Managing Purchased Feeder Pigs
Feeding purchased feeder pigs poses a special problem: mortality and poor performance immediately following purchase. The stress of sale, shipping, and mixing can leave these pigs weak and susceptible to disease. A good feeder pig finisher must overcome fatigue, thirst, hunger, social problems, and changes in diet, housing, and temperature.
Diseases resulting from stress are a major problem that accompany feeding purchased feeder pigs. Commingling pigs from different farms exposes them to diseases against which they may have no immunity. Shipping stress reduces their ability to fight off these diseases. Management of newly arrived pigs must focus on keeping these new arrivals healthy and hungry. To do this, a good manager must overcome the stresses of shipping and any new problems that may develop shortly after arrival at the new location.
Purchasing Feeder Pigs
You can avoid many problems associated with feeding purchased feeder pigs by careful purchasing. Feeder pigs should appear healthy, vigorous, and alert. All males should be castrated and healed. Tails should be docked on all pigs. Ideally, all pigs should come from the same farm, one with a good health program, including parasite control and necessary vaccinations. This eliminates the problems that accompany commingled pigs.
Transportation
Transportation of pigs is the first point at which the new owner can begin to relieve stress and get feeder pigs started properly. The truck or trailer should be disinfected between loads of pigs and bedded with wheat or oat straw in winter and wet sawdust or sand in the summer. Shield pigs from direct drafts, but provide adequate ventilation.
Load pigs promptly after purchase, but minimize excitement and eliminate abuse. Divide the load (by partitions) into groups of 50 pigs or less to improve pig comfort. Allow adequate space for each pig (Table 6, below). Loading correctly is often the difference between a successful pig feeder and an economic failure.
Pig Weights (lb.) |
Winter (sq. ft.) |
Summer (sq. ft.) |
40 to 50 |
1.00 |
1.25 |
50 to 75 |
1.25 |
1.50 |
75 to 100 |
1.50 |
2.00 |
Housing
Housing for the newly arrived feeder pig is frequently a source of pig problems. Removing all other pigs from the receiving facility reduces the chances for a disease outbreak. All-in all-out movement of feeder pigs can significantly reduce disease losses. If it is possible, isolate new pigs from those already on the farm. At least provide semi-isolation during the first 2 to 3 weeks by leaving one or two empty pens between new arrivals and the other pigs. Never mix new pigs with others, especially "tail-ender" pigs.
Facilities and equipment should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected a week or more before the new pigs arrive. Soak floors, walls, feeders, and waterers with sprinkler hoses. Then scrape, brush, or use a high-pressure spray to remove all manure and caked feed. Hot, soapy water and a 2-percent lye solution are excellent for the final cleaning. Rinse and spray with a cresylic acid, iodine, phenol-derivative, or fumigant-type disinfectant. Proper temperature and adequate ventilation are especially important to new arrivals. The ideal temperature is approximately 75 degrees F; however, a warm, dry sleeping area is most critical. In controlled environment buildings, provide 1.8 to 3 square feet of floor space for 20- to 50-pound pigs and 4 to 5 square feet for 50- to 100-pound pigs. If you house pigs in outside lots, provide 3 to 4 square feet of well-bedded sleeping area for each pig.
Sort feeder pigs by weight when they arrive. Weight variation within each pen should be plus or minus 10 to 15 percent of the average weight. Keep group sizes at 25 to 30 pigs per pen to reduce fighting, promote faster growth, and improve efficiency.
Water consumption upon arrival is extremely important. Provide one waterer per 20 pigs. Some pigs may require assistance in learning to drink from a strange watering device. Provide medicated water using in-line proportioners or barrel waterers. Provide one feeder space or hole for every three to four pigs. Avoid feeders with heavy trough lids or narrow feeder spaces that discourage pigs from eating. Fasten lids in the open position for a few days if necessary to promote feed consumption.
Provide a "sick pen" where pigs can be given extra observation, attention, supplemental heat, and reduced pig traffic and activity.
Feeding The New Arrival
Nutrition and feed management of the new arrival are important because they influence pig performance and measure pig health and well-being. During the first 7 to 10 days, it may be advisable to limit-feed the pigs. Allow pigs to consume approximately 90 percent of full feed to reduce gut edema and scouring problems. In 40- to 60-pound pigs, this generally means approximately 2 pounds per head per day. Feeding on a clean floor during the first few days allows closer observation of the pig's appetite and serves to train pigs in proper dunging patterns.
