Swine

In this first article in Tonisity’s two-part series on infection protection in pig herds, we discuss external infection from purchased animals, delivery of animals (including animals for export and carcasses) and people (including items brought into the barn). Infection protection covers several measures that can be carried out internally or externally, and the common purpose is to protect the herd from disease-causing infectious agents, bacteria and viruses. It is important

In order to minimise production costs and maintain their competitiveness, swine producers use several performance indicators, such as feed conversion (FCR), litters per sow per year, pigs per litter, or amount of pig meat produced per sow per year. In this article, we will discuss how litter size has been evolving in recent years and how it can possibly be improved. Litter size is an important parameter because it directly impacts the farm output and the number of sows requi

One of the challenges in the farrowing house is to maintain the correct temperature for both the sow and the piglets. Sows need a temperature of around 22°C during farrowing and 18-20°C thereafter, while piglets require around 34°C when they are born and about 28-30°C in the following days. This is very important for two reasons. Firstly, if a sow is in an environment that is too warm (outside of their comfort zone), it will be a challenge for them to consume enough feed, thu

Colostrum contains essential maternal antibodies (immunoglobulins) which can kill bacteria and viruses, providing passive immunity to the piglets. This is very important because piglets are born without immune protection and it can take time for them to build their own active immunity. The colostrum also provides energy and very digestible nutrients essential for the piglets, so they can start suckling and grow faster. Colostrum is produced by the sow just after the birth of

It is widely known that post-weaning feeding behaviour is closely related to water intake and that an early feeding start, before weaning, and also post-weaning is correlated with better growth and less intestinal pathology. Furthermore, maintaining hydration is crucial for gut functionality at stressful times such as weaning, especially in hot climates. Intestinal health is key to a piglet’s lifetime performance. When we consider the functionality of the small intestine, we