Water Consumption in Early Weaned Piglets: The Effects of Adding Antibiotics

Posted in: Welfare by admin on January 1, 2005 | No Comments

Early weaned piglets lose an average of 6.9 ± 2.4 % of their body weight in the weaning process. They lose weight for an average of 2.4 ± 1.2 d and regain weaning weight at 3.7 ± 0.98 d. We know the growth check is a risk period. Stress, dehydration and poor feed consumption can contribute to increased incidence and severity of diarrhea. Water consumption by early-weaned piglets is important for early recovery. Up to the point of weaning, young piglets have gained most of their fluid and nourishment through nursing. After weaning they have to separate these two, consuming water and dry feed. Too little water consumption leads to dehydration. Earlier work has shown that piglets weaned into pens with water and feed show an increase in hematocrit indicative of a failure to maintain adequate water consumption. In fact transported piglets and piglets transported without water show similar increases in hematocrit. Adequate water consumption is also necessary for feed consumption. Diarrhea is often a problem at the time of weaning. Even a transient diarrhea can add to the risk of dehydration if piglets are not consuming adequate amounts of water. In this research project we asked the question: If an antibiotic were placed in the water would this reduce early water consumption due to a negative response to the taste. Forty-eight piglets were weaned at 17±1 day of age. Half of this group was placed in simulated transport for 24 hours. Immediately after arrival or following a 24 h transport, the piglets were randomly divided into groups of 4 and placed in weanling pens with feed and water. A medicated starter diet was supplied in a standard feeder. Water was supplied through standard water nipples and was gravity fed from containers that could be weighed to measure water consumption. These containers were filled with tap water or water containing an approved antibiotic at the dose on the label. Water treatments were applied for 3 days after entry into the pens. On the 4th day all pens received tap water only. Water consumption and spill were measured at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h during the first day and then daily to 4 days post weaning. Piglets were weighed daily to 7 days of age and again at 14 days. Early weaned piglets drank an average of 818 ml/day during the first 4 days after weaning. In the same period they spilled 1,353 ml/day/pig, although spill rates were highly variable from pen to pen. The taste of an antibiotic used in the water did not negatively affect water consumption of early-weaned piglets

Ventilation Flow in Pig Houses measured and calculated by Carbon Dioxide, Moisture and Heat Balance Equations

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Ventilation flow in commercial livestock buildings can be estimated by means of relatively simple indirect methods based on carbon dioxide (CO2), moisture or heat balances. However, ventilation flow on an hourly basis forthese balances needs adjustment for diurnal variation in animal CO2 and heat production. This work examines the agreement between ventilation flow measured in a pig house over a period of 41 days and that estimated from the three balances, on a 24 h and on an hourly basis.
The study shows that, all three methods can give reasonably good estimations of the ventilation flow on an hourly basis. On average, the calculated ventilation flow was 8% lower than measured ventilation flow for the CO2 balance, and 9% lowerfor the moisture and heat balances.
A good agreement between measured and calculated ventilation flow was obtained on a 24-h basis
(coefficient of determination R2 between 0
92 and 0
97) and on an hourly basis (R2 between 0
83 and 0
92). The study indicates that the agreement between measured and estimated ventilation flow on an hourly basis can be improved by taking into account the diurnal variation in CO2, moisture and heat production.

A Dosage Based Approach to Water Soluble Medicating

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A benefits to water medication is that one individual can treat a large amount of pigs in one dose. The medication itself designates the dilution factor in regard to administering it into the water line. One of the limitations of this however is that it does not indicate administration on a per kilogram basis. In order for antibiotics to be effective it needs to be given in the body in a high enough concentration. Some hindrances of water medication include: 1) Medicator calibration; 2) Animal health (sick animals may drink less); 3) Water accessibility; 4) Taste of the medication; 5) Temperature; 6) Stage of production; and 7) Weight.

