06—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 10,1980
An eight-point program of
good management can help
prevent tail biting, a con
stant potential problem in
today’s swine operations.
Tail biting tends to be
somewhat seasonal, oc
curring most often when the
poorest tlunate conditions
prevail and when ventilation
in confinement facilities is
the poorest.
James D. Hedges,
manager of swine research
for the Wayne Feed Division
of Allied Mills, Inc.,
recommends that producers
take these eight preventive
steps:
Clip off the tails at birth.
Stmt with clean facilities.
Provide a balanced ration.
Worm all pigs, whether on
soil or not.
Group pigs of the same
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Program outlined to prevent swine tail biting
size together, allowing a
minimum of eight square
feet per pig at market
weight.
Keep the sleeping area
free of dampness and drafts.
Be sure the ventilation
systems in confinement
houses are working well and
that the air at the floor level
is not stale.
Watch closely for signs of
nervousness, irritability,
discomfort or actual
chewing.
The symptoms, whether
they mclude tail biting, ear
chewing, fighting or just
restlessness, usually stem
from the following con
ditions:
Subchnical disease
problems; overcrowding m
the pen; discomfort due to
dampness or drafts; too
little feeder or water space
per pig.
Also, slick or wet floors, so
that pigs cannot move
easily; stale air with high
levels of ammonia and
carbon dioxide gases; and
poor nutrition due to im
proper mixing of con
centrates or improper use of
complete feeds.
The exact cause of tail
biting is not know, Hedges
explains. However, in many
cases, it is an indication of
bacterial buildup. The hogs
may not be sick enough for a
disease to be obvious to the
producer. But there may be
enough of a disease problem
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to cause irritability and
stress.
Stress can result in an
electrolyte imbalance.
Hedges says. The
predominant electrolytes
are sodium and potassium,
and, to a lesser extent,
chloride ions.
Thus, it’s a combination of
low grade infection, elec
trolyte imbalance, en
vironmental changes and
management practices that
can lead to the tail bitmg
problem. Once u occurs,
Hedges recommends
treating it in the following
ways:
Use a high level of
• m w
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medication in the feed.
Add an electrolyte mix of*
minerals and vitamins to the
feed for two weeks.
Temporarily add 100 lb. of
alfalfa per ton of feed.
Water medicate with a
broad antibiotic.
Provide iron orally to give
a different taste and to
distract from tail bitmg.
Watch for tail biters and
separate them Usually,
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these are small gilts.
Treat the wounded areas
on the pigs to prevent in
fection.
The high level of an
tibiotics will eliminate the
potential bacteria problems,
Hedges notes.. The elec
trolyte mix and alfalfa will
add potassium and help
restore electrolyte balance.
Alfalfa should also change
the tase of the feed slightly.
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