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Table 1 Characteristics of 11 Danish weaner producing farms with low use of antimicrobials and high productivity

From: Weaner production with low antimicrobial usage: a descriptive study

 

1a (A and Bb)

2 (A and B)

3

4

5

6

Farm demographics

 Infection status

Unknown

+Mycc

+Ap(6 + 12), +Myc, +PRRS

Free of all SPF pathogens

+PRRS

Unknown

 Biosecurity

Non-SPF

SPF

SPF

SPF, closed farmd

SPF, closed farm

Non-SPF

 Number of 7–30 kg pigs

3,000 + 3,000

2,400 + 1,800

4000

1,250

2,000

1,800

 Supplier

Regular sow farm

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Regular sow farm

 Housed dayse

~140

~52

45

57

52

139

 Weight (kg), entrance– exit

7–slaughter

6.5–32

8.5–28

6.6–33

7.6–30

7.8–slaughter

AMf usage (ADD15/100/day)

4.16 and 7.19

3.9 and 5.7

2.7

7.37

6.03

0.6

Average daily weight gain (g/day)

800–825

~500

462

464

~500

705

Mortality (%)

~2

~2.5

1.5

1.2

0.7

1

Management

 Staff experience (years)

2

5

3

10 + (owner)

10+

10+ (owner)

 Owner participating

With feeding

Daily

At delivery

Daily

No

Daily

 Hours spent/weekg

20 (3.3 h/1,000w)

7 (1.7 h/1,000w)

37 (9.3 h/1,000w)

11 (8.8 h/1000w)

15 (7.5 h/1000w)

NA

 Sorting by

Size and sex

Size

Size and sex

Size

Size

Size and sex

 Sorting frequency

Continuously

Twice

Twice

Twice

At entrance

Once

Internal biosecurity

 Sectioning

High

Not 100%h

High

High

High (for 80%)

Not 100%

 Vaccinate weanersi

PCV2

PCV2

No

No

PCV2

NA

Pen hygiene between batches

 Beyond washing

Disinfection

–

Disinfection

–

–

Disinfection

 Drying (days)

2

3–10

6

2–6

3–5

7 days

 Incl. heat (days)

2

2–3

2

1

1–3

1–2

Feeding

 Type

Home-mixed wet + lactic acid bacteria

Home-mixed dry

Purchased pelleted

Home-mixed dry

Home-mixed wet

Home-mixed dry

 No. of mixtures

3 (7–9 variations)

2+ extra

2

2

3 + extra

2

 Zinc first 2 weeks

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Treatments

 Primary indication

Unthrifty

Diarrhea at shift in feed

Diarrhea at shift in feed

Diarrhea 3 weeks after weaning

(Diarrhea for the 20% not-sectioned)

Unthrifty

 Method

Injection or AM in feed in sick pen

Group (section)

Injection only

Group (pen)

Group (water in feed trough)

Injection

 % treated per batchj

5%

50%

NAk

NA

20%

NA

 

7

8

9

10

11

 

Farm demographics

 Infection status

+Myc

Free of all SPF pathogens

Free of all SPF pathogens

+Myc, +Ap6, +Ap12

+Myc, +PRRS

 

 Biosecurity

SPF

SPF

SPF

SPF

SPF

 

 Number of 7–30 kg pigs

2,200

4,000

4,000

3,300

1,720

 

 Supplier

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Own sow farm

Regular sow farm

 

 Housed days

44

50

56

55

55

 

 Weight (kg), entrance–exit

8.1–32

6.6–31.7

7.2–34.8

7.0–33.5

6.7–30.1

 

AM usage (ADD15/100/day)

3.64

7.36

6.82

2.99

6.57

 

Average daily weight gain (g/day)

576

497

498

486

426l

 

Mortality (%)

1.6

0.8

1.4

1.7

1.6

 

Management

 Staff experience (years)

6

1

5+

1

10+ (owner)

 

 Owner participating

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Daily

 

 Hours spent/week

7 (3.2 h/1,000w)

37 (9.3 h/1,000w)

NA

14 (4.2 h/1,000w)

10 (5.8 h/1,000w)

 

 Sorting by

Size

Size

Size

Size

Size

 

 Sorting frequency

Twice

Continuously

Once

Once

Once

 

Internal biosecurity

 Sectioning

High

Not 100%

Not 100%

High

Not 100%

 

 Vaccine weaners

No

No

No

No

NA

 

Pen hygiene between batches

 Beyond washing

Disinfection

Disinfection

Disinfection

Disinfection

–

 

 Drying (days)

13

4

7-10

1

2

 

 Heating (days)

3

4

NA

1

2

 

Feeding

 Type

(1) Purchased pelleted

(2) Homemixed wet

Purchased pelleted

Purchased pelleted

Purchased pelleted

Purchased pelleted

 

 No. of mixtures

2

3+ extra

3

3

3

 

 Zinc first 2 weeks

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

 

Treatments

 Primary indication

Diarrhea at shift in feed

Diarrhea at shift in feed

Diarrhea at shift in feed

Diarrhea 4–5 weeks after weaning

Diarrhea at shift in feed

 

 Method

Group (half section)

Group (section)

Group (section)

Group (section)

Group (section)

 

 % treated per batch

30–40%

100%

100%

100%

100%

 
  1. The information presented in the table is obtained through registrations from VetStat, the farmers efficiency controls as well as semi-qualitative on-farm interviews.
  2. aFarm No 1 and No 2 did not present their efficiency control, but reported estimated results on mortality and daily weight gain.
  3. bA and B indicates that the farmer has two herds with 7–30 kg pigs.
  4. cPresence of SPF pathogens, see endnote description.
  5. dClosed SPF farms produce their gilts themselves and therefore do not receive pigs from other farms.
  6. eThe average number of days that a batch of weaners remains in a section.
  7. f AM Antimicrobial.
  8. gLabor hours spent per week is the number of weekly hours spent per 1,000 weaners, estimated by the farmer.
  9. h“Not 100%” indicates defects in the sectioning procedures, such as: Weaners entering/leaving the housing having to pass through other sections, or pigs falling behind their batch mates being moved to another section.
  10. iInformed by the herd owner, with the exception of farms 7, 8 and 9, where prescribed vaccines for weaners were obtained from VetStat.
  11. jThe percentage of pigs per batch being treated at least once during the weaner period, estimated by the farmer. Group treatment (“Group”) was administered through the drinking water if nothing else is stated.
  12. kNot available.
  13. lFarm 11 was included, despite an average daily weight gain below 443 g/day, due to an entrance weight (6.7 kg) considerably lower than the national average (7.2 kg).
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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147