Abrasions and lameness in piglets born in different farrowing systems with different types of floor

Background

The quality of the floor is essential to the welfare of piglets as abrasions often are recorded in newborn piglets, and such lesions may lead to lameness. Apart from animal suffering, lameness contributes to losses in form of dead piglets, decreased growth, and increased use of antibiotics and manual labour.

Methods

In a herd with three different farrowing systems, 37 litters (390 piglets) were studied until the age of 3 weeks with respect to presence of skin wounds and abrasions. Lameness was registered until the age of 7 weeks. Eight lame piglets were sacrificed before medical treatment and subjected to necropsy including histopathological and microbiological examinations. Isolates of streptococci, staphylococci and E. coli were tested with respect to antimicrobial resistance. Mastitis was observed in ten sows.

Results

The most severe abrasions at carpus and soles were seen in the system with a new solid concrete floor with a slatted floor over the dunging area. The lowest magnitude was observed in the deep litter system with peat. Sole bruising was more common in the systems with concrete floor compared to the deep litter system with peat, and the differce in prevalence was significant at all examination days. The lesions decreased with time and about 75% of the treatments for lameness were performed during the first three weeks of life. The overall prevalence of lameness was highest in the system with new solid concrete floor with a slatted floor over the dunging area (9.4%) followed by the old solid concrete floor (7.5%). A lower (p < 0.05) prevalence was seen in the deep litters system with peat (3.3%). No significant relationship between mastitis and abrasions or lameness in the offspring was observed.

Conclusion

There were large differences in the prevalence of abrasions and lameness between the floor types. The deep litter system with peat provided a soft and good floor for piglets. The overall prevalence of lameness was only diagnosed in every fourth litter in that system compared to in every second litter in the systems with concrete floor. In contrast, the incidence of mastitis in the sows during the first week after farrowing was higher than in the systems with concrete floor.     

Incidence of lameness and abrasions in piglets in identical farrowing pens with four different types of floor

Background

Lameness in piglets is a major animal welfare issue. Floor abrasiveness is a common cause of superficial injury in piglets in farrowing pens. The abrasion achieved may act as a gate for infections, which in turn may induce development of infectious arthritis. In this study, the influence of improvements of the floor quality and of increased ratios of straw in identical farrowing pens was measured.

Methods

The study was carried out at a herd with four identical farrowing units with solid concrete floor bedded with 1 kg chopped straw per sow and 1 hg per piglet and day. Nothing was changed in the management of the four identical farrowing units, but four experimental groups were created: Group I – control, Group II – the amount of bedding was doubled. The surface of the floor was repaired in two units, Group III – Piglet Floor^®, Flowcrete Sweden AB, Perstorp, Sweden and Group IV – Thorocrete SL^®, Växa Halland, Sweden. Three farrowing batches were studies in each unit. In total, 93 litters (1,073 piglets) were examined for foot and skin lesions until the age of 3 weeks. The occurrence of lameness was registered until weaning at an average age of 4.5 weeks. Twenty seven lame piglets were culled instead of medicinally treated and subjected to necropsy including histopathological and microbiological examinations. Isolates of streptococci, staphylococci and E. coli were tested with respect to antimicrobial resistance.

Results

Piglet born on the repaired floors had the lowest prevalences of abrasions at carpus. Also the doubled straw ration decreased the abrasions. Skin lesions at carpus decreased significantly in magnitude in all four systems from day 10. At day 3, the sole bruising scores of the control unit were greater than the other three units (p < 0.001). At day 10 and 17, sole bruising was less common in the units with repaired floors than in the control group and the group with doubled straw ration. In total 41 piglets were diagnosed as lame, corresponding to 3.8% of all live-born piglets (n = 1,073). Around 85% of these diagnoses took place during the first 3 weeks of life and the risk incidence of lameness decreased from 1.5% during the first week of life to 0.5% during the fourth week. The incidence of lameness was highest in the control unit and lowest in the units with repaired floors. Twenty lame piglets were confirmed to have bacterial growth in the joint. The causative agents were Streptococcus dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis (60%), Staphylococcus hyicus subsp. hyicus (35%) and Escherichia coli (5%). These isolates were sensitive to all antibiotics included in the antimicrobial panels.

