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Swine or Pig Management – Part 3 of 3
| By pinoyfarmer | August 2, 2007 |  |
Wounds
Wounds
Wounds can be caused by mechanical injury and animal bites. They may become infected by bacteria.
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Prevention
- Keep the housing free of sharp objects.
Treatment
Use any of the following treatments:
For abscesses
- Boil whole plant of Spondias pinnata for 10-15 minutes. Gently rub the decoction onto area around the wound.(Philippines, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Boil the skin of a python until the oil is extracted. Let it set for about 1 hour until it becomes waxy. Then apply the decoction to the abscess to remove the pus.(Cambodia, Laos, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
To stop bleeding
- Pound the whole plant of Chromolaena odorata and squeeze extract. Apply as poultice until the bleeding stops. (Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Grind 5-10 upper leaflets of Eupatorium odoratum and mix with 1 teaspoon of salt (or urine). Apply as a poultice to the wound.(Cambodia, Laos, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Mix Eupatorium odoratum upper leaflets with alum and apply as a poultice to dry a wound.
(Thailand, 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Mix 1 part brown sugar with 1 part powdered limestone. Apply as a poultice until the bleeding stops. See Udder infection, page 69.
For oozing wounds (as astringent or disinfectant)
- Pound leaves of Chromolaena odorata and squeeze the extract. Mix 1 part water with 1 part extract. Gently apply to the wound as astringent.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Decoctions can also be made from any of these ingredients:
—banana leaves.
—neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves.
—guava (Psidium gunjava) leaves.
—turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome.
—sandalwood (Santalum album) paste.(See Wounds in Ruminants for dosage details.)
For castration wounds
See Treating castration wounds in General information.
Sprains
Sprains
Symptoms
- Animal usually lying on its side in a corner of the pen.
- Limping.
- Affected area is swollen, warm and sensitive to touch.
Sprains are common in gestating animals, animals that are overfed and in Dalland and Landrace breeds. It is a pri mary concern in breeding or other valuable animals, espe cially gilts being bred for the first time.
Causes
The following conditions may cause the animal to slip and suffer a sprain.
- Overfeeding, making the animal heavy.
- Uneven ground of the pen.
- Use of large boars for breeding gilts.
Prevention
- Level the floor of the pen.
- Provide ample space for the animal.
- Avoid smooth, slippery flooring.
- Prevent animals from becoming too heavy (especially breeding animals).
- Treatment
Use any of the following treatments to sedate the pig, so the animal will not move, thus allowing the sprain to heal. If the sprain has not improved within 1 week, consider calling a professional (local expert, respected healer or veterinarian).
- Boil a handful of mature, air-dried Gliricidia septum leaves, bark or roots in 1 liter of water for 15-20 minutes. Divide the resulting liquid into 3 parts. Give 1 part each day for 3 days as a drench.
(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
- Boil a handful of air-dried, mature Mimosa pudica leaves, bark or roots in 1 liter water for 15-20 minutes. Strain and divide the resulting liquid into 3 doses. Give 1 dose per day as a drench. Caution Mimosa pudica contains mimosine, which can poison the animal; use only the recommended amount.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
– Soak overnight a handful of mature, air-dried Glycine max (soybeans) in 500 ml of water. On the following day, strain and give the liquid as a drench.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Housing
Pigs need protection from extreme cold and heat. They are housed in many different ways, depending upon the local practices.
Low-cost housing materials If possible, pig pens should be built on higher ground, preferably near water sources. Orient the house in an eastwest direction. This orientation keeps the floor of the pen dry by allowing the sun to dry the pen floor as the sun crosses the sky during the day.
Roofing materials
- Bamboo.
- Coconut leaves.
- Wooden tiles (layered).
- Cogon (Imperata cylindrica) grass.
- Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer) palm leaves.
Sidings/wall materials
- Bamboo.
- Wood planks.
- Stones.
- Nipa (Nypa fruticans) palm leaves.
- Old galvanized iron sheets.
- Betel nut leaves.
- Other locally available thatching materials.
Shelter your pigs under storage sheds. This cuts construction costs and makes good use of space.
In Thailand, some farmers build open shelters with special ventilated roofs.
