Effective Care and Management Strategies for Pregnant Sows

School

Nueva Vizcaya State University in Bayombong**We aren't endorsed by this school

Course

AGRICULTUR 14252627

Subject

Nursing

Date

Dec 11, 2024

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Swine Production1CARE & MANAGEMENT OF SOWS & GILTSSound breeding management management alone is not sufficient to ensure large litter ofhealthy piglets. It is also important to provide the pregnant sow the best of feeding andmanagement.A. Breed Choice The crossbred female is preferred for commercial production. They have the addedadvantage of hybrid vigor/heterosis.B. Source of the Breeding Stock a. Select replacement females from within your herd. The animal’s history, how it was raisedand tested under your farm environment and management is known.b.Buying replacement gilts from outside source is the second option. Select only from reliablesources or reputable breeder farms. The replacement gilts should come with a breedingcertificate informing the buyer of the health condition (blood test, deworming andvaccination program) as well as the genetic makeup of the animal.C. Pre-Service Management of Replacement GiltFlushing. Increasing the feed intake of gilts by 0.5 kg to 1.0 kg for 10 to 14 days beforeservice should increase the number the number of eggs ovulated if they were limit fed at 2kgper day.A better practice is to self-feed the gilts with a 14% protein gestation ration throughout the pre-service period.D. Care of the Pregnant Sow1.Bath or sprinkle water to pregnant sows when the weather is hot.2.When transferring pregnant animals to other pens, the transfer should be done 7 daysbefore the sows are due to farrow.3.The pregnant sows should be handled gently when moving them to avoid abortion.4.The farrowing pens must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.5.Thoroughly wash and clean pregnant sow before transferring them to the farrowing pens.6.Deworm pregnant sows 14 days before farrowing with broad-spectrum anthelmintic at therecommended dosage.E. Signs of Approaching Farrowing1.Nest making, nudging of walls, hurdles and flooring, biting of hurdles and guard rails.4

Swine Production22.Sow always on a “sitting dog” position3.Distention and enlargement of the udder4.Enlarged and swollen vulva5.Mucus discharge with meconium (first manure of piglets)6.Milk let down. If milk is present in the teats, the sow is expected to farrow within 24 hours.7.Signs of labor.F. Stages of Labor Stage 1 – Dilation of the CervixStage 2 – Expulsion of the FetusStage 3 – Expulsion of the PlacentaKeep the sow under observation until the second placenta has come out indicating that thelast pig has been expelled. Do not allow the sow to eat the placenta because such practicetends to pig eating vice.G. Feeding Pregnant SowsDry sows are non-lactating and not pregnant sows. Dry period is the time intervalbetween weaning and the next service (mating) period. Pregnant sows or gilts should be fedwith a brood sow containing 14% crude protein (CP); 3300 kcal of digestible energy (DE);0.75% of available phosphorus. The growth of the developing pig embryo increasestremendously during the final third month of pregnancy when the bulk of nutrients is stored.Average weight of pig embryoStage of PregnancyWeight of Embryo (gram)30thday4060thday10090thday400115thday140To avoid constipation and other related complications at farrowing, provide the pregnant sowwith a bulky laxative ration 3-7 days before she is due to farrow. This can be done byproviding plenty of drinking water and roughages such as sweet potato vine & leaves,kangkong, etc.Food may not be given 12 hours before or after farrowing, instead give a sugar solution.H. Feeding Lactating SowsThis covers the time of farrowing until weaning. Under normal conditions, the lactating swineis allowed ad libitum access to feed for optimum milk production. Mature sows raising largelitters will consume 5-10 kg of brood sow ration with 15% CP. It is estimated that a sow willrequire 2.0 kg of feed for body maintenance plus 0.3 kg per piglet in the litter for one day. Thus,

Swine Production3a sow with 10 nursing piglets should be receiving a total of 5.0- 5.5 kg of feed per day foroptimum lactation performance.Suggested feeding scheme for pregnant sowsStage in PregnancyFeed per dayRemarksDay of service – 21 dayslater2.0Not more than 2 kg eve ifthe animal is thin to avoidembryonic death22 days – 84 days2.01 month before farrowing2.5 – 3.0 (thin sows)1.5 (fat sows) + 0.5 – 1.0roughageYou may use roughage tosatisfy its appetiteRoughage will increasercapacity to eat a lot of feedwhich is advantageous laterin the lactation period85 -110 days(up to 3 days beforefarrowing)2.5 (+ 0.5-1.0)Extra amount of feed fordeveloping pigletsRoughage can still be given111 – 113 days2.0Feed less to preventconstipation thus makingfarrowing easier for the sowDay of farrowing0(handful of feed; adlibitum water)The sow has usually noappetiteDigestion comes to a nearstand still during farrowing

