Baby Pig Management

Care and management of the sow
 signs at farrowing
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 nervous and uneasy enlarged vulva mucouse discharge milk letdown pawing (making a bed)

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Care and management is major influence on number of pigs weaned
PigCHAMP records – 12.27% preweaning mortality
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Leading causes of preweaning deaths
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Laid on by sow (approx. 50%)
Starvation (approx. 20%)
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Over half of deaths occur during first 2-3 days after farrowing
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Two Classes of Piglets at Birth
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Normal
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Up and moving quickly
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Nursing within 10-15 minutes
Thrive without much help
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Disadvantaged
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Lightweight – less than 2½ to 2¾ pounds
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Slow in getting to the udder
Chilled – thermal requirements not met
Weakened during the birth process
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Goals
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3 to 3.5# pig birth weight – best odds for survival to weaning
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Small pigs have higher “surface area” relative to their body weight (lose heat rapidly)
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< 10% preweaning mortality
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Weaning weight
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3-week weaning -- > 12 lbs.
4-week weaning -- > 16 lbs.
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Has no antibodies against pathogens
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No transfer of antibodies prepartum
Colostrum only way of getting passive immunity

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Has only 1-2% body fat
 little insulation to prevent body heat loss
Limited ability for gluconeogenesis
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Cannot produce glucose from AA or glycerol
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Glycogen stores lasts for less than 24 h
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Needs energy right away
Limited ability to regulate body temp.
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Needs additional heat
Born wet
 looses more body heat

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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 don’t need much care

Baby Pigs Shortly After Birth
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First 12 Hours
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Learn to walk, find a teat, learn to nurse
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Stay close to the udder
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Second Day
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Front teats are preferred
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Greater milk supply
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Lower incidence of mastitis
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Less chance of being kicked by sow
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Colostrum
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First and highest quality milk – quality declines over time
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Drops by 50% within 6 hours
Disease-preventing immunity
Most important factor in piglet’s survival and longterm health
Firstborn piglets “hog” the best colostrum
Assist disadvantaged piglets
Collect colostrum and “tube” disadvantaged piglets
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Factors Limiting Colostrum Intake
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Cold stress right after birth
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Large litters which limit access to teats
Poor nutrition of the sow – fat improves quality of milk
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Cold environment that keeps pigs inactive and huddled for warmth
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Often born last in litter
 get less colostrum
Often have low birth weight
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 difficulty competing for teat receive less colostrum
Deprived of oxygen

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It takes a dedicated herdsman to secure survival of weak piglets
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Help them get started suckling
Stomach feed with colostrum or milkreplacer (or cow colostrum)
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15-20 ml per feeding warm to 35 o C
Inject glucose intraperitoneal
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15 - 20 ml per injection warm to 35 o C

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Cold pigs can be warmed in water
 dry them afterwards
Zone heating essential
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32-33 o C (heat lamp)

Crossfostering
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Lowest preweaning mortality is in heaviest birth weight litters with lowest variation
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Use crossfostering to even up litters and match number of pigs with the sow’s ability to raise them
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Management Tips
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Colostrum from their dam before moving
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Crossfoster with 24-48 hours to maintain teat order
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Standardize by number and size
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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

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Not before 12 h
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All pigs should have had colostrum from dam
Not after 48 h
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Piglets establish teat identity after
48 h
Later crossfostering increases spread of diseases

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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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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

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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 don’t compromise overall health status

On the best farms, pre-weaning mortality is between 6 an 9 %

Processing Piglets
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Process varies from farm to farm
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Clipping needle teeth
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Treating umbilical cord
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Iron
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Tail docking
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Identification
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Scours prevention/treatment
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Castration
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Medication
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IPD 1.5 cc
Number with a majic marker
Take birth weight
Umbilical cord disinfection
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Teeth clipping
Tail docking
Tape spray legged pigs
Ear notching

Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching

Universal Ear Notching System
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Right ear = litter
Left ear = pig
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Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching

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Swine Reproduction
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Ear
Notching
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Quiz

Swine Reproduction
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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.

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Castration
Scours ???

Early Castration
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Less stress, less bleeding, less tissue damage
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One person can perform the operation alone
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Young pigs heal faster and cleaner than older pigs
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May be stressful to weak pigs
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Castration may result in infection if pigs are scouring
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Baby Pig Anemia
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Pig is born with low body stores of Fe
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Born with 40 mg, uses 7 mg daily
Sow’s milk is low in Fe content
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Attempts to increase are not successful
No contact with soil in today’s systems
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Rapid growth of baby pig
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Preweaning Growth Rate
1000
500
0
0
Weeks
Pig
Lamb
Calf, colt, child
6
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Symptoms of Anemia
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Poor growth
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Listlessness, weak
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Rough hair coat
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Pale
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Labored breathing
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Prevention
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Oral iron
Injection – usually 200 mg
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Baby Pig Scours
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Big production headache
Watery feces, wet tails, dehydration
Viruses still cause major problems
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TGE, rotavirus (combination with other pathogens)
E. coli – most common cause of scours
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Affect the intestines, causing diarrhea
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Cause significant death loss
Vaccinate sows with strain on the farm
AIAO, sanitation
Various treatment regimens
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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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Treat sick pigs immediately
Use effective antibiotics
Grow strains to check efficiency
Move pigs that are starving to nurse sow
Keep pen clean

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Diarrhea
Joint problems
Strep Suis
Undernurished

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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

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Pigs with high weaning weights
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 are easier to wean grow faster after weaning are less likely to get sick requires less expensive feed

Age 15 d 18 d 21 d 25 d 28 d
Kg 4.8
Lbs
????
5.4 6.0 6.8 7.5

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Improve milk yield of sow
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 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

cont.
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Crossfoster and manage according to protocol
Reduce disease pressure as much as possible
Assist weak and small piglets if needed
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Milk replacer to small pigs

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Sow’s 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 < 21 days
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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

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Always have fresh and clean water available for piglets
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From water cup
 let run at all times

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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
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Farrowing date
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Total number, NBA
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Pedigree information, teat count
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Number weaned
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Birth weight, weaning weight
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Medications given
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Observation notes
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Sow’s disposition
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Possible replacement females
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