Lazo, Jaskhem B. PV2D.
Laboratory #10:
SUMMARY CHAPTER ON CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF SOW, PIGLET, GILTS, AND BOARS
GENERAL SUMMARY:
• Gilts and boars should be purchased from a reliable and clean breeding farm. Thirty days
quarantine period is advised for newly acquired gilts or boar. House them 150–350 m away from
the herd.
• At 3–4 months old, replacement gilts should be selected and identified. Full feeding should be
implemented to maximize growth rate and develop body conformation until they reach 180
days for final selection and prebreeding program. Gilts should weigh 120–130 kg at first mating.
• Before buying boars from breeding farms, make sure they have been tested for mounting
capability and sperm quality. They should be seven months of age with negative Leptospirosis
and brucellosis test results.
• Buy replacement gilts at 5–6 months old. Check the vaccination record. Administer booster
vaccination for hog Cholera, and FMD before breeding.
• Before breeding, mix gilts with young dry sows (4–8 head) in a pen to adequately expose the
new stocks to the farm bacterial flora to improve natural immunity. This may help reduce piglet
scouring, which is highest in first parity litters.
• Observe for the heat period, which should come regularly. Breed gilts on the second or third
litter
• Do not feed sows on the day of weaning to facilitate drying the udder off. Mix the dry sows of
similar sizes in colony pens to stimulate them to come in heat. Introduce teaser boars for two
hours each day in to the pen for easier heat detection. Sows should come in heat within 4–7
days after weaning.
• Apply 5% copper sulfate plus formalin solution at regular interval on the boar’s hoof to prevent
cracking and foot rot.
SPECIFIC SUMMARY
SOW & GILTS
• Confine the mated gilts and sows in individual pens or gestating crates. This practice favors
higher conception and farrowing rates and larger litter size.
• To ease out discomfort during hot weather, install shower or drips (head/shoulder area). Also,
install air blowers above the gestating pens to offset high humidity.
• Provide freshwater at all times and ensure that the amount of feed offered is proportionate to
each stage of the gestation period.
• Observe body development such that thin sows should be given more feed and less feed for fat
sows. A good feeding regimen should give a minimum average birth weight of 1.35 kg. This will
ensure better survival, lesser mortality, and good weaning weights.
• Thoroughly clean the sows with soap and water before transferring them to the farrowing
crates. Administer dewormers and medicated feed during this period.
• Transfer the pregnant sow to a clean, disinfected farrowing stall 7–14 days before the expected
due date.
• After farrowing, make sure proper materials and equipment are available and properly
disinfected before each farrowing. The needed materials/equipment include clean dry cloth,
needle teeth cutter, forceps, surgical scissors, clean suture or knitting thread, brooder with
infrared lamp or 100-watt bulb, and tincture of iodine 2% USP solution. Attend to every
farrowing. Sows and piglets survive better when cared for during farrowing.
• Do not feed the sow right after farrowing. She may produce milk that the newly born cannot
totally consume which may cause udder hardening. Gradually increase the feed up to where
sows can be fed (4–5 days after farrowing) ad libitum up to weaning. Feed lactating sows
appropriately to maintain good body condition and ensure early return to estrous after
weaning. Ideal body condition scores for sows is 3 and 4.
PIGLETS
• Right after birth, the navel cord may be cut at 5–6 cm from the body. Dip the stub into a tincture
of iodine (2% USP solution). The navel cord is a good opening for bacterial entry, which could
result in joint problems and other abscesses. If excessive bleeding occurs from the navel, tie the
navel cord with a suture thread or knitting thread previously immersed in iodine 4 cm from the
base of the navel.
• Clip the piglet’s eight sharp needle teeth to prevent injuries to the sow’s udder and lacerations
to the piglets when they fight for a teat. A pair of needle teeth cutter works best,but a small side
cutting pliers may also be used as clipper. Remove about half of each tooth, taking care not to
injure the gums. Clean and disinfect the clippers after working with each piglet.
• Be sure that the piglets suckle colostrum, the first milk of the sow produced after farrowing.
Colostrum contains high Protein (albumins and globulins), vitamins, and minerals; But it is low in
sugar and fats. It supplies antibodies to piglets and helps in the establishment of intestinal
functions. Assist small and weak pigs. Suckling stimulates the release of oxytocin, thus hasten
farrowing. It also stimulates milk secretion.
• Ear notch and identify the piglets for record-keeping purposes.
• Place the piglets in a warm brooder box. The baby pigs’ ability to regulate their own body
temperature increases slowly from birth to seven days; hence, their need for extra warmth.
• Adjust the size of the litter to the number of functional teats or the nursing ability of the sow.
Divide the pigs into two batches during the feeding time or transfer excess pigs to a foster sow,
which has produced a smaller litter of similar age. Fostering should be done within 48 hours of
birth.
• Keep the piglets and the farrowing crate clean and dry at all times. When sows pant during hot
weather, apply wet cloth or cold water to their heads and necks. Always keep the sows and the
piglets comfortable.
• Inject 2 cc iron preparation to 2- to 3-day-old piglets. It is safer to inject at the neck muscle to
prevent residual stains in the ham muscle. Iron stains can be visible in ham meat at slaughter
when injection is improperly done.
• Start feeding the piglets on the fifth day. This is a good support to young pigs’ nutrition,
especially when sows have large litters.
• Piglets are more susceptible at 1–4 days old, at three weeks old, and at weaning. Lower disease
resistance of piglets is at three weeks old; thus, avoid unnecessary stress like castration,
vaccination, and deworming at this time. Oral preparations may be given to prevent scouring.
• Provide a dry, warm, draft-free environment to reduce scours.
• Castrate the pigs intended for meat at five days of age. At this stage, pigs can easily be handled;
operation is easy; and the healing of the wound is faster. But, do not wean, immunize, and
castrate the piglets at the same time to prevent stress. Allow 5– to 7–day intervals between any
two of these practices.
• Wean the piglets at around 28 days (about 7.5 kg in weight).Newly weaned piglets are
susceptible to postweaning scours. Control the feed for 48–72 hours and increase it gradually.
On the average, a piglet consumes 400 g or more of feeds after weaning. Provide clean drinking
water at all times. Wet feeding can be considered 1–5 days after weaning.
• Group the pigs according to size, especially when weaning two or more litters at the same time.
Maintain ten piglets/pen at the flat deck; 20 head/pen is the maximum limit, depending on the
size of the pen. Elevated flat deck pens promote faster growth than concrete floors. Also, add ad
libitum as the pig grow older
