STRONG AND ACTIVE PIGS AFTER BIRTH – SUCCESS FACTORS
- 5 minutes
Sow herd vaccination, i.e. against influenza and other viruses that can be transferred from the sow’s blood stream through the uterine blood supply thereby breaking through the uterine barrier: PRRS-virus, Circovirus, Parvovirus
Good body condition and fitness of the sow
STRONG ACTIVE PIGLETS VERSUS INTRA-UTERINE GROWTH-RATE RESTRICTED (IUGR)-PIGLETS
- 5 minutes
A typical situation: farrowing was planned for the Thursday but many sows have already farrowed by Tuesday. Weak piglets lead to low milk-release of the sow.
EXCESSIVE INTRA-UTERINE PRESSURE DURING BIRTH
- 5 minutes
Signs of excessive intra-uterine pressure during birth:
Slow start of breathing in newborn piglets
Ruptured, profusely bleeding umbilical cords at birth
Strangulation of the piglets by the umbilical cord
Uterine spasm, retarded birth
NORMAL UNPROBLEMATIC BIRTH – STRONG ACTIVE PIGLETS
- 5 minutes
Reduced farrowing times with uterotonic, Vetrabutin
Different super script means statistically significant differences (Source: D. Mota Rojas et al., 2005)
LIGHT-WEIGHT PIGLETS – HYPOTHERMIA LOOMING
- 5 minutes
Because hypothermic pigs
require more time after birth to ingest adequate colostrum
generally ingest less colostrum
SENSITIVE PIGLET’S INTESTINES
- 5 minutes
Development of the piglet’s intestines:
Massive weight-increase during the first hours following colostrum-intake
The piglet’s intestines are still not fully matured yet
High nutrient demand for fast growing intestines
THE PIGLET’S LUNGS – FULLY ONLY MATURED BY 14 DAYS OF AGE
- 5 minutes
In normally developing suckling pigs, although a piglet breathes from soon after birth, the lung’s tissue increases its size and function during the first 14 days of life. The oxygen transfer continually improves during this time.
MASTITIS – FEED BACK INHIBITOR OF LACTATION (FIL)
- 5 minutes
Inflammation of specific udder segments can occur at any stage during the lactation.
When milk-release is impaired by mastitis in one or more udder segments, there is the threat that FIL (a protein) will be released: when the concentration of this protein in the udder milk in creases, milk production is suppressed and eventually milk flow will stop.
FEVER AFTER PIGLET-VACCINATION DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN
- 5 minutes
Behavioural studies show: Differences in suckling-activity of piglets and/or feed intake after
vaccination can be explained largely by the tolerance or intolerance of piglets to the vaccines applied.