Page 36 of articles about piglet

The Danish pig producers’ research organisation has tested a number of different designs. They recommend pen dimensions of 2.7x1.8 m to accommodate modern prolific breeds.

When the sow is pregnant, the corpus luteum remains and continues to produce progesterone. While the levels of progesterone are high the sow does not become in heat and maintains gestation.

Without a doubt weaning is the most stressful process suffered by a pig, or at least it is up until that moment in its life.

Colostrum offers 3 essential properties to the piglet: very useful energy source (vital for generating movement and avoiding temperature loss), immune supply (protects against germs that the piglet begins to come into contact with) and natural growth factors (complete the maturity of the piglet).

Piglets are born with very limited energy reserves: compared to other newborn mammals, they have much less energy stored per kg liveweight.

The use of pulped food incites consumption and allows a smoother transition from milk to feed.

Joaquim Segalés, professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and researcher at the Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) (research centre for animal health), was one of the first researchers to discover PMWS and PDNS in Spain. He will be in charge of this section where every month articles will be published on the latest themes, especially from a practical point of view. These themes will include etiology, patogenicity, epidemiology, diagnostic, treatment and prevention of porcine circovirus-associated diseases. A possible hypothesis will also be presented on the emergence of porcine circovirus on a worldwide level.