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Penis sucking
This vice is nearly always seen soon after weaning. It may have a common aetiology to belly-nosing. It may lead to wet eczema of the sheath. Provision of solid floors, straw and toys are all thought to be helpful.
Urine drinking
This vice is commonly seen if there is inadequate provision of water. This may be because there are too few bowls or nipples or if there is insufficient pressure in the water supply to the nipples. The diagnosis needs to be made by careful observation. It is normally a vice of newly weaned pigs but can be seen in fattening pigs of any age.
Wall licking
There may be a possible link with several types of abnormal behaviour, often termed vices, to a diet low in salt. Ideally the diet should have 0.9% w/w NaCl. Provided there is an adequate supply of water, pigs can easily tolerate well above 1% w/w NaCl in their diet.
Animal Husbandry Procedures to Help Disease Control
‘All-in, all-out’
Ideally this should apply to the whole farm. However, it may still be helpful by building, but is it is unlikely to be helpful just by pen. It must be strictly applied. There must be no half measures. ‘All-in all-out’ means just that.
Strict cleaning and disinfection procedures
These are vital in any system but particularly in an ‘all-in all-out’ system. Hygiene standards are absolutely critical. Pens should be wet down with detergent and left as long as possible to soak. ALL of the accessible organic material must be power-washed off. Then the whole pen must be disinfected with a suitable farm disinfectant used at the correct dilution as per instructions. The whole pen ideally should be dried first with a flame thrower and then with air movement. Microorganisms need water to survive, so drying is vital.
Limit the mixing of pigs
It is best to try to maintain pig groups from weaning right through to slaughter. Mixing pigs increases pig-to-pig contact and places pigs under stress. Both these factors increase the prevalence of disease.
Farrowing
Colostral immunity is very important. It is vital that piglets receive sufficient colostral uptake within the first 6 h. Colostrum intake should continue during the next 18 h. Cross-fostering should cease after 24 h as then there is a danger of a further spread of microorganisms. Ideally the immunity status of a group of piglets is fixed after 24 h. In many instances teeth clipping is unnecessary. It is vital to keep clippers as sterile as possible. Ideally several pairs should be on the go at any one time, so that the spare pairs can be stored in disinfectant. Needles for iron injections and any vaccinations should be regularly changed. One per litter should be considered as a minimum. Sows/gilts should be given a good wash and treated for parasites before entering the farrowing house. Parasitic burdens in the sow result in the animal becoming disadvantaged or in poor condition. In this state its colostrum levels might be compromised, having a detrimental effect on the piglets.
Partitions and pen size
All partitions between pens should be solid. Open partitions allow pig-to-pig contact, which allows the spread of disease. Nose-to-nose contact between pigs in different batches should be avoided at all costs. Lower stocking densities help reduce stress for the pigs, which in turn will increase health levels. Weaners should be no closer than three pigs per square metre, i.e. 0.6 m2 per pig. Growers and finishers should be allowed 3.75 m per pig. Pen size groups should ideally be a whole litter, i.e. 13 pigs per pen. Pigs should have plenty of room to access feeders. Greater access lowers the need to fight for food and therefore lowers stress levels. Chilling also causes stress so temperatures should vary as little as possible.
Removal of pigs
Sick pigs should be removed promptly. The longer sick pigs are left in the pen, the greater the likelihood that other pigs in the pen will become sick. There should be a formalized sick-pig policy. It should be in writing and strictly adhered to. It should be clear when a pig should be euthanased or how long it will be given to recover. There is nothing more demoralizing than sick pigs not recovering. Guidelines should be clear, so that sick pigs will be destroyed before welfare is an issue. This will be good for staff morale. Dead pigs should be removed promptly to a remote area of the farm and then covered with straw pending disposal. The sight of dead pigs is very disturbing for staff and will not help morale. They act as a constant reminder of the problems.
Air quality
Air quality is important for welfare and to reduce the development of respiratory disease. NH3 levels should be <10 ppm. CO2 levels should be <0.15% w/w. Improving air flow within a building will help to reduce toxic gases. This will reduce stress on the respiratory system.
Broken Needle Policy
Introduction
Broken needles are rare, particularly if the correct length and gauge are used. The length required is not only dependent on the size of pig but also whether the injection has to go subcutaneously (sc), intramuscularly (im) or intravenously (iv). Obviously long needles are more likely to break than shorter needles. Breakage may occur mid-shaft or at the end near to the syringe. Breakage can occur in disposable syringes actually where the needle fits on to the syringe. When injecting adults or large pigs, pig keepers and practitioners are urged to use non-disposable syringes with a luer-lock fitting. The gauge of the needle will depend not only on the size of pig but also the viscosity of the fluid for injection. Long-acting preparations are notoriously viscous.
Length of needle
For adults and large pigs when injecting im a 4 cm needle is required. Weaners when injected im will require a 2.5 cm needle and piglets will require a 1 cm needle. For sub-cutaneous injection, e.g. when giving local anaesthetic above the mammary gland for a Caesarean section, a 5 cm needle will be useful so that it can be advanced slowly injecting local anaesthetic continuously up to its full length. This avoids repeated skin injections. For blood testing adults a 5 cm needle will be required for the jugular but a 2 cm needle will be more appropriate for an ear vein.
Gauge of needle
These are often colour coded. For a viscous liquid to be given im to an adult sow with some speed, a 14 gauge (orange) is useful. Often a 16 gauge (grey) is sufficient. For quiet sows or gilts an 18 gauge (pink) is adequate, particularly if the liquid is free flowing. For weaner pigs a 19 gauge (yellow) should be used. For piglets if the fluid is viscous a 21 gauge (green) is required, but if the liquid is free flowing a 23 gauge (blue) will be fine. For blood testing sows a 19 gauge (pink) should be used into the jugular but a 21 gauge (green) should be used in the ear vein. For blood testing gilts or weaners into the vena cava a 19 gauge (yellow) should be used. A 23 gauge (blue) will be adequate into the ear vein.
Needle breaks
If the metal piece is still visible:
• Restrain the pig immediately with a nose snare and remove the broken needle. Ideally a large pair of artery forceps should