Transcript Farrowing Management - Tarleton State University

Baby Pig Management
Swine
Care and management of the sow
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signs at farrowing
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nervous and uneasy
enlarged vulva
mucouse discharge
milk letdown
pawing (making a bed)
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Care and management is major influence
on number of pigs weaned
PigCHAMP records – 12.27% preweaning
mortality
Leading causes of preweaning deaths
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Laid on by sow (approx. 50%)
Starvation (approx. 20%)
Over half of deaths occur during first 2-3
days after farrowing
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Two Classes of Piglets at Birth
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Normal
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Up and moving quickly
Nursing within 10-15 minutes
Thrive without much help
Disadvantaged
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Lightweight – less than 2½ to 2¾ pounds
Slow in getting to the udder
Chilled – thermal requirements not met
Weakened during the birth process
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Goals
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3 to 3.5# pig birth weight – best odds for
survival to weaning
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Small pigs have higher “surface area” relative
to their body weight (lose heat rapidly)
< 10% preweaning mortality
Weaning weight
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3-week weaning -- > 12 lbs.
4-week weaning -- > 16 lbs.
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The Newborn Pig
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Has no antibodies against
pathogens
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No transfer of antibodies
prepartum
Colostrum only way of getting
passive immunity
The Newborn Pig
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Has only 1-2% body fat
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little insulation to prevent body heat
loss
Limited ability for gluconeogenesis
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Cannot produce glucose from AA or
glycerol
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The Newborn Pig, cont.
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Glycogen stores lasts for less
than 24 h
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Limited ability to regulate body
temp.
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Needs energy right away
Needs additional heat
Born wet
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looses more body heat
Normal Born Piglets
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Normal pigs will be on their feet
within 1-2 min after being born
Within 2-5 min they will be
suckling
The first born piglets will get most
colostrum
Between meal, piglets will sleep
Normal piglets don’t need much
care
Baby Pigs Shortly After Birth
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First 12 Hours
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Learn to walk, find a teat, learn to nurse
Stay close to the udder
Second Day
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Front teats are preferred
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Greater milk supply
Lower incidence of mastitis
Less chance of being kicked by sow
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Colostrum
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First and highest quality milk – quality declines
over time
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Drops by 50% within 6 hours
Disease-preventing immunity
Most important factor in piglet’s survival and longterm health
First-born piglets “hog” the best colostrum
Assist disadvantaged piglets
Collect colostrum and “tube” disadvantaged
piglets
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Factors Limiting Colostrum Intake
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Cold stress right after birth
Large litters which limit access to teats
Poor nutrition of the sow – fat improves
quality of milk
Cold environment that keeps pigs inactive
and huddled for warmth
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Weak Piglets
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Often born last in litter
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Often have low birth weight
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get less colostrum
difficulty competing for teat
receive less colostrum
Deprived of oxygen
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It takes a dedicated herdsman to
secure survival of weak piglets
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How to help weak piglets
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Help them get started suckling
Stomach feed with colostrum or
milkreplacer (or cow colostrum)
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15-20 ml per feeding
warm to 35oC
Inject glucose intraperitoneal
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15 - 20 ml per injection
warm to 35oC
Avoid Chilling
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Cold pigs can be warmed in
water
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dry them afterwards
Zone heating essential
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32-33oC (heat lamp)
Crossfostering
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Lowest preweaning mortality is in heaviest
birth weight litters with lowest variation
Use crossfostering to even up litters and
match number of pigs with the sow’s ability
to raise them
Management Tips
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Colostrum from their dam before moving
Crossfoster with 24-48 hours to maintain teat
order
Standardize by number and size
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Crossfostering/Standardizing
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Reduce weight variation in litters
Match number of piglets to sows
ability to nurse
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usually 10-12 pigs/sow
All small pigs are placed on the
same sow
Crossfostering, cont.
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Not before 12 h
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All pigs should have had colostrum
from dam
Not after 48 h
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Piglets establish teat identity after
48 h
Later crossfostering increases
spread of diseases
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The more pigs that can stay with
their mother, the better it is.
