Before the arrival of new piglets from pregnant sow all arrangements should be made to care for rejected or orphaned piglets, fostering and hand-rearing. Among other specific management and treatments;
• The farrowing pen must be designed so that the sow can’t lie on top of the piglets.
• Newborn piglets are very sensitive to cold, draughts, wet bedding and floors, and sudden temperature changes. All precautions must be taken to make sure the environment is regulated.
• Make sure that piglets suckle a teat immediately after birth to take in colostrum. This is the first milk produced by the sow which protects piglets against diseases.
• If a sow has more piglets than teats, move the piglets to another sow with fewer piglets – on the condition that piglets of both sows are born within a few days of each other if not on same day.
Read HOW TO ELIMINATE ODOR IN PIG FARM
Umbilical cord treatment
Disinfect after birth with an iodine solution or any other suitable disinfectant so as to prevent infection.
Tusk clipping
Piglets have very sharp temporary tusk-like teeth at birth. Use a tusk clipper to clip these to prevent injuries to the teats during suckling. Do not clip the teeth too close to the gums to avoiding bleeding and other diseases.
Iron injections
Piglets and pigs reared on extensive system roll about in soil or mud where they ‘pick up’ iron. For piglets reared on concrete floors intensively, the sow’s milk has insufficient iron and they need iron injections at three to seven days to prevent them from becoming anaemic, with consequent poor appetite and loss of growth.
Dealing with tail and ear biting
Cold, draughts, concrete floors without bedding, not enough eating space and poor ventilation all cause stress in pigs which can lead to them biting each other’s tails.
Pigs with injured tails grow slower and may even die if the injuries are severe. Remove them from the pen, disinfect the wounds and treat them with an antibiotic.
Hand-rearing pigs
This is done for piglets whose mothers died immediately after birth or dams not lactating or piglets rejected by the mother (common with first time mothers)
If there is no foster-sow, rejected a piglets can be hand-reared using one of the first two milk mixtures with piglets enhancer (compulsory)
i. 2,5l fresh cow’s milk, 150ml fresh cream, 125ml glucose, 1 beaten egg.
ii. 4,5l fresh cow’s milk and 0,5l cream.
iii. 2.5ml piglets enhancer every 5days(compulsory)
Feed the piglets small quantities every two to three hours. Start with 50ml at a time and make sure each piglet takes in 350ml a day. Gradually increase the amount to about 100ml at a time so that the piglets get 750ml at three weeks.
Read also;
HOW TO BE A GOOD POULTRY FARMER
HOW TO MINIMIZE MORTALITY IN POULTRY PRODUCTION
WHY MOST FARMERS FAIL
Follow us by clicking on the 3 parallel lines at the top right corner of this page on your device
• The farrowing pen must be designed so that the sow can’t lie on top of the piglets.
• Newborn piglets are very sensitive to cold, draughts, wet bedding and floors, and sudden temperature changes. All precautions must be taken to make sure the environment is regulated.
• Make sure that piglets suckle a teat immediately after birth to take in colostrum. This is the first milk produced by the sow which protects piglets against diseases.
• If a sow has more piglets than teats, move the piglets to another sow with fewer piglets – on the condition that piglets of both sows are born within a few days of each other if not on same day.
 |
| Tusk clipping |
 |
| Giving iron injection |
Read HOW TO ELIMINATE ODOR IN PIG FARM
Umbilical cord treatment
Disinfect after birth with an iodine solution or any other suitable disinfectant so as to prevent infection.
Tusk clipping
Piglets have very sharp temporary tusk-like teeth at birth. Use a tusk clipper to clip these to prevent injuries to the teats during suckling. Do not clip the teeth too close to the gums to avoiding bleeding and other diseases.
Iron injections
Piglets and pigs reared on extensive system roll about in soil or mud where they ‘pick up’ iron. For piglets reared on concrete floors intensively, the sow’s milk has insufficient iron and they need iron injections at three to seven days to prevent them from becoming anaemic, with consequent poor appetite and loss of growth.
Dealing with tail and ear biting
Cold, draughts, concrete floors without bedding, not enough eating space and poor ventilation all cause stress in pigs which can lead to them biting each other’s tails.
Pigs with injured tails grow slower and may even die if the injuries are severe. Remove them from the pen, disinfect the wounds and treat them with an antibiotic.
 |
| Feeding rejected or orphaned piglet |
Hand-rearing pigs
This is done for piglets whose mothers died immediately after birth or dams not lactating or piglets rejected by the mother (common with first time mothers)
If there is no foster-sow, rejected a piglets can be hand-reared using one of the first two milk mixtures with piglets enhancer (compulsory)
i. 2,5l fresh cow’s milk, 150ml fresh cream, 125ml glucose, 1 beaten egg.
ii. 4,5l fresh cow’s milk and 0,5l cream.
iii. 2.5ml piglets enhancer every 5days(compulsory)
Feed the piglets small quantities every two to three hours. Start with 50ml at a time and make sure each piglet takes in 350ml a day. Gradually increase the amount to about 100ml at a time so that the piglets get 750ml at three weeks.
Read also;
HOW TO BE A GOOD POULTRY FARMER
HOW TO MINIMIZE MORTALITY IN POULTRY PRODUCTION
WHY MOST FARMERS FAIL
Follow us by clicking on the 3 parallel lines at the top right corner of this page on your device
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