Development of the piglet’s intestines:
Massive weight-increase during the first hours following colostrum-intake
The piglet’s intestines are still not fully matured yet
High nutrient demand for fast growing intestines
Because hypothermic pigs
require more time after birth to ingest adequate colostrum
generally ingest less colostrum
Reduced farrowing times with uterotonic, Vetrabutin
Different super script means statistically significant differences (Source: D. Mota Rojas et al., 2005)
We need accurate ways to assess pain in pigs in order to evaluate the welfare consequences of interventions and to develop more effective pain mitigation strategies, according to a recently published review* of various methods currently under investigation.
The highest level of reproductive performance will be found on farms where feed intake is adjusted to the need of each individual sow. For this reason it is necessary to have a farm-specific feeding regime where the body condition of each individual sow pre-farrowing is documented and feeding adjusted accordingly on a sow by sow basis.
Consumers, food and restaurant companies, WHO and various governments are requiring livestock farmers to produce meat raised with lower use of antimicrobial drugs. The discussion has moved on from analysing the potential risks that the use of antimicrobials in livestock can have on society to managing the new situation where pork producers will have to raise pigs using less, or even without, antibiotics. This is of course at the same time as a predicted increase in demand for protein, unprecedented restrictions on land and water use and rising input costs. What should producers do?
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