Pig vaccinations

Anyone who raised pigs knows very well that these animals are prone to many dangerous diseases. For a novice farmer, this feature of piglets can be an unpleasant surprise: a frivolous attitude to the vaccination calendar often leads to mass deaths. How and what piglets need to be vaccinated from birth at home will be described in detail in this article. Here you can also find a vaccination calendar, recommendations for injections, a list of microelements and vitamins necessary for pigs.

Benefits of timely vaccination

It's no secret that pigs raised on an industrial scale must be vaccinated. And the point here is not only in the sanitary and epidemiological requirements for meat - vaccinations protect piglets from the most common and deadly diseases.

As in the case of humans, the main goal of compulsory vaccination of pigs is to prevent an epidemic (mass spread of infection). Injecting domestic livestock vaccinations is necessary in order to protect yourself from a one-time loss of the entire herd.

They begin to protect the body of piglets from birth, when babies still have very weak immunity. A farmer can save a pig herd not only from deadly diseases, but with the help of vaccinations and injections, it is possible to prevent the development of vitamin deficiency, deficiency of important microelements, and strengthen the immune system of each pig.

Do not be afraid of vaccinations: modern preparations for vaccination of pets have practically no side effects - after the injection, the piglets will feel the same as before.

What vaccinations are given to piglets from birth

Immediately after birth, no injections should be given to piglets, because the body of newborns is still too weak. It is recommended to start the first vaccination not earlier than the third or fourth day after the pigs are born. Along with vaccinations, piglets should receive vitamin injections, which many farmers, mistakenly, also refer to vaccination.

The exact vaccination schedule for each specific livestock should be drawn up by a veterinarian, because the number of vaccinations depends on many external factors, such as:

• the presence of epidemics in the region or region;
• the geographical location of the farm;
• the number of pigs in the herd;
• breed and species of animals;
• free grazing or keeping pigs indoors;
• type of food;
• possible contact of piglets with other domestic animals.

In small households, piglets are vaccinated from birth according to the following approximate schedule:

1. At the age of 4-5 days, piglets are injected with iron preparations to prevent anemia in animals.
2. At two months, pigs need to be vaccinated against erysipelas.
3. At the age of three months, piglets are vaccinated against classic plague.

Usually, these precautions are sufficient to protect livestock from death and disease. If the owner has a small farm and he raises pigs for the purpose of selling meat or raising small piglets, the vaccination scheme is somewhat expanded. A large population must be vaccinated as follows:

1. Piglets 4-5 days - iron supplements.
2. From two weeks to a month - combined vaccination against salmonellosis, pasteurellosis, enterococcosis.
3. In a month and a half - vaccination against KS (classic plague).
4. At 2 or 2.5 months, piglets need to be vaccinated against erysipelas.
5. At the age of 3 to 3.5 months, pigs are revaccinated against erysipelas.
6. In the interval from 3.5 to 4 months, the vaccination against salmonellosis, pasteurellosis, enterococcosis is repeated.
7. Up to six months, the piglets are re-injected with the erysipelas vaccine.

Vaccines

The same vaccines are used for all pig breeds. There are several drugs to protect against each disease, among them there are both combined and mono vaccinations. When choosing a particular vaccine, you should pay attention only to the age of the piglet and its approximate weight.

Piglets can be vaccinated against classic plague with one of the following vaccines:

• "Virusvaccine VGNKI";
• "KS";
• "Virusvaccine LK-VNIIVViM";
• "ABC".

Against erysipelas in piglets, veterinarians recommend using the following drugs:

• liquid deposited "Vaccine against swine erysipelas";
• "Vaccine against swine erysipelas from strain BP-2".

In cases of a difficult epidemiological situation, for the vaccination of piglets and pigs, it is better to use combined preparations that can protect the herd from several diseases at once. Usually such drugs prevent three most dangerous diseases in pigs: pasteurellosis, enerococcosis, salmonellosis. The most popular are the following vaccines:

1. "Verres-SPS" can be administered for the first time to 10-12-day-old piglets. On the 8-10th day after that, revaccination is carried out.
2. According to the instructions for use, the vaccine "Suigard" can be injected into piglets 20-30 days old, or sows 15-40 days before the expected farrowing.
3. The drug "PPS" is available in vials for 20 doses and is intended for 12-15-day-old piglets or sows before childbirth.
4. "Serdosan" is able to develop immunity in pigs to five diseases at once. In addition to the three listed, these are colibacillosis and edematous disease.
5. For piglets, you can use the "PPD" vaccine, which must be administered for the first time at 20-30 days of age.

