Typical Danish Farrowing pen

Chapter nr 7

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What to do the days before
farrowing?
 Remember vaccination against Clostridium and Rose rash.
 Clean and disinfect the farrowing pen (dry for at least 48 hours
before moving the sow to the farrowing pen).
 Transfer the sow to the farrowing pen at least 1 week before
expected farrowing.
 Reduce feed rate to about 2 FEsv/day (feed units).
 Daily control of udder for mastitis.
 Daily control for stomach problems (eventually ½ liter rape oil
can help.

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The normal farrowing (page 92 )
 Lenght of uterus horns are about 1½ - 2½ meter.
 The umbilical cord is up to 80 centimeter in length.
 The optimal duration time for farrowing is 2½ - 3 hours, but can
vithout problems go up to 5 hours.
 Often problems if duration time for farrowing is longer than 8
hours
 The last placenta are expelled not later than 1 hour after birth of
the last piglet.

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Inspection with farrowing

About 70% of all farrowings happens betwen 11 pm

and 7 am - therefore
- Most farrowings are taking place without
inspection from people.
- Problems often observed to late.
- If you are expecting problems with a
farrowing there should be inspection even
that nigthtime.

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 Risk of Farrowing difficulties
(page 93)
 Farrowing take more than 5 hours
 Oxytocin production decrease.
 The sow is stressed.
 The sow’s energi reserves are used.
 Too much disturbances around the sow.
 Bends in the uterus
 The last borned pig is dry (more than 1 hour after birth)

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How can you prevent farrowing difficulties?
(practical experiences)
 Reduce feeding rate 1-2 days before expected
farrowing to empty the stomach and the intestine
channel as much as possible.
 Extra supply with energi (glucose) just before
expected farrowing.
 Extra supply with oil (rapeoil or soyaoil).
 Extra supply with rooting material (straw).
 Motion to the sow (if possible).
 Eventually laxative (for expelling of faeces).

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Obstetric assistance – only if neccesary
(page 94)
 First let the sow take a walk around in the farrowing unit.

 In case this does not help

 Wash your hands, arms than necesary tools.
 Use long gloves lubricated with uterus mucus.
 Wash carefully the genital opening on the sow.
 Put your arm into the genital opening without using power.
 Grasp head or backend of piglet and carefully pull it out.
 If neccesary – use a birth sling.
 Only people with small hands make obstetric assistance.
 Remember oxytocin is not alloved as ’farrowing aid’.

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Caesarean operation (page 94)
 You can call ’the vet’ and let she/he do it (costly)

or

 You can do it yourself by

 killing the sow with your captive bolt pistol and neckcutting.
 Cut the sow and take out the piglets not later than 1½ - 2 minutes after
shooting.

 afterwards The piglets to be placed together with a colostrum

producing mothersow.

You can ’be lucky’ and save some of the piglets

But caesarean is normally done to late

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MMA – the most common diseases
after farrowing (page 95)

 MastitisMetritisAgalactia

Mastitis : infection in the udder

Metritis : Infection in the
intestinal channel -
Agalactia: Milkproduction to small
or stopped

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How can you reduce the risk for MMA?
(page 95)
 Reduce feed rate 1-2 days before expected farrowing.
 Excercise the sow before farrowing (if possible).
 Mov the sow from gestation unit to farrowing unit not later than
one week before expected farrowing.
 Check the sow’s temperature after farrowing every 12 hours. If
temperature is higher than 39,5 use antibiotics.
 Provide straw to the sow (for eating).
 If constipation use sodium sulphate and linseed daily.
 Clean trough 20 minutes after feeding.
 After farrowing increase feed rate with ¼ - ½ FEsv daily – but
still clean trough 20 minutes after feeding.
 Extra water supply in trough together with dry feeding.

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Observations in connection with
farrowing – summary (page 96)
Before Farrowing
 Are the teats taut (starting 12-24 hours before
farrowing)?
 Does the birth channel start to open it starting 2-4
days before farrowing?
Does the sow loose appetite (MMA??)
 Does it drip from the vaginalopening (could be due
to infections or dead piglets)?
Don’t press milk of the teats before farrowing.

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Observations in connection with
farrowing – summary (page 96)
 During farowing
Note the time of the arrival of the first piglet. -
Do the piglets arrive at regular intervals.
 Observe if the farrowing stops -
Observe eventually the sow’s for fever. Remember
normal temperature when farrowing is about 39,8
degree C.
 Give the sow as much peace and quite when
farrowing.
 Control that all piglets obtain colostrum.
 If necessary, place newborn piglets in the creep area to be
warmed up.

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Observations in connection with
farrowing – summary (page 96)
 After farrowing
Get the sow up to drink after farrowing. -
If neceessary, supply with oxytocin to promote for
laying down milk.
- Remove the placenta when farrowing is finished.
- Observe the sow for MMA
- Control all piglets for congenital sufferings.
- Umbilical cord to be cut down to 3-5 centimeter.
- Control all piglets can find the heating lamp.

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After farrowing

 What should be registrated after farrowing

Number of life-born pigles.
Number of weak/small-born piglets.
Number of still-born piglets.
Quality of farrowing.
Treatments in connection with farrowing.

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Nursing period (page 96 - 99)
 Day one
- Make sure all piglets get colostrum and help weak
piglets to suckle.
- Cut down umbicial cord to 3-5 centimeter.
- Control piglets can find the heating lamp.
- Treatments of weak-born piglets (piglets below 800
gram to be killed).
- Necessary help to weak-born piglets.
- Eventually serum against Clostridium (if not vaccinated).
- Eventually glucose injection to weak-born piglets
(5-10 milliteter / 20% solution) -
Spraylegs can be treated with insulating tape round hind
legs. Remove after 2-3 days.

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 Nursing period (page 96 - 104)
 Day two – five
- Continue routines from day one.
- Litter ajustment when piglets has go colostrum and
preferable before the age of 48 hours.

- Supply with 200 milligram of Iron to prevent against

anaemia (only small amount of iron in sowmilk).
- Tooth polishing to prevent damage on sow’s udder.
- Eventually tail docking to prevent tale biting.
- Castration of mail pigs to prevent against boar taint.
- Eventually ear marking of gilts with the sows number -
Adjust feet rate to the sow (2  ≈ 6 FEsv)

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Feeding the sows in the Farrowing Unit
(summary on FEsv)

 7.2. day before farowing : = 4 FEsv/day

 2.1. day before farrowing : = 2 FEsv/day
 Day of Farrowing : = 1-3 FEsv
 2.7. day after farrowing : 3  6 FEsv/day
 8.35. day after farrowing : 7 – 10 FEsv/day

ad libitum feeding = as much as they like

Lactating sows to be feeded at least 3 times/day

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Weaning (page 107 -108)
 It is not alloved to wean piglets before 21 days (in
some cases not before 28 days)
 Piglets below 6 kg should not be weaned but placed
together with a fostersow )
 Don’t remove more than 2-4 of the biggest piglets if
you are using ’flextime weaning’ to avoid early
oestrus.

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Homework
 Assignment for next pig production lesson

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