Respiratory health

How to prevent respiratory diseases in pigs and piglets at an early stage!

Respiratory diseases in piglets and pigs are one of the most significant diseases in pig production, especially in the autumn and winter months. The consequences of respiratory diseases are reduced daily weight gain in piglets and fattening pigs, poorer feed conversion, underweight animals and piglets and fattening groups that have grown differently. Sudden death, fever and lack of appetite can lead to high economic losses.

Respiratory diseases in piglets and pigs are often multifactorial. In addition to seasonal environmental influences (e.g. temperature fluctuations) and the stable climate, the animals’ own body defenses also have a considerable influence on how the pathogens multiply in the stock. The immunity of the mother sows is of great importance here due to the transmission of specific antibodies with the colostrum, which can reduce the attachment of respiratory tract pathogens. After birth, the piglets are initially protected by maternal antibodies. The proportion of these antibodies decreases with increasing age of the piglets, while at the same time the piglets’ own immunity is not yet fully developed. At the time of weaning, there is an immunity gap in which infections have free rein. But also fattening pigs are more frequently affected by respiratory problems at the time of the highest growth (60 – 80 kg). In this phase, a large part of the energy is required for the increase and a lot is demanded of the organism, which makes the animals more susceptible to diseases.

In general, when it comes to respiratory diseases, prevention is better than cure.

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