P4—Uncittw Fanning, Saturday, November 12,1983
Newly
NEWARK, DE Load a pig on a
truck with 90 or 40 of his buddies
and send him down the road. Put
him in a sale barn. Deprive him of
feed and water. Put him back on a
truck...with even more pigs, but
from a different farm. Then put
him in a strong environment with
still more pigs, and expect him to
perform.
“Anybody buying or selling
feeder pigs is aware of feeder pig
stress and has to deal with it on a
regular basis,” says University of
Delaware extension livestock
specialist Dr. Ken Kephart.
Researchers at several Mid
western universities have been
taking a hard lode at this problem,
he says.
A summary of results from these
studies was published recently by
the National Pork Producers
Council. Kephart has highlighted
some of the findings for the
benefits of area pork producers.
Transport and Fasting. The
detrimental effects of transport
appear to be temporary, the
specialist says. Studies at both
Missouri and Purdue indicate that
transporting pigs and keeping
them off feed and water affect
performance for only the first few
weeks. In one Missouri study, pigs
were shipped to a simulated
market and handled in one of three
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ways: 1. no feed or water, 2. water
only, or 3. water and feed.
Pigs that stayed home had
similar growth rates and feed
efficiencies to those undergoing
simulated marketing conditions.
The pigs tolerated the shipping and
handling better than expected. But
in these experiments, they may not
have been exposed to all the
diseases for which auction barns
are notorious, he says.
Source of Pigs. Scientists at
Nebraska conclude that equal
performance can be expected from
either local pigs from one owner or
pigs from distant markets from
several owners. But they point out
that pigs from distant markets
require more health treatments
and have higher death losses.
Disease. The major health
problems affecting feeder pigs are
respiratory distress and diarrhea,
says Kephart. A 1972 survey of
midwestern buyers found that 85
percent of them had death losses of
4 percent or less.
Feeder Pig Shrinkage. Total
shrinkage varies. Some feeder pig
buyers report live weight
shrinkage of 15 percent during
feeder pigs
transport, while some researchers
contend it may be as little as 5.5
percent, the specilist says.
Providing feed and water to the pig
during his stay at the market
terminal was of little value in
many studies for reducing tran
sport shrinkage. And it appears
that the weight loss encountered
during the marketing process is
generally regained by the third
day.
Receiving Diets. What is the
right protein level? Should oats be
included in the ration? Should
antibiotics be fed and at what
level? Should they be in the water
or feed?
Many researchers and farmers
feel that because the newly pur
chased pig consumes less feed than
normal, he should be on a high
protein diet, Kephart says. But
there are probably Just as many
people in the industry suggesting
that a low protein diet is best.
“The fact is that we don’t know
how much protein a ration should
contain for newly purchased pigs
until more research has been
conducted,” he says.
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preventing scours is to increase
the dietary fiber-generally
through the addition of oats.
Researchers at Nebraska and
Missouri have conducted six
studies in the past three years to
determine if extra fiber is of any
benefit for the control of diarrhea.
Based on these studies it appears
that added fiber usually will delay
the onset of diarrhea and in some
cases decrease its severity, the
specialist says.
Nebraska researchers recom
mend limit feeding on the floor
twice a day for the first 7 to 10 days
to reduce the incidence of diar
rhea. An obvious advantage of this
practice is the increased daily
observation, which enables
prompter treatment of sick pigs,
he says.
Most studies indicate a benefit
from antimicrobial feed additives.
“The degree of response varies,
but pigs on antibiotics generally
scour less, grow more efficiently,
and at a faster rate,” says
Kephart. “Using a broad spectrum
product is a logical approach, but
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it’s not clear how long we should
feed the antibiotic or at what
level.”
Most people agree that a pig
under stress will drink before it
will eat. “It follows that we should
add antibiotics to the water, with
or in place of those in the feed,” he
says. “Data regarding water
medication are limited but an
tibiotics appear to be more ef
fective in the water.”
To summarize, the effects of
transportation and processing of
feeder pigs may not be as harmful
as once thought, says Kephart. But
these stresses in combination with
disease exposure may lead to more
problems than some of the
university studies show. And more
questions need to be answered in
regard to protein, fiber and an
tibiotics.
“While we wait for the answers,
remember that common sense goes a
long way,’’ he concludes. “Avoid
overcrowded trucks. Keep the pigs
comfortable during weather ex
tremes. And leave the whip in your
hip pocket.”
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V’
Route 30 West at the
Centerville Exit