Conclusion

The results suggest that proper maintenance of the floor can prevent the degree of roughness and abrasiveness of the floors, which in turn can contribute significantly to prevention of abrasions, sole bruising and lameness in piglets. Maintaining the surface of concrete floors with two different commercially available solutions both decreased the incidence of abrasions and sole bruisings and thereby also of arthritis significantly. Also doubling the amount of chopped straw turned out to prevent development of skin lesions and sole bruisings to some extent, and subsequently also the incidence of arthritis.     

Four-year study of lameness in piglets at a research station

Lameness in piglets up to nine weeks old was studied in a research station herd for four years; 9411 piglets were born alive, of which 9.8 per cent were treated for lameness. In litters born to gilts, 9.9 per cent of the piglets were treated for lameness, in litters born to sows of parity 3, 11.4 per cent of the piglets were treated, but in litters born to sows of parity 4 to 7 the proportion of piglets treated for lameness decreased to about 8 per cent. Around 75 per cent of all cases were observed in piglets less than three weeks old; the incidence risk of lameness decreased from 2.7 per cent during the first week of life to 0.3 per cent after weaning. The average weight of affected piglets was reduced by approximately 8 per cent at nine weeks of age. There was no overall association between lameness and sex or birth weight within sex. The mortality among lame gilts was higher at all ages than among healthy gilts, but among barrows a higher mortality was observed only during the late suckling period. Litters with 12 or more piglets had a higher incidence of lameness. Clinical signs of disease in the sow and whether the piglets were given an intramuscular injection of 200 mg of iron on their second, third or fourth day of life had no effect on the incidence of lameness.     

Incidence of foot and skin lesions in nursing piglets and their association with behavioural activities.

A total of 356 piglets from one farm were examined for foot and skin lesions every day for the first 10 days after birth, and then on alternate days until they were weaned. Over a period of 24 days 100 per cent of the piglets examined developed sole bruising, and 49.1 per cent developed sole erosions. Sole bruising lasted for an average of 13 days and sole erosions for seven days. At the beginning of the study, a higher proportion of piglets had mild sole bruising; from three to nine days of age piglets had moderate sole bruising but from days 10 to 20 mild bruising was again observed more frequently. Skin lesions were observed on the carpal aspect of the front limbs; 60.9 per cent of the piglets developed skin abrasions, 70.7 per cent developed healed wounds and 90 per cent developed hairless patches. The skin abrasions lasted on average for six days, the healed wounds for five days and the hairless patches for eight days. Piglets which developed sole bruising and/or sole erosions on the first day of life were significantly heavier than those which did not. Continuous observations of the piglets' behaviour during the first six days of life showed that sole bruising increased as the total time spent in the creep area or lying near the sow on the solid floor increased. During the first three days of life skin abrasions increased as the total time spent lying in the creep area increased. There was a positive correlation between the total time piglets spent suckling and the incidence of carpal skin abrasions between four and six days of age. Piglets with sole bruising, sole erosions or carpal skin abrasions spent less time during the day in 'other' activities such as walking, playing or fighting.     

Transfer of maternal haptoglobin to suckling piglets

The acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp) exerts immune modulating functions in the innate and adaptive immune system. In pigs, serum Hp concentrations are linked to impaired growth performance. There is little information on Hp in newborn piglets and the onset of endogenous Hp synthesis. In the first experiment we analyzed Hp concentrations in colostrum from sows (n=5) and serum from their off-spring (n=43) during the first 12h of life. The piglets were divided in a colostrum group which was allowed to suckle and a colostrum-deprived group which received a Hp-free milk replacer. We were able to show that serum Hp in newborn piglets increased 3h after colostrum intake whereas serum Hp remained low in colostrum-deprived littermates. The absorption of colostral Hp in the jejunum could be shown via immunohistochemistry. In colostrum suckled piglets, endogenous Hp synthesis in the liver increased 9h after birth, no increase in Hp mRNA was observable during the first 12h of life in colostrum-deprived piglets. From our results we concluded that maternal Hp is transferred to newborn pigs via colostrum and the stimulus for the increase in Hp synthesis is mediated by colostrum. In a second experiment we analyzed Hp in colostrum, milk and serum from sows (n=43) and their off-spring (n=442) from birth until weaning. Haptoglobin was high in colostrum (1.11 ± 0.10mg/ml) and declined to lower but stable milk levels (0.36 ± 0.08 mg/ml) until weaning. Colostral Hp and daily litter weight gain were negatively correlated (r=-0.5, p<0.01) whereas the relationship between piglets serum Hp and daily weight gain was weaker (r=-0.22, p<0.05). We therefore speculate that maternal Hp exerts systemic actions in piglets.     

