Pig Management

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 66, Issue 1, 15 January 1943, Page 21

Pig Management

Treatment of the Sow. — is nearly impossible to define this since every man has his own ideals of looking after animals. Further, sows, like every other animal are subject to the accidents of time, and the consequences of the circumstances under which they live. ' They may suffer attacks of indigestion and other internal disorders, rheumatism, colds, and chills that just , seem to happen in spite of the very best treatment they may receive. Any one of these things may be sufficient to cause a sow to reduce the number of living foetuses. . There are, as well, a further number of man-made causes which can produce the same effects, and it is with these that the owner is most , concerned. Thus, irregular feeding, . sudden changes in quality or quantity of feed given, absence of water for 24 hours, exposure to excessive sunlight or to inclement or extremely variable weather, damp quarters, maltreatment by the owner, or anythings else that may be classed as poor treatment may cause a reduction in the number of live foetuses. Maintain Sow’s Weight Sows that lose weight during the gestation period cannot do this, and at the same time store body weight in the form of a litter that is perfectly normal and thrifty. ' - Litters from sows which lose weight, either grow slowly after , being born, or if the - sow improves and has plenty of milk, and the litter ' grows rapidly, sudden and unexpected deaths occur with symptoms similar to those associated with pulpy kidney in lambs. It has been said that mineral starvation is a prime cause of poor litters. It can be, but insufficient food or unsuitable treatment when the food is adequate are more usual causes of small and weakly litters. It is most important to see that the sow is sufficiently well fed so as not to lose condition during the. gestation period.

(Continued.')

UTTER PRODUCTION

Contributed by the Livestock Division.

JllinilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllN Deaths After Farrowing It is at this stage, that the greatest obvious losses occur. In almost every country these have been measured from time to time, and the.average loss during the first three days amounts to from 20 to 30 per cent, of pigs born. By preventing this, loss we could increase the efficiency of sows, and most of this improvement would be profit. In the past, the use of farrowing rails has been recommended, and these are very widely used. Since the losses continue to occur it would almost seem that the recommendation is not sound. When one considers the circumstances, that the little pigs are unaware of the danger of being overlain, that they are slow to move, arid that initially they do not know that safety lies in getting behind the farrowing rail, it almost seems that farrowing rails are not the solution of the difficulty. The use of short straw or sawdust for the sow’s bed is also recommended in order to facilitate the escape of the little pigs from danger. The fact remains, however, that if the little pig had the vitality of a weaner he still may not escape the disaster because he does not know where 1 to go. The dead pig gets no second chance of escape. Short straw, however, may have some advantages later, in that it prevents the young pigs from hiding in it, and so obviates-the possibility of their being walked on by the sow. Keep Sows Fit The more rational approach to : the problem seems to be by way of the sow. It is a common experience that the greatest loss occurs with old sows, and with sows that are over fat. Here

are the clues to sow treatment: don’t let sows get overfat prior to farrowing. Sows on grass in spring tend to get overfat, and in order to keep them right it seems necessary to bring them into the farrowing pen three weeks or more before farrowing, . and there to feed them so as to- keep them in thrifty but not too fat condition. This procedure achieves the second desideratum in that the sows have time to get used to their new quarters, and should have time to settle down. Sows are often brought in just a few days before farrowing; their food is changed, their activities are curtailed, the temperature, amount of sunlight, condition of their bed, and every physical circumstance is. changed. If the sow is temperamental,; and resents confinement, this upset is added to all the

entails the attendance of the owner during farrowing, but if such attendance meant the saving of two to three pigs per litter, the time spent, would be well repaid. If, however, attention is paid to all the other details, the sow may safely be left to herself at farrowing time. Nutrition Feed the sow. Pigs are made before they are born. Size, condition, vitality of piglets, all depend on feeding, as also does the milking quality of the sow. Special care must be taken in feeding the brood sow if she is to do her best., As has already been pointed out many of the disasters which take

place before and after farrowing may be traced to improper feeding.

others, any one of which is sufficient to prove her undoing at this critical stage. As a rule the older the sow, and higher she is in condition the longer should be the period allowed for settling down. . If the sow is not too fat, and is happy in her surroundings she has every opportunity of finishing up with a maximum number of the offspring that are born. Every progressive farmer makes the utmost use of laboursaving devices. From the condition and circumstances of the sow, one could almost predict the outcome of farrowing, wherever the sow farrowed. English practice recommends placing the little pigs out of harm’s way in a hay box as soon as they are born. This

Just before and after farrowing special attention must be paid to the condition of the sow’s bowels. If necessary reduce the feed just before the litter is due (particularly maiden sows). as a precaution against milk fever or swollen udder. If possible do not let the sow have any feed immediately before farrowing. So long as she is not hungry, she will be the better without food; plenty of water is, however, a necessity. Much harm can be done both to the sow and the litter by overfeeding at this critical period. A bran mash and a little molasses will be all that is required for the first day. Don’t give the sow full rations until her pigs are a week old. The appearance of the sow’s udder, the size of her litter, and the condition of the whole family should be one’s guide. As the pigs grow the sow must be given all the food she will clean up readily, for with a big litter the strain on her is heavy, and she must be able to make plenty of milk. Avoid sudden changes of food, as this upsets her pigs, if not the sow herself. Sows Eating Litter This is often a source of loss, again attributed to a variety of causes. Some say that it occurs where the mineral or protein content of the sow’s ration has been low, and that it can be prevented by attention to those matters, or by smearing the young with kerosene .or other offensive smelling material. Others attribute it to the sow being irritated by the sharp canine teeth of some of the piglets. _ While these may all be causes of this perversion, the considered viewpoint of McLinden is that the sow ate her litter in self-defence. Where sows have experienced unkind treatment at the hands of their attendant, or where they are upset by surroundings to which they are unaccustomed, they exercise their deeply ingrained maternal instinct, and consume their litter knowing that the piglets are incapable of protecting themselves, and fearing that they may be the victim of a direr fate. Wild sows exhibit this characteristic to a greater extent than the domestic animal.

Cobalt Deficiency in Sheep and Cattle

' As the result of investigations into the prevention of bush sickness by the use of cobalt, it is now possible to recommend to farmers in the districts concerned, methods by which they can economically prevent the incidence of the disease. . These recommendations are made jointly by the Department of Agriculture and the Cawthron Institute, and are available in a bulletin issued free by the Department.