Swine Production4H. Health CareIn anticipation to the stress of farrowing, an antibiotic supplement may be given with thedrinking water or with feed 3-10 days before the expected farrowing date and 5-10 daysthereafter.Suggested health and vaccination program for pregnant sowsActivityWhenDeworming7-14 days before expected date of farrowingMange treatment14 and 7 days before breedingIf one is using ivermectin or doramectin as dewormer,there is no need to do mange treatment using ivermectinordoramectinoranotherdrugbecauseivermectin/doramectin is both for internal or externalparasites.Always wash or scrub the animal before application oftopical anti-mange drugs.Washing,scrubbingandspraying with disinfectantJust before the expected date of farrowing and beforetransfer to the farrowing penIn-feed medication3-10 days before farrowingPseudorabies3 weeks before farrowingE.coliBacterin2 weeks before farrowing

Swine Production5PIGLET CARE & MANAGEMENT A.Care and Management of Piglets from Birth to Weaning1.Removal of the mucous membrane.2.Tie and cut the umbilicus about 1-2 inches from the base with a sterile thread. Dip theumbilical stump in a strong antiseptic (7%) to prevent infection. Failure to disinfect thecord at birth may lead to “navel ill” which can cause lameness or death of the animals.3.Teeth clipping. Teeth are clipped immediately after birth to prevent damage to the udderof the sow and also to avoid fighting wounds among piglets. This is done by cutting thesharp points of the teeth (4 upper & 4 lower teeth).4.Tail docking. tails are cut or docked to minimize tail biting problems. Use side cutter orelectric tail dockers. Dock tails very soon after birth to recover more quickly. Do not usethe same cutter for both teeth clipping and tail docking to prevent cross contamination.5.Brooding. Put the pigs in a pig box (brooder) until the last pig has been born. The idealbrooder temperature for piglets is from 30oC to 32oC. The brooder must be lighted andwarmed by an electric bulb (100-250 watts) suspended 30-40 cm above the bedding.6.Ear notching. should be done immediately after birth. It is done to identify animals. Leftear, represents the birth month and individual pig number within a litter. Right ear,represents the litter number.7.Colostrum. Soon as the last piglet is ready for nursing, put the pigs altogether to the sowso that they can suck colostrum. The first milk of the dam provides immunity to the pigsagainst diseases during early life.8.Fostering. If sows do not produce enough milk or have given to a large litter, it is wise totransfer the whole litter or few of the piglets to a foster sow. 5

Swine Production69.Iron supplementation. Baby pigs in close confinement should be injected with Irondextran on the 3rdday from birth to prevent anemia.Needed per day=7 mgFe from milk=1 – 2 mgShortage=5 – 6 mg x 30 days150 -180 mg neededIron concentration of purchased productDose100 mg/ml2 ml200 mg/ml1 mlSigns of Iron (Fe) Deficiency Anemiaa)Loss of appetiteb)Slow growthc)Poor hair and skin conditiond)Emaciation (severe weight loss)e)Palenessf)Restlessnessg)Thumping (difficulty in breathing)10.Castration. Castrate male pigs not intended for breeding, one to two (1-2) weeks is thebest time when the animal is not too big and still have a good level of antibiotics from thesow. Ten (10) days is the optimum time.Advantages:Reduces if not totally eliminate the boar taint odorAvoid accidental breedingCastrates are easier to handle, they are more docile.Disadvantages:Castrates grow slower than boarsAnimal suffer from stress and slower growth rate just after castration.Boars have better slaughter quality (higher percentage of first class carcass)B. Feeding Suckling Pigs.During the first 3 weeks, the sow’s milk normally provides for the nutrient requirement ofthe nursing pigs. Thereafter, the increasing nutrient demands of the rapidly growing pigletsshould be met by providing creep feed to supplement the declining milk yield of the dam. CCreep feed containing 22% CP can be supplied at 7-14 days old so that pigs consumesufficient concentrated solid feed prior to weaning. Creep feeding can be done as early as 7days. Clean water should always be available at all times.

