4 – Farrowing Flashcards

1
Q

Why house farrowing sows in crates?

A
  • Enables INDIVIDUAL sow feeding
  • Reduce preweaning mortality
  • Allows for micro-environment for piglets
  • Does NOT accommodate nesting behaviour
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Micro-environment for piglets

A
  • Room: 18-19 degrees C
  • Piglet creep: 25 degree C at farrowing
    o Gradually reduced
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Farrowing crate requirements

A
  • Need enough room to move around
  • Can’t touch both sides of crate
  • Can’t be in them more than 6 weeks in any one reproductive period
  • Piglets must have a space to retreat
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Standard disease control measures: MINIMUM

A
  • SANITATION: wash(disinfectants can’t penetrate), disinfect, dry rooms prior to entry
  • Rooms generally ALL-IN-ALL OUT
  • Continuous flow (CF) is less common
  • *prophylactic meds to all piglets at birth or during lactation is DISCOURAGED (depends on barn)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Continuous flow is less common and seen mainly in

A
  • Backyard or hobby farms
  • ‘overflow’ rooms
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Pre-farrowing procedures

A
  • *cortisol surge triggers farrowing
  • Transfer sows to farrowing room at gestation d110-112
  • Reduce FEED intake when farrowing is imminent
  • SCRAPE manure behind sows daily
  • Raise room temperature to 21-23 degree C for farrowing
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Vaccinate dam

A
  • Protection of post-natal litter
  • Enhance colostrum quality and passive immunity
  • Lactational IgA and IgG (re-secreted)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Peri-parturient cortisol surge

A
  • Natural rise in fetal cortisol required for FARROWING INDUCTION and MATURATION of fetal tissue
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Effects of cortisol on fetus

A
  • Liver: glycogen deposition
  • GIT: antibody absorption
  • Lung: surfactant production
  • Maturation of skeletal muscle
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Advantages of farrowing induction

A
  • Staff presence at farrowing to facilitate CROSS FOSTERING and NEONATAL CARE
  • Reduce STILL BIRTH piglets
  • Induce STRAGGLER SOWS over 116d gestation (maintain AIAO farrowing groups)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Disadvantages of farrowing induction

A
  • Risk of premature delivery
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Products used for farrowing induction

A
  • Natural or synthetic prostaglandin F2-alpha
    o Lutalyse
    o Plante
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Routes of administration for farrowing induction

A
  1. IM neck (label claim)
  2. Vulvomucosal
  3. Lateral vulvar
  4. Peri-anal
  5. Abdominal oblique
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Dosing schedule of farrowing induction

A
  • Two ½ dose injections 6 hrs apart (8am, 2pm) to farrow following morning
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Signs of impending parturition

A
  • Secrete MILK
  • NESTING behaviour, restlessness
  • Reduced FEED INTAKE
  • Raised rectal temp
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Parturition ‘timing’ (length and when piglets are expelled)

A
  • 4.5 hrs (+/- 2.5 hrs)
  • Piglets expelled every 25 mins
  • Placenta (2 horns) generally expelled after last piglet
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Fetal placenta

A
  • No exchange!
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Stillbirth piglets (stillborns)

A
  • Full term fetuses that are live until term, but die of hypoxia during a PROLONGED farrowing
  • *6-8% of total born
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Risk factors for stillborns

A
  • Higher PARITY
  • OVER-CONDITIONED (fat)
  • Season (summer, HEAT)
  • Higher BRITH ORDER (farrowing fatigue)
    o More piglets=harder
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Diagnosis of stillborn piglets

A
  • Float lungs to differentiate between stillbirth from postnatal death
  • *if float=postnatal death
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Fetal mummification (mummies)

A
  • Fetuses that die prior to term, but AFTER skeletal calcification begins (~gestation day 30)
  • INSPISSATED REMAINS of fetal tissues
  • Age determined by CROWN-RUMP LENGTH
  • *1-2% of total born
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Many causes of fetal mummification

A
  • Infectious (ex. PPV, PRRSV)
  • Non-infectious (ex. parity, litter size)
  • *size matters=may provide clues to etiology
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Factors affecting litter size (varies by farm)

A
  • Parity
  • Genetics (sow, boar)
  • Breeding management
  • Previous lactation (feeding, length)
  • *Previous wean-service period (nutrition)
    o Do NOT want to miss their first estrus
  • Disease: embryonic/fetal death losses
24
Q

Factors affecting birth weight

A
  • Placentation and intrauterine spacing
  • Genetics and imprinted gene expression
  • Litter size
  • Gestational feeding (>gestation day 100)
  • *abundant variation WITHIN and BETWEEN litters
25
Q

Typically birth weight of piglet and total born and live born

A
  • 1.2-1.4 kg/pig
  • Total born: >14
  • Live born: >12
26
Q

Establishment of lactation

A
  • SUCKLING ORDER established within 24hrs of farrowing
  • FRONT & MIDDLE MAMMARY GLANDS are preferential
    o Hind glands=lower milk production
27
Q

Mammary involution is reversible after:

A
  • 1 day, but NOT after 3 days of not suckling
  • *CANNOT add piglets to establish litters
28
Q

Key management practices to encourage healthy piglets

A
  • Encourage colostrum consumption
  • Provide warmth (creeps)
  • Reducing competition (cross fostering)
  • Control infective diseases with proper hygiene
29
Q

Colostrum consumption (24-48hrs)

A
  • NO transplacental IgG transfer (diffuse epitheliochorial placentation)
  • Colostrum contains IgG (primarily) and some maternal LEUKOCYTES
  • Primary protection for first 4-6 weeks
  • *passive immunity level is variable, but proportional to colostrum intake of IgG concentration
  • Failure of transfer if below 10 Ig/L
30
Q

Key risk factors for failure of passive immunity transfer (FPT)

A
  • Gilt litters
  • Large litters
  • Small birth weight
  • Late birth order
  • Hind teat
  • Chilling
31
Q

How can we enhance colostrum consumption?

