W. E. Morgan Morrow North Carolina State University

Publish Date: July 19, 2006

North Carolina State University Animal Science Fact Sheet ANS01-815S. There is probably no one "best way" to dispose of swine mortality carcasses. The optimum system for any particular farm location would need to be selected based on a number of criteria, including the current state of the protein/oil market, the biosecurity required, the distance to processing sites, the local public's perception, and the government regulations that apply to that location. Regardless of the method of choice, the public's concern for the environment and increasingly restrictive regulations governing the disposal of dead pigs will continue to present new challenges for the swine industry.

Publish Date: June 3, 2006

Good care and management in the farrowing quarters has a major influence on the number of liveborn piglets that are weaned and on how well they perform in later stages of production. According to a 1995 survey of swine management practices in the United States, the average number of preweaning piglet deaths per litter on farms was .88 or 9.4% of those born alive. The two leading causes of preweaning deaths were laid on (48.7%) and starvation (20.5%). Other surveys have shown that over 50% of the deaths occur in the first two to three days of life.

Publish Date: November 12, 2014

Regardless of whether a caretaker is walking a barn used for gilt development, breeding-gestation, or farrowing, the facility has to be observed and evaluated at the barn level, pen or stall level, and individual pig level. The main reason for walking a barn is to identify problems, determine why the problem is occurring, and take action to solve the problem. A walk-through requires the caretaker to make observations, listen to sounds, smell odors, feel/take room temperatures, measure relative humidity, and touch objects. The morning walk-through is usually more thorough because of the detailed observation of each individual animal, feeding system, watering system, and environment. The afternoon walk-through is less intense and mainly involves an evaluation of animal comfort, water availability, feed availability, and adequate ventilation. Caretakers need to apply their knowledge to solve the problems.

Publish Date: August 29, 2013

Among the economically important diarrheal diseases of baby pigs, transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) remains a cause of sickness and death. All age groups are susceptible. When the disease strikes a seronegative (antibody-free) herd at the time of farrowing, it is not unusual to lose most (often 100%) of the pigs farrowed under 3 weeks of age. A milder enzootic form of TGE, associated with chronic or intermittent episodes of diarrhea usually in 1- to 3-week-old suckling or recently weaned pigs, occurs in partially immune (seropositive) herds that have continuous farrowing or where pigs are regularly added or mixed. After a distinct respiratory variant of TGE (porcine respiratory coronavirus or PRCV) has spread throughout most parts of the world (first in Europe, and then in the US in the 1980’s) occurrences of TGE have become more sporadic. Although accurate statistics are not available, the disease is still reported from parts of Europe, North America and Asia. Serologic surveys indicate that enzootic TGE is widespread throughout the US. Porcine respiratory coronavirus infections have complicated the diagnosis of TGE by generating cross-reactive antibodies that cannot be differentiated using conventional serologic tests, even though they are usually associated with only mild respiratory disease or sub-clinical infections.

Publish Date: October 29, 2013

Tuberculosis or mycobacterial disease (Tb) is reported in about 0.4% of all swine slaughtered under Federal inspection (based on reports from United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service [USDA] and probably costs the swine industry an estimated $7.3 million annually. This is not a large amount compared to losses from other swine diseases. Although there are relatively few commercial herds infected with TB, the economic losses can be devastating to those producers that have the disease in their herds. The disease in swine has no apparent effect on the health of the animal. Lack of transmission of the disease from swine to humans cannot be proven. Therefore, USDA meat inspection regulations formulated in 1972 call for special handling of carcasses in which evidence of lesions containing acid fast bacteria are found. Economic losses occur to the swine industry because of these regulations. Tuberculosis has been nearly eliminated in cattle and poultry. Tuberculin testing of cattle with subsequent slaughter of reactors and in some cases depopulation of entire herds, has lowered the prevalence of the disease to about 0.0001% (USDA, 2010 records) in slaughter cattle., The poultry industry has changed to all-pullet flocks and has essentially eliminated Tb. Elimination of older birds over a year of age has been an effective control measure. The rate of condemnation for Tb is 0.0001% in light fowl (USDA, 2011 records). It has been assumed by many that eradication of Tb from cattle and chickens would ultimately lead to its eradication in swine. This has not occurred and mycobacterial infections in swine remain a problem for pork producers.

Publish Date: April 30, 2012

Sarcoptic mange is caused by a microscopic parasitic mite (Figure 1) that lives and feeds in tunnels in the epidermal skin layer of the host (Davies and Moon 1990). Using digestive enzymes to dissolve the host tissues these mites expand their tunnels as much as 3-5 mm per day. Male and female mites usually mate on the surface of the skin. Soon after mating, the newly fertilized female constructs a new feeding tunnel in which to lay up to 3 eggs per day over a 2-3 week period. Generally the eggs hatch in 3-5 days. The larvae continue to expand the feeding tunnels for about 2-4 days before becoming nymphs. Nymphal mites continue to develop 4-6 days before becoming adults. Mite life stages consist of egg, a six legged larva, followed by 8 legged nymph and adult stages. The life cycle from egg to adult takes about 10-14 days and occurs entirely on the host. Mite transmission is primarily by direct contact with infested pigs.

Publish Date: April 26, 2012

The hog louse is one of the largest members of the suborder Anoplura, a group of bloodsucking insects infesting swine (Figure 3). Restricted to the skin surface, hog lice take several bloodmeals each day. The louse is equipped with large claws to grasp the hair allowing these insects to move about the host. Each active life stage resembles the adult except that they are smaller in size. Gravid females glue their eggs to the base of the hair shaft (Figure 3). The eggs hatch into nymphs after incubating about 10 to 14 days. In cool weather hatching may be extended up to 20 days. Nymphs have the same feeding habits as adult lice. After undergoing 3 molts over a 10 to 14 days period, the nymph develops into an adult. Although growth and development is temperature dependent under optimal conditions the entire life cycle from egg to adult can be completed in about 3 weeks.