[NethertonSH]

Hi All,

To those keeping breeding sows, I was just wondering what your yearly plan is for vaccinating and what vaccinations do you give them?

Also, is it best just to worm based on a FEC as you would do with sheep sheep?

Thanks in advance.

[PK]

I'd be interested in any responses to this query.

[MarthaR]

I'm pretty small scale but I vaccinate breeding stock against erysipelas as I have had a couple of instances of it here. I use the combined erysipelas / parvo vaccine. The only other thing I use is oral wormer - flubenol every six months or so. I have also used e-coli vaccine a couple of months and then couple of weeks prior to farrowing to limit chance of piglets getting scours.
Martha

[kja]

We vaccinate all our breeding stock against Ery, that is a twice yearly vaccine (the initial vaccination requires a booster). We also use a injectable wormer that covers internet and external problems.


In addition to the injections all sow farrowing pens are kept clean and dry (as dry as possible) with a powdered disinfectant, piglets navels are sprayed with iodine and piglets are injected with iron.

[Marches Farmer]

We don't vaccinate as we've never had a case of erysipelas and our pigs are in tin and breeze block sties with large concrete runs and mains drinkers, so easy to keep very clean.  Sows are put into clean, rested and well bedded sties three weeks before farrowing is due.  New boars are wormed, treated for external parasites and quarantined for three weeks, six if possible.  Apart from that we run a closed herd.  We put a pile of dry molehill soil in with newborn piglets for the first fortnight, which avoids the need for iron injections.

[harmony]

Pigs should be wormed prior to farrowing as there are worms which migrate through the teat to the piglets. So that would be twice a year. IMO many people pigs do not worm enough believing they don't have a worm problem. I have seen large adult worms excreted at a show from a class of pigs that did not look wormy. I worm piglets with a powder in the feed when they start eating and again at weaning.

Erysipelas is everywhere, in buildings and in soil. You may or may not get it and it is easily treated. Mostly stressed pigs pick it up. If you are not showing you probably wouldn't bother. It can cause sudden lameness instead of the more traditional diamond patches on the skin.

Isolation for new stock is a good idea.

My piglets have access to soil so I don't inject with iron.

Sometimes you might get a site specific problem such as poor airflow in valley bottoms or damp air along a river that may be a potential pneumonia risk for animals so I know people who vaccinate for that.

Most people do not vaccinate their breeding sows and do not have problems.

[Pigsmightfry]

I only vaccinate for worms, a month before farrowing so there is a degree of transfer across to the piglets and the piglets again when they are weaned, the piglets also get an iron injection as I farrow inside.

There is a big push towards reducing the amount of microbials used on animals as there may be a knock on effect reducing immunity within the food chain, the days of treating every possible thing has gone and you should only treat where necessary, such as worming, anything else should be treated on an as and when basis.

There is a tendency to think you will get every disease under the sun, but this is not normally the case, and when good hygiene and husbandry is employed your animals will have an enjoyable life.

[NethertonSH]

Thanks for all your replies!

I'd prefer to keep vaccinations to a minimum and really just strive towards the best hygiene and husbandry as suggested.  I suppose over time you'll create your own vaccination routine based on what you experience in your own set up. 

[kja]

Thanks for all your replies!

I'd prefer to keep vaccinations to a minimum and really just strive towards the best hygiene and husbandry as suggested.  I suppose over time you'll create your own vaccination routine based on what you experience in your own set up.

I think ts best to keep to a minimum. We vaccinate for Ery after seeing a friends pig contract it ( it can be triggered by stress) it went from healthy to dead in 48 hours despite the owners and vets best efforts.

[Gregoz]

Dear,dear, Marches Farmer!!
Breezeblock and tin huts and concrete runs!! How positively commercial!
No free forest roaming pork from you!

[littleoakfarm]

You don't know you have Erys until you loose a pig. We learnt the hard way a Pedigree sow plus her 8 unborn piglets. Always now vaccinate for Erys every 6 months and Parvo every 12 months. The price of vaccination is nothing to loosing a sow. Erys is everywhere as mentioned earlier and you never know when it will hit you. We also inject for worms, external and external parasites and mange on a regular basis. All our pigs are outdoor great for the pig but easier to pick up disease.

[Marches Farmer]

Dear,dear, Marches Farmer!!
Breezeblock and tin huts and concrete runs!! How positively commercial!
No free forest roaming pork from you!

Absolutely!  We use the accommodation from when there was a 65-sow set up here.  A bind in Summer, when we need to shower the pigs through the day in hot weather, but a blessing in Winter when they're not wading around up to their bellies in mud.