Influence of tooth resection in piglets on welfare and performance

In six commercial pig farms, we compared the effects of two methods of tooth resection (tooth clipping with pliers and tooth grinding with a rotating grindstone) on teeth themselves, on skin lesions of piglets and of sow udders as well as on litter growth and survival. An intact group was included for control. Treatments were balanced within herds with sows assigned to one of the three experimental treatments. Observations were from 107 sows and their litters (n = 35 or 36 litters/group) at farrowing (day 0) and approximately 8, 15 and 27 days later. Tooth resection was done within 24 h of birth after cross-fostering. Data concerning sows' lesions were analyzed on a farm basis and those concerning piglets' mortality, growth and skin lesions were analyzed on a litter basis. Frequency and severity of udder lesions differed between treatments at farrowing and on day 8; differences depended on the location of the teats (front, median or rear). Litter size and liveweight of piglets on day 0 (11.9+/-0.1 pigs, 1.51+/-0.03 kg) and on day 27 (10.8+/-0.1 pigs, 8.08+/-0.10 kg) were similar in the three groups (mean+/-S.E.M., n = 107). Skin lesions on piglets were more frequent and/or severe in intact than in clipped piglets on days 8 and 27, whereas ground piglets had intermediate results. Because the length of the teeth was similar after clipping and grinding (P > 0.1), tooth shortening itself does not explain the differences between treatments. Overall, tooth resection had very little effect on sow mammary injuries and litter performance. It might reduce skin damage to piglets (especially, when it is performed by clipping) but teeth are severely injured.     

The use of different vaccination schedules for sows to protect piglets against Aujeszky's disease

Several Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) vaccination protocols of sows were evaluated with regard to the passive protection conferred on piglets in a recently built commercial farm. Three different groups of sows were vaccinated using a Bartha K-61 strain. One group received an inactivated vaccine during pregnancy and the other two groups received attenuated vaccines, either during pregnancy (day 65) or on the seventh day of lactation. At farrowing, sows vaccinated during lactation had lower seroneutralization titres than those vaccinated during pregnancy either with inactivated or attenuated vaccines. Accordingly, their piglets were the ones with lower levels of maternally transferred neutralizing antibodies. At 4 weeks of age, five piglets born of each group of sows were challenged intranasally with a neurotropic strain of ADV. Piglets born of sows vaccinated during pregnancy with inactivated and attenuated vaccines gained 1.50 kg bodyweight and 2.50 kg bodyweight during 7 days, respectively, and did not show clinical signs, while piglets from sows vaccinated during the previous lactation lost 0.60 kg and presented moderate to severe clinical signs of ADV. Vaccination of sows during pregnancy provided more protection against ADV for piglets than sow vaccination before mating. Piglets born from sows vaccinated with attenuated or inactivated vaccines did not present remarkable differences on protection.     

Maternal-neonatal immunoregulation in swine. II. Influence of multiparity on de novo immunoglobulin synthesis by piglets

In the first-litter sows lower serum levels were found for all three Ig classes as compared to multiparous sows. The same was true for IgA in lacteal secretions and in piglet serum during the first days of life, while no differences were found for IgG levels. In contrast to these findings, IgM levels were found to be higher in lacteal secretions of first-litter sows and in piglet serum during the first days of life as compared to their counterparts. From three weeks after birth Igs found in piglet serum mainly originate from de novo synthesis. In this period piglets of first litter sows showed a higher IgA level up to the 6th week of life and higher IgG and IgM levels up to the end of the investigation period. Results are discussed in terms of maternal-neonatal immune regulation, focussing on the apparent suppressive role of maternally-derived IgG on total de novo Ig synthesis by suckling piglets.     

Effects of oral caffeine administration to sows with induced parturition on hypoxia in piglets

To counteract the effects of perinatal hypoxia in piglets, the oral administration of caffeine to sows with induced parturition was evaluated. On day 113 of gestation 9 sows received 27 mg/kg body weight (BW) of caffeine mixed with 200 g of standard diet. The same amount of feed without the addition of caffeine was administered to 9 control sows. Additionally, on day 113 of gestation, all sows were treated by two injections in the perianal area of 1 mg of alfaprostol (at 8:00 am and 14:00 pm), and on the morning of farrowing by 14 IU of oxytocin in the perianal area. Caffeine did not affect BW of piglets and size of litters; however piglets from treated sows showed a higher capacity to adapt to extra-uterine life. Particularly, they showed a greater thermoregulatory ability (P<0.001) and a higher percentage of viability score≥7 compared to piglets from control sows (92% vs. 75%, respectively; P=0.030). Caffeine furthermore reduced the frequency of high serum biopterin values (>80 nmol/L) in piglets born from treated sows (P=0.001). In conclusion, the caffeine orally administered to sows with induced parturition showed a protective effect on the consequences of neonatal hypoxia in tissue ischemia–reperfusion injury in piglets.     

