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Baby Pig Management

Swine
Care and management of the sow

signs at farrowing

nervous and uneasy


enlarged vulva
mucouse discharge
milk letdown
pawing (making a bed)

Care and management is major influence on


number of pigs weaned
PigCHAMP records 12.27% preweaning
mortality
Leading causes of preweaning deaths

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

Normal

Up and moving quickly


Nursing within 10-15 minutes
Thrive without much help

Disadvantaged

Lightweight less than 2 to 2 pounds


Slow in getting to the udder
Chilled thermal requirements not met
Weakened during the birth process
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Goals

3 to 3.5# pig birth weight best odds for


survival to weaning

Small pigs have higher surface area relative


to their body weight (lose heat rapidly)

< 10% preweaning mortality


Weaning weight

3-week weaning -- > 12 lbs.


4-week weaning -- > 16 lbs.
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The Newborn Pig

Has no antibodies against


pathogens

No transfer of antibodies
prepartum
Colostrum only way of
getting passive immunity

The Newborn Pig

Has only 1-2% body fat

little insulation to prevent body


heat loss

Limited ability for


gluconeogenesis

Cannot produce glucose from AA


or glycerol

The Newborn Pig,


cont.

Glycogen stores lasts for less


than 24 h

Limited ability to regulate


body temp.

Needs energy right away

Needs additional heat

Born wet

looses more body heat

Normal Born Piglets

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 dont need much
care

Baby Pigs Shortly After Birth

First 12 Hours

Learn to walk, find a teat, learn to nurse


Stay close to the udder

Second Day

Front teats are preferred

Greater milk supply


Lower incidence of mastitis
Less chance of being kicked by sow
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Colostrum

First and highest quality milk quality declines


over time

Drops by 50% within 6 hours

Disease-preventing immunity
Most important factor in piglets 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

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

Often born last in litter

Often have low birth weight

get less colostrum


difficulty competing for teat
receive less colostrum

Deprived of oxygen

It takes a dedicated herdsman


to secure survival of weak
piglets

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How to help weak


piglets

Help them get started suckling


Stomach feed with colostrum or
milkreplacer (or cow colostrum)

15-20 ml per feeding


warm to 35oC

Inject glucose intraperitoneal

15 - 20 ml per injection
warm to 35oC

Avoid Chilling

Cold pigs can be warmed in


water

dry them afterwards

Zone heating essential

32-33oC (heat lamp)

Crossfostering

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 sows ability
to raise them
Management Tips

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/Standa
rdizing

Reduce weight variation in


litters
Match number of piglets to
sows ability to nurse

usually 10-12 pigs/sow

All small pigs are placed on the


same sow

Crossfostering, cont.

Not before 12 h

All pigs should have had


colostrum from dam

Not after 48 h

Piglets establish teat identity


after 48 h
Later crossfostering increases
spread of diseases

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

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

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 dont
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

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

Medication

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

Teeth clipping
Tail docking
Tape spray legged
pigs
Ear notching

Ear Notching- Swine

Ear NotchingSwine

Swine Reproduction

Ear
Notching

Universal Ear Notching System

Right ear =
litter
Left ear = pig

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Swine Reproduction

Ear
Notching

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Swine Reproduction

Ear
Notching
Quiz

Swine Reproduction

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

Castration
Scours ???

Needle Teeth Clipping

Early Castration

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

Pig is born with low body stores of Fe

Sows milk is low in Fe content

Born with 40 mg, uses 7 mg daily


Attempts to increase are not successful

No contact with soil in todays systems


Rapid growth of baby pig

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Preweaning Growth Rate

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Symptoms of Anemia

Poor growth
Listlessness, weak
Rough hair coat
Pale
Labored breathing
Prevention

Oral iron
Injection usually 200 mg
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Baby Pig Scours

Big production headache


Watery feces, wet tails, dehydration
Viruses still cause major problems

TGE, rotavirus (combination with other pathogens)

E. coli most common cause of scours

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

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.
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

Diarrhea
Joint problems
Strep Suis
Undernurished

Keep track of
mortality

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

Pigs with high weaning


weights

are easier to wean


grow faster after weaning
are less likely to get sick
requires less expensive feed

Objectives for weaning


weights

Ways to improve
weaning weights

Improve milk yield of sow

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.

Crossfoster and manage


according to protocol
Reduce disease pressure as
much as possible
Assist weak and small piglets
if needed

Milk replacer to small pigs

Creep Feeding

Sows milk usually declines at 1216 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

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

Always have fresh and


clean water available for
piglets

From water cup

let run at all times

Split Weaning

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

Farrowing date
Total number, NBA
Pedigree information, teat count
Number weaned
Birth weight, weaning weight
Medications given
Observation notes

Sows disposition
Possible replacement females
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