed and enlarged urine pocket (preputialdiverticulum), repair of scrotal or umbilicalhernias, and removal of tumors. Obviously,gilts have fewer potential problems thanbarrows.

Diseases from the motherEven when pigs are raised under the best

management techniques to minimize dis-ease exposure, they may receive certain dis-ease-causing bacteria and viruses from theirmothers during birth and nursing.Additional exposure may occur when sever-al litters are mixed in the nursery. Infectionwith roundworms, whipworms, lice ormange may also occur at this time.Therefore, even if pigs have been farrowedand raised on one farm (the best possibledisease prevention), they may still carry dis-ease-causing organisms in their respiratorytracts and other places. So, disease can occurlater on, particularly after a stressful experi-ence such as hauling.

VaccinationThere are effective vaccines for a number

of diseases and they should be used.Vaccines for erysipelas (causes suddendeath, skin disease and lameness) and APP,commonly called pleuropneumonia(causes pneumonia, sudden death andchronic unthriftiness), are routinely used ina combination vaccine. It should be admin-istered to healthy pigs within 1 week ofarrival and repeated 1 month later. Within 2weeks after the second vaccination, pigs

have developed an immunity that shouldmake either disease less severe if it occurs.

Another extremely important disease isporcine reproductive and respirato-ry syndrome (PRRS) virus. This diseasecan cause pneumonia and death or becomea chronic disease that causes a pig to gainweight more slowly or stop growing.Modified-live PRRS vaccines are effective,but vaccinated pigs can still spread (shed)the virus to non-vaccinated swine.Therefore, veterinarians often recommendusing an inactivated, or killed, vaccine inshow pigs that are housed near breedingstock. This inactive vaccine causes no virus-shedding to other animals. Inactivated PRRSvaccine is approved for use only in pregnantfemales. Using it in show pigs is extra-label(not a use that is recommended on theproduct label). Therefore, it must be recom-mended by a veterinarian with a workingknowledge of your herd. The schedule forvaccination for PRRS is similar to that forerysipelas and APP—vaccinate upon arrivaland 1 month later. Modified-live PRRS vac-cine should be given only once and shouldbe used only in barrows that are isolatedfrom gilts and other breeding swine.

DewormingDeworm healthy pigs upon arrival and

again 1 month later. Use a dewormer that iseffective against whipworms, such as Safe-Guard® (fenbendazole) or Atgard-C®

(dichlorvos) at least once. Pigs sufferingfrom diarrheal disease can be especially sen-sitive to deworming products. Safe-Guard®

is probably the least toxic product for pigswith diarrhea from whipworm infections.Ivomec® (ivermectin) and Dectomax®

(doramectin) are excellent injectabledewormers that also kill lice and mange, butthey are not always effective against whip-worms.

MedicationsLincomix® and Denagard® are common-

ly used, approved antibiotics. Ask your vet-erinarian to help you develop a herd healthmanagement plan or to diagnose and treatsick animals. When using any type of med-ication, including feed additives and top

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dressings, carefully read and follow labelinstructions. See Texas CooperativeExtension publication L-5203, “SwinePneumonia,” for information on the properuse of drugs by animal owners and veteri-narians. If you are in doubt about using adrug, medication or other product on youranimal, do not use it unless you have con-sulted a veterinarian and know it is accept-able.

Misuse of animal health products canleave residues in the meat that could makeit unsafe for human consumption. Also, ifresidues are found during a competition theexhibitor could be disqualified. Your countyExtension agent and the Extension Veteri-nary Medicine office have other publica-tions on animal health. Also see these Web sites:http://animalscience-extension. tamu.edu http://agpublications.tamu.edu

Injection sitesIntramuscular (IM) injections are given

directly into the muscle. IM injectionsshould be given just behind and below theear (shown by the bulls-eye on the diagrambelow). You should NEVER inject into theham or loin. These areas include the mostvaluable cuts of pork, and the meat can bedamaged by injections.

Injections also can be subcutaneous (Sub-Q), meaning under the skin. Sub-Q injec-tions should be given into the loose flaps ofskin in the flank or elbow. Make sure thearea you inject is clean and dry to preventinfection.

Showing the PigTraining the hog for exhibition is an

important part of the weeks leading up tothe show. Your hog should be walked regu-larly to improve fitness and give you achance to train it. Purchase or make a “pigstick” or “pig bat.” This is a stick about 30 to40 inches long. As you walk the pig, lightlytap it on the left side of the neck and shoul-der to make it turn right. Tap it on the rightside to make it turn left. When the pig iswalking straight, gently tap it on the top ofthe back between the shoulder blades.Eventually the animal will learn that if youtap it on the top of the back you mean for itto walk straight. When a pig places its nosein the corner of the show ring, an easy wayto get it to move out is to place your palmover the pig’s eye. It will move away in theopposite direction and turn out.

