The period around weaning is a difficult, critical phase for piglets. On many farms, we then see problems with weaning diarrhoea or other health problems. Often, this also results in poor technical performance. Currently, antibiotics are still often used to prevent these problems, but we should try to reduce this. At the end of this year, the preventive use of zinc oxide will also no longer be allowed. High time to start looking for alternative methods to get through the weaning phase without any problems! You can be guided in this via the demo project "Optimal weaning management: targeted coaching towards a better health status", supported by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Teats with fewer antibiotics and no zinc oxide
On 1 July 2020, Inagro, together with DGZ, PVL and UGent (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Bioengineering) started a new demo project. We want to support pig farmers who want to improve the health status of weaned piglets and reduce their use of antibiotics and/or zinc oxide. By tracing critical points in the weaning process, we define working points. These usually involve management adjustments.
Examples include monitoring and adjusting the condition of sows, revisiting the vaccination schedule or weaning at a higher age.
Coaching in close cooperation with you and your company veterinarians
Through proper planning and follow-up, we address the critical points one by one. After all, the smoother the piglets start up in the piglet department, the better the technical performance will be later on and the better the health of the entire farm. This also pays off in the economic results.
During this project, the various project partners will coach you to smoothly implement the working points. We will closely monitor this together with you and your company veterinarian.
Interested?
Would you like to reduce antibiotic use and/or zinc oxide use on your farm and thus improve the health and performance of weaned piglets? Then don't hesitate and sign up for this guidance now!
For more information: info.varkenshouderij@inagro.be or 051/27.32.28