母猪猪瘟病毒抗体与仔猪母源抗体衰减规律的研究

为了研究仔猪猪瘟病毒(CSFV)母源抗体的衰减规律,本研究随机选择36头待产母猪,产后采血,选择每头母猪对应的仔猪连续采血至8周龄,分离血清,通过ELISA方法检测CSFV抗体阻断率,所测结果利用EXCEL拟合指数曲线,计算分析母猪CSFV抗体水平与仔猪母源抗体衰减规律。结果显示,36头母猪中母猪抗体阻断率80%以上6头,母猪抗体阻断率70%~79%的11头,母猪抗体阻断率60%~69%的8头,母猪抗体阻断率50%~59%的5头,母猪抗体阻断率49%以下的6头。3周龄仔猪抗体阻断率整体与母猪抗体阻断率相近且高度相关,相关系数为99%。母猪抗体阻断率在80%以上时,母源抗体对所产仔猪8周龄时仍然具有保护力;母猪抗体阻断率在70%~79%时,母源抗体对所产仔猪7周龄时不再具有保护力;母猪抗体阻断率在60%~69%时,母源抗体对所产仔猪5周龄时不再具有保护力;母猪抗体阻断率在50%~59%时,母源抗体对所产仔猪4周龄时不再具有保护力;母猪抗体阻断率49%以下时,母源抗体对所产仔猪3周龄时不再具有保护力。以上结果表明仔猪母源CSFV抗体随着仔猪周龄的增加逐渐衰减,由试验得出仔猪猪瘟疫苗首免日龄的计算公式:y=1.19x-46.55(x为母猪CSFV抗体阻断率,y为首免日龄)。因此,母猪抗体阻断率在80%以上时,仔猪母源抗体在60日龄不再具有保护力,仔猪猪瘟疫苗首免为56日龄;母猪抗体阻断率在70%~79%时,母源抗体对仔猪的保护持续到50日龄,仔猪猪瘟疫苗首免为42日龄;母猪抗体阻断率在60%~69%时和50%~59%时,母源抗体对仔猪的保护持续至36日龄和29日龄,仔猪猪瘟疫苗首免分别为28日龄和21日龄。本研究中所得母猪CSFV抗体水平计算母源抗体衰减变化,为选择母猪首免日龄,提高仔猪猪瘟疫苗免疫效果提供了科学依据。     

The effects of transplacental porcine circovirus type 2 infection on porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus-induced enteritis in preweaning piglets

The effects of transplacental porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infection on porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV)-induced enteritis were examined in neonatal piglets. Six pregnant sows were randomly allocated to an infected (n=3) or control group (n=3). Three pregnant sows were inoculated intranasally with 6 mL of tissue culture fluid containing 1.2 x 10(5) tissue culture infective doses 50% (TCID(50))/mL of PCV2 strain SNUVR000470 three weeks before the expected farrowing date. Three control pregnant sows were similarly exposed to uninfected cell culture supernatants. Thirty piglets from PCV2-infected sows were randomly assigned to two groups (A and B) of 15 piglets each. Another 30 piglets from noninfected sows were randomly assigned to two groups (C and D) of 15 piglets each. The piglets in groups A and C were dosed orally at three days of age with 2mL of virus stock (1 x 10(6.5) TCID(50)/mL) of the PEDV strain, SNUVR971496, at the third passage. The mean villous height and crypt depth (VH:CD) ratio in PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2-infected sows (group A) were significantly different from those of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C) at 36, 48, and 72 h post-inoculation (hpi) (P<0.05). In PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2-infected sows (group A), significantly more PEDV nucleic acid was detected in the jejunal tissues (P<0.05) at 24 hpi than in the same tissues of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C). Thereafter, at 36, 48, 60, and 70 hpi significantly more PEDV nucleic acid (P<0.05) was detected in the jejunal tissues of the PEDV-infected piglets from PCV2 negative sows (group C) than those of the PEDV-infected piglets from the PCV2-infected sows (group A). It is concluded that the clinical course of PEDV disease was markedly affected by transplacental infection of PCV2.     

