Baby Pig Management

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• Baby Pig Management
• AnS 225
• Fall 2009

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Introduction

• Care and management is major influence on number
  of pigs weaned
• PigCHAMP records 12.26 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 2½ to 2¾ pounds
• Slow in getting to the udder
• Chilled thermal requirements not met
• Weakened during the birth process

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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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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)
• lt 10 preweaning mortality
• Weaning weight
• 3-week weaning -- gt 12 lbs.
• 4-week weaning -- gt 16 lbs.

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Effect of Birth Weight on Survival
Reese, 1986. HFM/Nov. pp. 30-33
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Environmental Effects on Performance at Various
Stages

• Starts at birth
• Each additional 1/4 lb at birth 1.5 days less
  to market (Stein, 1996)
• Mahan (1993) reported
• .6 lb difference at birth 7.0 lb. Diff. at 23
  days 12.5 lb difference out of the grower 11
  days faster to 230 lb.
• No difference observed in FE or Carcass lean
• Increasing weaning weight 1 pound increases
  weight out of the nursery by 2.18 pounds. (Akey
  Inc. August, 1997)

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Environmental Effects on Lean Growth Rate in Pigs

• Influenced by Weaning Weight
• Heavier pigs at weaning, regardless of age at
  weaning, result in faster growing, more efficient
  lean growth rate from weaning to market weight
• Nursery Performance sets the stage for Finishing
  Performance
• Period of very efficient deposition of lean
  tissue
• Environmental constraints in the nursery severely
  limit the expression of genetic potential for
  lean growth

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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
  long-term 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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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
• Standardize by number and size

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Litter Standardization

• Move pigs within 24-48 h post partum
• Give all sows 10-12 pigs (move as few pigs as
  possible)
• Make nurse sows if too many piglets
• Use older sows weaned at 14 d for this
• Move all small pigs into same litter
• Use 2nd parity sow for these pigs

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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

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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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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
• Born with 40 mg, uses 7 mg daily
• Sows milk is low in Fe content
• 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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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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Creep Feeding

• Sows milk usually declines at 12-16 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 lt 21
  days

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Advantages of Later Weaning

• Easier to wean pigs - fewer diseases in nursery
  pigs
• Less expensive feed needed
• Easier to introduce in W/F systems?
• Improved litter size in sows
• Fewer non-productive sow days
• Improved sow longevity??

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Universal Ear Notching System

• Right ear litter
• Left ear pig

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