Swine Resources - Management

August 2023

Abstract

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the use of a topical anesthetic as a feasible approach to reduce pain during piglet castration using a minimal anesthesia protocol.

ANIMALS
18 male piglets, aged 3-6 days, were included in this study.

METHODS

A minimal anesthetic state was induced with isoflurane administered by facemask, with anesthetic depth individually adjusted based on responses to interdigital pinch. To desensitize the scrotal skin, a vapocoolant was applied 3 times. Scrotal incisions were made subsequently and Tri-Solfen (TS) or Placebo (P) was administered in both incisional gaps. After 30 seconds, the spermatic cords were severed followed by a further application of TS/P to both incision edges. Nociception-related variables, such as mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and nocifensive movements, were assessed.

May 2023

Abstract:

Common in swine production worldwide, influenza causes significant clinical disease and potential transmission to the workforce. Swine vaccines are not universally used in swine production, due to their limited efficacy because of continuously evolving influenza viruses. We evaluated the effects of vaccination, isolation of infected pigs, and changes to workforce routine (ensuring workers moved from younger pig batches to older pig batches). A Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered model was used to simulate stochastic influenza transmission during a single production cycle on an indoor hog growing unit containing 4000 pigs and two workers. The absence of control practices resulted in 3,957 pigs [0-3971] being infected and a 0.61 probability of workforce infection. Assuming incoming pigs had maternal-derived antibodies (MDAs), but no control measures were applied, the total number of infected pigs reduced to 1 [0-3958] and the probability of workforce infection was 0.25. Mass vaccination (40% efficacious) of incoming pigs also reduced the total number of infected pigs to 2362 [0-2374] or 0 [0-2364] in pigs assumed to not have MDAs and have MDAs, respectively. Changing the worker routine by starting with younger to older pig batches, reduced the number of infected pigs to 996 [0-1977] and the probability of workforce infection (0.22) in pigs without MDAs. In pigs with MDAs the total number of infected pigs was reduced to 0 [0-994] and the probability of workforce infection was 0.06. All other control practices alone, showed little improvement in reducing total infected pigs and the probability of workforce infection. Combining all control strategies reduced the total number of infected pigs to 0 or 1 with a minimal probability of workforce infection (<0.0002-0.01). These findings suggest that non-pharmaceutical interventions can reduce the impact of influenza on swine production and workers when efficacious vaccines are unavailable.

Kontowicz E, Moreno-Madriñan M, Ragland D, Beauvais W. A stochastic compartmental model to simulate intra- and inter-species influenza transmission in an indoor swine farm.
PLoS One. 2023;18(5):e0278495. Published 2023 May 4. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278495

May 2023

Abstract:

Background: Official meat inspections at small-scale slaughterhouses and game-handling establishments in geographically remote areas place a heavy burden on the meat-producing food business operators. By performing meat inspections remotely using live-streamed video, instead of on-site, the official control could meet the goals of sustainability, resilience and logistics. We investigated the agreement between the two approaches at pig slaughter. Two official veterinarians (OVs) inspected 400 pig carcasses at a Swedish slaughterhouse, with each pig being inspected on site by one OV and remotely by the other. After a period of 3 to 6 months, video recordings of the remote inspections were assessed again by the same OVs, thus enabling direct comparisons of previous on-site inspections and renewed video-based inspections within the same OV.

Results: Agreement across 22 finding codes was generally very high for both OVs. In all but one case (whether to fully condemn a carcass), for both OVs, Prevalence-Adjusted Bias-Adjusted kappa was well above 0.8, indicating 'almost perfect agreement'.

Conclusions: This study supports earlier findings that reliable post-mortem inspections can be performed using video, and indicates higher agreement between remote and on-site inspections if the same OV performs both.

Almqvist V, Berg C, Kautto AH, Hultgren J.
Evaluating remote post-mortem veterinary meat inspections on pig carcasses using pre-recorded video material.
Acta Vet Scand. 2023;65(1):15. Published 2023 Apr 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13028-023-00678-x

April 2023

Abstract:

Feral swine (Sus scrofa) as an invasive species in the U.S. have caused severe damage to natural resources through competing for food resources with domestic livestock and destroying habitat by rooting and wallowing. Given their increased population and wide distribution in the southern U.S., feral swine control is becoming an urgent issue for both natural resource managers and landowners. We conducted a three-state mail survey to examine feral swine damage in Arkansas, Louisiana, and East Texas in the western gulf region in 2021. Our results reveal that feral swine activities like rooting and wallowing can cause severe and widespread damage to agriculture and forestry. Among the most reported and concerned damage by feral swine were crops, pastures, livestock, and loss of land value. Soybean damage was the most important agricultural crop damage in both Arkansas and Louisiana while it was hay, silage, and forage crops in East Texas. In terms of livestock damage, beef cattle and calves were the most common and severe damage in all three states. Average economic loss due to feral swine damage was estimated at $67.13/ha, $42.96/ha, $27.31/ha, and $57.54/ha for landowners in the region who owned cropland, forestland, pastureland, and multiple land types, respectively. Those findings could help both landowners and wildlife management personnel understand the negative societal impact of feral swine, and they could also facilitate the comparison between expected benefits and costs of control programs/options for feral swine in the southern states.