A space separates the inner roof, which has an open peak, from the outer roof
You can house pigs under your poultry. Pigs will eat chicken manure and, if you have a nearby pond, your fish will eat any nutritious runoff.
Farmers in some parts of the Philippines build open pens with thatched bamboo shades. The pigs have a cool place to rest and an open area in which to eat, defecate and roam.
Try tethering your pigs to a stake, within reach of drinking water and a cool wallowing hole.
In Thailand, farmers build back-to-back shelters of thatched bamboo and fencing.
To give your pig room to roam, tether it on a wire or cord stretched between two wooden stakes. When the forage is eaten away, the stakes. can he moved.
Feeding
Good feed is necessary for growth, body maintenance and the production of meat and milk.
Stores sell pre-mixed rations that have the right amounts of ingredients for pigs of various ages. However, these pre-mixed feeds can be expensive. Instead, you can use locally available feeds that are less expensive, but can be nutritionally complete when properly prepared. In fact, pigs can be fed well, using only kitchen scraps from a family’s household.
The nutritional needs of pigs can be divided into six categories or classes. These are water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Water
Pigs should have free and convenient access to water. The amount required varies with age, type of feed and environmental temperature. Normally, pigs will consume 25 kg of water per kg of dry feed. The range may be from 7 to 20 liters of water per 100 kg of body weight daily.
Water sources
- Banana trunks.
- Leaves of Ipomoea batatas, Ipomoea aquatica.
- Rind of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus).
Low-cost, locally available feeds
Protein-rich feeds
Help an animal grow faster, give more milk. Also give to pregnant animals.
Plant sources
- Grated coconuts.
- Leucaena leucocephala leaves.
- Gliricidia septum leaves.
- Beans.
- Moringa oleifera leaves.
- Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan).
- Groundnut cake (leftover after oil extraction).
- Seed skins of mung bean sprouts.
- Waste of soybean cake (liquid).
- Rice bran.
Animal sources
- Fish rejects.
- Frogs.
- Shrimps.
- Snails.
- Earthworms.
- Maggots, grubs, other insects.
- Crabs (from the rice field).
Carbohydrate sources
| Scientific name | Common name | Parts used |
| Colocasia esculenta | Taro | Corm |
| Dioscorea alata | Greater yam | Tuber |
| Dioscorea esculenta | Lesser yam | Tuber |
| Ipomoea batatas | Sweet potato | Root |
| Manihot esculenta | Cassava | Root |
| Maranta arudinacea | Arrowroot | Root |
| Oryza sativa | Rice | Bran |
| Zea mays | Maize | Grain |
Vitamin and mineral sources
- Pounded bones.
- Leaves of Moringa oleifera.
- Salt.
- Molasses.
- Fruit rejects/peelings.
- Ipomaea aquatica.
- Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes).
- Green and leaf; vegetables stables.
Pigs will eat insects and kitchen waste. Some farmers in the Philippines trap termites and feed them to their pigs. A wooden box is left on top of a termite mound. From time to time termites are shaken out of the box directly into the pig trough. A split bamboo duct can be used to send kitchen waste—first rinse only, without soap—to your pig trough.
A piglet feeding trough can be made by cutting a car tire in half along its circumference.
Or, a piglet feeding trough can be made from split bamboo.
A good trough can be made by hollowing out a section of log.
Old cooking pots make good feeding troughs.
A variety of feeding troughs can be made easily with lumber.
Breeding
Heat detection
Common signs of heat
- The sow’s vulva is flushed (reddish) and swollen two or three days before standing heat.
- The vaginal discharge is watery.
- The vaginal discharge is watery.
- The sow is restless.
- As the sow comes into heat, she will mount other pigs or will allow other pigs to mount her. She will move away unless she is in full “standing heat”.
- The sow stands still when she feels pressure on her back.
Heat lasts about 24 hours. After that, the sow will not stand still for the boar. Some sows bleed from their vulva following a heat Period.
How to induce heat
After farrowing, a sow may be slow to come into heat Here are a few methods used by farmers to induce heat.
- Gently stroke the sow’s vagina with a freshly cut papaya stalk every morning for 3-5 days.
- Spray the sow’s (or gilt’s) pen with boar urine every morning for 3-5 days.
