Posted by Dr. Keith Wilson on June 12 2006 09:45
The finishing pig can be compared to a high performance race car. We are constantly trying to fine tune it with facilities, genetics, and nutrition to try to get the best and most profitable performance. We are hopeful that each year we can show improvement. However, unlike a machine, the pig is a biological entity which has significant variables that are often not in our control such as health. These disease challenges can hit at the most inopportune time to keep the pig from achieving it’s full potential, It is like the pig is ready to cross the finish line with record performance and it runs out of gas ½ mile from the finish line. It will eventually make it across but the performance and profit has been greatly reduced. One of the most costly late finishing diseases is Proliferative Enteropathy (Ileitis). Many times there are groups of pigs that have made it through most of the finishing period with almost no problems and the group gets hit with Ileitis – resulting in increased death loss and slower gains. To make matters worse, death loss in late finishing means that each dead pig has already incurred the maximum expense without the opportunity of any revenue. In some severe cases it seems that the wheels fall off and turns the most profitable group into a nightmarish finish.
Case Study Number 1:
The first case is a farrow to finish farm that finishes the pigs in off-site finishing barns. This particular site is a 2400 head site comprised of 2 – 1200 head, double curtain finishing barns. The site is managed all in – all out. The sow herd produces approximately 600 pigs per week so the site takes 4 weeks of production to fill the site. The pigs are a high health lean genetics that Are PRRS and Mycoplasma negative. The farm is a start up herd so the sow herd is young and previous performance numbers have been excellent. Previous groups have closed out averaging a 1.85 ADG, 2.65 Feed Efficiency and death loss less than 2%. This particular group and site was doing well with a death loss at 1% and marketing the first load at 95 days into the finisher. Within 3 days of the first market load, the grower called and said he had 3 sudden deads with another 10 – 15 with bloody diarrhea. We were called to do post mortems and to walk the barn. The post mortem showed acute Ileitis with another 2 – 3% of the pigs showing clinical signs. We had another load scheduled for market so we moved the load out date up a couple of days and marketed another load before treatment. After the market load we started the barn on water soluble tylosin and in the feed at 100 Gms per ton. We also identified clinically affected pigs and instructed the grower to medicate individuals with injectable tylosin. Even though we were very aggressive with the treatment regime, death loss was high, growth rate was slowed, and medication expense was increased. Death loss exceeded 4% for the group and days to market were extended 10 – 14 days. The farm quickly instituted feed antibiotic control protocols for the pigs already placed in the finisher and started vaccinating pigs in the nursery with an oral Ileitis vaccine. Since the vaccinated pigs have entered the finisher sites, clinical signs and death loss from clinical Ileitis has stopped.
Case Study Number 2:
This farm is a 2500 sow farrow to finish farm with off-site finishing that is managed all in-all out by site. The herd has had a number of health challenges with respiratory disease being the most significant. Finish death loss for some groups has exceeded 6%. Through some sow herd intervention to stabilize PRRS and an effective vaccination and medication program, progress has been made to where some finishers have been down to 3 – 4% death loss. It is interesting to note that the finishing groups with the higher death loss rarely experienced clinical Ileitis. However, now with the healthier pigs coming through, we are seeing some late finisher death loss due to Ileitis as well as some diarrhea that can also be attributed to Ileitis. We have added a pulse dose of tylosin to the feed at 100 Gms per ton at 10 weeks into the finisher for 7 days and 14 days at 40 grams per ton. At this time, we are satisfied with the response.
Case Study Number 3:
We recently were called to finishing site where there were 1000 head of finishing pigs averaging 230 lbs. Death loss had increased slightly with no apparent clinical signs. Post mortem of 2 pigs indicated a thickened ileum (small intestine) but no signs of blood. This was a classic example of “Garden hose Gut” which is an indication of chronic Ileitis. These pigs had 1 pulse dose of tylosin 6 weeks after the finisher was filled. This was a group of pigs in which we had limited interaction with and limited history of prior performance or health. Our recommendation was to either vaccinate the pigs prior to entering the finishing barn or to be more aggressive with an antibiotic control program. Although the acute death loss was minimal, sub clinical losses have the potential of being quite costly.
Ileitis can be frustrating and depressing disease. It can rob you of profit in small bites or it can explode and almost devastate a finishing group. Proper diagnosis and identification of when the disease strikes is critical to accurately formulate a successful preventative program. The oral vaccine has shown promise in preventing the problem if administered correctly and at the right time. Control antibiotics used at the correct time has also been effective controlling the infection. It is imperative that you consult with your veterinarian to determine the correct diagnosis and formulating the most cost effective control program for your operation.