The effect of combined iron-selenium treatment on erythropoiesis and weight gain of piglets

Ten sows were during their last month of gestation and first 4 weeks of lactation kept on a low Se ratio (0.014 ppm Se). Their 1-3 days old piglets (n = 108) were divided in 2 groups, the experimental and the control group. Blood samples were taken from the piglets before the age of 3 days. Each of the piglets of the experimental group (n = 54) was treated subcutaneously in connection with the blood sampling with 200 mg Fe⁺³ as iron dextran and 0,30 mg Se⁴⁴ as sodium selenite (Pigfer-Se, Orion Corporation Ltd., Orion Pharmaceutics Espoo, Finland). The piglets of the control group (n = 54) were correspondingly treated with 200 Fe⁺³ as iron dextran. Blood samples were again taken 7, 14 and 28 days after the first sample.The results showed that the mean increase in the number of erythrocytes during the first 7 days was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (p = 0.006). No significant differences between the whole groups could be found in the later blood samples.When some haematological parameters of those of the piglets of the experimental and the control group, which before the age of 3 days had the whole blood Se ^ 55 μg/1 were compared (n = 16 and n = 22 respectively) the mean increase in the number of erythrocytes was found to be significantly higher both at 7 days and 14 days in the low Se piglets of the experimental group than the corresponding means of the control group (p = 0.005 and p = 0.016 respectively). At 28 days the difference between the means was not significant.The weekly mean weight gains of the low Se piglets of the experimental group were consistently higher at the successive weekly weighings than the corresponding means of the control group.     

Early embryo survival and development in sows with lactational ovulation.

During lactation, daily separation of sow and piglets, intermittent suckling (IS), can induce lactational oestrus and ovulation. This study examined effects of IS on subsequent early embryo survival and development. Multiparous Topigs40 sows were separated from their piglets for either 12 consecutive hours per day (IS12, n = 13) or two times for 6 h per day (IS6, n = 10) from day 14 of lactation onwards until 23 days after ovulation. Control sows (C, n = 17) were weaned at day 21 of lactation. Oestrus was shown in all treatments within 5 days after the start of treatment. Sows were inseminated each day of oestrus and slaughtered at D23 after ovulation. Intermittent suckling did not significantly affect pregnancy rates of sows (75% IS12 vs 78% IS6 vs 94% C; p > 0.10). Embryo survival was not significantly affected by IS (IS12: 57%; IS6: 51%; p > 0.10) although it seemed to be lower than in C sows (70%). Some parameters of embryo, placental and uterine development were affected by IS, especially in the IS6 group. IS6 embryos had shorter placentas (17.5 +/- 1.2 cm; p < 0.05) than C (20.3 +/- 1.4 cm) and IS12 sows (20.9 +/- 0.7 cm) were smaller and less developed than C sows (p < 0.05). In conclusion, embryo survival does not seem significantly affected by IS, although numerical differences were great. Embryo development, however, was negatively affected in IS6 sows possibly due to a combination of high milk production, stress and lactational effects on uterine development.     

日粮中添加茴香和大蒜素对母猪初乳抗氧化特性及仔猪早期生长性能的影响

通过在母猪妊娠后期和哺乳前期的日粮中添加茴香或大蒜素,来研究茴香和大蒜素对母猪初乳抗氧化特性及仔猪早期生长的影响。选取健康的经产母猪36头,将母猪随机地分为3组,其中对照组母猪21头,茴香组母猪7头,大蒜组母猪8头。从母猪的妊娠后期(产前第30天)至哺乳前期(产后第7天),日粮中分别添加300 mg/kg的茴香或大蒜素。结果显示:茴香组和大蒜素组母猪初乳中的T-SOD含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05),茴香组母猪初乳中的MDA含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05)。同时,茴香组母猪所产仔猪的出生重极显著高于对照组(P<0.01),7日龄时的体重也显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。试验表明,茴香能够增强母猪初乳的抗氧化性能,改善仔猪的早期生长性能。     

Development of a novel live vaccine delivering enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli fimbrial antigens to prevent post-weaning diarrhea in piglets