- Grind 1 kg of fresh or dried lotus (Semen nelumbinis) seeds. Mix with 20 kg of dry feed. Feed to the sow twice a day for 5-7 days.
- Bring the sow to the boar, or place the sow in a pen next to the boar.
Mating
During her 24-hour heat period, a sow should be mated 2 times at approximately 12-hour intervals. Do not mate animals during the hot time of day.
Assistance
Young boars may need assistance in lining up their mate. Make sure your hands and wrists are clean and your fingernails are trimmed.
Pigs mate slowly. The boar may take a minute or more to reach the point of ejaculation.
To improve conception
- Crush 1 kg of Semen nelumbinis (lotus) seed and mix with the sow’s feed. Give 2 times per day for 3-5 days.
- Fat sows may have difficulty conceiving. Therefore, if a sow is too fat, reduce her feed.
Reasons for not conceiving
- The sow is too fat.
- It is the animal’s first heat cycle.
- The boar is too young.
- The boar is overworked (used for more than five matings a week).
Pregnancy detection
If a sow does not show signs of heat three weeks after mating, then it is very likely that she is pregnant.
Care during pregnancy
- Separate pregnant sows from other animals.
- Protect pregnant sows from high temperatures.
- Do not transport a pregnant sow.
- Until the final stages of pregnancy, exercise is good for pregnant sows. Give the sow space to walk in.
Feed for pregnant sows
- Provide a good supply of clean drinking water.
- If you are feeding a concentrate ration, gradually reduce the ration one week before farrowing.
- Make green forage available to the pregnant sow.
- Throughout the pregnancy, feed pregnant sows rice water (the water left after cooking rice).
(Thailand. 1, 2)
- Add Amaranthus gracilis and Amararanthus spinosus to the pregnant sow’s feed. Feed a ration of 2 percent of the sow’s body weight per day throughout pregnancy.(Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Feed the fresh leaves and stems of water spinach or swamp cabbage (Ipomoea aquatica) daily to pregnant sows. (Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Feed sows a soup made of rice and one eel once each day for 7 days before birth. This is said to make farrowing easier. (Cambodia. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Feed 3 to 5 lombrice (round earthworms) every day throughout pregnancy. Earthworms are a good source of protein. Some farmers also think that the earthworm’s long, thin shape helps ease the birthing process. (Cambodia. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- If the sow is constipated during pregnancy, feed large amounts of rice bran or sweet potato leaves as a laxative. See Constipation, page 13.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Farrowing
A sow needs a special place for farrowing (birthing). One week before the animal is expected to farrow, put it in the farrowing pen so it can adjust to the area. Provide a separate farrowing pen for each animal.
A farrowing pen should be 2 m by 2.5 m in size. The pen should have piglet guard rails along the sides. These can be planks or poles 20 to 25 cm off the floor, reaching about 30 cm from the walls. Guard rails will help prevent piglets from being crushed by the sow.
- Disinfect the farrowing each time before it is used. To disinfect, pour boiling water over the entire pen.
- Allow proper ventilation in the pen, but make sure there are no drafts or winds.
- Keep the birthing area clean and dry.
- Provide sufficient drinking water.
- Scrub the whole body of the sow with clean water and a clean cloth. One day before farrowing, brush the animal to remove external parasites. This will help protect the piglets from parasites.
If no special pen is provided, the sow will follow her mothering instincts and prepare her own farrowing area. She will dig a shallow pit in the ground as a farrowing place.
In tribal areas of northern Thailand, it is seen as bad luck for a sow to farrow inside the village. In such cases, the sow and piglets are killed. To avoid this, sows are encouraged to farrow in an area outside the village.
Pigs should have a place to go where they are protected from the elements. A simple open shelter can be constructed from sticks and thatch.
Bedding materials commonly used
- Chopped hay or straw.
- Coarse sawdust.
- Dried banana leaves.
- Jute or burlap sacks.
- Newspaper.
Birthing In a normal birth, piglets begin arriving within 30 minutes of the first labor signs. Normally, they are born at intervals of 10 to 15 minutes. All piglets are usually born within 3 hours. The placenta (afterbirth) should follow within 20 to 30 minutes.
Symptoms of birthing difficulties
- The sow makes an effort to expel the piglets, but no piglet will come out.