Instead of a pig stick, some exhibitors usea stiff brush or the palm of the hand to con-trol their animals. Practice a variety of waysto determine which works best for you andyour animal.

It is important to be able to control yourpig because when you are exhibiting it youwill want the animal to keep walking about10 to 15 feet in front of the judge’s viewingarea. You’ll need many weeks of practice totrain the animal well. At a show, it is obvi-ous which exhibitors have worked withtheir animals and which have not. Pigs thathave never been out of their pens andworked with usually run around in circlesand are unruly.

When show day arrives, you will wantthe judge to get a good look at your pig. Theway pigs areshown in thearena willdepend on thesize of theshow. At mostshows,announcerstell you whena particularbreed andweight rangeshould cometo the holdingpen. From the

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Injection Sites

• In the muscle • Under the skin(Intramuscular - IM) (Subcutaneous - Sub-Q)• Apply just behing and below • Inject only into clean, dry areas.

the ear but in front of the • Use the loose flaps of skin in theshoulder. flank or behind the elbow.

• NEVER inject in the ham or loin.

1MSUB-Q

SUB-Q

Most exhibitors use a pigstick or bat and a stiff brushin the show ring.

holding pen, pigs are released one at a timeinto the larger show arena. As the pigs comeout of the holding pen the judge will have agood look at each one. Sometimes, if thejudge really likes the pig, he or she willpoint to the pig and ask that it be penned. Ifthat happens, you (the exhibitor) should putyour hand up in the air so the ring helperswill know your pig is to be penned. It is upto you to walk your pig to the pen, but thering helpers usually assist. Once the judgepens the pigs he or she likes best, the otherpigs will be excused from the show ring andthe penned pigs released into the show ringfor a more detailed evaluation.

Instructors who use this curriculum will addressthe following TEKS components as outlined by theTexas Education Agency:

Social DevelopmentThe student understands the basic componentssuch as strategies, protocol, and rules of individualactivities.

Business EducationThe student implements components of productivi-ty. The student demonstrates an understanding ofpersonal financial management.

English and Language ArtsCommunication Applications—The student isable to explain the importance of effective commu-nication skills in professional and social contexts.Speech Communication—The student is able torecognize and explain the importance of communi-cation in social, academic, citizenship and profes-sional roles.

Agricultural Science and TechnologyEducation (Introduction to WorldAgricultural Science and Technology)—Toprepare for a career in the broad field of agricul-ture/agribusiness, the student attains academic skillsand knowledge related to agriculture/agribusiness.

Plant and Animal Production—The studentknows the importance of animals and their influ-ence on society.Agribusiness Management andMarketing—The student defines and examinesagribusiness management and marketing and itsimportance to the local and international economy;the student defines the importance of records andbudgeting in agribusiness.Personal Skill Development inAgriculture—The student demonstrates effectivepersonal leadership skills; the student communi-cates effectively with groups and individuals; thestudent demonstrates the factors of group and indi-vidual efficiency.

Animal Science—The student explains animalanatomy and physiology related to nutrition, repro-duction, health and management of domesticatedanimals; the student determines nutritional require-ments of ruminant and nonruminant animals; thestudent explains animal genetics and reproduction;the student recognizes livestock management tech-niques.Advanced Animal Science—The studentdemonstrates understanding of the interrelation-ships between humans, science and animals in agri-culture and the resources necessary for producingdomesticated animals; the student examines animalanatomy.

Texas 4-H Market Swine Project Guide–Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

Hogs should be walked regularly and trained. Whenthe hog is walking forward tap gently on its backso it associates a tap on the back with walking for-ward.

Produced by Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University SystemExtension publications can be found on the Web at: http://texaserc.tamu.edu

Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or nationalorigin.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, andJune 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Chester P. Fehlis, Deputy Director, Texas Cooperative Extension,The Texas A&M University System.3M, New

Developmental Assets and Life SkillsYouths who participate in this curriculum may develop the followingassets and life skills that contribute to their personal development.

Developmental Asset Targeting Life Skills ModelSearch Institute Iowa State Univer

Extension

Support Nurturing Relationships#1 Family Support#3 Other adult relationships

Positive Values Self Responsibility and Self-esteem#30 Responsibility

Social Competence Social Competence#32 Planning and Decision Making

Positive Identity Goal Setting and Personal Feeling#37 Personal Power#39 Sense of Purpose#40 Positive View of Personal Future

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