Dl6—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 20,1980
How
LANCASTER - When
baby pigs are weak, herd
managers often conclude
they were born that wa>. But
it could be that they aren’t
getting enough milk.
More often than not
they’re getting some, but not
what they need for proper
growth and vigor When this
happens, the real reason
could be a lactation problem
in the sow.
Sows and gilts that stop
milking during the
very early stages of lac
tation cause the swine
manager real headaches
About 13 percent of a
breeding herd may do this
during a farrowing period.
Their disease is call MMA
(mastitis, metritis,
agalactia).
Signs of the disease aren’t
limited to milk loss or
decline, says University of
Delaware extension
livestock specialist Richard
Fowler. Affected animals
exhibit loss of appetite, fast
breathing, fever, slowness in
moving about, low feces
output and hard feces
Restlessness m their off
spring may indicate hunger.
Discharge from the
reproduction tract is not an
indication of the disease,
since many sows exhibit this
without any effect on milk
production.
The mammary glands of
affected animals are
fequently enlarged, firm and
hot. These symptoms may
mvolve part or all of a sow’s
udder
Normal lactation depends
on a sequence of events,
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to treat non-milking sows
beginning with the
production and release of
several hormones. Anything
that changes the production
and release of these hor
mones will interfere with
milk supply
Environmental stress,
poor nutrition and/or bac
teria can interrupt milk
production.
Stressful situations that
can cause milk problems
include overfeeding prior to
farrowing, penning gilts in a
farrowing crate for the first
tune, high environmental
temperature, and use of a
new farrowing unit for the
first tune.
Three days before
farrowing, the sow or gilt
should be fed a laxative diet
aimed at keeping her
hungry, says Fowler, though
it’s hard to find a sow that’s
not hungry under any cir
cumstances
The amount of feed given
should be limited to about
four pounds. With thin sows
or m cold weather you may
increase the ration by one or
two pounds. Feed one
tablespoon of epsom salts at
the time the sow is put m the
farrowing crate.
Maintain a laxative diet by
feeding one pound of bran
daily along with the regular
ration.
Gilts that are placed in
farrowing crates for the first
time undergo stress,
especially if they’ve been m
an outside gestation lot. To
settle them in their new
environment, pen gilts in the
evening aril then feed them
Sows and jilts going into new
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lacihties should have four or
five days to adjust before
farrowing. Avoid fighting a
sow to get her into the crate
Genetics may play a role
in the incidence of MMA,
says Fowler Individuals and
lines of pigs that are
susceptible to stress seem to
have more milking
problems Retain sows that
are good mothers and cull
those that are nervous and
poor-millang. The sow or gilt
that gets MMA may or may
not get it again The cause of
the disease will have a
definite effect on its
recurrence.
Early treatment is usually
effective. Oxytocin injection
is the preferred treatment
Injections can be given
every two to four hours (In
eases where the mammary
glands become non
functional. these injections
will have no effect)
Hay and straw
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The
latest edition of the
Maryland Department of
Agriculture's Hay and Straw
Directory is now off the
press and available free to
anyone interested in on-farm
sources of hay and straw for
livestock, landscaping,
gardening and construction
uses.
According to MDA
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Showroom
In addition, large doses of
antibiotic help to reduce the
potential for bacterial in
fections.
Preventing MMA is the
key to improving weaning
averages. Look for ways to
reduce stress. Preventing
high noise levels and un
necessary schedule changes
may help. Avoid high
temperatures around the
sow
Her comfort zone is 65 to 70
degrees F. Baby pigs require
temperatures 20 to 25
degrees higher.
Careful placement of zone
heaters for them can keep
the sow from getting
overheated.
Gestation feeding must be
regulated according to sow
condition
Avoid overfeeding or
underfeeding MMA can be
controlled through good
management
various types of hay and
straw for sale Price is not
listed as this is a matter
between buyer and seller
If you would like a copy
visit the nearest Maryland
County Extension Service
office or send a postcard
with your name and com
plete mailing address to
Maryland Department of
Agriculture, “Hay &Straw,”
Parole Plaza Office
Building, Annapolis, MD
21401
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