Additional drugs

For small pigs, not only diseases and infections are terrible, the usual deficiency of trace elements or vitamins can cause them serious health problems.

The most dangerous condition in newborn piglets is anemia. In order to prevent iron deficiency, in the first days of life, pigs are given prophylaxis with special drugs. 4-5 days after birth, piglets need to be injected with one of the following medications:

• Ursoferran;
• "Suiferrovit";
• Ferranimal;
• "Sedimin";
• Ferroglyukin.

Any iron-containing preparation should be administered at a dosage of 200 mg of active ingredient per pig.

Sometimes piglets over the age of ten days may need rickets prophylaxis. In this case, you need to be vaccinated with any potassium and calcium preparations. Quartz lamps can be used as an additional prophylaxis.

Vaccination of piglets against worms is no less important than vaccinations against fatal diseases. By themselves, helminths do not pose a serious danger to pigs. However, worms greatly weaken the immunity of animals, they can clog various parts of the digestive tract. The first time the helminthic vaccine is administered to piglets after the tenth day of life. The best drugs are Panakur and Dectomax.

Piglet vaccination rules

The first thing a farmer should know at the initial stage of pig breeding is what breed his livestock belongs to. Every year new species of these domestic animals appear, the goal of breeders is to develop breeds that are resistant to the most dangerous and frequent "pig" diseases. That is why many of the modern species of piglets have an innate immunity to certain diseases and, accordingly, do not need to be vaccinated against them.

The calendar that veterinarians adhere to when vaccinating pigs from large industrial farms is called "extended". At home, not all vaccinations are given to piglets - they choose only those vaccines that will protect the livestock from diseases common in a particular region and at a certain period of time. A novice farmer with no knowledge of swine diseases can consult a local veterinarian or speak with more experienced neighbors.

At the time of vaccination, the piglet must be absolutely healthy. Any vaccine is a little stress for the body, so the animal's immunity cannot be suppressed by poor nutrition, weakness or chronic illness.

So, before vaccinating piglets, you need to do the following:

1. Learn about the characteristics of a particular breed of pigs and find out what diseases they have innate immunity to.
2. Consult with your veterinarian and based on this, draw up your own vaccination schedule.
3. Observe piglets and sows to identify weak, hungry or sick individuals.
4. Purchase quality vaccines from a good veterinary pharmacy.

Piglet vaccination table from birth

Vaccinations will be of no use if they are not repeated at regular intervals. In order not to miss or forget anything, the farmer needs to draw up a vaccination schedule for his piglets. Veterinarians recommend adhering to the vaccination schedule from the first days of pigs life. One example of such a table is shown below.

It must be understood that the above scheme is the simplest option that is suitable for vaccination of piglets in a small household. The larger the livestock, the more vaccinations need to be done.

Against the plague

The most dangerous disease of pigs today is classic plague. The infection affects 95-100% of the unvaccinated population and is fatal in 60-100%.Not only the high mortality rate among infected animals is terrible, but also the sanitary standards in relation to the classical plague: all pigs in the affected area, at best, are forcibly vaccinated, at worst - slaughtered and burned corpses. And this is a big trouble for the farmer!

Plague affects only domestic pigs and wild boars - you can not worry about the rest of the livestock in the household. But the infection spreads very quickly, so it is best to be prepared and vaccinate all the pigs and piglets in the herd.

Cattle should be vaccinated against plague intramuscularly strictly according to the scheme:

• the first vaccination - for piglets aged 1.5-2 months;
• repeated vaccination (after which immunity will appear) - on the 120th day after the first;
• revaccination - every year.

Plague vaccine cannot be bought at a pharmacy; it is only issued by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Service.

Against salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is transmitted by airborne droplets, therefore it is considered a rapidly spreading infection. The disease itself is not fatal, but it is difficult, pigs often have consequences - animals lag behind in growth, lose their appetite, and their immunity decreases.

Vaccination against salmonellosis is carried out in two stages:

1. The vaccine is done on 20-day-old piglets.
2. Revaccination is carried out after 7-10 days.

Usually, farmers use complex vaccines to prevent salmonellosis, which also protect against pasteurellosis and enterococcosis. The best is the drug "Suigard", which can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy.

Against erysipelas

Erysipelas is a bacterial skin infection. This disease causes severe discomfort to pigs, infected animals suffer greatly. The causative agent of erysipelas can live for a long time in the body of a healthy pig, and with a lack of nutrition or deterioration of conditions, the infection suddenly flares up, affecting the entire herd.

The disease is not always fatal, but considerable financial costs will be required to treat piglets from erysipelas. Therefore, vaccination is the best option, it is carried out both in industrial and in small households.