Nurse sows: Used if average
number of liveborns is higher than
average holding capacity of sows
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Nurse sows, new borns
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Use 2nd. Litter sow - 14 d past
farrowing
Wean her own piglets
Give new 24-48 h old pigs to this
sow
Give Oxytocin before introducing
piglets
Nurse sows, older pigs
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Pigs in a litter that are starving
should be moved to nurse sow
Runt pigs at weaning can be
placed on nurse sow
Same procedure for selecting
nurse sows
Make sure that nurse pigs don’t
compromise overall health status
Bench marking for mortality
On the best farms, pre-weaning
mortality is between 6 an 9 %
Processing of new born piglets
and daily management
Processing Piglets
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Process varies from farm to farm
Clipping needle teeth
Treating umbilical cord
Iron
Tail docking
Identification
Scours prevention/treatment
Castration
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Processing, Day 1/ within 24 hours
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Medication
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IPD 1.5 cc
Number with a majic marker
Take birth weight
Umbilical cord disinfection
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Processing, Day 1
after 24 hours
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Teeth clipping
Tail docking
Tape spray legged pigs
Ear notching
Ear Notching- Swine
Ear Notching- Swine
Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching
Universal Ear Notching System
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Right ear =
litter
Left ear = pig
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Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching
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Swine Reproduction
Ear
Notching
Quiz
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Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching
The right (litter) ear is
equal to 9+3+3+1=16
The left (pig) ear is equal
to 3
This is the 16-3 pig.
Processing, Day 3-5
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Castration
Scours ???
Needle Teeth Clipping
Early Castration
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Less stress, less bleeding, less tissue
damage
One person can perform the operation
alone
Young pigs heal faster and cleaner than
older pigs
May be stressful to weak pigs
Castration may result in infection if pigs are
scouring
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Baby Pig Anemia
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Pig is born with low body stores of Fe
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Sow’s milk is low in Fe content
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Born with 40 mg, uses 7 mg daily
Attempts to increase are not successful
No contact with soil in today’s systems
Rapid growth of baby pig
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Preweaning Growth Rate
% Increase in Birth Weight
1000
Pig
500
Lamb
Calf, colt,
child
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0
Weeks
6
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Symptoms of Anemia
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Poor growth
Listlessness, weak
Rough hair coat
Pale
Labored breathing
Prevention
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Oral iron
Injection – usually 200 mg
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Baby Pig Scours
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Big production headache
Watery feces, wet tails, dehydration
Viruses still cause major problems
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TGE, rotavirus (combination with other pathogens)
E. coli – most common cause of scours
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Affect the intestines, causing diarrhea
Cause significant death loss
Vaccinate sows with strain on the farm
AIAO, sanitation
Various treatment regimens
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Daily Management
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Get all piglets up and running
around
Look for diarrhea
Look for pigs that are limping
Look for pigs that are starving
Look for pigs that stay under
the heat lamp
Daily Management, cont.
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Treat sick pigs immediately
Use effective antibiotics
Grow strains to check efficiency
Move pigs that are starving to
nurse sow
Keep pen clean
Common diseases in nursery pigs
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Diarrhea
Joint problems
Strep Suis
Undernurished
Keep track of mortality
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Record number of pigs dead in
each litter
On a weekly basis, record number
of pigs dead in farrowing room
Record reasons why each piglet
died
Make decisions on how to improve
management
Managing the Weaning
Weight
Improving the weaning weights
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Pigs with high weaning
weights
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are easier to wean
grow faster after weaning
are less likely to get sick
requires less expensive feed
Objectives for weaning weights
Age
15 d
18 d
21 d
25 d
28 d
Kg
4.8
5.4
6.0
6.8
7.5
Lbs
????
Ways to improve weaning
weights
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Improve milk yield of sow
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add fat to lactation diet
feed tree times a day
liquid feed the sow if possible
cull sows with low milk yield
avoid fat sows in farrowing barn
Wet feed with water
Ways to improve weaning
weights, cont.
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Crossfoster and manage according
to protocol
Reduce disease pressure as much
as possible
Assist weak and small piglets if
needed
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Milk replacer to small pigs
Creep Feeding
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Sow’s milk usually declines at 12-16
days
Start at 10 – 12 days
Use palatable feed – flavoring agents
Make water available
Feed on mat or in shallow pan and
keep fresh
Some debate on value if pigs are
weaned at < 21 days
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Creep Feeding
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Use phase 1 pre-starter diet
Start around day 8 or 10 ???
Feed in little trough under heat
lamp
Feed 2 times a day
Keep clean all time
Helps piglets get used to dry
feed
Water
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Always have fresh and clean
water available for piglets
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From water cup
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let run at all times
Split Weaning
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Wean 1 or 2 biggest pigs after
14 d
Give more room and milk for
remaining pigs in litter
Can improve litter weaning
weights.
Records
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Farrowing date
Total number, NBA
Pedigree information, teat count
Number weaned
Birth weight, weaning weight
Medications given
Observation notes
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Sow’s disposition
Possible replacement females
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