In practice, field evaluation of vaccine efficacy in individual herds is often based on a historical comparison of productivity data following initiation of vaccination. Being biased by time, this study design...
Authors: Gitte Blach Nielsen, John Haugegaard and Rika Jolie
Acquisition of knowledge and skills by agriculture students prior to real-life experience is a well-known educational challenge. Game-based learning has the advantage of being active, experiential, and problem...
Authors: Karl Johan Møller Klit, Ken Steen Pedersen and Helle Stege
European legislation dictates that pig tail docking is not allowed to be performed routinely (European Union. Council Directive 2008/120/EC of 18 December 2008 laying down minimum standards for the protection ...
Authors: Nancy De Briyne, Charlotte Berg, Thomas Blaha, Andreas Palzer and Déborah Temple
The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) on the efficacy of a PRRSV-1 based attenuated vaccine, when administered in 1 day-old piglets by the intramuscula...
Authors: Monica Balasch, Maria Fort, Lucas P. Taylor and Jay G. Calvert
The most prevalent Fusarium mycotoxin in grains is deoxynivalenol (DON). Contamination of swine feed with DON can result in reduced consumption and poor growth performance. Gestating and lactating sows need suffi...
Enrichment materials for pigs, particularly organic materials, are becoming increasingly important in order to reduce abnormal behaviour such as tail biting. However, potential health risks posed by these mate...
Authors: Krista Marie Wagner, Jochen Schulz and Nicole Kemper
Due to the risk of spreading epizootic diseases through rodents, pest control is mandatory in pig farming in European countries. However, there is limited research focused on rodent control practices, usage of...
Authors: Odile C. Hecker, Marc Boelhauve and Marcus Mergenthaler
Cystoisospora suis is the causative agent of porcine neonatal coccidiosis, a diarrheal disease which affects suckling piglets in the first weeks of life. Detection of oocysts in the faeces of infected animals is ...
Authors: Anja Joachim, Bärbel Ruttkowski and Daniel Sperling
The mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) causes functional and morphological alterations in reproductive organs of pigs. In the field, diagnosis of ZEN-induced disorders is often challenging, as relevant feed lots are ...
Authors: Isabel Hennig-Pauka, Franz-Josef Koch, Simone Schaumberger, Bettina Woechtl, Johannes Novak, Michael Sulyok and Veronika Nagl
Many factors can influence the occurrence of neonatal diarrhoea in piglets. Currently, well-known pathogens such as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens type C appear to play a minor role ...
Authors: Hanne Kongsted, Karl Pedersen, Charlotte Kristiane Hjulsager, Lars Erik Larsen, Ken Steen Pedersen, Sven Erik Jorsal and Poul Bækbo
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes respiratory distress in pigs, reproductive failure in breeding-age gilts and sows, and can have devastating economic consequences in domestic herds. ...
Authors: Jeremy Kroll, Michael Piontkowski, Christian Kraft, Teresa Coll and Oliver Gomez-Duran
Most studies carried out to evaluate recovery and development after porcine oocyte vitrification, reported better rates when cryopreserved in embryonic development stages or zygotes, but not in immature oocyte...
Authors: Fahiel Casillas, Miguel Betancourt, Cristina Cuello, Yvonne Ducolomb, Alma López, Lizbeth Juárez-Rojas and Socorro Retana-Márquez
A randomised field trial was conducted on an Austrian farrow-to-finish farm for one year to compare the efficacy of two commercial Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae vaccines. 585 piglets either received the one-shot formu...
Authors: Vojislav Cvjetković, Sabine Sipos, Imre Szabó and Wolfgang Sipos
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of piglet morphometric characteristics and starter regime on postnatal growth. Some piglets born light are able to grow faster than others, and identifying whi...
Authors: A. M. S. Huting, P. Sakkas, I. Wellock, K. Almond and I. Kyriazakis
Our objective was to examine the impact of farm effects and sow potential on various aspects of sow performance. We examined the interaction between sow prolificacy groups categorized at parity 1 and farm prod...
Authors: Satomi Tani, Carlos Piñeiro and Yuzo Koketsu
The aim was to test two strategies to improve the growth rate of the slow-growth pigs and to increase the batch’s homogeneity at slaughter. In Trial 1 a total of 264 weaned piglets were distributed into 24 pen...
Authors: Sergi López-Vergé, Josep Gasa, Déborah Temple, Jordi Bonet, Jaume Coma and David Solà-Oriol
Porcine pleuropneumonia, caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, is a bacterial respiratory disease of swine. Acute outbreaks of the disease are often accompanied by high mortality and economic losses. As seve...
Authors: Doris Hoeltig, Judith Rohde, Birgit Brunner, Klaus Hellmann, Erik Grandemange and Karl-Heinz Waldmann
A dedicated program to monitor for freedom of several economically important diseases is present within most of the breeding companies that currently deliver high health breeding animals to their customers. Se...
