Influence of long-term vaccination of a breeding herd of pigs against PCV2 on reproductive parameters

The objective of the study was to evaluate an efficacy of sows vaccination protocols in the herd with serious problems affecting efficacy of reproduction. The study was performed in a large pig herd with about 1200 sows. Before vaccination against PCV2, farrowing rate in this farm was about 65%. Sows, boar and replacement gilts were immunized using Circovac vaccine (Merial, France) according to producer's recommendations. Parameters of production were analyzed since 2007 until 2010 in selected batches of sows inseminated at the same weeks of the year (17th, 18th, 19th and 20th) to eliminate seasonal variability. In total, 940 sows were subjected to the study. No significant changes in management during these years were introduced. The applied protocol of sow herd long-term vaccination proved to be very efficient. All measured production parameters: reproduction rate, number of piglets born alive, birth weight of piglets and number of piglets weaned per a litter improved after implementation of immunization program. Moreover, further improvement was observed with vaccination in the following reproduction cycles. The most spectacular effect of vaccination regarded average farrowing rate that increased from 64.76% in control group to 86.93% after basic vaccination. Two years after implementation of vaccination program this parameter reached 93.6%. Number of piglets weaned per sow per a litter improved from 10.31 to 11.74 after one year of vaccination and remained relatively stable through the following year. Simultaneously, the percentage of newborn piglets with birth weight < 1 kg decreased significantly (p < 0.05). To summarize, vaccination against PCV2 influenced positively the insemination rate, number of piglets born alive and weaned per litter as well as birth body weight and percentage of piglets weighing < 1 kg.