Swine Production7C. Feeding Weaned Pigs.From weaning (16 kg) until the pigs weigh 25 kg, the pigs are fed starter rationcontaining 18% CP (first week of weaning). When the pigs reach 25-30 kg, they are fed agrower ration with 16% CP. The shift from one ration to another should be done gradually toavoid digestive disorders. From weaning until they attain 60 kg, pigs may be put on an adlibitum or near full fed capacity to produce lean-type hogs.D.Feeding Growing- Finishing Pigs At a body weight of 60 kg, the pigs are given a finisher ration containing 14% CP toattain 90 kg and above weight, on restricted feeding to prevent excess fat growth. The tendencyfor finishing pigs to become overfat may also be controlled by increasing the bulk of the rationwith the use of fibrous feed such as rice bran and wheat bran.E.Types of Swine RationsComplete ready-mixed feeds for pigs at various stages of the life cycle are available in the market under different trade names. A guide for feeding pigs at various stages of their life cycleType ofrationFeedingperiod(weeks)Weight (kg)% CPMEKcal/kgDaily Feedintake (kg)StartEndPre-starter40.652233600.3- 0.6Starter4-85101833600.6- 1.5Grower8-1210601631701.5- 2.5Finisher460901431702.5- 3.5Breeder-60-1431702.0- 4.0Brood Sow(Lactating)4-6--1531704.0- 5.5Source: The Philippine Recommend for Pork Production1) Creep feed/ Pre-starter ration.This is a highly palatable and nutritious feed containing about22% CPand 3500 Kcal DE and 3600 Kcal ME, per kilogram of feed. First solid givento piglets.2) Starter ration. Given to pigs from weaning until the pigs weigh at least 20 kg or at about 2-3 months of age. This ration contains 18% CP and 3500 Kcal of DE/kg of ration.

Swine Production83) Grower ration. This ration contains 16% CP and 3300 Kcal DE/kg and given to pigs weighingabout 20 kg to 60 kg live weight or up to 5.5 – 6 months of age.4) Fattener/ Finisher ration. This ration contains 13-14% CP and 3,300 Kcal DE/kg and is fed topigs weighing 60 kg until the desired market weight is reached.5) Brood Sow/ Breeder ration. This ration is formulated for the breeding herd. It contains 14%CP and 3,300 Kcal DE/kg and is given to dry, pregnant, lactating and to herd boars.F. Feeding System/ Method1)Ad libitum feeding. Giving of feeds without restriction and always available at any time. Dryfeed should always be used for this system.AdvantagesDisadvantagesHigher ADGLesser feed competitionLess laborThicker backfatHigher feed conversion ration – highercost of feedLess control on feed intake2) Restricted Feeding. Controlling the amount of food given to the animals to a certain amounttwice or more than a day.AdvantagesDisadvantagesLower feed conversionration – lower cost offeedGood carcass qualityBetter health controlLower ADGUnequal growthMore laborious3)Wet vs. Dry Feeding. Wet feeding means mixing the dry feed with water, 2 – 3 times thedry feed weight (1:2-3). Water should only be added to the feed just before feeding.Wet feedingDry FeedingReduces feed wastageIncreases digestibilityHigher feed intakeLaboriousSpoilageAttract more fliesHigher amount of feed wastageLower digestibilityLower feed intakeLess laborLess spoilageNeeds separate feeding trough & waterer

Swine Production9SWINE HEALTH PROBLEMS & CAREA. Swine Herd Health ProgramObserve the following precautions to keep diseases out of the pig unit:1)Buy healthy breeding stocks from reliable sources where animals are immunized againstcommon diseases.2)Quarantine or isolate newly purchased stocks for no less than thirty (30) days. Duringisolation provide medicated drinking water to overcome stress arising from shipment andchange of environment.3)Practice sanitation and disinfection of the environment and facilities on a regular basis.4)Immunize against prevalent diseases in the area.5)Minimize, if not prohibit, the entry of outsiders into the pig units. Provide footbathscontaining germicide at entry points.6)Provide adequate and comfortable pi accommodations.7)Promptly dispose dead animals by burning or burying deeply under a layer of lime.8)Provide adequate nutrition.9)Seek medication during stressful conditions and when the disease risk is high.10) Check for early signs of disease. Isolate obviously sick pigs and seek or applyappropriate veterinary assistance.11) Vaccination (done only when there is prevalence or risk of the diseases in the area)Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) – given 2-3 months of agePseudorabies – given 2-3 months of agePneumonia bacterin - given 2-3 months of age6

