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Growth performance, mortality, carcass revenue and cost differences in a commercial production system positive to swine dysentery: A case study
Posted in: Pork Insight Articles, Production by admin on August 4, 2016
Author: Jose Landero, Malachy Young and Egan Brockhoff
Reference: Western Hog Journal Summer 2015
Swine dysentery is an enteric disease that typically effects grow/finish pigs. It is characterized by mucoid or bloody scours, decreased growth rate, and increased feed conversion. Swine dysentery reduces potential profit by decreasing growth rate, increasing mortality, decreasing feed efficiency and increased cost of medication.
Two groups of grow/finish pigs were observed. The first group was fed an ad libitum diet medicated with tiamulin for grower stage 1, 2 and 3, and with lincomycin during finisher phase. The second group was fed an ad libitum diet containing no medication. The barn had previously tested positive for Brachyspira hampsonii, one of the species that causes swine dysentery. Pigs were housed in groups of approximately 250 with bi-weekly additions of straw to the pens. Prior to moving out of the nursery, piglets were vaccinated for circovirus, erysipelas, ileitis and blackleg. Measurements included starting weight, finishing weight, carcass data, average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion.
Feed consumption was approximately equal among both groups. Non-medicated pigs has an ~4% lower average daily gain than medicated pigs. Feed conversion was about 5% higher in non-medicated pigs. Signs of swine dysentery were difficult to detect because of the housing style, and were rarely reported. However, swine dysentery was identified in a stool sample. Pigs fed the non-medicated diet took approximately 4.8 days longer to reach market weight and also had double the number of deaths. Taking into consideration the various factors, it is estimated the economic benefit of feeding medicated diets in a swine dysentery positive barn to be approximately $11/pig.