A special receiving diet may reduce nutrition-related health problems. A diet containing high quality, palatable ingredients (whey, fish meal, distiller's dried grains, etc.) and fortified for low intake should be fed for 1 to 2 weeks after arrival. Then switch pigs to a typical 16 percent pig grower diet.
Water is important because it is not available during shipping. Stress-related scours often results in dehydration shortly after arrival. A 40-pound pig should consume about 1/2 gallon per day. Use palatable water medications and do not limit intake of water. Flavorings (like gelatin) may improve palatability.
Health
Disease in purchased feeder pigs is often the most limiting factor in making a profit. The best way to prevent disease is to purchase feeder pigs from a local, single source. The single source of purchase should be a herd that is free of major diseases and has a preventative herd health program in place.
Purchasing feeder pigs from a single source allows you to know about that herd's disease and management history. Has there been salmonella, erysipelas, dysentery (blood scours), or Actinobacillus (Hemophilus) pleuropneumonia in the herd? If particular disease problems have occurred, you can work with the owner of the source herd to insure that a proper vaccination or medication program is in place to help correct it before you purchase the pigs.
Unless other disease problems have been present in the source herd, the only vaccination that should routinely be given to the pigs before sale is erysipelas. If Actinobacillus (Hemophilus) pleuropneumonia has been present, then it might be necessary to vaccinate for the correct serotype that has been identified.
Pigs should be dewormed and treated for external parasites before purchase. They should also be dewormed 3 to 4 weeks after arrival. If they have not been treated for mange or if they come from a herd with mange problems, treat for mange and lice upon arrival and repeat in about 10 days. Using the injectable product ivermectin will both deworm and treat for most external parasites. Purchase enough feeder pigs to fill an entire building. This will allow you to manage the group for all-in all-out production. Sort the pigs by weight so that there is no more than a 10-pound difference between pigs in a pen. A continuous flow system for purchased feeder pigs is a recipe for continual disease transmission! Pushing too many feeder pigs through your facility will guarantee the occurrence of disease. No amount of antibiotics or vaccinations will prevent or stop disease in such a system. Planning for all-in all-out production will allow the building to be emptied and sanitized between groups and will decrease the chance for disease transmission.
Watching space requirements will pay dividends by reducing stress and disease: no more than 20 to 30 pigs per pen, no more than 100 pigs per room, and no more than 500 pigs per building. Make sure that each pen has at least two waterers that are spaced far enough apart to prevent fighting for space when drinking. Check the flow rates on the waterers; they should fill a 1 quart milk jug in 1 minute. Inadequate feeder space can also be a cause of problems such as fighting and ear biting. The standard recommendation is one feeder space for four pigs.
Purchasing pigs from commingled feeder pig sales is not as desirable from a health standpoint as buying from single source herds. However, with a disease treatment plan in place, you should be able to handle such pigs adequately. In such a case, the use of all-in all-out production becomes even more critical. Empty the building by marketing all the hogs in it and allow time for complete sanitation of the building before moving in a new group of hogs.
It is usually best to medicate either the feed or water of newly arrived feeder pigs for the first 2 weeks. Some veterinarians prefer using the highest allowable amount of feed-grade antibiotics for disease prevention during this period. Following the initial 2 weeks, the concentration of antibiotics in the feed can be reduced for the remainder of the finishing period. "High health," single-source feeder pigs may not need to be continued on antibiotics. The use of water medication is often recommended for groups that are breaking with disease. In these cases, pigs will often continue to drink when they will not eat. If you use water medications, make sure that they do not cause an off flavor that would decrease water intake.
Routinely injecting all newly arrived pigs with antibiotics is not recommended. When pigs get sick, the preferred treatment is to inject them with an appropriate antibiotic at the correct dose. Although this is labor intensive, it is the best method for treatment of acutely ill pigs. Treat for at least 3 consecutive days, marking the pigs so treated with a colored crayon. Early detection of disease will greatly increase the chance of treatment success.
Maintain a sick pen for treated pigs so that they will be separated from the main group and have less competition for feed and water. If sick or injured pigs become "chronics," they may be sold as "roasters" or for barbecue hogs following a proper drug withdrawal time. Do not sort these hogs back into pens with healthy hogs. They can serve as "Typhoid Marys," which spread disease to healthy hogs.