Swine Production10B.Common Diseases of SwineB.1. Post-Farrowing Problems1)Mastitis-Metritis-Agalactia (MMA Syndrome)Swine mastitis (mammary infection) – metritis (uterus infection) – agalactia (no milk)syndrome may occur in sows and gilts within 72 hours after farrowing. This may resultto death of pigs due to starvation or increased susceptibility of the newborn to otherdiseases.Signs & symptoms:Loss of appetiteReluctance to nurse the litterFever and vaginal dischargeMammary glands are swollen, inflamed & hardPiglets maybe weak because they lack nutrition, have diarrhea and pneumoniaBroad spectrum antibiotic maybe used to teat the disease.2)Retained PlacentaSigns include shreds of afterbirth being expelled, mixed with vulvar discharges whichhas foul odor. Corrective measures include injection of oxytocin (0.5 – 1.0 ml). one canalso use antiseptics such as potassium permanganate (0.1% - 0.2%) or cupper sulfate(1% - 2%).3)Vaginal/Uterine ProlapsePart of the vagina or uterus protrudes outside the body through the vulva usually afterfarrowing. Causes may include oversized piglets and weakening of the pelvic ligament.Pure landrace is aid to be susceptible to vaginal prolapse.4)DystociaThis is difficulty in farrowing. Causes my include oversized piglets, intra-abdominal fat,understimulation of the uterus, malpresentation of the piglets, small pelvic inlet.Understimulation can be corrected by oxytocin administration at an interval of 30 – 45minutes. The last option is caesarian operation.B.2. Diarrhea of PigletsInfectious diarrhea in piglet is attributed to Escherichia coli. It is characterized by yellowish,very fluid, foul smelling stool. It affects animals from 1 day old to 1 week after weaning. It isfatal piglets below 1 week due to possible dehydration.Another infectious agent is Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) virus.Mortality amongpiglets is 100% and usually the sows are also affected exhibiting vomiting.Predisposing factors:

Swine Production11Dirty pens will increase the accumulation of pathogenic bacteria.Low temperature will cause the piglet to chill. Chilling will then cause the intestinalmovement to slow down allowing pathogenic bacteria to multiply and colonize theintestinal wall.Spoiled feeds will harness bacteria and molds, likewise, unsuitable feed will causedigestive disturbances.Sudden change in kind of feed given to the piglets will cause stress and digestivedisturbances.Insufficient milk and colostrum intake.Mastitic udder would have milk full of bacteria.B.3. Hog Cholera. Also known as Classical Swine Fever (CSF), is a highly contagious viral disease affectingpigs. It is caused by a Pestivirusin the family Flaviviridae. This disease is of significantconcern in swine production due to its high morbidity and mortality rates.Signs:High fever (40-42°C).Lethargy, anorexia, and weakness.Skin discoloration (purple blotches on ears, abdomen, and legs).Diarrhea or constipation.Neurological signs (tremors, incoordination, convulsions).High mortality rate (within 1-2 weeks).Transmission:Direct contact with infected pigs (through bodily secretions like saliva, feces, orurine).Indirect contact via contaminated feed, water, equipment, or clothing.Vertical transmission from sow to piglets.Vaccine is available.B.4. African Swine Fever (ASF)A highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. It iscaused by the African swine fever virus(ASFV), a large, double-stranded DNA virus in thefamily Asfarviridae. ASF has significant economic and social impacts due to its highmortality rate and the lack of an effective vaccine.ASF was first identified in Kenya in 1921. in Asia, ASF was first confirmed in China in2018.In the Philippines, it first occurred in July 2019 with the initial outbreaks reported in Rizaland in Bulacan provinces in September 2019.Signs:High fever (40-42°C).Loss of appetite, depression, and weakness.Skin redness, especially on ears, snout, abdomen, and legs.

Swine Production12Bloody diarrhea and vomiting.Respiratory distress (coughing, labored breathing).Sudden death, often without prior symptoms.Mortality rate: 100%.Transmission:Direct contact through saliva, blood, feces, urine, or nasal dischargeContaminated feed, water, or swill (food scraps), equipment, clothing, footwear, orvehicles.Consumption or contact with infected pork, including processed meats.Bites from infected soft ticks (Ornithodorosspecies).Contact with virus-contaminated soil, carcasses, or materials.Prevention:Strict biosecurityNo effective vaccine available as of present.