The efficacy of a novel, live delivery vaccine was examined for protection against post-weaning diarrhea in pigs. An expression/secretion plasmid harboring genes encoding enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88ab, K88ac, FedA and FedF fimbriae was constructed and harbored in an attenuated Salmonella, which was used as the vaccine candidate. Groups A (n=3) and B (n=3) sows were orally immunized with the candidate vaccine and PBS as a control, respectively, at 8 and 11 weeks of pregnancy. All group piglets were challenged with two challenge strains at 5-week-old. All immunized sows had significantly increased IgG and IgA levels in both serum and colostrum to individual adhesins compared to the control (p ≤ 0.05). Immune response in Group A piglets were significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, no clinical signs were observed in Group A piglets after the challenge and no challenge strains were detected in rectal swabs, while diarrhea was observed in 47.8% control piglets and challenge strains were isolated from all the diarrheic piglets. These results show that immune response of sucking piglets can maintain at higher levels through the milk of the immunized sows and vaccination of sows with the candidate may protect colibacillosis in weaned piglets.     

Putative peripheral neuropathy in suckling piglets

Over a period of almost 2 years, a progressive motor disturbance was found to occur in 20-50% of the litters of both primiparous and multiparous sows in a large pig herd of 1000 sows. The motor disturbance sometimes affected the entire litter; however, in most cases only a few piglets per litter were affected. The clinical signs appeared at 3-5 days of age and consisted of difficult movement followed by anteflexion or retroflexion of the tarsal joints or 'rabbit-like posture'. Subsequently, primarily after weaning, inflammatory and necrotic lesions developed on the paralysed limbs as a result of secondary infections of injuries. The tibial nerve and the common fibular nerve of recently affected (5- to 6-day-old) piglets showed degeneration, demyelination and necrosis of some of the nerve fibres, accompanied by restorative changes in more chronic cases. The central nervous system, bones, skeletal muscles, tendons and joints showed no lesions that could have accounted for the symptoms of motor disturbance. Aetiological investigations excluded the possibility of lead, copper and cadmium toxicity. Vitamin B2 administered orally at 1 day old proved to be ineffective. The disease did not develop in piglets of sows kept at another farm under the same management and fed a diet prepared according to an identical formula from the same ingredients as those used on the affected farm, but with no milk whey added. This raised the suspicion of triaryl phosphate (TAP) poisoning, but this was found not to be the cause of the disease. New boars had not been brought to the farm in the year preceding the onset of disease, and the disease could not be linked to a specific boar or boar line. The aetiology of the disease has remained unclear.     

Milk Production in Sows after Spontaneous Delivery and after Delivery Induced by PGF2α Analogs

In this study the amount of milk produced during the first week of lactation was compared in sows with induced parturition and sows which delivered spontaneously (with special attention to sows showing MMA symptoms). Fifteen sows (L X LW) were used from a pig farm in which MMA was seen in 20 to 25% of all farrowings. The animals were divided into three groups of 5 each. Group A and B were treated with two different PGF ₂ α analogs (2 mg of alfaprostol or 0.45 mg of tiaprost) on 111 day of pregnancy, and group C (control) with 2 ml of saline solution. Treatment with PGF analogs induced parturitions 24 to 30 h later, controls delivered spontaneously on day 114. Litters were equalized to nine piglets per sow. The milk yield of each sow was calculate using the method of weighing piglets before and after each suckling. Piglets were allowed to suckle 12 times in the first 24 h after parturition, then 8 or 9 times in the next 24 h and from 48 h onwards 8 times during 24 h, until the end of the 7 day observation period. During the first day after parturition the control group appeared to produce slightly more milk than groups A and B whereas from 24 to 48 h, milk yields decreased in all animals. From 48 onwards milk production increased in all groups. Between 72–96 h, two sows of the control group showed symptoms of MMA and their piglets developed diarrhea. Microbiological analysis confirmed the presence of haemolytic Streptococci. The lactation curves of treated and untreated sows with no signs of MMA were very similar; the pattern was more erratic in sows with MMA. The total milk yields during the first week of lactation did not differ between groups; there were no significative difference in the weight gain of the piglets in groups A, B and C. The difference recorded in milk yield and release patterns between sows with or without MMA opens new aspects with regard to the aetiology of a syndrome that not only involves the sows health, but produces intestinals disease in their piglets.     