Cause
- Hard stool is putting pressure on the birth canal.
- Piglet is in an abnormal position.
- Sow is too fat and has a narrow birth canal.
Prevention Ensuring that the animal is in good condition is the best way to avoid problems at farrowing time. See the section on Feed for pregnant sows, page 59.
What to do if a piglet is stuck
If a piglet is stuck in the birth canal, you will have to help. First, trim your fingernails, wash your hands and arms well with soap and apply a lubricant of vegetable oil. Gently slide your hand into the sow’s vagina and feel for the piglet.
- If it is a large piglet, pull it gently but firmly in time with the sow’s pushing.
- If the piglet is stuck sideways, push it back in and try to turn it so it comes out straight (head first or hind first).
- If you cannot correct the problem, call a professional (a local expert, respected healer or veterinarian).
Retained placenta
Sometimes, the placenta will stay inside the sow after farrowing. If this happens you can try one of the simple treatments below. See also the section on Pregnancy and birthing in Ruminants for more remedies.
- Grind together 7 dry garlic cloves, 7 dry black pepper seeds, 7 slices (5 mm thick) of fresh ginger rhizome and 7 upper leaflets of 7 cotton plants. Grind the ingredients together in 1/2 cup of whisky (do not strain) and give as a drench. If 1 drench does not work, repeat the treatment.(Northern Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4)
- Grind 3 leaves of betel (Piper betle) and mix with 1 cup of water. Strain and give as a drench 1 time. If 1 drench does not produce results, drench again at 2 hour intervals.(Cambodia. 1, 2, 3, 4)
Care of newborn
Care of newborn
At birth, piglets are wet and covered in a thin mucous membrane. This membrane will dry and disappear very quickly. Most piglets will not need special attention from the farmer. However, sometimes they need help.
Newborn piglets
A newborn piglet may appear lifeless. Here are some methods for reviving piglets:
- Clear the piglet’s nose and mouth of mucus.
- Gently shake the piglet with head down to drain the mucus.
- Briskly rub a cloth up and down the piglet’s back.
- Gently blow air into the piglet’s nose; or hold the piglet on its back and gently and rhythmically pump the back legs forward and back until the piglet breathes.
- Dip the piglet into a bucket of water (this might shock it to life) and then rub it dry with a cloth.
- If a piglet is listless, cover it with a large cooking pot. This protects the piglet from drafts and helps the piglet retain its body heat. (Cambodia)
When the piglet is born, the umbilical cord will hang from the animal. Within 2-3 days, it will dry and fall off. (Note: it is recommended to treat the navel by applying iodine, wood ash or powdered limestone.)
Keeping piglets warm
It is very important to keep piglets warm. Here are some techniques for doing this:
- Rub the piglets with vegetable oil.
- Put newborn piglets in a box.
- Provide a heating lamp (if electricity is available).
- Use chopped, dry rice straw or dried banana leaves for bedding.
- Use empty jute sacks as bedding.
- Burn rice husks, straw or charcoal in a metal bucket to supply warmth.
Caution
- Long rice straw might tangle the piglets, causing them to fall under the sow and be crushed.
- Care must be taken to ensure that the bucket is properly placed so pigs are not burned.
Build a piglet warm-box from sheets of wood, making sure to leave an exit and a portion of the roof open. To provide warmth, hang a light bulb over the roof opening.
A piglet shelter can be constructed from wood and jute. Build a low, rectangular frame of wood and wrap it tight with jute.
Avoiding crushing newborn piglets
Newborn piglets can easily be crushed by their mother, until they learn to get out from under her when she lies down. The farrowing area should have barriers to prevent the sow from crushing the piglets. After the first two weeks, the barriers can be removed.
Getting piglets to suckle
Sows develop their own styles of nursing. Sometimes, they stand up; sometimes they lie on their side. After a day or two, each piglet will establish ownership of a teat. In a small litter, piglets might share the extra teats. Weaker piglets get the hind teats. A sow might be able to raise more piglets than she has teats. But generally, it is better to take extra piglets away and place them with another recently farrowed sow (or raise the extra piglets on cow’s milk).
Often, a sow will drive off or kill piglets that are not her own, but she can be fooled into accepting foster piglets. Rub the piglets and the nose of the foster sow with the urine of the foster sow or with vinegar. Also, keep the foster piglets in a box with the natural piglets of the sow so their smells will blend.