Authors: Frédéric Vangroenweghe, Eveline Willems, Jiří Malášek, Olivier Thas and Dominiek Maes
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is widespread in commercial pig farms worldwide, and has a significant cost to the swine industry. Herd owners need a vaccine that will confer long-l...
Authors: Jeremy Kroll, Mike Piontkowski, Poul H. Rathkjen, Francois-Xavier Orveillon, Christian Kraft and Oliver G. Duran
Despite years of effort, the proportion of serologically Salmonella-conspicuous pig farms has not been significantly reduced. Incoming piglets are considered to be a significant source of Salmonella for feeder-to...
Authors: Anton Schulte zu Sundern, Carolin Holling, Karl Rohn, Josef Schulte-Wülwer, Ansgar Deermann and Christian Visscher
There has been a strong implication of both the French swine industry and the national authorities on reducing the use of antimicrobials in swine production since 2010. The annual monitoring of antimicrobial s...
Authors: Anne Hémonic, Claire Chauvin, Didier Delzescaux, Fabien Verliat and Isabelle Corrégé
Neonatal diarrhoea represents a major disease problem in the early stages of animal production, increasing significantly pre-weaning mortality and piglets weaned below the target weight. Enteric diseases in ne...
Authors: Susana Mesonero-Escuredo, Katrin Strutzberg-Minder, Carlos Casanovas and Joaquim Segalés
As no current data are available on the prevalence of leptospiral infection in swine in Germany, we analysed laboratory data from diagnostic examinations carried out on samples from swine all over Germany from...
Authors: Katrin Strutzberg-Minder, Astrid Tschentscher, Martin Beyerbach, Matthias Homuth and Lothar Kreienbrock
Growing and finishing performances of pigs strongly influence farm efficiency and profitability. The performances of the pigs rely on the herd health status and also on several non-infectious factors. Many rec...
Authors: C. Fablet, N. Rose, B. Grasland, N. Robert, E. Lewandowski and M. Gosselin
Infection with respiratory pathogens can influence production as well as animal welfare. There is an economical and ethical need to treat pigs that suffer from respiratory diseases. Our aim was the evaluation ...
Authors: Outi Hälli, Minna Haimi-Hakala, Tapio Laurila, Claudio Oliviero, Elina Viitasaari, Toomas Orro, Olli Peltoniemi, Mika Scheinin, Saija Sirén, Anna Valros and Mari Heinonen
The objectives of our study were 1) to characterize culling and retention patterns in parities 0 to 6 in served females and farrowed sows in two herd groups, and 2) to quantify the factors associated with by-p...
Authors: Satomi Tani, Carlos Piñeiro and Yuzo Koketsu
Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) diagnostics in live pigs often involves pooled serum and/or oral fluid samples for group-level determination of viral load by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (...
Authors: Gitte Blach Nielsen, Jens Peter Nielsen, John Haugegaard, Sanne Christiansen Leth, Lars E. Larsen, Charlotte Sonne Kristensen, Ken Steen Pedersen, Helle Stege, Charlotte K. Hjulsager and Hans Houe
A controlled randomized trial was performed on a well-managed conventional French 180-sow farm. The trial compared the growth performances of piglets vaccinated at weaning (single shot) either with a commercia...
Authors: Didier Duivon, Isabelle Corrégé, Anne Hémonic, Martial Rigaut, David Roudaut and Rika Jolie
The process of cleaning and disinfection of animal transport vehicles after unloading animals at the abattoir is a critical control point regarding proper hygiene. It is an important step regarding the biosecu...
Ear necrosis is a syndrome affecting pigs shortly after weaning and is regarded as an animal welfare issue. The etiology is unknown but Treponema spp., predominantly Treponema pedis, are commonly detected in the ...
Authors: Frida Karlsson, Anna Rosander, Claes Fellström and Annette Backhans
Haemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a sporadically occurring disorder in fattening pigs, characterized by sudden death in combination with severe abdominal distension and intense red colouration of the intest...
Authors: Alexander Grahofer, Corinne Gurtner and Heiko Nathues
Recent introduction of strategies to reduce antibiotic use in food animal production implies an increased use of vaccines in order to prevent the economic impact of several important diseases in swine. Good Va...
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an enteric disease of swine that has emerged as a worldwide threat to swine herd health and production. Substantial research has been conducted to assess viability of ...
Authors: Sarah Vitosh-Sillman, John Dustin Loy, Bruce Brodersen, Clayton Kelling, Kent Eskridge and Amy Millmier Schmidt
Respiratory diseases impair the health and welfare of growing pigs and impacts farmers’ gains worldwide. Their control through a preventative medical approach has to be tailored according to the pathogens iden...