Tian, N., Gan, J. & Holley, G.
Assessing feral swine damage in the western gulf region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Biol Invasions (2023).
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-022-02994-1

January 2023

Abstract:

Castration is a painful procedure performed in swine and to date, there are no approved products available in the US to alleviate this pain. Previous work evaluating the efficacy of flunixin meglumine has shown promise in mitigating pain in swine, but no work to date has evaluated transdermal flunixin efficacy in mitigating castration pain in piglets. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of transdermal flunixin (TDF) in mitigating castration pain utilizing a previously validated behavioral pain scale. A total of 98 Large White x Duroc cross male piglets from 98 litters were enrolled in this study. Piglets were randomly assigned to the following treatments: (1) TDF plus castration (3.33 mg/kg; CF; n = 24), (2) TDF plus sham castration (3.33 mg/kg; SF; n = 26), (3) topical physiological saline plus sham castration (S; n = 24), or (4) topical physiological saline plus castration (C; n = 24). All treatments were administered 24 h prior to castration. Four-min continuous videos clips were collected 24 h before castration (-24 h), immediately post-castration (0 h), and 24 h post-castration (+24 h). Video clips were then observed and scored by one trained observer using a 4-point pain scale (score 0-3) encompassing the five behavioral domains of the pig acute pain scale (UPAPS). Total pain score averages were analyzed as repeated measures by analysis of variance applying a multilevel model. The UPAPS effectively distinguished varying levels of painful and non-painful states in castrated piglets as observed via deviations in total pain scores across timepoints (P < 0.0001), treatment (P < 0.001) and treatment*timepoint (P < 0.0001). Immediately post-castration (0 h), piglets in the C and CF group demonstrated greater total average pain scores than piglets in the S (P < 0.03) and SF (P < 0.01) groups and castrated piglets treated with TDF demonstrated lower total pain scores (P < 0.05) and required less analgesic intervention immediately post-castration compared to castrated piglets receiving no treatment (P < 0.0001). For C group 54% required rescue analgesia compared to 29%, 8% and 0% for CF, SF and S piglets respectively. Future work should evaluate implementation of this pain management protocol on a wide scale commercial farm setting.

Lopez-Soriano M, Rocha Merenda V, Esteves Trindade PH, Loureiro Luna SP, Pairis-Garcia MD
Efficacy of transdermal flunixin in mitigating castration pain in piglets
Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2022;3:1056492.
Published 2022 Nov 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2022.1056492

October 2022

Abstract: A case of tail-biting on a multi-site swine operation in Ontario

This case study describes a severe tail-biting event on a multi-site swine operation in Ontario and outlines the management strategies implemented in an attempt to control the problem. An established social order was clearly present before the tail-biting event occurred. Over 40% of tail-docked pigs in 3 of 8 grower-finisher barns were severely affected, leading to higher mortality and increased numbers of pigs re-housed in hospital pens. Environmental factors, management practices, and animal health in the barns experiencing the tail-biting event are described, including detection of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in corn at > 2 ppm. Changes implemented in response to tail-biting included altering the phase-feeding schedule, adding enrichment devices, and increasing surveillance. The subsequent cohort of pigs was followed through the finisher barns and did not engage in the same severity or prevalence of tail-biting as the previous cohort of pigs which experienced the tail-biting event. Key clinical message: No single factor was identified as the initiating cause for the severe tail-biting event. The subsequent cohort of pigs in 4 barns of the same operation were monitored for tail-biting from entry until market, and the incidence of tail-biting was very low.

Henry M, O'Sullivan TL, Shoveller AK, Niel L, Friendship RM
A case of tail-biting on a multi-site swine operation in Ontario.
Can Vet J. 2022;63(8):835-840. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35919461/

January 2022

Castration remains prevalent in European countries, although the systems used differ from country to country.

January 2022

Lameness issues continue to be a significant problem in sow herds, causing 40% to 50% of all sow removals, according to Bill Minton, DVM, Four Star Veterinary Service in Chickasaw, Ohio.

January 2022

Early socialised piglets may have better social skills when meeting familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics after weaning.

January 2022

• 22% Better water intake on day 1 post-weaning and 9% better water intake over 5 days post-weaning
• 0.65 lb/300 g heavier pig 42 days post-weaning
• 65% Fewer fall behinds in nursery
• 17% Lower nursery mortality