You can never be 100% certain that water treatment is reaching each pig. What you can do however is increase the likelihood of effectiveness. Dr. Tim Snider has developed a “dosage based” approach to this:

1. Incorporate the desired dose for each product to be used
2. Calculate the amount of product required per day for the group
3. Calculate the amount of product required per treatment period
4. Calculate the cost of the treatment
5. Cost comparison between products

It is possible to get veterinarians to prescribe off-label usage in order to incorporate this system.

What’s the Game Plan for Swine in Case of a Foreign Animal Disease Outbreak?

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Foreign animal diseases of most concern to swine include foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), swine vesicular disease, vesicular stomatitis, hog cholera, African swine fever, and Pseudorabies. The objective is to eradicate any outbreak by preventing the transmission of the infectious agent by slaughter of infected animals and their contacts, pre-emptive slaughter of high-risk herds, quarantine of suspect premises, and more. In the event of a disease outbreak such as FMD, the CFIA must be contacted. Once diagnosed they will carry out slaughter of clinically infected pigs, quarantine and movement control due to the contagiousness of FMD, pre-emptive slaughter of susceptible animal species in herds that have been exposed to the infection, tracing and surveillance of those facilities linked to the FMD infected premise, vaccinate, treat animal products and by-products, decontaminate, monitor wildlife, zone and regionalize, and decide on the actions and restrictions of a declared infected premise. Positive FMD premises are left vacant for a minimum of 21 days after cleaning and disinfecting. Blood samples from the re-stocked herd must be analyzed before shipment. There is a certain protocol that must be followed when considering a vaccination. Canada can re-apply for FMD free status, which would allow the resumption of normal trade 3 months after the last case of FMD.

Differentiated Parity Management

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Almost everything that sets up sows for a good lifetime performance happens before first weaning. Age, weight, and back fat at first estrus have a very little effect on the longevity of the sow. In reality, general body condition at first weaning is probably the most important factor for retention in the herd. The most important factors appear to be: full incorporation of the animal into the herd prior to breeding, breeding gilts at the second estrus, breeding gilts between 135 and 145 kg of body weight, breeding gilts at 190 days, and breeding gilts with 15 to 17 mm of back fat. In any system, it is optimum to know weight, age, and back fat at first mating. Many producers have gilt development units with a specific section or building for gilts, and have special feed for first lactation, but still do not achieve good results. This could be because of poor P1 management. New breeding herd entrants must be adapted to the health status before 130 days of age. Gilt development can be improved by giving them 0.9 square meters per animal, using a specialized diet, using a specific light pattern, performing boar exposure after 150 days of age, and vaccinations. At 185 days (or 125 kg) gilts should be moved into the breeding barn in pens of 10. Direct boar contact is essential. Incoming gilts that have not shown estrus after 28 days should be culled. Estrus should be detected twice per day and mated 12 hours after detection, and then every 12 hours after that until the gilt no longer stands. Once in the gestation barn the gilts should have 3 different feeding regimes based on weight and back fat. After 80 days of gestation the gilts should be moved to the farrowing units. Vaccinations should be done and diet increased. Induction should occur at 115 days of gestation. After 6 days of lactation, milk replacement may need to be added to the farrowing crates. At weaning, all P1 sows should receive Regumate for 5 days, starting on the day of weaning. After this treatment boar exposure should start and mating should begin after 12 hours of detected estrus.

Tariff-rate Quotas and Agricultural Trade: an application to the agricultural free-trade negotiations between the MERCOSURE and the EU

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Preselection of sex of offspring in swine for production: current status of the process and its application

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Responses in production and body composition traits in ad libitum fed pigs from lines selected for high and low growth rate on a fixed ration

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Large White pigs from lines which had been divergently selected over 4 years for high and for low post-weaning daily gain on a fixed but restricted ration of approximately 80% of ad libitum, were sampled for growth testing on ad libitum individual feeding during a 6-week period starting at 50 kg. It is concluded that selection for high growth rate on restricted feeding will produce pigs which perform more profitably on ad libitum individual feeding.

Nitrate leaching and residual soil nitrogen supply following outdoor pig farming

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The Environmental Limits to Globalization

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