[Rich/Jan]

Hi do you vaccinate your pigs against erysipelas please.  We live in France and recently had a Berkshire gilt that developed a limp.  Injected penicillin immediately and called the vet who diagnosed erysipelas.  He gave us a course of antibiotics (penicillin) and also gave the vaccine to prevent any further problems ( as far as is possible anyway).  The whole course of vaccine was only ten euros but the call out and penicillin was 90euros - she is worth more than that to us though.  Its cheap enough for the vaccination so have done all five of our pigs.  What do other pig keepers/breeders do please.  Jan

[HappyHippy]

I vaccinate all my pigs & piglets for ery. If they contract it, it effectively puts an end to their breeding career as their joints just aren't up to carrying the extra weight (either at service or when due to farrow) so although it's perhaps not essential for fatteners I don't like taking the chance and they all get the jab, it's a small price to pay in the long run 
HTH
Karen 

[Beewyched]

Yep, me too.  It's just such a nuisance that the Ery doesn't keep,I've also found various suppliers run-out of stock a lot - so order 2 bottles at the same time or you may not get the second in-time for the second jab when doing the piglets.
 

[Stevie G]

Hi do you vaccinate your pigs against erysipelas please.  We live in France and recently had a Berkshire gilt that developed a limp.  Injected penicillin immediately and called the vet who diagnosed erysipelas.  He gave us a course of antibiotics (penicillin) and also gave the vaccine to prevent any further problems ( as far as is possible anyway).  The whole course of vaccine was only ten euros but the call out and penicillin was 90euros - she is worth more than that to us though.  Its cheap enough for the vaccination so have done all five of our pigs.  What do other pig keepers/breeders do please.  Jan

A vast percentage of people vaccinated with Erysorb. Gilts need 2 shots, one month apart and sows are vaccinated at weaning.
I have never vaccinated fatteners with Erysorb as it is never a major problem.
Erysorb is by far the cheapest and safest method.

[Berkshire Boy]

Where do you get your erysipelas vaccine from,the vet or can you get it cheaper online?

[HappyHippy]

Hi BB,
Vet meds direct sell it, as do Holmefield Farm Services in York, but there are bound to be other places too. The stuff I use is porcilis ery, but there is an ery+parvo vaccine too (though you need a prescription for that)
Vetmeds website is here http://www.vetmedsdirect.co.uk/products/Porcilis-ERY-100ml-%2850-doses%29.html and HFS phone no. is 01904 481490 (they're in the process of getting a website up and running  ) I'm not sure what the vet would charge tbh, the thought of asking scares me when I see the prices of other stuff they sell 
HTH
Karen 

[Berkshire Boy]

Thanks Karen, do you know if they make a smaller bottle than 100ml or do you throw it away. 

[HappyHippy]

Used to get a 50ml bottle, not sure why it's not available at the mo 
A quick google revealed these guys http://hillcrestanimalhospital.co.uk/store/porcilis-ery-50ml?___store=default but I've no experience with them. It says on their site it's a prescription only medicine, but it's not  (the one with the parvo is, but not the plain ery one  )
There's been tonnes of debate on whether to keep the bottle and re-use for the second dose. I believe some vets state that they keep & re-use it, but after contacting the manufacturers myself (you want a job doing ....... ) they say it's not safe to store and a new bottle is required for the second dose 4 weeks later.
HTH 

[Rich/Jan]

Hi - it cost us 10euros for our five pigs - here in France - vet supplied the vaccine OH injected it, so not exactly an arm and leg.

[Stevie G]

I vaccinate all my pigs & piglets for ery. If they contract it, it effectively puts an end to their breeding career as their joints just aren't up to carrying the extra weight (either at service or when due to farrow) so although it's perhaps not essential for fatteners I don't like taking the chance and they all get the jab, it's a small price to pay in the long run 
HTH
Karen 

When you say you vaccinate piglets, at what exact age and if you are not keeping them for breeding but just selling them as fatteners do you still vaccinate???
We sold are pigs at 24 weeks, but never vaccinated fats only gilts, but I presume you are saying that you vaccinated everything? I have only ever seen Erysipelis in gilts/sows never in fats so aren't you wasting your money???
I would presume you breed more than your fatten, which is why?

[robert waddell]

Stevie happy hippy cannot get on to answer you (since the form has been updated)
i heard recently of a fattner that contracted ery        you could spend a fortune jabbing and injecting for aliments that are not relevent to your holding  if there is a known problem with certain ailments and disease then it is only good management to give immunity to them to keep them healthy

[nelson]

Hi - We had two cases in fatteners last year - I now vac all breeding stock and all piglets. We also vac against tetanus too. I should add we are in France. Erysipelas is known as rouget here by the way (for anybody looking in from France). The vaccine is not too expensive and I strongly recommend it. Will save your pigs and vet bills.
 

 

[Stevie G]

Stevie happy hippy cannot get on to answer you (since the form has been updated)
i heard recently of a fattner that contracted ery        you could spend a fortune jabbing and injecting for aliments that are not relevent to your holding  if there is a known problem with certain ailments and disease then it is only good management to give immunity to them to keep them healthy

1979 was when I started out in pigs and I have never seen a fat pig with Erysipelas, so is vaccination worth it???

If you catch it in the early stages it will not harm your sows or fats so why is it needed??

Does it still only cost you pleaople 20p a shot or are you paying more than that?

And if you are inject pigs to prevent it, at what age and is it only a one shot or 2???

All gilts are done a 19 weeks then at 23 weeks, then once at weaning.

I am, even though I don't do pigs still, interest to learn.

[Tiva Diva]

On our vets' advice, we don't vaccinate. We have had one confirmed case of chronic ery in a bought-in weaner (from a breeder about whom I have since heard some unpleasant stories). We had a scare this spring with what we thought might be ery but turned out to be mycotoxin in feed. Our vets reckon that given that ours is a closed herd (now), extensively farmed, on land that's never had pigs on it before, it's not worth starting a vaccination programme.

[Stevie G]

On our vets' advice, we don't vaccinate. We have had one confirmed case of chronic ery in a bought-in weaner (from a breeder about whom I have since heard some unpleasant stories). We had a scare this spring with what we thought might be ery but turned out to be mycotoxin in feed. Our vets reckon that given that ours is a closed herd (now), extensively farmed, on land that's never had pigs on it before, it's not worth starting a vaccination programme.

Does not matter whether it is closed or not, Erysipelas can occur as it is always there, the bacteria is ever present but it does not occur in weaners and rarely in fats and if you are "sharp eyed" like you guys and well informed then you will not have a worry.