Topic 6: Piglets Flashcards
Causes of neonatal mortaility are
Stillbirths: 38% during parturition the piglet dies
Crushing (get a farrow crate)
Starvation
Killed (thumping!)
Naval Bleeding
Hernia
Iron Toxicosis
Unknown
How many deaths of neonates are preventable?
2/3 or 65% (Top 3 are preventable-stilbirths, starvation, crushing)
What percent of deaths occur in 3 days
50%
Normal vs. Disadvantaged Birth
Normal=born quick, on feet <2 mins, suckling <15 min
Disadvantaged: weak, <2.75 lbs, splayleg common
Why manage piglets?
There is a strong relationship between weight and survival
Colostrum
Rich in antibodies
Targets antigens because the piglets immune system isn’t functional right away
1st 12 hours of life
What animal would you use as an alternative to sow colostrum?
Cows
After one day they should consume sow milk
How should we keep their environment
Clean and dry!
Sanitize before sow goes in and during birth
Good ventilation needed
all in/all out mgmt
start with clean sows-give a bath
use drying agents on pens and floors
Describe ventilation
Needs to be really warm so moisture could build up
Air moves from inlet to outlet and not too slow
> 6 changes/ hr
Ceilings are low so vent fans are at top go in one direction
Too slow of fan air will drop down and air from bottom will suck up and out
What is a common drying agent for the floor and why do we use it
Potato starch
Cheap and effective and not dusty
Microbes like water and dust; using PS will keep things dry and reduce dust
Temperature: Describe the 2 climates
Sows: Like it cold because they are fat: 60-65 F
Piglets: Like it hot because they are tiny: 85-95 F for first few days and then after keep it warm at 70-80. Drop in temp one degree/day
How do we keep the piglets warm but sows cool?
Heat lamp behind sow before/at farrowing
Heat lamps/heat pads
Zone heating
What goes on at daily observations?
At least 2x/day we check on them
observe behavior and BCS
<1% body fat at birth and 10% by day 10
Eat, sleep, be active
What happens in piglet processing?
Teeth clipping (UF Only)
Umbilical cord tx
tail dock
ID them
iron is given
Castrate the boars –makes them a barrow
Teeth clipping:
how many needle/wolf teeth?
how much do we remove?
why?
what do we use to do it?
-8 needle teeth
1/2 the tooth is removed
to reduce chance of cutting each other and sow’s udder
use side cut pliers
meaningless because they fall out soon enough on their own UF only does it for the experience
Umbilical cord TX
Why?
What is it treated with (chemical)?
How much is cut?
-Could act as pathogen vehicle
-Iodine
-Cut enough but leave 1-2 inches
Tail docking
Why do we do it?
How much and why?
What do we use? What do we not want to use to do it?
-Tails could initiate tail biting and cannibalism
-Dock at 1 inch from origin site: if we dock too close anal prolapse could occur
-We use side cut pliers, knives and scalpels should never be used
Identification System
What is done now, what is done later?
Ear notch or tattoo
Later after they are bought and are big enough they get tags
Iron Administration
Why? (3 reasons)
What did it used to be obtained in?
When does anemia become prevalent?
What is the dose?
1) prevents anemia
2) there is low iron in piglets when born
3) low iron in milk
-Soil (pigs don’t eat a lot of dirt anymore)
-Anemia is onset in 7-10 days
200mg IM in neck (1 injection or 2, second at weaning)
Why do we want to inject iron in the neck, IM?
More bony product that many people dont want to buy, it is less valuable than the ham, iron will stain so people will want to avoid it more
Castration
Why?
Method used? what could be used?
when do we do it?
Boar meat has odor during cooking called boar taint
Physical is used, could be chemical, but most common is physical
4-10 days after birth
What hormones cause boar taint?
Skatole, androstenone, indole
Piglet Euthanasia
Why?
Ethics?
How?
There is no place for pain and suffering in a weak piglet, especially when we know it won’t survive later. Better to end suffering early on. Animals deserve our respect
Carbon dioxide in a box or Thumping (blunt force trauma)
More economical to end a pig’s life now than trying to pay for them to stay alive later
Scours
Diarrhea
-weakens Immune system
-secondary infections can occur
Rotaviral scours
Piglets 2 weeks or older
White/yellow liquid feces that thickens later
Enteric Colibacilliosis Scours
Piglets less than a week
Pale yellow watery feces
E. coli is in Small intestines
Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) Scours
piglets 10-20 days old
Watery feces that turn yellow and thicken
vomiting
Coccidiosis scours
Piglets 7-10 days
yellow and light gray feces
coccidia parasite lives in intestinal lining
transferred via feces
Treatment for scours
Antibiotics
Nutrition
Warmth
Sanitation
Ventilation
Clostridial Infections
Type and where it is found
WHy
what is the sign of it and age
Clostridium perfingens move from LI to SI
Piglet didn’t get enough colostrum
Foul smelling diarrhea less than 7 days old
Greasy pig disease (exudative dermatitis)
Bacteria?
Sign?
What does it do internally?
How many days do scales develop after infection?
-Staphylococcus Hyicus
Infects skin of piglet
Damages liver and kidneys
Brown scales develop on skin 4-35 days later
When do we wean?
21 days
Only wean if 12lbs or more!
Split-wean litter mgmt if possible
