Question #1

What is your advice for gilts after breeding through artificial insemination?

Answer #1

First, do not transfer or move the gilt to other pens within 8 hours after breeding to prevent the backflow of semen. Then feed the gilt with 1.5 to 2 kgs of gestating/brood sow feeds per day until they reach 30 days pregnant. Overfeeding during the first month of gestation may cause resorption and death of embryos.  

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Question #2

What will happen if the feed has excess protein?

Answer #2

It depend on the age of the pig. For piglets, excess protein may cause diarrhea. For growing and fattening stage, excess undigested protein may produce ammonia and may also cause loose bowel. For sows, it may not cause digestive problems, but excess protein will be wasted and may be excreted only in the feces.

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Question #3

What vaccines can be given to 15 days old piglets?

Answer #3

Mycoplasma vaccines (Respisure One) is normally given to 7 to 14 days old piglets to prevent enzootic pneumonia. Enzootic pneumonia can set in as early as 21 days old from birth. Hog cholera vaccines (Pestivac or Coglapest) is usually given to piglets at 42 days okd to 49 days old if the sow was vaccinated with hog cholera before breeding. If the sow was not vaccinated, you can give hog cholera vaccine to piglets as early as 4 weeks after birth.

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Question #4

Is it okay to give heat inducer like Synchrovet after weaning sows to make sure they will come to heat within 7 days and s othey can produce many piglets?

Answer #4

Usually, we give heat inducer to sows with history of anestrous within 7 days after weaning. Also to gilts with history anestrus at the age of 8 months or more. But for weaned sows with good body condition after weaning, they can come to heat within 7 days even without heat inducer. You may use a teaser boar and 8 out of 10 dry sows can come to heat. But after 7 days, all those who did not come to heat you may induce them using hormones. 

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Question #5

Can I still give parvovirus vaccine and hog cholera vaccine to my pregnant sow? It is in her 3rd parity now, and she was not given any parvovirus vaccine or hog cholera vaccines before. 

Answer #5

I advise that you do not give Parvovirus vaccine if the sow is already pregnant. But you may give hog cholera vaccine 2 to 4 weeks before farrowing. The reason is that Parvovirus vaccine may not give protection for the piglets inside during the last month of pregnancy because piglets inside can already develop immunity. But if you give parvovirus during the first two moths of pregnancy, it may cause stress to the pregnant sow that may lead to resorption or death of fetus.

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Question #6

I have a 2 month old piglet. It has a recurring cough and It was not vaccinated before. What should I do and what medicine can I give to lessen the cough?

                                                                            – Sonny Delfino

Answer #6

There are a lot of bacteria that may cause coughing and respiratory problems. These include Mycoplasma, Pasteurella, Bordetella, Actinobacillus and Haemophilus. For bacteria, you can mix antibiotics in feed if the pig is eating well. These include tiamulin, florphenicol or enrofloxacin. But if the pig is inappetent, you can give injectable antibiotics. Also to lessen the cough, you may also give bromhexine either in feed medication or injectable. 

For prevention, you can give Mycoplasma vaccine to piglets at 7 days old.

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Question #7

What causes the itching in pigs and how do we treat it? The skin wound seems to be bitten by big flies. Pigs usually rub their body on the wall or sidings of the pen.                                                                           – Elizalde Trijo 

Answer #7

The itch is probably due to mange infections on the skin. Mange are small insects that feeds on the skin of pigs. They usually hide inside the pig’s ear because spray or  injectable endectocide normally do not reach that part of the pig’s body. Typhoon may cause a lot of stress to pigs, that’s why these parasites can easily proliferate because of the pig’s poor immune system. You can give injectable Ivermectin to kill the parasites on the skin. Also open wounds can be treated with povidone Iodine. Injectable antibiotics like amoxicillin can help the skin wounds to heal faster. 

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