Reminder
Make sure the piglets get some colostrum (the first milk) from their natural mother before moving them to a foster mother.
Udder infection
Udder infection (A)
Udder infection (B)
Symptoms
- Reddening of the udder.
- Swelling of the udder.
- The infected udder is warmer to touch than healthy udders.
- Wounds on the udder. Fever.
- Absence or reduction of milk in affected udder.
Cause
Udder infections are caused by bacteria, wounds caused by the milk teeth of baby pigs, insect bites and abscesses.
Prevention
- Provide adequate bedding.
- Keep the pig pen clean.
- Clip milk teeth of baby pigs.
Treatment
Before any treatment, wash the udder with soap or potassium permanganate (if possible) and clean lukewarm water. Do not allow the litter to suck milk from an infected sow. Remove and discard milk from the infected teat.
Allowing wounds to heal
- Separate sow from piglets and reduce their access to teats (allow a few piglets to suckle at a time).
- Begin hand-feeding the baby piglets.
- Give piglets to a lactating foster mother.
Wound treatments
Make a poultice from any of the remedies below and apply to the infected udder once a day until the redness disappears or the wound heals. Use either a strip of banana stalk or strips from old clothes to hold the poultice.
- Pound and extract the juice from 5-10 fresh leaves of betel (Piper belle). Mix it with 5-10 chopped fresh Psidium guajava (guava) leaves and 5-10 chopped, fresh tobacco leaves.(Philippines. 1, 2, 3)
- Pound 5-10 fresh leaves of Ficus minahassae. Extract and mix with 3-5 teaspoons of coconut oil.
(Philippines. 1, 2, 3)
- Pound 5-10 fresh Psidium guajava (guava) leaves and mix the extract with 3-5 chopped fresh leaves of Stachyta jamaicencis. (Philippines. 1, 2, 3)
These treatments are widely practiced by farmers in western Leyte, Philippines.
Anemia in piglets
Symptoms
- Gums, tongue or inside of eyelids are pale (normal color is pink).
- Loss of appetite.
- Piglet is weak and inactive.
- Shivering.
If left untreated, the disease worsens. The piglet’s resistance to infections weakens. It can easily catch more serious diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea. (See Coughs and colds, page 7 and Diarrhea and dehydration, page 9.) Big piglets are usually affected first.
Cause
Nutritional anemia can occur at any time of a pig’s life. However, anemia caused by iron deficiency usually occurs in week-old baby pigs that are kept in pens without access to soil.
Newborn pigs are born with only a small supply of iron and they eat little dry feed before 3-4 weeks of age. It is usually necessary to administer iron to piglets. Milk, which is extremely low in iron, is the major or only part of the diet of these pigs.
Prevention and treatment
Anemia in newborn pigs can be prevented by providing extra iron. Some people recommend providing red soil to newborn pigs to allow them to eat the soil as a source of iron. Some plants that are rich in iron are commonly used to prevent and treat anemia.
- Grind 40 g of fresh leaves of Momordica charantia or Moringa oleifera with 5-10 ml of water. Handsqueeze the ground leaves to get the juice. Pass the juice through a cheesecloth. Place the extracts in an uncovered container and concentrate them by placing the container in direct sunlight or inside a covered box. Give as a drench to the piglet in one dose each during the 4th and 5th day after birth.
For future use, keep the extracts in a bottle or any suitable container. Cover and store in a cool place.(Philippines, Thailand. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Note: Farmers prefer to give Moringa oleifera over Momordica charantia because pesticides are sometimes applied to Momordica charantia, but rarely to Moringa oleifera.
- Fresh Momordica charantia fruits are fed to pregnant sow during gestation as a source of iron. (Thailand).
Related Posts:
Swine or Pig Management – Part 1
Swine or Pig Management – Part 2
Source: Ethnoveterinary Medicine in Asia : Swine (IIRR, 1994, 72 p.)
Topics: Livestock | 2 Comments »
November 24th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
good noon sir,
i felt happy toread this searh results…soo thanks
for better explanation of deasease management is not saticifactory.. thanQ
August 7th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
request further hog raising