A
  • Split suckle
  • Hand feed (collect, supplement at risk piglets: frozen, fresh)
  • Commercial bovine colostrum substitutes (HeadStart)
32
Q

Piglet thermoregulation

A
  • Piglets lack BROWN FAT reserves
  • Rely on SHIVERING for homeothermy
  • LIGHT BIRTH WEIGHT piglets are at higher RISK! (large surface area: mass)
33
Q

How can we prevent chilling?

A
  • Increase farrowing room temp for 2-3 days after farrowing
  • Dry piglets at birth (astringents)
  • Provide supplementary heat
    o Heat lamp, heat pad, mat, creep box
34
Q

Piglet processing procedures

A
  • ID: by litter/pig
  • Cross fostering
  • Wolf teeth clipping
  • Iron administration: analgesics (NSAIDS + anesthetics)
  • Tail docking: analgesics
  • Castration (males): analgesics
35
Q

Piglet ID

A
  • Mainly performed in genetic supply herds: nucleus and multiplication
  • Individual or litter ID
  • At birth, PRIOR to cross fostering
36
Q

Methods of piglet ID

A
  • Ear tattoo
  • Ear tags
  • Ear notches (less common)
    o Only when necessary and need to be less than 14d old
37
Q

Wolf/needle teeth clipping

A
  • Deciduous: razor sharp
  • Optional procedure
  • Use sharp side cutters
  • Either tip only or to gums
  • *discontinued in many farms
38
Q

When teeth clipping is not performed, may get

A
  • Skin abrasions and localized dermatitis from excessive fighting for teat order
  • *clip teeth in affected litters or aggressive pigs
  • May need topical or parenteral treatment if life threatening injury (rare)
39
Q

Cross fostering

A
  • Transfer of piglets among litters to match sow/litter with the compromised piglets’ need
  • Sort litters for size and number at birth to 24h of age to reduce competition
  • Match litter size with maternal milking ability
  • *discourage fostering after week 1 but may require regrouping runt piglets or starve-out piglets
  • Disadvantage: if piglet from gilt litter=not proper colostrum and disease may spread
40
Q

Iron administration: required for every pig

A
  • Sow’s milk deficient in iron
  • Piglets born with LIMITED iron reserves
  • No access to iron in soil (cause INSIDE)
  • Rapid growth rate of piglets
  • Deficiency: clinical anemia
41
Q

Product choices for iron administration

A
  • Dextran
  • Gleptoferrin
42
Q

Dose and needle size for iron administration

A
  • 200mg/piglet before day 4 (day 2 if we can!)
  • 20G x 0.5” needle
43
Q

Tail docking

A
  • Reduces tail chewing in nursery and grow-finish pigs
  • Side cutters or butane powered cauterizer used
  • Generally performed before 3 days of age
  • Need analgesics
  • EU moving towards ban on all tail docking
  • *controversial
44
Q

GI composition and tail biting

A
  • Association between the 2 (gut-brain axis)
  • Don’t understand enough yet to implement it
45
Q

Docked tail length

A
  • 2-3 cm
46
Q

Tail docking vs. undocked

A
  • Shown that undocked tail pigs do fine
    o Sometimes better as not stressed
47
Q

Piglet castration is necessary to control

A
  • ‘boar taint’
    o Adverse taste detectable by some people after cooking boar meat
    o Taint associated with male hormones: skatole, indole, androsterone
48
Q

Non-surgical alternative of piglet castration

A
  • Improvest (zoetis) anti-GnRH vaccine
    o Certified farms only
    o 2 administrations
    o Used by some production systems affiliated with a processor
  • *no significant difference in performance
49
Q

Impediments of improvest anti-GnRH vaccine

A
  • Processor acceptance
  • International trade
  • Differentiation from intact males and ridglings
50
Q

Pre-weaning mortality (PWMT)

A
  • Between BIRTH AND WEANING
  • 10-12% is common
  • Increases with increasing litter SIZE and decreasing birth WEIGHT
51
Q

Target % for PWMT

A
  • ~10% of born alive
    o 70% in first 3d of life
    o 50% (of the 10%) related to trauma by sow (crush, step on)=poor energy piglets
52
Q

Common causes of PWMT: non-infective

A
  • Trauma: 50%
  • Starvation: 10%
  • Low viability: 10%
  • Chilling: 10%
  • Savaging: usually with gilts: few
  • Spraddle legs (splay) legs: few
53
Q

Common causes of PWMT: infective

A
  • Arthritis, lameness: 10%
  • Scour, diarrhea: 10%
54
Q

Target weaning weight

A
  • 6-8kg/pig
55
Q

Target, adjusted 21d litter weaning weight

A
  • 65-70kg
56
Q

Target of preweaning mortality

A
  • <12%
57
Q

Target wean to service interval

A
  • 4-6 days