P 24 —Lancaster Pairing, Saturday, February 7,1981
Comfort spells survival
for newborn pigs
NEWARK, Del Comfort
means survival for the newborn
pig. Without proper management
of its environment, its chances of
developing into a healthy market
hog aren’t good, says University of
Delaware extehsion livestock
specialist Dick Fowler.
Many types of farrowing
systems are used for swine from
the woodlot or field where the sow
builds a nest, to the slatted-flooi
confinement unit with en
vironmental conn ol Good
management is required for all
systems But nowhere else in hog
production are management skills
as critical as they are in the
farrowing house.
During the first few days of its
life, the baby pig needs a clean dry
draft-free environment with clean
air and a temperature of 85-90 F.
The sow prefers temperatures of
60-75 F. But she’ll adjust to the
environment her pigs require
better than they’ll adjust to hers
Their needs can rarely be
compromised without causing
some stress, says Fowler. And
preventing stress is a function of
management
Good managemenet starts with a
clean farrowing area. All organic
matter should be removed and the
facility should be disinfected and
dry when the sow enters it
Maintain solid floors by using
bedding that is replaced when it
gets wet, or use slatted floors
Floor surfaces should be smooth to
avoid knee and foot abrasions
Eliminate stress-causing drafts
by using solid pen partitions and
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solid flooring where the young pigs
sleep. A separate area with zone
heat keeps baby pigs away from
the sow except when nursing and
thus increases her comfort
Warmth and light usually will
attract pigs away from her, says
Fowler
The temperature m the baby pig
area should be F during the
first three days A hover can help
maintain the temperature in this
xange
..(.o 1 at your pigs for signs of
environmental stress Animals
that huddle and shiver are not
comfortable When they spread out
under the heat source it’s a sign
comfortable conditions exist.
Dry conditions are also im
portant, so manure must be
cleaned out daily if solid floors are
used A system that permits the
sow to leave the crate twice daily
for feed and water helps to reduce
messy pens. Slope solids floors
inch per foot for proper drainage.
The newborn pig has a very
ineffective temperature con
trolling mechanism. Sixty-five
percent of all post-farrowing
deaths occur before the litter is
four days old.
A farrowing house environment
that prevents chilling will
significantly reduce early pig
losses.
If the swine unit operator
wouldn’t be warm enough in a
swimsuit while lying on the
farrowing house floor, he can’t
expect his newborn pigs to be
comfortable there either.
S' V
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