Performance, diarrhea incidence, and occurrence of Escherichia coli virulence genes during long-term administration of a probiotic Enterococcus faecium strain to sows and piglets

As part of an interdisciplinary research project, the performance response of sows and their litters to the probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415, as well as some health characteristics of the piglets, were studied. Gestating sows (n = 26) were randomly allotted into 2 groups. The probiotic was administered by dietary supplementation to 1 group of sows and their respective litters (probiotic group), whereas the second group (control group) received no probiotic supplementation. The duration of the treatment was nearly 17 wk for sows (d 90 ante partum until d 28 postpartum) and 6 wk for piglets (d 15 to 56). Body weight and feed consumption were recorded weekly. The frequency of 4 toxin and 5 adhesion genes of putative pathogenic Escherichia coli was monitored weekly (d 7 to 35) by multiplex PCR assays, and fecal consistency of weaned piglets was studied daily. Probiotic treatment of lactating sows led to an overall pre-weaning mortality of 16.2% compared with 22.3% in the control group (P = 0.44). Animal losses during the first 3 d of the suckling period were decreased in the probiotic group (P = 0.09). For piglets (n = 153), which were weaned at 28 d, there were no overall treatment differences in BW gain, feed intake, or feed efficiency. Probiotic supplementation, however, led to nearly a 40% reduction (P = 0.012). The actual percentage of piglets with postweaning diarrhea in the probiotic group was 21% compared with 38% in the control group (P = 0.05). The study on virulence factors of dominant fecal E. coli isolates revealed a high diversity with varying frequency and distribution of each single pathogenicity gene. The 440 isolates carried 29 different pathogenicity gene combinations as well as each of the 9 pathogenicity genes alone. Altogether, isolates with more than 2 pathogenicity genes were quite rare (< or = 10%), and up until d 28 isolates without any pathogenicity gene occurred most frequently. Depending on the time of sampling, one-third or more of all isolates contained est2 or est1b as single gene or in combination with other pathogenicity genes.     

Post-farrowing stress management in sows by administration of azaperone: effects on piglets performance

This study examined the impact of a single dose of azaperone administered to sows at the end of farrowing on piglet weight gain and mortality during the lactation period. Two hundred fifty-two sows (JSR hybrid) housed in a conventional farrowing crate system were assigned to either a treatment or a control group. The parities of the sow were between 1 and 6. The differences between live birth weight and weight at weaning were recorded for 3,093 individual piglets. Serum concentrations of IgG of 485 piglets also were recorded during tail docking. Median and interquartile range (IQR) were 5.1 (2.9 to 9.5) mg·mL(-1) in the control group and 5.6 (3.1 to 12.1) mg·mL(-1) in the azaperone group (P > 0.05). Litter size was 13.0 (11 to 15) total born piglets and birth weight was 1.28 (1.05 to 1.52) kg. Weaning weight for the control group was 5.64 (4.73 to 6.54) kg compared with 5.78 (4.79 to 6.71) kg for the azaperone treated group (P = 0.005). Daily BW gain differed significantly (P = 0.001) between the 2 groups, 205 g for the controls, compared with 214 g for the azaperone group. There were no significant differences between piglet mortality rates (17% and 20%). Azaperone applications to sows tended to have a positive effect on productivity. Effect was greatest in the primiparous sows and declined with increasing parity. This may have been due to both physiological and behavioral differences between the sows as they experienced increasing numbers of gestations, farrowings, and lactation periods.     

Water consumption in piglets weaned early at various ages and fed a liquid diet]

Water consumption was recorded in 72 piglets of the Lorge White breed, weaned either on the second, sixth, tenth day or on the fourteenth day of age, this parameter was followed till the age of four weeks. The piglets were kept individually in a thermoneutral zone and they received a milk diet with macronutrient content, similar to sow's milk and water content of from 78.47%. The diet was offered to suck nine times a day in two-hour intervals. The piglet age at weaning was found to influence significantly water intake. Daily water ingestion is higher in piglets separated from the sows at a younger age than in piglets weaned later on; it reaches as much as 29% in the first group, 26% in the second group, 28% and 20% of live weight in the third and fourth groups, respectively. If converted to the metabolic weight, the percentage is still higher: more than 40% in the first group at the end of the fourth week. Although the spans of weaning beginnings were always identical in particular groups of piglets (four days), the differences in the water consumption were not the same. The differences were smaller between the first and second group, and the third and fourth group, in comparison with those between the second and third group. This fact confirms previous general statements about the periodization of early postnatal life of piglets. The beginning of weaning of the first two groups belongs to the "suckling" period, while the beginning of weaning of the other groups is within the "weaning" period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)