Final 3 Flashcards
Expected production performance of nursery pigs
- typically in nursery room/barn for 3 weeks until 10 weeks of age
- target minimum 5kg into nursery and 25kg out of nursery
- feed to gain ratio is about 1.5:1
Nursery pig health affected by?
- stresses of weaning
- declining immunity
- change in GI flora
- dietary change
To control nursery pig health need?
high level of management
- passive immunity is declining so need to minimize pathogens in env.
- provide warm, dry environment
- highly digestible feed- transition from milk based to grain based diet
- special care for pigs not adapting to new environment
Feeding of nursery pigs
feed intake drops at weaning, therefore need to increase room temperature
- highly digestible and palatable feed
- fresh, easily accessed and high nutrient density
Nursery pig water and warmth needs
water
-young pigs prefer bowl type drinkers
-check daily to see if working
keep warm
-nursery rooms (30 degrees C) to begin and then lower as they adjust
-very susceptible to chilling during transition
-clean and dry environment
Anorexia in nursery piglets
-some pigs may refuse to eat but are healthy otherwise
Other conditions in nursery pigs
- ear hematomas
- hernias
- tail biting
- ear necrosis and ear biting
Tail biting
-systemic abscessation and condemnation at slaughter
-noted in late nursery and older
-highly variable between farm and seasonally
-multifactorial triggers( discomfort, boredom, overcrowding, feed and water deprivation, dietary imbalance)
prevention done by
-docking tails
-provide and rotate toys and pen enrichments
-eliminate stresses through good production practices
Two types of hernias
Umbilical and Scrotal
Umbilical hernia
Both genders can suffer Risk factors -Tension on umbilicus at birth -umbilical abscessation Difficult to detect in early nursery Baseball size in early grower Treatment options -Euthanize if large -market hogs early at ~75 kg
Scrotal hernias
Common congenital defect Detected at castration Primarily males and unilateral Enlarge and potentially strangulate SI Treatment options -surgery- remove testicle, replace SI -ship at light weight to BBQ pig market -euthanize
Common infectious nursery pig diseases
greasy pig
streptococcal meningitis
porcine circovirus associated disease
post weaning E.coli diarrhea
Greasy Pig Disease
Etiologic agent: Staphylococcus hyicus(common bacteria on skin of pigs)
-high humidity in the room encourages bacterial growth
General Pathogenesis
-abrasion occurs usually due to fighting
-opportunist S.hyicus enters the body and produces a toxin
Treat with injectable and topical antibiotics
Prevention and control of greasy pig done by
- clipping needle teeth of newborn piglets
- reduce fighting
- don’t mix pigs
- reduce barn humidity
Stretococal Meningitis
Etiologic agent: streptococcus suis
-normal inhabitant of respiratory and genital tract
-lives for a long time in the environment
-neurological disease
Potential zoonotic disease
-entry through skin wounds
Transmission
sow-piglet
-via genital tract during parturition
-via resp. and alimentary routes during lactation
pig-pig
-nurseries and beyond
-onset of disease typically 5-10 weeks of age
Clinical signs
-early= head tilt, circling and trembling
-pig lying on side
-paddling
-ataxia
-convulsions