Authors: Luuk Kaalberg, Victor Geurts and Rika Jolie
Since 1999, scientists have published evidence of transplacental infection by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) and reproductive failure in pigs. Affected herds have frequently been start-up herds, either naïve...
Authors: M. Oropeza-Moe, A. J. Oropeza Delgado and Tore Framstad
Drugs for the treatment of groups of pigs receiving liquid feed are frequently mixed into the feed and administered via the pipelines of the feeding installations. In-feed antimicrobials may select antimicrobi...
Authors: Oliver Heller, Roger Stephan, Sophie Thanner, Michael Hässig, Giuseppe Bee, Andreas Gutzwiller and Xaver Sidler
Infection with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) causes vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration in young pigs. The virus made its first appearance in the U.S. in 2013, where it caused substantial neonatal mor...
Authors: Michaela P. Trudeau, Harsha Verma, Pedro E. Urriola, Fernando Sampedro, Gerald C. Shurson and Sagar M. Goyal
Surgical castration is still practiced in many EU countries to avoid undesirable aggressive behavior and boar taint in male pigs. However, evidence shows that castration is painful and has a detrimental influe...
Authors: Joaquin Morales, Andre Dereu, Alberto Manso, Laura de Frutos, Carlos Piñeiro, Edgar G. Manzanilla and Niels Wuyts
The objective of our study was to clinically and etiologically investigate acute outbreaks of respiratory disease in Finland. Our study also aimed to evaluate the clinical use of various methods in diagnosing ...
Authors: Minna Haimi-Hakala, Outi Hälli, Tapio Laurila, Mirja Raunio-Saarnisto, Tiina Nokireki, Taina Laine, Suvi Nykäsenoja, Kirsti Pelkola, Joaquim Segales, Marina Sibila, Claudio Oliviero, Olli Peltoniemi, Sinikka Pelkonen and Mari Heinonen
Gilts are considered to play a key role in Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) transmission and control. An effective gilt acclimation program should ideally reduce M. hyopneumoniae shedding at first farr...
Authors: Laura Garza-Moreno, Joaquim Segalés, Maria Pieters, Anna Romagosa and Marina Sibila
Intestinal infection with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is an important disease in swine resulting in significant economic losses. Knowledge about the epidemiology, the diagnostic approach and methods o...
Artificial insemination (AI) is the preferred method for reproduction in the majority of the intensive pig production systems Worldwide. To this end, fresh extended ready-to-use semen doses are either purchase...
Authors: Alfonso Lopez Rodriguez, Ann Van Soom, Ioannis Arsenakis and Dominiek Maes
Delaying pigs from advancing through the production stages could have a negative impact on their health and performance. The objective of this study was to investigate the possible implications of delaying pig...
Authors: Julia Adriana Calderón Díaz, Alessia Diana, Laura Ann Boyle, Finola C. Leonard, Máire McElroy, Shane McGettrick, John Moriarty and Edgar García Manzanilla
Zinc oxide (ZnO), commonly used to control post-weaning diarrhea in piglets, has been highlighted as of potential concern from an environmental perspective. The aim of this field trial was to examine effects o...
Authors: M. Oropeza-Moe, C.A. Grøntvedt, C.J. Phythian, H. Sørum, A.K. Fauske and T. Framstad
Repeat-breeder females increase non-productive days (NPD) and decrease herd productivity and profitability. The objectives of the present study were 1) to define severe repeat-breeder (SRB) females in commerci...
Authors: Satomi Tani, Carlos Piñeiro and Yuzo Koketsu
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is responsible for reproductive disorders in sows and respiratory problems in pigs, and has a major economic impact. Controlling PRRSV is therefore a...
Acute outbreaks of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (APP) require rapid, effective, parenteral antimicrobial treatment. The efficacy and safety of a single, short-acting, high dose of marbofloxacin (Forcyl® swine ...
Authors: Erik Grandemange, Pierre-Alexandre Perrin, Dejean Cvejic, Miriam Haas, Tim Rowan and Klaus Hellmann
The usefulness of oral fluid (OF) sampling for surveillance of infections in pig populations is already accepted but its value as a tool to support investigations of porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) ...
Authors: Juan Hernandez-Garcia, Nardy Robben, Damien Magnée, Thomas Eley, Ian Dennis, Sara M. Kayes, Jill R. Thomson and Alexander W. Tucker
In commercial pig production, sows are often vaccinated several times per gestation period, resulting in reduced welfare. This preliminary experiment investigated whether the needle-free IDAL vaccinator improv...
Authors: Déborah Temple, Damián Escribano, Marta Jiménez, Eva Mainau, José J. Cerón and Xavier Manteca
Straw is one of the most effective rooting materials to reduce tail biting in pigs. A so-called foraging-tower (FT) provides only small quantities of straw compatible with liquid manure systems. The focus of t...
Authors: Carolin Holling, Elisabeth grosse Beilage, Beatriz Vidondo and Christina Nathues
