Seroprevalence of antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis among growing pigs raised in indoor versus outdoor units

OBJECTIVE: To determine change over time in sero-prevalence of antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis among growing-finishing pigs housed in indoor versus outdoor facilities. DESIGN: Serologic survey. ANIMALS: 93 pigs born to seropositive gilts and raised in indoor (n = 49) or outdoor (44) growing-finishing facilities. PROCEDURE: Blood samples were collected from the pigs 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26 weeks after birth and tested for antibodies against L intracellularis with an indirect immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: None of the pigs were seropositive 2 or 6 weeks after birth.Ten weeks after birth, 74% and 76% of pigs in indoor and outdoor growing-finishing facilities were seropositive, respectively, whereas 14 weeks after birth, the percentage of pigs in indoor growing-finishing facilities that were seropositive was substantially higher than the percentage of pigs in outdoor facilities that were. From 18 weeks after birth to the end of the study, none of the pigs in outdoor growing-finishing facilities were seropositive, whereas low percentages of pigs in indoor facilities were seropositive 18, 22, and 26 weeks after birth. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that seroprevalence of antibodies against L intracellularis decreases faster among growing-finishing pigs housed in outdoor facilities than among growing-finishing pigs housed in indoor facilities.     

Causes of sow mortality in Hungarian indoor and outdoor pig production units

Assessing the reasons for death in pig breeding units is the first step in understanding and controlling the factors influencing sow losses due to mortality. From October 1997 to October 2001 in forty-nine indoor (2876 sows died) and sixty-five outdoor breeding units (3451 sows died) sow mortality was evaluated. The average annual mortality rate during the four year evaluation period was 5.1 +/- 1.2% in indoor and 12.2 +/- 2.1% in outdoor production units. Swine urogenital disease (SUGD, 32.4%), heart failure (HF, 21.8%) and locomotor problems (LP, 33.1%) caused deaths were markedly higher in outdoor production, while periparturient diseases (mastitis-metritis-agalactia, MMA, 24.5%) and torsion or distension abdominal organs (TDA, 20.5%) revealed markedly higher losses in indoor units. The annual culling rate was 39.1% in the indoor and 45.2% in the outdoor units. In outdoor units 40.1% of all deaths occurred during the periparturient period of the reproductive cycle, in indoor units the majority of mortality happened during lactation (40.2%). Average parity at death was 3.6 in indoor and 2.5 in outdoor production.     

Multiple oxytocin application increases the predictability of prostaglandin induced farrowing in swine

In a large Croatian commercial unit, 1204 of parity 2-7 late pregnant sows were from January till Mai 2002 randomly assigned to four farrowing groups and treated as follows: Group one (n = 302 sows) received a single perivulvar injection of 175 g cloprostenol at day 113 of pregnancy. The remaining animals have received a treatment as group one and were additionally treated with 10 IU of oxytocin intramuscularly 6 hours after prostaglandin application (Group two, n = 311), or with 10 IU of oxytocin 6 and 12 hours later (Group three, n = 291), or 10 IU of oxytocin 6, 12 and 18 hours later (Group four, n = 300). Onset of farrowing, duration of parturition, total born litter size and stillbirth rate were evaluated. Except total born litter size, combined oxytocin + cloprostenol treated sows revealed significantly (p < 0.01) better results as the only with cloprostenol treated ones. Multiple oxytocin application increased the predictability of farrowing. The application of multiple oxytocin injections following prostaglandin partusinduction are recommended for batch farrowing of sows in large production units.     

Sudden death caused by stomach dilatation in swine

Related to the feeding 71 sudden deaths occurred in a hybrid breeding unit of 600 sows during a period of 3 years. Post mortem examination showed acute gastric dilatation as the cause of death. The retrospective survey showed that all sows were the offspring of the same landrace boar. Therefore, the deaths are supposed to be related to excess excitement coinciding with a hereditary vegetative lability.