The scheme of vaccination of piglets against erysipelas is as follows:

• the first injection - at two months of age;
• repeated injection - on the 85-90th day after the first;
• revaccination - after 240 days.

You can choose any vaccine for pigs, from the domestic praise "VR-2".

Against Aujeszky's disease

The Aujeszky virus infects not only pigs, but also other domestic animals (rodents, dogs, cats). Small piglets are the first to suffer from the infection, the disease spreads very quickly throughout the entire livestock of young animals. Mortality from Aujeszky among piglets up to four weeks of age reaches 100%. Adult pigs usually recover, but the course of the disease is also severe.

Vaccinations against Aujeszky for piglets are done as follows:

• on the 16-30th day after birth, piglets are injected with 1 ml of the drug subcutaneously;
• the second vaccination should be done intramuscularly - 2 ml on 35-55 days;
• revaccination - also intramuscularly 2 ml on the 140th day.

The drug VGNKI dry cultural virus vaccine against Aujeszky's disease is effective.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Comprehensive Vaccination

Combination vaccines consist of inactivated (non-live) strains and viruses. They do not harm the body of small pigs, do not give side reactions. However, combined vaccinations have their own nuances:

• immunity in animals is developed only two weeks after re-vaccination (revaccination);
• repeated vaccination of pigs with combined preparations is necessary every five to six months.

That is, during an epidemic, it is impractical to use combined vaccines - until the piglets have an immune response, most of the herd will get sick. In a "quiet" time, it is possible and necessary to vaccinate pigs with such vaccinations.

Table of other vaccinations for piglets

When a farmer plans to breed pigs or raises them for the purpose of selling them for meat, the herd should have a more complete “vaccination chart”. It is recommended to additionally vaccinate piglets according to the scheme below.

Preparing piglets for vaccination

Piglets to be vaccinated do not need special preparation. But this is, provided that the farmer follows the recommendations of the veterinarians and adheres to the vaccination schedule. For example, pigs not previously vaccinated against helminths should be treated with helminths. To do this, you can choose any drug in tablets or drops.

The owner must inspect each individual from the herd in order to identify weak and suspicious piglets - such are not worth vaccinating. It is good if serious vaccines (combination drugs, vaccinations against leptospirosis or pneumonia) are administered to domestic pigs by a doctor. But the farmer can do iron, minerals and vitamins, injections against helminths on his own.

How to inject a pig

In order to correctly deliver the injection with the vaccine, the pig, first of all, must be well fixed. To do this, you will need an assistant: one person should hold the mumps, and the second should inject.

Even before you catch a piglet, you need to dissolve the vaccine according to the instructions, calculate the dose and take the medicine. Syringes and needles for them are also not taken at random: their sizes depend on the age of the pig and the type of vaccination. For details, see the table below.

Pig vaccinations must be delivered correctly:

• it is imperative to observe sterility;
• put on gloves before vaccination;
• use a separate needle for each pig;
• pre-wipe the injection site with 70% alcohol.

Where to prick a piglet

The injection site and the type of injection depend on the vaccine product and the age of the pig. Therefore, before you vaccinate a piglet, be sure to read the instructions for the medicine. The options can be as follows:

1. Small suckling pigs are vaccinated in a triangle behind the ear, the drug is injected subcutaneously. You need to pull the skin with your fingers and insert the needle at a 45-degree angle into the resulting fold. This is the most painless injection method.
2. Subcutaneous administration can also be performed on the inner thigh. They do everything in the same way as with the ear.
3. Older piglets are injected in the thighs. The injection should be done intramuscularly, trying not to touch large vessels. The needle should be inserted at a right angle.
4. Piglets after weaning from the sow and adults can be injected intramuscularly in the neck. In babies, a distance equal to the thickness of two fingers recedes from the auricle. To determine the injection site in an adult pig, a palm is applied to the ear.

Monitoring piglets after vaccination

After vaccination, the piglet needs supervision and good care. So that the immunity of babies does not weaken, and the body can cope with the vaccine normally, the animals need to create optimal conditions, such as:

• the temperature in the stable is at the level of 20-25 degrees;
• average air humidity;
• cleanliness and regular cleaning;
• quality feed and constant access to water.

That is why it is better not to vaccinate piglets in severe frosts or intense heat.

Conclusion

Vaccinations to piglets from birth at home can and should be done even in private farms with a small livestock. In order not to harm the animals, it is necessary to follow the recommendations of veterinarians and carefully read the instructions for the drugs. It is quite possible to inject pigs with vitamins, iron or calcium preparations, to make antihelminthic or combined vaccinations on their own, but for a more serious immunization it is better to call a specialist.

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