The Rural Voice, 1980-11, Page 191
"PIG TALES"
Vir Care of the newborn pig/et
BY CHUCK ROBBINS D.V.M.
Newborn piglets are very susceptible to chilling. While inside
the sow the piglets are in an environment in the range of 101 to
102 degrees F. At farrowing time the piglet enters a world where
temperatures are generally much less. In order to thrive and do
well, the baby piglet requires temperatures of 85 to 90 degrees
for the first week of life. Because of this temperature
requirement, we must provide supplemental heat in the creep
area. Heat lamps have necessarily become commonplace in the
farrowing area. Be sure to use the shield along with the lamp, as
this directs the heat down on the piglets where it is needed.
Insulation in the floor of the creep area helps to retain the heat
and reduces costs. The height of the lamp from the floor should
increase as the piglets grow in order to prevent serious skin
burns.
Heat lamps serve two purposes in the creep area. Besides
helping to prevent chilling of the piglet, heat lamps are very
important in helping to prevent crushing of the piglet by the sow.
A properly placed heat lamp will help draw the piglets away from
the sow and will reduce death loss due to crushing. Certain sows
seem to be much more prone to laying on their piglets. This
should be noted on the sow's record card, and if she loses several
piglets due to crushing more than once, you should consider
culling this sow from your herd. Most farrowing crates are
designed to reduce crushing. A crate that is too wide gives the
sow too much room to move around, and will result in an
increased number of crushed piglets.
In the first few hours of life one should disinfect the navel with
iodine, remove the needle teeth, dock tails and identify the
piglets (i.e by ear notching). It is very important that the piglet
receive colostrum, the sow's first milk, within a few hours after
birth. This colostrum contains antibodies that protect the piglets
from the various diseases present in their environment.
Iron deficiency anemia is a condition that is less common today
due to widespread use of either injectable or oral reduced iron.
The baby piglet is born with little or no reserve of iron in its
body. Unless supplemental iron is provided, entire litters will
rapidly become pale, weak, and unthrifty. In a very short time
the pigs will develop a long hair coat and show signs of
respiratory distress.
By the time the piglet begins to eat creep feed, it can obtain its
own supply of iron from this ration. However, we must supply
the piglet with iron to satisfy its requirements for the first two to
three weeks of life. Many producers now prefer the various
injectable forms of low molecular weight iron, dextran, because
of their ease of administration and availability to the piglet.
HYPOGLYCEMIA
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a serious condition of
newborn piglets that is generally associated with either chilling
or starvation. The most common signs of this condition are
shivering, shaking, and terminal convulsions. Hypoglycemia is
usually seen in the first few days of life and mortality rates often
reach 100 percent. Treatment includes hand feeding of the
piglets if they will not suckle. Various commercial and
homemade formulae are available. However, as with many other
conditions, prevention is the key .
Once a sow has farrowed you should check her udder to be
certain she has sufficient funcitonal nipples to nurse her litter. If
the litter is quite large, consider transferring piglets to other
recently farrowed sows with smaller litters. Oxytocin can be used
to stimulate milk letdown and provide the piglets with more
available milk. A sow with blind teats or otherwise non-
functional nipples should be culled from your herd.
Several diseases may affect the piglets during the nursing
period. Baby pig scours still remains one of the major causes of
death in the young piglet. This topic has been covered in more
detail in a previous article.
GREASY PIG DISEASE
Greasy pig disease is a serious disease of young piglets,
occurring in the five to 35 days of age period. Death losses may
run as high as 25 per cent of affected pigs and several litters may
be involved at any one time. Affected pigs have a brown, crusty
appearance, and feel "greasy" when handled. This condition
starts around the .snout and rapidly spreads over the entire body.'
The cause of this disease is believed to be a bacteria called
Micrococcus hyicus. The infection gains entry via breaks in the
skin. Once infected, piglets transmit the disease by contact with
other piglets. Penicillin remains the treatment of choice, while
various antiseptic dips have also been used with some degree of
success. The goal of prevention is to eliminate injury to the skin.
Such things as proper removal of needle teeth, fly control, and
overall sanitation become very important. Your veterinarian can
help you with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this
disease.
As the article has indicated, there are several management
factors involved in raising pigs from birth to weaning. Your
success in being able to wean large, healthy litters will depend
on your willingness to perform the many preventative
procedures necessary to give the piglets a good start in life.
Proper stabling makes
the difference.
As you know, proper
stabling is an
important factor in
dairy farming. A well
designed system can
provide: better
working conditions,
more efficient feed
conversion, maxi-
mum milk production
and a more sanitary
environment for Locking Headrail
your herd. H. Gerrits makes four types of stalls. They are:
stanchion, single headrail. chain tie and the cow comfort
stall. They come in black, painted or galvanized. Any of
these styles of stalls can be custom made to suit your barn.
Let H. Gerrlts help you get the roost out of your herd.
H. GERRITS BARN
EQUIPMENT LTD.
Manufacturers -- Dealers
Specializing in Complete Hog
and Dairy Equipment
R.R. 5, Clinton 519-482-7296
"Practical confining systems for less"
THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEMBER 1980 PG. 17